Galen (Kevin Spirtas), a vampire unable to cope with the modern world, takes up residence in a warehouse with his protégé, Miranda (Angelina High). While Miranda hunts, Galen is drawn to Jennifer (Madison Clark), a dancer living nearby. Jennifer’s ex (Brad Bartram) wants her back, but Galen has other plans for her.
Embrace the Darkness is generally referred to as erotica. That means it’s softcore with an emphasis on mood (so bouncy cheerleaders have been replaced by solemn bloodsuckers). And for softcore, you could do worse.
The storyline is nothing new. Like in the classic films, the vampire wants a girl upon seeing her. Like in the newer films, he’s a melancholy soul whose spirit aches for what he’s lost (or, a brat whose got it good but won’t stop whining, depending on how you feel about the “goth” movement).
The structure is standard softcore, with uninspired dialog and plot points swapping with sex scenes in five minute intervals. The sex scenes are better than average, if a touch prudish, and will make for good date viewing with some wine and a fire. What’s between those scenes won’t hold your attention. I’m assuming the director showed up from time-to-time to explain what the lines are supposed to mean and what emotion should be expressed, but there’s no sign of that in the finished product. These are good-looking people, particularly Spirtas, with his goatee and often open shirt, but they shouldn’t be left to their own devices. Every time it would get so bad that I’d think of abandoning the movie, they’d stop talking, and all would be well.
While the narrative fails, Embrace the Darkness has a lot to offer, not just in flesh, but in all of the dreamlike, atmospheric moments, such as when Galen floats outside of Jennifer’s window, watching. These are simple, low tech effects, but they really work. I liked Galen tapping people on the shoulder when he was twenty feet away and playing “piano” by moving his fingers in the air, but my favorite was the shadow musicians. All the filmmakers needed to do was film the shadows made by two guys with their instruments under bright light, and then not show the guys on film. Easy. Cheap. Ethereal. Romantic.