Kathryn Bigelow's directorial debut "Near Dark" was released within a few weeks of 1987's "The Lost Boys". On a basic level they both revolve around a young man who is taken against his will into small collective who thrive on the night. Whereas "The Lost Boys" had a hip, late-eighties aesthetic that somehow made bloodsucking perfect date movie fodder, "Near Dark" takes its similar subject matter far more seriously and offers up a much darker alternative. There's no mention of the word vampire, no visible fangs, no bats, or any of the other predictable conventions of this sort of flick. Instead it tells a story of survival that believably occurs unrepentantly over many centuries. The fear of the light and the overall sunrise rituals that are exhibited on-screen sell a sympathetic reality often removed in such stories. It's an intriguing film with some very strong cinematography. A meatier story would have been nice, but "Near Dark" is definitely a forgotten near gem.
Review of Near Dark
