As a lifelong fan of everything Danzig, I still wrestle with the idea of Danzig; the filmmaker. I’m proud to say I was at the world premiere of his directorial debut Verotika as both a journalist and champion. Admittedly, that particular film wasn’t the horror revolution I had hoped for. But I take no issue in supporting the endeavors of the most important figure in the soundtrack of my life. There’s was almost an underdog endearment to the experience as if one of my own was achieving a personal goal. But what does that say for Death Rider In The House of Vampires, Glenn Danzig’s second round in the director’s chair?
Seeking refuge from vampires and impending sunrise, the mysterious Rider (Devon Sawa) finds himself in a desert brothel. After being seduced by the establishment’s madam (Kim Director) and antagonized by various redneck patrons, Rider’s secret mission is revealed. He is there to take down the intimidating yet charismatic head vampire, Count Holiday (Julian Sands). Cool and resourceful, Rider must rely on his wits and dumb luck to out-muscle an onslaught of bloodthirsty ghouls if he wants to survive the night.
Death Rider In The House of Vampires is a simple, trope-ridden romp that feels closer to an 80s anime than the Sergio Leone spaghetti-westerns that allegedly inspired it.
Beginning with the cold open, Death Rider features many of the infamous hallmarks that plagued Verotika. Painfully long shots, abrupt edits, and questionable exposition. These elements eventually ease up but are replaced by other issues like wooden dialogue and weird pacing. Not to mention straight-up plot holes as if the characters are in a fever dream-induced loop. This, coupled with the supporting cast made up entirely of over-the-top caricatures, makes me wonder if Danzig was making a self-aware dark comedy as opposed to horror.
Fortunately, this works in the film’s favor. Eli Roth, Victor DiMattia, and Danzig himself had so much fun embellishing the western tropes, I couldn’t help but smile each and every time they were on screen. Somewhere between Hannah-Barbara villainy and an SNL skit, I really wished the film intentionally exploited their awkward chemistry for the sake of comedy instead of juxtaposition.
Speaking of awkward chemistry, Sawa, Director, and Sands devour every scene they’re in, even when it goes nowhere.
All three actors play their roles completely straight as if they’re in the most important film of their lives. Sands is poetic and poised much like his role in the Warlock films of the 90s. Unfortunately, his vamp-attire makes him look like an Ian Atsubry cosplay purchased from Party City. Director suffers a similar fate, but her performance is by far the most fun. With each sarcastic one-liner, it’s like she breaks character and delivers it as herself and it adds another layer of (intentional?) comedy. Sawa utilizes a similar approach and it makes for a fun hero that feels like an actor stumbled onto the wrong set and made good on what was presented.
Visually, Death Rider drifts in and out of its lane. One scene is rich with stylized comic book-esque colors while the next is low-budget and pedestrian. The best-looking scene is the aforementioned cold opening where Danzig (acting as co-cinematographer) somehow manages to make the desert the most colorful element in the film. Death Rider also surprised me with some convincing CGI effects. Especially in the scenes where vampires burn from the inside out when dying. One particular scene where a traitor gets molting-hot silver poured down his throat, is a highlight of the film!
With a resume like Danzig’s, one would think Death Rider would feature countless goth-rock anthems within its soundtrack. Sadly, that’s not the case.
Aside from the wonderfully written and performed theme song (from Danzig, of course), Death Rider is a relatively quiet film. There are some great, if obvious, Ennio Morricone-influenced beats in the desert scenes but they come and go with little fanfare. Even the cool stylized intro credits are painfully silent apart from some random cliche gunshot sound effects. While on the subject of missteps, Death Rider exists as an ode to the low-budget Italian western of the mid-1960s. Saturating the entire film with warbly VHS-esque effects could’ve gone a long way to sell the grindhouse aesthetic.
Having a far more competent group of lead actors helps the film quite a bit but doesn’t save what could’ve been a campy self-aware cult classic. Danzig clearly has a vision, but he just doesn’t have the chops to pull off such a stylized combination of From Dusk Til Dawn and Vampire Hunter D. With that said, I get what he is trying to do with Death Rider and I’m here for it. He is the only person I know who would actually benefit from studio interference or pushback. With someone else’s money on the line, Danzig’s concepts have the making of something truly special.
But if the buzz is any indicator, complaining about the coulda-woulda-shoulda’s is kind of to be expected with Danzig.
Soon after the premiere of Verotika, reviews came pouring in and started the comparisons to the infamous Tommy Wiseau film The Room. Both critics and fans alike tore the film apart for its porn-esque acting to its lack of cohesive storytelling. Audiences winced and cringed as they encouraged others to steer clear of the film even as a joke at parties. Danzig himself even commented on how the audience laughed when they weren’t supposed to. Any other director would’ve taken the criticism as a means to get better for spite or give up completely. However, Danzig was unphased. In fact, he may have leaned into even more.
Comparing Death Rider to Verotika, I think it’s obvious Danzig has grown as a filmmaker. At its absolute worst, Death Rider does seem to have a consistent visual vibe. It looks like a western horror film, whatever that means. But having a vision and being a director are two very different things. Every scene opens and ends as if he is relying on storyboards for every shot. While that may work for action sequences, an entire film can’t be made that way unless the editor comes correct. So in that sense, Death Rider proves Danzig still has a lot to learn. Many critics and internet personalities will lead you to believe it’s incompetence, but I’d argue it’s consistency.
Taking a closer look at Danzig’s history, you’ll see an individual who has never compromised.
When record labels told him the Misfits would never amount to anything, Danzig started his own label to release their music. When his penchant for horror started to feel campy, he formed the ominously aggressive Samhain. As rock music evolved into pop fluff in the 80s, Danzig went darker and heavier. Throughout 40 years in music, his evolution as an artist means being defiantly true to himself no matter what. For better or worse. From the Misfits to Death Rider, this devil-may-care approach to creation has always been Danzig’s strong suit.
Whether or not he surrounds himself with yes-men or legitimately trying to make the best film he can, Danzig is now a filmmaker. Much like his music over the years, Danzig just wants to do what he wants regardless if it’s panned or critically acclaimed. If people like it, cool but if they don’t, they just have to accept it’s not made for them. Whilst I can’t say Death Rider is something I’d recommend to a stranger as a good film, I can say I had a good time watching it. At the end of the day, isn’t that why anyone would want to watch a vampire-infested spaghetti western?
Death Rider In The House of Vampires is currently playing in select theaters.