365 Days-Day 57

movie: Stephen King's Sleepwalkers
starring: Brian Krause, Alice Krige
genre: Drama, Thriller
year: 1992
format: DVD

Plot Two shapeshifter vampires, who feed off of the souls (lifeforce) of virgin girls, have targeted a high school student. Their only known enemy is the common housecat, who seems to be able to infect them with a scratch or bite. The mother and son, believe they are the last of their kind, and therefore have started an incestuous relationship, but when the son starts to show kindness to the high school student, the mother gets jealous. And before they have a chance to feed and quietly move on, they are discovered by the locals.

I like the way this plays with the psy-vamp side of things. Also, the fact it pulls from folklore a bit, mixing the idea that vampires and shapeshifters are the same thing.

The beginning of the film has a description of a Sleep'walk'er  listing it as coming from a book from the 1800's. I have no idea if this is a real quote and inspiration for Stephen King, or if this quote is just part of the movie?

The topic of incest in vampire stories is always an underlined thing, not always in your face like it is in this film. (Yes, even the beloved Twilight has it going on with the mere fact Edward turns Bella, and Carlisle turns Esme, which means the lovers become their children.  I'll let you digest that) I have to give the credit to King for just laying it on the line. It's also one of the elements in vampiric folklore that makes vampires so feared, that made people believe partly that a vampire was soulless.

what do I think I learned from this film?
I don't know if there was anything to really learn here?  There are a few characters, mostly the women, who comment about how charming the lead character is, once before the big vampire attack and once after it.  Just sort of drives home the idea that you have to be careful who you trust.