As per every Halloween, Writer, Director and now proficient novelist ERIC RED and Arrow in the Head always like to give you all a little something special… a treat if you will. And this year we got a doozie! Before I get into it I must say that the 1987 NEAR DARK is my favorite vampire film of all time. Everything about it gels perfectly for me. The Western/Outlaw like motif, the gripping performances (I was so in love with Jenny Wright's Mae), Eric Red's visceral/bold screenplay and his novel characters (Severen, Jesse, Diamondback… they all rocked!), Tangerine Dream's killer soundtrack and Kathryn Bigelow's stylish directing. I simply LOVE that movie to death. Now, we have yet to see a sequel to it, hence this could be as close as we'll ever get. You got the floor Mr. Red! Tear it up!
Ten years ago, I got to thinking about what would happen if the saga of NEAR DARK continued in a way that stayed true to the modern vampire western fundamentals of the piece. The vampire clan of Jesse, Severn, Diamondback and Homer had to have kin, after all. So I mapped out a sequel. Allowing for the passage of time since the original, the follow up picks up fifteen years later and follows Caleb and Mae’s now grown daughter, Sarah. You can read it here for the first time anywhere. The film will never get made, but so what? Happy Halloween horror fans, here’s the outline of how I saw NEAR DARK II!
So there you have it! I've already devoured this sequel treatment and I must say that it was pretty badass! In my perfect world, it will get made someday! You can download it and read it for yourself right here! HAPPY HALLOWEEN from ERIC RED and ARROW IN THE HEAD! We love y'all!