Stake Land

Director: Jim Mickle Jim Mickle

Overview

An orphaned teenager joins a stoic vampire hunter and a desperate group of survivors as they search for a safe haven in a land overrun by monstrous bloodsuckers and ruthless fundamentalists intent on taking over the United States. His entire family slaughtered by vampires, terrified teen Martin (Connor Paolo) is rescued from certain death by a mysterious vampire hunter named Mister (Nick Damici), who trains him how to wield a wooden stake as they wander the wastelands in search of survivors. Before long, the duo is joined by conflicted nun Sister (Kelly McGillis), resourceful youngster Willie (Sean Nelson), and a pregnant teenager (Danielle Harris) looking for a safe place to give birth. With supplies running low and safe houses hard to come by, the group sets their sights on a place known as "New Eden," the last stronghold of humanity. But getting there won't be easy because the crazed fundamentalists who travel the roads by day are even more dangerous than the evil bloodsuckers who stalk the darkness.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/02/2011
UPC:	0030306818498
Original Release:	2010
Rating:	R
Source:	Mpi Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:38:00
Sales rank:	50,990

Special Features

2 feature-length cast and crew commentaries; Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Connor Paolo	Martin
Nick Damici	Mister
Kelly McGillis	Sister
Michael Cerveris	Jebedia Loven
Danielle Harris	Belle
Sean Nelson	Willie
Bonnie Dennison	Peggy
Greg Jones	Martin's Father
Traci Hovel	Martin's Mother
Tim House	Sherriff
Stuart Rudin	Pops the Barber
Adam Scarimbolo	Kevin
Larry Fessenden	Roadhouse Bartender
Chance Kelly	Officer Harley
Adam Folk	Soldier Crier
Jean Brassard	French Canadian Cannibal
Lou Sumrall	Brotherhood Man
Vonia Arslanian	Dark-Haired Bartender
Phyllis Bash	Old Woman
Marianne Hagan	Doctor Foley
James Godwin	Barn Vamp
Heather Robb	Screwdriver Vamp
Eilis Cahill	Scamp
Eric Stanze	Radio Newscaster
Jeff Grace	Composer

Technical Credits

Jim Mickle

Nick Damici

Jim Mickle	Director,Screenwriter
Nick Damici	Screenwriter
Derek Curl	Producer
Larry Fessenden	Producer
Adam Folk	Producer
Brent Kunkle	Producer
Peter Phok	Producer
Badie Ali	Executive Producer,Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Greg Newman	Executive Producer
Graham Reznick	Sound/Sound Designer
Peter Gerner	Makeup Special Effects
Brian A. Spears	Makeup Special Effects
Chris Gelles	Special Effects
Shaun Brennan	Sound Effects
Steve Vincent	Casting
Sig De Miguel	Casting
Tom Efinger	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Thank Vlad the Impaler there are still some filmmakers who believe vampires should be scary rather than sparkly. Replace the zombies in AMC's The Walking Dead with demonic bloodsuckers, play up the Wild West angle of surviving in a post-apocalyptic society, and you start to get an idea of the mood writer/director Jim Mickle manages to strike in Stake Land -- an involving vampire romp, and an inspiring example of creative vision overcoming budgetary limitations. His entire family slaughtered by vampires right before his eyes, terrified teen Martin (Connor Paolo) falls in with a mysterious vampire hunter named Mister (Nick Damici), who trains him how to wield a wooden stake as they wander the wastelands in search of survivors. Before long, the duo is joined by conflicted nun Sister (Kelly McGillis), resourceful youngster Willie (Sean Nelson), and a pregnant teenager (Danielle Harris) looking for a safe place to give birth. With supplies running low and safe houses hard to come by, the group sets their sights on a place known as "New Eden," the last stronghold of humanity. But getting there won't be easy because the crazed fundamentalists who travel the roads by day are even more dangerous than the evil bloodsuckers who stalk the darkness. It's rare for a director to establish such a singular vision on such a miniscule budget, but with Stake Land, Mickle creates a universe that feels fully realized from the opening shot of a beat-up car racing down a sun-drenched country road. As strong as Mickle's grasp of vampire and Western iconography is, however, Stake Land can't help but be slightly hindered by its episodic structure and constant narration -- two factors that give it the feel of a confidently executed TV pilot rather than a solid-concept feature. Regardless, Mickle has without question created a universe capable of enduring; by constructing a convincing mythology complete with its own vernacular and filling it with characters that are worth rooting for, he proves that great things can indeed be accomplished with limited resources. The creature effects are impressive (Mickle's snarling, beastly vampires almost give the impression of a bloodsucker cross-bred with a werewolf), action set pieces are executed with style and confidence, and the cast members are all up to the task -- with Damici and McGillis coming off particularly well as the grizzled vampire slayer and haunted nun, respectively. Taking a cue from George A. Romero, Mickle quickly establishes that monsters may be the least of our protagonist's concerns as a group of religious zealots makes a gruesome grab for power, and then Mickle smartly uses that angle to bring his story full circle. Although that is the one element of Stake Land that some viewers may see as the film's most predictable, screenwriters Mickle and Nick Damici still throw in enough unique ideas and involving action sequences to distract us along the way, while cinematographer Ryan Samul keeps our eyes constantly occupied with atmospheric widescreen photography that occasionally recalls Dean Cundey's work with John Carpenter in the 1980s. Meanwhile, composer Jeff Grace (I Sell the Dead, The House of the Devil) gives the whole endeavor a pensive tone that picks up nicely whenever the action does -- ensuring that the vast majority of Stake Land's biggest flaws are fleeting, rather than defining.