Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter is celebrating a milestone. After twenty-five years of being very, very quiet, Lee Demarbre’s cult classic is being honoured with a fresh revival. Library and Archives Canada provided a new 2K scan of the original 16mm negative for restoration, and a new DCP has been created to bring out the colours. It’s ready to sing! During the first week of June, the film had a party with Demarbre and superstar Phil Caracas attending special screenings. And this movie will keep preaching cross-country in the coming weeks, if not months, so the herald can be heard. This is the type of midnight madness cinema even Rocky Horror fans should attend!
This very beloved work was made on a shoestring budget, and it has enough romp to make a B-movie director blush. Its hilarity often feels right at home with a Troma production. But there’s more! There’s music, grindhouse attitude, and kaiju involved. Okay, not kaiju, but had it included some, I’d be beside myself. I was more impressed with the sentai influence. It’s not full-on Power Rangers style, but that flavour is clearly there. We even get some 70s-style Bruce Lee foolery when it matters.
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