13. STAKE LAND: Doing for the vampire genre what The Walking Dead did for the zombie genre, Stake Land also has the older mentor/young companion dynamic of The Last of Us with a similar bleakness and shock factor. Moreover, Stake Land is bolstered by astounding cinematography, inspired direction, and extraordinary performances, especially by the dynamic duo of Connor Paolo and Nick Damici.
GEP Pal Jeremy Gardner’s zombie flick
THE BATTERY also made it on the list.
31 Horror Films You Might Not Have Seen (But Can Stream This Spooky Season)
#1) STAKE LAND: With a grim, grounded take on a post-apocalyptic horror story akin to The Walking Dead, this gruesome fright flick follows a group of nomadic humans who must rely on one another to survive a world overrun by vampires.
From IGN: The feral intensity of Stake Land can feel like a direct response to Twilight, as this film was released only about two years after the infamous young adult vampire romance. Jim Mickle and co-writer Nick Damici (who also stars) approach vampires with an apocalyptic lens, where survivors now wander infested territories trying to find safe havens like in Zombieland — except trade humor for beastly tension. Damici’s playing a vampire hunter who takes a mentee under his wing, teaching him tricks while navigating vampire hordes who thrash, gnash, and rip at throats. Dystopian wasteland vibes are paramount, and action is relentless, making Stake Land one of the more effective responses to vampires as love interests in a post-Twilight world.
Movie Web: “The story is emotional, the acting is well-done, and the creatures & gore effects look fantastic. The film keeps its audience invested well after the watch, as the filmmakers released prequel shorts on Youtube that dive into the character’s backstories. The film donned one sequel, The Stakelander (2016), which wasn’t bad!”
STAKE LAND is streaming on Peacock and Amazon Prime. Watch the Stake Land Webisodes available on the Glass Eye Youtube channel.
BITTER FEAST and STAKE LAND unspool at the Woodstock Film Festival
as part of the Glass Eye Pix 35 year anniversary Tribute.
Directed by Jim Mickle
Starring Connor Paolo, Nick Damici, Kelly McGillis,
Danielle Harris, Sean Nelson and Michael Cerveris.
“The American Horror Film of the Year”
– TWITCH FILM
“The Mayhem is beautifully composed. The Performances are terrific.”
– THE NEW YORKER
“Harrowing! Puts vampires back where they belong — in your nightmares, and at your throat!”
– NEW YORK OBSERVER
2011: GEP pal Jim Mickle and Fessenden during STAKE LAND festival run.
Jim Mickle and Michael C. Hall back at it again in sci-fi thriller series
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, coming to Netflix.
Read Collider article HERE
STAKE LAND ranks in at #87 on AudienceEverywhere’s Netflix Gem list.
“Stake Land has achieved cult status for good reason, becoming a fan-favourite for its heart and effort alone. Not only do we get a brutal wasteland to traverse, but one filled with vampires instead of zombies”
Read full article HERE
Just landed on You Tube: GoodBadFlicks in-depth exploration of Jim Mickle’s Stake Land.
