“Once a bloodsucker, always a bloodsucker.”

With a sterling cast, just the right amount of comedy and satire against a sprinkling of gore combined with a musical score worthy of The Magnificent Seven, this Anthony Hickox feature is impossible not to like or in my case I think adore would be a better word.

The set up is simple. A society of vampires led by Count Mardulak (David Carradine) has taken refuge in a Utah ghost town that was once booming during the copper craze of the 1950’s. The film lays out it’s hand in the opening scene when a cocky dude in an open jeep pulls into a gas station on the edge of Carradine’s town, Purgatory. The station is run by three old timers sitting in a swing chair as played by M. Emmet Walsh, Bert Remsen and Sunshine Parker. Walsh splashes some UV rated cream on his face and when he’s been dealt a few too many insults from his cocky customer he delivers a backhander that decapitates the fellow. It’s all played for comedy and the dye has been set.

Into the town comes a young couple, Morgan Brittany and Jim Metzler, accompanied by their two little girls. Metzler is being called in to fix a problem at the local factory that develops a milk like substance for bottling. What he doesn’t know is it’s a blood substitute to keep Carradine and his coven from feeding on humans. It’s time to stop the killing and live among them if Carradine is to have his way.

Still to be introduced is the long time screen veteran, John Ireland, playing second to Carradine among the hierarchy of the vampire powerful. John has some ideas of his own and alongside upstart vampire Maxwell Caufield is plotting his own direction and amassing an army of bloodsuckers.

Then we have one of fandom’s most celebrated cult actors over the past 40 odd years, Bruce Campbell, added into the mix. Bruce and his bushy mustache are starring as a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing and with a black bag full of stakes, crosses and holy water he has arrived in town looking to put an end to the reign of John Carradine , excuse me David Carradine, who is none other that the real live Count Dracula using an alias.

Like father, like son would apply here as the elder Carradine played Dracula a number of times both on screen and stage. From House of Frankenstein/Dracula right through to Nocturna with multiple stops in between including the must be seen to be believed, Billy the Kid Vs. Dracula.

Bruce plays this role for laughs and with his largely overblown delivery he’s just hammy enough to get me laughing but then I’ve been laughing right along with Bruce since he came on to the cult scene back in 1981 with the release of Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead. Bruce’s main problem once he arrives in town is the “love at first sight” angle. He takes one look at sexy vamp Deborah Foreman and she at him can only lead to one thing and Carradine approves.

I did mention a musical score from Richard Stone that is worthy of the classic westerns of the fifties and sixties. It’s put to good use when our vampire story takes a turns toward a Gunfight at the O.K. Corral finale minus Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. Ironically John Ireland was in that film back in ’57 and like here in 1989 is still playing the heavy and bound to lose the climatic gun draw. This time with a spaghetti feel to it when he faces down Carradine’s lightning fast Count. Wooden bullets no less.

No surprises I guess by the time the film comes to close at a slightly overlong running time of 104 minutes. If the main thrust of the plot sounds familiar having a group of vampires at a retreat and looking to come up with a blood substitute, it does to me as well. That’s assuming you too have seen the 1979 Aussie flick, Thirst, a far more serious vampire flick with plenty more blood and gore. Worthy of your attention if you’ve never seen it I should add.

For my money, Sundown is a far better flick than it really should be and that’s due in large part to the location filming and the cast assembled which includes a number of fine character actors and since we’re talking M. Emmet Walsh here let’s not forget about the “Stanton-Walsh Rule” which all but solidifies it’s a movie to be enjoyed. John Hancock and Dabbs Greer are also among the town’s bloodsuckers.

I’ve no idea if these veteran actors sat around a table over a beer and chatted about their long careers and the “good old days” of movie making but I’d like to think they did. John Ireland played his first role in 1945’s classic war film, A Walk In the Sun. Dabbs Greer with over 300 acting credits to his name apparently has an uncredited role in 1939’s Jesse James to kick off his career which picked up steam in the 1950’s in films ranging from House of Wax to The Bad and the Beautiful, Monkey Business and The Spirit of St. Louis. Bert Remsen began on early TV productions starting in 1952. As for David Carradine, I guess he could easily join in the conversation as I would assume his father, John, was most certainly in something along the way with all the above named actors. Without digging to deep I know the senior Carradine starred opposite Ireland in a low budget thriller I’ve always enjoyed titled House of the Seven Corpses released in 1974 seen in the picture below.

Director Hickox was on a nice roll at this time sandwiching Sundown in between another two films I’ve always enjoyed from those nostalgic VHS days of horror titles, Waxwork and it’s sequel, Waxwork II : Lost in Time. As many directors are known to do, he’d bring on board many of his Sundown actors to appear in the Waxwork sequel. Carradine, Ireland, Metzler and Campbell among them.

Playing over the closing credits of Sundown is the 1961 Oscar Nominated hit song Town Without Pity which clearly keeps the film’s tongue planted firmly in cheek. The Gene Pitney hit was also used in the far more serious film of the same title released to theaters back in ’61 that starred Kirk Douglas.

While never a hit among filmgoers I think Sundown deserved a better of fate and larger audience. Especially among horror and film geeks like me who can spot that nod to Hammer’s The Brides of Dracula at the fadeout. Did you notice it as well? Have you seen it? If not feel free to grab a copy on either DVD or blu ray as it’s available.