A great Canadian rock and roll flick with some vampires thrown in for good measure. – Will

A struggling band manages to find success when one of their members becomes a vampire but is it all worth it if you have to be a bloodsucker to be popular?

Written and Directed by – Rob Stefaniuk

Starring – Rob Stefaniuk, Jessica Pare, Paul Anthony, Mike Lobel, Chris Ratz, Alice Cooper, Moby, Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Dimitri Coats, Dave Foley, Alex Lifeson, Malcolm McDowell, Carole Pope, Barbara Mamabolo, Nicole de Boer, Calico Cooper, Danny Smith, Adam Wilson, Anand Rajaram, Joe Pingue

I love to see a great Canadian flick and Suck may be one of the best. It’s certainly the best vampire flick that I’ve seen come along in quite a while. The best part of Suck is that it isn’t just a vampire flick, it’s also a great rock and roll movie with some of the heavyweights of rock history. Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Moby, Alex Lifeson, hot damn that’s quite the line-up. It’s actually more of a rock and roll flick than it is a vampire movie which also helps it out but don’t worry, there’s more than enough blood getting splashed around to satisfy the horror fans out there.

The movie was quite funny and has all sorts of little references to classic rock shots and old vampire movies. It was fun to pick out the little winks as you find the characters just randomly standing or sitting in famous poses. Prime example is one band member standing in front of an American flag at the border that looks like a Bruce Springsteen photo. There’s also a great nod to Dracula as Hugo (Chris Ratz), the bands roadie, has more than just a passing resemblance to Renfield even managing to eat a few bugs along the way.

Jessica Pare is the kind of vampire that I'd let suck my blood any day!

Throw in Malcolm McDowell as vampire hunter Eddie Van Helsing (I’m sure we can all see the reference there) and you’ve got a killer movie. The music was great, which is a plus in a rock and roll movie, and since it’s Canadian we got to see quite a few places we’ve been before. The very first scene takes place in a bar we frequent in Toronto quite often and it’s the perfect place for a struggling band to appear in. It’s also where Jennifer (Pare) meets the vampire that will give her immortality and also help her band to make it big.

Once Jennifer has been turned, people start noticing the band and they begin to gain some popularity. Once the other band members find out the secret, they want in on it. It all comes down to Joey (Rob Stefaniuk), the lead singer of the band and the last guy who really wants to be a bloodsucker. Will he finally accept being a vampire so he can achieve his dreams of a successful rock band? Even if he does, they’ll all have to deal with Eddie Van Helsing (McDowell) and avoid being staked by him.

What do you do when the popularity of your band hinges on whether you're a vampire or not?

This has been one of the best movies I’ve seen lately. It is full of laughs, great music and awesome little cameos. It’s also very Canadian, having Dave Foley in there really hammers the point home, and I love a hometown movie. I really have nothing bad to say about it and I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this one. Stefaniuk does a great job in directing, writing and starring in Suck and the movie ends with the most rock and roll moment I could imagine. For anyone whose ever been in a band or is just a huge rock fan, the movie will certainly entertain you. Keep an eye out for all the classic rock moments and enjoy one of the best vampire movies around!

Under the marquee – Will