John Carpenter’s Vampires is often remembered as one of his last great outings in the horror genre following such classics as The Thing. It wasn’t long after its 1998 release, in 2002, that a sequel to Vampires would be released – Vampires: Los Muertos. Now the direct-to-video continuation to the John Carpenter hit is trending on Max.
The movie has entered the ninth spot on Max’s Top 10. This makes it one of the most watched movies on the streaming service. Quite a feat for a direct-to-video sequel from a little over twenty years ago.
For those unfamiliar, the film loosely followed the events of its predecessor, with none other than Jon Bon Jovi stepping into the lead role. He plays a vampire hunter by the name Derek Bliss and aims to complete a new mission against the undead.
Fans might recall that the original film starred James Woods as Jack Crow while Tim Guinee stars as Father Adam Guiteau. Sadly, these characters appeared to have been killed off between the events of the two films. Vampires: Los Muertos especially confirms the death of Father Adam Guiteau.
Additionally, while John Carpenter did not return to direct the sequel, it does have the added benefit of Tommy Lee Wallace. He has collaborated with Carpenter in the past, having been involved with Carpenter’s Halloween and The Fog, and even directed Halloween III: Season of the Witch. He also directed Fright Night Part 2 and the 1990 miniseries Stephen King‘s It. It’s worth noting that Carpenter does retain some involvement as a producer.
Of course, Vampires: Los Muertos doesn’t quite live up to Carpenter’s Vampires, nor does it reach the levels of Wallace’s other directorial efforts. But it’s a fun enough relic from the video store era – and one that appears to be doing quite well for itself on streaming. On that note, fans can check out the sequel to the John Carpenter film Vampires for themselves via Max.