HNUM²

Rex is a young, glamorous, popular fixture at many London bars and clubs.  He’s also a vampire.  He has allowed a documentary film crew to follow him round to see what a day in his life is like.  Through Fly-on-the-wall filming and interviews with his friends we get to see just how a modern day vampire lives.

This second episode of the UK series, Urban Gothic, is definitely one of the highlights of the series.  From the start, the dark humor and cleverly written dialogue draw you into Rex’s world.  It’s just not the same for him anymore.  All the movies, books, kids shows have turned vampires into something to be desired, romanticized.  Something to teach your kids how to count.

All his friends see him as an intriguing character who may, or may not be a real vampire. The girls are attracted to him, the guys jealous of him but they all want to be around him. And for him, they have their uses.

As the episode progresses, we get to see a wide range of emotions, from Rex’s happy goofy side where he plays on peoples expectations of a vampire, to the strung out “junkie” needing his fix. Keith-Lee Castle plays them all to a t. He’s especially believable in the exasperated “What’s wrong with you people? You’re food to me.” scene.

The episode is especially relevant today, with there being so many complaints about the latest breed of vampires. “Vampires aren’t supposed to sparkle and try to kill themselves over a girl.”  These are the kind of feelings Rex himself has.  Especially when girls throw themselves at him to be his latest victim.

In a nice touch, he collects vampire movies and merchandise.   When asked if it’s to remind him of what he is, he sneers that it’s the exact opposite, although in what can only be described as a fanboy moment he fogets himself in a chance meeting with Ingrid Pitt.  He gushes over her talents, but when he tells her his nature, she understandably thinks he’s joking.

When we finally get down to the feeding, it’s exactly as you’d expect.  You’ve seen that Rex isn’t at all pleased with the glorification and romanticizing of his kind.  There’s no romancing a girl, no tenderly biting the neck in a sexual way.  There’s the hunt, and the brutal feeding.  This is done particularly well, with a nice practical effect or two.

To finish the episode we see that, although he feels sorrow at what he has to do, he bounces back quickly.

It seems almost like Romero’s Martin might have been an inspiration for this.  The “not quite sure if he’s a vampire or a crazy guy” feeling I got from Martin is here. There’s some similarities in the way they kill,  them both being dismissive of the movies, garlic and crosses not working and the way they get like a jonesing addict when they haven’t fed for a while.

This, like Martin, is definitely one of my favourite vampire portrayals.  The unusual, non-stereotyped vampires are almost always more interesting than whatever generic portrayal the latest screenwriter dreams up.  I’m sure Rex would be proud.