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Blade (film)
Encyclopedia
Blade is a 1998
vampire
superhero
action
horror
starring Wesley Snipes
and Stephen Dorff
, loosely based on the Marvel Comics
character Blade
. The film was directed by Stephen Norrington
and written by David S. Goyer
. Blade grossed $70 million at the U.S. box office, and $131.2 million worldwide. It was followed by two sequels, Blade II
and Blade: Trinity
.
Snipes plays Blade, a human-vampire hybrid
who protects humans from vampires.
, the vampire hunter.
Several years later, Blade locates a vampire rave club and kills most of the attendees, including the vampire Quinn, who he pins to a wall and burns. When police and fire crews arrive, Blade escapes and the police take Quinn's body to the morgue. As Dr. Karen Jenson carries out an autopsy
with a co-worker, Quinn returns to life and attacks. Blade rescues Jenson from Quinn and flees to his base with Jenson while Quinn escapes. There, Blade and his mentor/weapons technician Abraham Whistler attempt to prevent Jenson from turning into a vampire.
At a meeting of the vampire Shadow Council, the vampire elder, Dragonetti, discusses Blade's recent intensified attacks, and berates Deacon Frost
for his recklessness in running the raves. The established vampire leadership believes that vampires should try to co-exist with humans rather than risk a full scale war. However, the renegade faction represented by Frost believes that vampires should rule the humans outright and harvest them like cattle.
When Jenson decides to go home, Blade warns her that, due to Quinn's bite, she may still become a vampire. At her apartment, she is attacked by a "familiar" - a human who serves vampires in the hopes of someday becoming one - and is rescued by Blade. After the attack they follow the familiar to a vampire library. Blade and Jenson come across an obese vampire named Pearl, who reveals Frost's research into vampire mythology and his plan to turn himself into an invulnerable vampire blood-god named La Magra. As Blade and Jenson explore, they are ambushed by Quinn and his gang. They manage to escape, thanks to the timely intervention of Whistler. Jenson offers to use her medical knowledge to cure Blade's need for blood.
Frost overthrows the vampire hierarchy, killing Dragonetti and taking the other members of the Shadow Council prisoner. When Blade leaves his hideout to obtain materials for Jenson's improved serum, Frost attacks. He abducts Jenson and has Whistler beaten and bitten, leaving him to turn into a vampire. When Blade returns, he gives Whistler a gun so he can kill himself.
Blade fights his way into Frost's lair but is captured. He is taken to the Temple of Eternal Night, where Frost intends to use Blade's blood and the sacrifice of the twelve pure-blood vampire leaders to resurrect La Magra and become the god's incarnation. Frost then intends to use the powers of La Magra to conquer the human race.
Frost throws Jenson into a pit, but she manages to escape. As the ritual begins, the trapped Blade is drained of blood, and the spirits of the Shadow Council are torn from their bodies to fuse with Frost, transforming him into La Magra. Jenson frees Blade and allows him to feed on her blood to renew his strength. Blade and Frost fight at the base of the temple, and Frost is killed. Jenson offers to continue working on a cure for Blade. He refuses, telling her that it would rob him of his Daywalker powers and render him unable to hunt vampires, so instead he asks her to make a better serum.
and artist Gene Colan
as a supporting character in the 1970s comic The Tomb of Dracula. The comic Blade used teakwood knives and was much more the everyman in his behavior and attitude. Though courageous and brave, he displayed flaws as well, such as an inability to get along with certain other supporting cast members and a hatred of vampires that bordered on fanaticism.
The character was not originally a "daywalker" but a human being immune to being turned into a vampire. Lacking the superhuman speed and strength of his undead quarry, he relied solely on his wits and skill until he was bitten by the character Morbius
. The film version of Blade was updated for a 1990s audience and the comics character was subsequently modified to match. The film's version of Deacon Frost also differs greatly from his comic counterpart. Although the movie retains Frost's upstart ambitions, he was a great deal younger and more updated for the 1990s.
of Belgium, the film earned $323,000 from 20 cinemas, and the Netherlands earned the film $246,000 from 44 cinemas. France made $1.9 million in five days from 241 cinemas, but the film was less successful in Hong Kong (with $182,000 from 22 cinemas) and South Africa ($159,000 from 64 cinemas). The United Kingdom was more successful, taking in $5.7 million over 10 days, as was Brazil, making $855,000 in four days from 133 cinemas. The film was banned from showing in Malaysia, widely considered to have the most controlling censors in Southeast Asia
.
. Roger Ebert
gave the film 3 stars out of 4, writing: "Blade ... is a movie that relishes high visual style. It uses the extreme camera angles, the bizarre costumes and sets, the exaggerated shadows, the confident cutting between long shots and extreme closeups. It slams ahead in pure visceral imagery." Conversely, James Berardinelli
gave the film 2½ stars out of 4, writing: "Blade has the capacity to dazzle, but it also will leave many viewers dissatisfied."
. Its success convinced Marvel to develop the X-Men film series
as well as the Spider-Man film series.
The third and final movie of the trilogy gives credit to Marv Wolfman, at the beginning of the ending credits.
. It peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200
and #28 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
.
1998 in film
-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
vampire
Vampire films
Vampire films have been a staple since the silent days, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptation of vampire fiction has been from Bram Stoker's Dracula, with over 170...
superhero
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
starring Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
and Stephen Dorff
Stephen Dorff
Stephen Dorff is an American actor, best known for portraying Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat, Johnny Marco in Somewhere, and for his roles in Blade and Cecil B. DeMented.-Early life:...
, loosely based on the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
character Blade
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
. The film was directed by Stephen Norrington
Stephen Norrington
Stephen Norrington is a British film director whose credits include Death Machine and the comic book adaptations Blade and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Life and career:...
and written by David S. Goyer
David S. Goyer
David Samuel Goyer is an American screenwriter, film director and comic book writer.-Early life:Goyer was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He attended Hebrew school and has described himself as "half Jewish"...
. Blade grossed $70 million at the U.S. box office, and $131.2 million worldwide. It was followed by two sequels, Blade II
Blade II
Blade II is a 2002 superhero vampire film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film...
and Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
.
Snipes plays Blade, a human-vampire hybrid
Dhampir
A Dhampir in Balkan folklore is the child of a vampire father and a human mother. The term is sometimes spelled dhampyre, dhamphir, or dhampyr. Dhampir powers are similar to those of vampires, but without the usual weaknesses...
who protects humans from vampires.
Plot
A pregnant woman is treated in the hospital after being bitten by a vampire, but the doctors mistake the wound for an animal bite. They try to revive her, but she dies after they deliver her baby boy. The boy inherits the strength, blood lust, and enhanced senses of vampires, but does not suffer their weaknesses, such as garlic or sunlight. He grows up to be BladeBlade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
, the vampire hunter.
Several years later, Blade locates a vampire rave club and kills most of the attendees, including the vampire Quinn, who he pins to a wall and burns. When police and fire crews arrive, Blade escapes and the police take Quinn's body to the morgue. As Dr. Karen Jenson carries out an autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
with a co-worker, Quinn returns to life and attacks. Blade rescues Jenson from Quinn and flees to his base with Jenson while Quinn escapes. There, Blade and his mentor/weapons technician Abraham Whistler attempt to prevent Jenson from turning into a vampire.
At a meeting of the vampire Shadow Council, the vampire elder, Dragonetti, discusses Blade's recent intensified attacks, and berates Deacon Frost
Deacon Frost
Deacon Frost is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Universe. He appears in The Tomb of Dracula and in the Blade limited series.- Publication history :...
for his recklessness in running the raves. The established vampire leadership believes that vampires should try to co-exist with humans rather than risk a full scale war. However, the renegade faction represented by Frost believes that vampires should rule the humans outright and harvest them like cattle.
When Jenson decides to go home, Blade warns her that, due to Quinn's bite, she may still become a vampire. At her apartment, she is attacked by a "familiar" - a human who serves vampires in the hopes of someday becoming one - and is rescued by Blade. After the attack they follow the familiar to a vampire library. Blade and Jenson come across an obese vampire named Pearl, who reveals Frost's research into vampire mythology and his plan to turn himself into an invulnerable vampire blood-god named La Magra. As Blade and Jenson explore, they are ambushed by Quinn and his gang. They manage to escape, thanks to the timely intervention of Whistler. Jenson offers to use her medical knowledge to cure Blade's need for blood.
Frost overthrows the vampire hierarchy, killing Dragonetti and taking the other members of the Shadow Council prisoner. When Blade leaves his hideout to obtain materials for Jenson's improved serum, Frost attacks. He abducts Jenson and has Whistler beaten and bitten, leaving him to turn into a vampire. When Blade returns, he gives Whistler a gun so he can kill himself.
Blade fights his way into Frost's lair but is captured. He is taken to the Temple of Eternal Night, where Frost intends to use Blade's blood and the sacrifice of the twelve pure-blood vampire leaders to resurrect La Magra and become the god's incarnation. Frost then intends to use the powers of La Magra to conquer the human race.
Frost throws Jenson into a pit, but she manages to escape. As the ritual begins, the trapped Blade is drained of blood, and the spirits of the Shadow Council are torn from their bodies to fuse with Frost, transforming him into La Magra. Jenson frees Blade and allows him to feed on her blood to renew his strength. Blade and Frost fight at the base of the temple, and Frost is killed. Jenson offers to continue working on a cure for Blade. He refuses, telling her that it would rob him of his Daywalker powers and render him unable to hunt vampires, so instead he asks her to make a better serum.
Cast
- Wesley SnipesWesley SnipesWesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
as Eric Brooks / BladeBlade (comics)Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
: The main protagonist, A half-vampire "daywalker" who hunts vampires. - N'Bushe WrightN'Bushe WrightN'Bushe Wright is an American film and television actress, known mainly for her part in Blade. A native of New York City, she is the daughter of jazzman Stanely Wright aka Suleiman-Marim Wright...
as Dr. Karen Jenson: A hematologist who is bitten by a vampire. She stays with Blade to remain safe while she finds a cure for herself. - Stephen DorffStephen DorffStephen Dorff is an American actor, best known for portraying Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat, Johnny Marco in Somewhere, and for his roles in Blade and Cecil B. DeMented.-Early life:...
as Deacon FrostDeacon FrostDeacon Frost is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Universe. He appears in The Tomb of Dracula and in the Blade limited series.- Publication history :...
: An upstart vampire. He emerges as Blade's primary enemy who wants to conquer the human race and is the main antagonist of the film. - Kris KristoffersonKris KristoffersonKristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
as Abraham WhistlerAbraham WhistlerAbraham Whistler is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a vampire hunter and mentor to Blade. Screenwriter David S. Goyer created him for the 1998 film Blade , but he first appeared on screen in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and was voiced by Malcolm McDowell and later by...
: Blade's mentor and weaponsmith. - Donal LogueDonal LogueDonal Francis Logue is an Canadian actor perhaps most famous for his role as Sean Finnerty in Grounded for Life.-Personal life:...
as Quinn: A cocky minion of Frost's. - Udo KierUdo KierUdo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
as Gitano Dragonetti: A vampire elder. - Sanaa LathanSanaa LathanSanaa McCoy Lathan is an American actress and voice actress. She has starred in numerous movies, including the box-office hits Love & Basketball, Alien vs. Predator, Something New, and The Family That Preys. Lathan was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun...
as Vanessa Brooks: Blade's mother, who has become a vampire. - Arly JoverArly JoverAraceli "Arly" Jover is a Spanish actress.-Biography:Araceli Jover was born in Melilla, a Spanish region in Northern Africa. After living there for five years, her family was forced to move to Majorca, in the Balearic Islands because of her father's work as a soldier...
as Mercury: Frost's lover. - Kevin Patrick WallsKevin Patrick WallsKevin Patrick Walls is an American actor who has appeared in minor film roles.He auditioned for the lead role of Billy Loomis in 1996 film Scream but lost the role to Skeet Ulrich...
as Officer Krieger: A "familiar", or human servant, of Frost's. - Tim GuineeTim GuineeTimothy S. "Tim" Guinee is an American stage, television, and feature film actor.-Life and career:Guinee, who has two brothers and two sisters, was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Illinois and Texas....
as Dr. Curtis Webb: Karen's ex-boyfriend who later becomes a decomposing vampire. - Traci LordsTraci LordsTraci Lords , also known as Traci Elizabeth Lords and Tracy Lords, is an American film actress, producer, film director, writer and singer...
as Racquel: A seductive vampire who leads a man to the blood rave.
Production notes and cameos
- Filming was in large part done in Los Angeles, with some scenes being shot in Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
. - Flat Earth ProductionsFlat Earth ProductionsFlat Earth Productions is a special effects company created in 1995 to provide the effects to the television series Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. It later went on to provide the effects for Blade, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Dungeons and Dragons.-Reference:*...
created the effects for the film. - Stan LeeStan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
originally had a cameo that was ultimately cut from the film. Although Blade is a Marvel Comics character, he was created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. - David Goyer explains in the DVD commentary that when Karen Jenson wakes up at Blade's hideout after her initial attack and rescue by Blade, the script had her discover a jar with a vampire baby in it. The baby would be alive and used by Blade and Whistler as a guinea pig for testing out weapons to fight the vampires. The studio found this concept to be far too disturbing and refused to allow it.
- The original ending included an eight-story monstrous version of La Magra. This was scrapped and re-done to the current known ending after many fans were disappointed when Stephen Dorff (Frost) was taken off-camera during the film's first screening. The original ending can be found in the special features section of the DVD.
- An alternate ending can be found on the LaMagra section of the DVD where Karen Jenson points out a shadowy figure wrapped in rags on a distant rooftop. The character is supposed to be the Marvel Comic vampire MorbiusMorbius, the Living VampireMorbius, the Living Vampire, is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane, the character, a living human suffering from vampiric abilities resulting from scientific rather than supernatural means, first appeared as...
. - Matt SchulzeMatt SchulzeMatthew Steven "Matt" Schulze is an American actor and musician.-Early life:Schulze was born and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. At age 16, he moved to Atlanta, where he studied guitar at the Atlanta Institute of Music. He moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to be a studio musician, but ended up doing...
, Chupa from Blade IIBlade IIBlade II is a 2002 superhero vampire film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film...
, has a bit part in the archive room, playing the vampire Crease, used to exhibit the effectiveness of the booby trapped hilt.
Connections to the comic
The character Blade was created in 1973 for Marvel Comics by writer Marv WolfmanMarv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and artist Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
as a supporting character in the 1970s comic The Tomb of Dracula. The comic Blade used teakwood knives and was much more the everyman in his behavior and attitude. Though courageous and brave, he displayed flaws as well, such as an inability to get along with certain other supporting cast members and a hatred of vampires that bordered on fanaticism.
The character was not originally a "daywalker" but a human being immune to being turned into a vampire. Lacking the superhuman speed and strength of his undead quarry, he relied solely on his wits and skill until he was bitten by the character Morbius
Morbius, the Living Vampire
Morbius, the Living Vampire, is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane, the character, a living human suffering from vampiric abilities resulting from scientific rather than supernatural means, first appeared as...
. The film version of Blade was updated for a 1990s audience and the comics character was subsequently modified to match. The film's version of Deacon Frost also differs greatly from his comic counterpart. Although the movie retains Frost's upstart ambitions, he was a great deal younger and more updated for the 1990s.
Commercial
Blade went to number one in both Spain and Australia for their opening weekends. With 200 theatres showing the film, Spain's cinema goers earned the film $1.5 million (US) in three days, whilst Australia earned $1 million from 132 cinemas showing the film. In the Flemish RegionFlemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
of Belgium, the film earned $323,000 from 20 cinemas, and the Netherlands earned the film $246,000 from 44 cinemas. France made $1.9 million in five days from 241 cinemas, but the film was less successful in Hong Kong (with $182,000 from 22 cinemas) and South Africa ($159,000 from 64 cinemas). The United Kingdom was more successful, taking in $5.7 million over 10 days, as was Brazil, making $855,000 in four days from 133 cinemas. The film was banned from showing in Malaysia, widely considered to have the most controlling censors in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
Critical reaction
Reaction to Blade among critics was mixed, with the film earning a 55% rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film 3 stars out of 4, writing: "Blade ... is a movie that relishes high visual style. It uses the extreme camera angles, the bizarre costumes and sets, the exaggerated shadows, the confident cutting between long shots and extreme closeups. It slams ahead in pure visceral imagery." Conversely, James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
gave the film 2½ stars out of 4, writing: "Blade has the capacity to dazzle, but it also will leave many viewers dissatisfied."
Impact
Blade was one of the first successful comic book based films to be released after the disastrous performance of Batman & Robin and SteelSteel (film)
Steel is a 1997 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character John Henry Irons, who first appeared in 1993 during the Reign of the Supermen! storyline in the Superman comic book titles. The film stars Shaquille O'Neal as Irons and his alter ego Steel, Annabeth Gish as his wheelchair...
. Its success convinced Marvel to develop the X-Men film series
X-Men (film series)
The X-Men film series consists of superhero films based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The films star an ensemble cast, focusing on Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who is drawn into the conflict between Professor Xavier and Magneto , who have opposing views on humanity's...
as well as the Spider-Man film series.
Lawsuit
Marv Wolfman, the original creator of the Blade character, unsuccessfully sued Marvel and New Line for $50 million after the release of the film. He, along with artist Gene Colan, receives a "based on characters created by" credit in this film, but does not receive credit in the sequels or TV series.The third and final movie of the trilogy gives credit to Marv Wolfman, at the beginning of the ending credits.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing hip hop music was released on August 25, 1998 by TVT RecordsTVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
. It peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and #28 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
.