This is the exact potion that did not work in The Deliverance, but here, it completely melds the two genres like a successful transponder experiment. The staging of the scenes and the dialogue are highly realistic and ring true; it comes off as being written by someone who has been there and hasn’t forgotten. The result is great material for great performances, which abound here. Fox takes us to a place not everyone has been misfortunate enough to be in and makes us feel every inch of it. Caro is excellent in this emotionally complicated role for a child. Also, Bono stands out in what is a flashpoint for victims roles. Usually, victims in horror movies are set up like bowling pins, with everyone just wanting them to be knocked down. Bono put the fear in me for him because he made me care about what was going to happen to him. This is a level of identification and sympathy that usually isn’t seen in the horror genre and sticks out like a severed thumb.
“…a breath of fresh bloody air…”
Little Bites is the most potent hybrid of drama and horror since George A. Romero’s Martin. It is only a nifty coincidence that both films also take conventional vampirism and turn it inside out by putting it through a modernist Sneech Starbelly machine. The word vampire is never mentioned in Little Bites, but the monster’s traits and manner all swing in a Dracula direction. However, vampirism here is treated as a metaphor for addiction and abuse, adding an expressionistic manifestation of dysfunction to the storyline. The balance One maintains here is crucial, as he is steering a high concept through successfully by keeping the menace in classic fairy tale terms. That menace is sharpened by the expert shadow work where the monster is never lit completely, which eliminates any unintended corniness from seeing the make-up full on. Sklaroff’s nuanced rendition of the monster also keeps the supernatural element fresh, as the cold calmness he maintains his lethal hold through will be creepily familiar to many.
The horror crowd should relish it, as they will the supporting roles of two legendary actresses of the horror genre. Crampton, who spearheaded the H.P. Lovecraft cinema revolution in the 80s, is spot on as the meddling CPS worker. She perfectly exudes well-meant intentions that carry with them destructive consequences. We also have a pivotal moment with a woman in the park names Ellenor, magnificently played by the great Heather Langenkamp. Famous as Nancy from the Freddy Kreuger movies, Langenkamp here shows again why she was always one of America’s major acting talents. Now I am going to definitely catch up on the previous features made by Spider One, right after I finish listening to his latest Powerman 5000 album, which I am digging. Little Bites is a breath of fresh bloody air and will go up on my classic horror movie DVD shelf the moment it can.
"…the most potent hybrid of drama and horror since George A. Romero's Martin."
