Slayer (film)
Encyclopedia
Slayer, also known as Mexferatu Mexico, is a 2006 vampire themed
television
movie by Sci Fi Channel
, directed and written by Kevin VanHook
, starring Casper Van Dien
and Kevin Grevioux
, about an elite commando squad in South America
n rain forest, dealing against a deadly and bloodthirsty vampire clan living in the forest.
s. However, one of the members of the squad, Grieves, is transformed into a vampire, forcing him to battle his former friend Hawk.
on a $2,000,000 budget. The company Tata Elxsi Visual Computing Lab handled the post production. The film premiered on the Sci-Fi channel on 8 July 2006.
. The DVD included subtitles and Dolby Digital
5.1, as well as special features including a commentary by Van Dien and the director, and a photo and concept art gallery.
and Kevin Grevioux
would later appear in separate movies: Dracula 3000
and the Underworld series
respectively, and both about vampires. Van Dien portrayed Van Helsing in his movie, while Grevioux played the Lycan Raze in the first Underworld film
. Kevin VanHook also worked in DC Comics
' vampire-themed comics, Superman and Batman vs Vampires and Werewolves.
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
movie by Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, directed and written by Kevin VanHook
Kevin VanHook
Kevin VanHook is an American filmmaker who began his career in storytelling as a comic book artist and writer. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.-Biography:...
, starring Casper Van Dien
Casper Van Dien
-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...
and Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux is an American actor, screenwriter, and comic book writer. He is most known for his role as "Raze" in the Underworld movies.-Biography:...
, about an elite commando squad in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n rain forest, dealing against a deadly and bloodthirsty vampire clan living in the forest.
Plot summary
The plot of Slayer concerns a group of US military soldiers led by Hawk (Van Dien), who are sent to South America, where they must fight vampireVampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s. However, one of the members of the squad, Grieves, is transformed into a vampire, forcing him to battle his former friend Hawk.
Cast
- Casper Van DienCasper Van Dien-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...
- Hawk - Kevin GreviouxKevin GreviouxKevin Grevioux is an American actor, screenwriter, and comic book writer. He is most known for his role as "Raze" in the Underworld movies.-Biography:...
- Grieves - Ray ParkRay ParkRaymond Park is a Scottish actor, stuntman and martial artist, best known for his playing the physical part of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Toad in X-Men, Snake-Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Edgar on Heroes.-Early life:Park was born in Glasgow, Scotland...
- Acrobatic Twins - Danny TrejoDanny TrejoDan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
- Montegna - Tony PlanaTony PlanaTony Plana is a Cuban-American actor and director. He is well known for playing Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC show Ugly Betty.-Personal life:...
- Javier - Pablo Espinosa - Jimmy
- Alexis CruzAlexis CruzAlexis Cruz is an American actor, known for his performances as Rafael in Touched by an Angel and as Skaara in Stargate and Stargate SG-1. Cruz was born in The Bronx, New York of Puerto Rican descent. His mother, Julia, was a songwriter. He currently resides in Los Angeles. He went to Boston...
- Alex - Jennifer O'DellJennifer O'DellJennifer O'Dell is an American film and television actress. She performed on the TV series Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, where she played Veronica....
- Dr. Laurie Williams - Merritt Bailey - Merritt
- Ski Carr - Guillermo
- Lynda CarterLynda CarterLynda Jean Carter is an American actress and singer, best known for being Miss World USA and as the star of the 1970s television series The New Original Wonder Woman and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman ....
- Colonel Jessica Weaver - Joyce GiraudJoyce GiraudJoyce Giraud is a Puerto Rican actress and model. She is a two time Miss Puerto Rico and the second runner up in the 1998 Miss Universe pageant. She had previously represented Puerto Rico at Miss World 1994....
- Estrella
Development
Slayer was filmed in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
on a $2,000,000 budget. The company Tata Elxsi Visual Computing Lab handled the post production. The film premiered on the Sci-Fi channel on 8 July 2006.
Release
Slayer was released on region 1 DVD in the United States on November 21, 2006, distributed by Anchor Bay EntertainmentAnchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
. The DVD included subtitles and Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
5.1, as well as special features including a commentary by Van Dien and the director, and a photo and concept art gallery.
Reception
The film received negative reviews from critics. Dread Central awarded the film two out of a possible five mugs of blood and said "Slayer is pretty much what you’d expect; a bit dull, full of hammy acting, logic gaps you could drive a truck through, and ridiculously sparse on the special effects." The website Absolute Horror awarded the film two out of four stars.Background
Casper Van DienCasper Van Dien
-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...
and Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux is an American actor, screenwriter, and comic book writer. He is most known for his role as "Raze" in the Underworld movies.-Biography:...
would later appear in separate movies: Dracula 3000
Dracula 3000
Dracula 3000, also titled Dracula 3000: Infinite Darkness, is a horror movie released in 2004 that brings the legend of Count Dracula into outer space in the distant 31st century...
and the Underworld series
Underworld (film series)
Underworld is a series of vampire/werewolf films directed by Len Wiseman and Patrick Tatopoulos. The first film, Underworld, was released in 2003, and the second film, Underworld: Evolution, was released in 2006. A prequel, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, was released on January 23, 2009...
respectively, and both about vampires. Van Dien portrayed Van Helsing in his movie, while Grevioux played the Lycan Raze in the first Underworld film
Underworld (2003 film)
Underworld is a 2003 action-horror film about the secret history of Vampires and Lycans . It is the first installment in the Underworld series. The main plot revolves around Selene , a vampire who is a Death Dealer hunting Lycans...
. Kevin VanHook also worked in DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' vampire-themed comics, Superman and Batman vs Vampires and Werewolves.