Rise

"Sadie Blake" (Lucy Liu) is a young reporter who has recently received praise for her investigative writing on the topic of weird happenings in the Los Angeles area. One day she happens to stumble upon a case that is more serious than anything she has ever handled before and she pays for it with her life. But then she reawakens on a morgue slab with a thirst for human blood and an intense desire to retaliate against those who put her there. The director (Sebastian Gutierrez) uses a number of flashbacks which, in this particular case, fits in rather well with the storyline. Along with that there is some nudity involved but it also tended to complement the film rather than detract from it. As far as the acting was concerned this was Lucy Liu's film to either make or break and in that regard she put in a decent performance all things considered. In short, I thought this was a good vampire movie and I have rated it accordingly.

Don't be put off by the lame artwork on the poster, RISE BLOOD HUNTER is a striking, unsettling moody thriller with really fine acting and cinematography (from Oscar winner John Toll) that has somehow been repackaged as an action movie (!) It's not. I read on Shock Til You Drop that this was originally a non linear vampire noir film, told mostly in flashbacks. And guess what? It shows!!! The movie has been rearranged chronologically and it becomes monotonous and not nearly as haunting as you can tell it was supposed to be. Where's the director's cut? Why the studios insist on dumbing horror down? Why is Nick Lachey in this movie? Why is it anytime someone tries to do something new, the studios try to turn it into the same crap we've all seen a million times? You'd think Sam Raimi would have a little more faith in his fans.