Dean Cameron as Ralph, Rockula (1990).
‘You’re such a dork, Stanley.’
‘Take that back!’
‘Okay, you’re an egotistical, pseudointellectual moneygrubbing slut!’
‘I’ll buy that.’
A vaguely amiable bopsical with a vampire theme. Dean Cameron is an immortal but nerdy vampire virgin, dominated by his fanged sexpot mother, who is doomed every 22 years to go through a cyclical relationship with a succession of reincarnations of his true love, always losing her to a hambone‑wielding pirate. This time round, both of the lovers are rock performers, and Cameron makes up to the girl by performing several energetic but unmemorable numbers, treated to the full unimaginative pop promo production, which pad out the very slim plot. Having done all the singing vampire jokes in his first routine, ‘Rockula’, Cameron proceeds to have a bash at other styles in a ‘Rapula’ number and a parody of Elvis. With a subplot about the hero’s lost reflection, who obnoxiously gives him advice from behind an assortment of mirrors, and enlivened somewhat by Toni Basil’s presence as the Elvira‑style mother, the film is perhaps mainly notable for the hero’s band, which has a once‑in‑a‑lifetime teaming‑up of blues great Bo Diddley and sleaze superstar Susan Tyrrell, who are otherwise thoroughly wasted.
Empire VHS review.
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