Jeri Jacquin

Screamfest 2023 brings writer/director Victor Ginzburg, writer Viktor Pelevin and Kvadrat Film Company to the forefront of new ideas of old vampires with EMPIRE V.

In Moscow, the young Roman (Pavel Tabakov) is constantly being harassed by his mother and wants to get away from a life of unloading trucks for a living. Falling into the hands of vampire Brahma (Vladimir Epifantsev), Roman finds himself at its mercy. After being told that he is about to become someone powerful, the boy begins to change taking on Brahma’s powers, name and wealth.

This is where the mythology of the vampire changes. Roman, now Rama, learns that the vampires do not need to ‘bite’ their victims but instead are able to use the parasite inside them (The Tongue) to take a single drop of blood. That one drop gives them sight into a person’s memories. Because of this, the vampires are able to eat and drink as humans do. Rama learns quickly however that superhuman strength isn’t given when becoming a vampire, no, instead a bag of candy provides fighting ability.

Rama learns about Glamor and Discourse which is how the vampires live, a list of knowing as it were about what drives them and, more importantly, the elixir known as Bablos. Rama meets Hera (Taya Radchenko) who was also recently made a vampire and falls hard for her – which is against the rules. Mithra (rapper Miron Fedorov) believes Hera to be his property and warns Rama to keep his distance.

As information and explanations are constantly being thrown as him, Rama beings to suspect that he is not being told everything. That is confirmed when he meets the Great Bat who lets him know who not to trust and about Bablos. But Mithra has other plans and when the war between the two vampires breaks rules, they come together to settle the matter but what happens because of the duel is equally shocking!

Tabakov as Rama is a young man who finds himself in a world he could never have imagined. Starting out using his new found everything in ways that were amusing to many vampires, he has no choice but to fall into line quickly with the help of Hera and much to the anger of Mithra. Tabakov, once settled and in proper attire, allows his character to become a smooth talking and smart listening vampire realizing others are trying to use him but he has plans of his own. I enjoyed watching his character expand.

Radchenko as Hera is smart, subtle and quickly understands what is at stake. She tries to guide Rama without Mithra knowing and sometimes it works but it eventually leads to the showdown. Hera has a plan of her own that doesn’t include anybody, which I loved, as she has decided what her place is to be in the mythical world of vampires. Radchenko gives it all and more and uses her character to show the depths and chameleon looks of this particular vampire.

Fedorov as Mithra is a vampire with an ego as big as the Big Bat! It is clear what he wants and he is trying every trick in the book to get it. Having someone like Roman/Rama take over is more than he can take. So, instead of being part of the fanged-tribe, he instead seems to pick battles and say what ever comes into his head believing he can not be stopped. Nothing wrong with being the smart-ass bad guy in a world filled with bad guys.

Other cast includes: Igor Zhizhikin as Baldur, Fedor Bondarchuk as Professor Kaldavashkin, Maxim Droz as Jehova, Marina Zudina as Mother, Vera Alentova as Ishtar, Anna Chapman as Anna, Sofya Sinitsyna as Olya, Viktor Verzhbitzkiy as Baal, Andrey Smirnov as Oziris, Igor Gordin as Grigory, Bronislav Vinogrodskiy as Loki and Vladimir Dolinskiy as Enlil.

EMPIRE V takes the mythology most Americans have grown up with and thrown it out the window. From the new ways of being a vampire to the origin story of these vampires to the way they feed and the elusive Bablos – this is a trip and a half. Buckle up because these bats are taking us all on a different vampiric ride.

The sets drip with excess of reds, golds, crystal glasses filled with whatever, stylish suits and expensive cars. The scenes are equally somber on the outside and bombed out looking but open the door and the lifestyles show through.

It is interesting the political life of these vampires and how they see the role of human beings to their survival. I grew up with vampires, celluloid speaking, but EMPIRE V throws that mythology on its head and twists it around to a world that is complex and blood-less. Coming in a tad under two hours, head scratching and thought processes are going to go on much longer than that! And no, I’m not telling you what bablos is.

In the end – blood, beauty and bablos!

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