TAINTED is a vampire comedy horror feature from 1998 which has the misfortune to be shot on video, which gives it a really lousy look. I find that the newer shot on video films utilising digital tape stock are of a far between quality than these older analogue features which have dated in the worst way.TAINTED is a surprisingly restrained piece and I should note that the featured IMDb cover of two barely-dressed vampire women has nothing to do with the film itself. It's about some goth vampire loner who decides to infect blood supplies at a hospital and the various people who try to thwart him. There's barely any kind of blood here, the film has a subdued feel which makes it sleep-inducing to say the least.

Seeing as how this was included as part of a Troma Triple B Header disc, I didn't expect a movie that was actually funny without being gross, had a well thought out storyline, and looked more to Linklater and Tarantino's talking bits than Fulci. Yes, it had it's moments of off acting (mainly from extras or bit characters) and is obviously an amateur effort, but it's an amateur effort made with love and care. After an opening sequence with such shaky camera work that I got nauseous and contemplated turning it off, things actually got much better really quickly. One of those "it's the journey, not the destination" films with more emphasis on the conversations of the guys than what they were actually trying to accomplish. Strangely reminded me of hanging out with some of my friends. I can see where with a bigger budget, better equipment, and more time, this could have really been something. As it is, I see lots of potential for development and I do not want my 105 minutes back, they were spent happily. The team who made the film just needs to not look to other's so much stylistically and go with their gut instincts and follow their own muse.

yes, i love indie films. yes, i respect anyone who has the guts and drive to make a film. and yes, i love my hometown of metro detroit. but after seeing 'tainted,' i'm ashamed that this is one of few films representative of my fair hometown. not only are we tortured endlessly with weak and horribly acted dialog (not even bad enough to be funny) and inside jokes, we have to wait the duration of a baseball game to see some actual gore or even a small piece of what might be an actual story. this was obviously made for the filmmakers' friends and selected 'inside' folks who may or may not recognise the 'cool' places around town they 'filmed.' the folks at Troma must have been conned into distributing this nonsensical bore as not a single soul (not friends with the director) would get past the first 15 minutes without crying with embarrassment felt for everyone involved. the 'positive' reviews given for this are undoubtedly from those with vested interests in this idiocy that even 'Mystery Science Theatre 3000' would adamantly reject. no story, no production value, no interest whatsoever and very little gore equals one of the least interesting 'films' ever made. budget $35,000?? it all went toward pizza for the cast and crew for a job miserably done. some words to get used to- 'let's get another take' as for me and all the others about to rent this 'film' graciously given to all video stores who would accept for free publicity- don't let the name 'Troma' mislead you, and please take a stand against drastically careless filmmaking and just ignore the box when you see it in your local store. or, for the new filmmaker, rent it and use it as a 'what not to do' guide or a really good self-esteem boost that this nonsense ever got picked up by the beloved Troma. YOU ARE WARNED!

The movie has some excess footage, but you have a fast-forward button, do you not? Other than that, this is an independent triumph of a film, taking everything we know about the vampire legend and twisting it into a truly intelligent and well-written film about, well, as the tagline states it, "ONE HELL OF A NIGHT!" Successful in a local run, this film was picked up by the tremendously trashy Troma team, and this may throw off some die-hard film buffs, but if people really know about this hilarious indie gem, they'll die to see it.