This episode has a low ratings and is predominantly bashed in reviews, but I like it. I like that it refuses to blindly hold onto the vampire mythos and, unlike most of the vampire films and series that romanticize them, this film presents them in a completely different light, more realistic and more convincing. If the vampires really existed, I believe that they would be much closer to this view than any other I had the opportunity to see before. The story is more or less a classic horror cliché, but the acting and directing are excellent and the atmosphere in the first part of the film is very dark and tense. In the second part, tense anticipation is replaced by explicit horror scenes, well-measured to achieve a horror effect, but to avoid sliding from the domain of a terrifying into plain stupid. If they were able to keep it straight to the very end, this would be a top-notch episode, but unfortunately they slipped and made a couple of unforgivable mistakes. Although the vampires in this film, apart from the fact that they are living dead, do not feature supernatural qualities - there is no superhuman strength and speed, no fangs or immediate recovery from injuries, they are not beautiful and seductive, and with their appearance and the way they feed they more resemble ghouls than the vampires we are accustomed to - the allergy to garlic and spontaneous combustion in the sunlight do not fit into this picture and irreversibly destroy the credibility of the story. And there is also the end that resolves the situation in a way that is more appropriate or a drama than a horror. However, the overall impression is positive and I think that this episode is worth a look.7/10

Horror and science fiction aren't what they used to be – nowadays this stuff is strictly for the kiddies. Unfortunately, the kiddies aren't what they used to be either.In the old days the moans and groans were usually accompanied by the semblance of a story – today, the movies are just boring video games. So why the ten stars? Because this particular segment of a just as boring television series also serves as a relevant comment on the paucity of the modern version and the existence it reflects. It may not be intended as such, but so much the better.The V word in question is Vampire – it might also have been titled: NOT JUST ANOTHER VAMPIRE MOVIE. Of course, in the current political situation, the implication is something else.Here, the Pentagon with its traditional satanic shape doubles for Castle Dracula, as it did, when another war, where V did not exactly stand for Victory, was fought by its Victims. At this point, however, our two teenage heroes are still in training, indifferently blasting away at "bandits" on their Nintendo.They decide to pay a nocturnal visit to a funeral home, since none of them has ever seen a dead person. It never occurs to them that they have never seen anything else.Why there would be anything remotely disquieting about a coffin shop is anybody's guess, but sure enough a fanged MICHAEL IRONSIDE pops out and kills the black boy, who in turn VAMPIRIZES the white one. Yawn.Still, the real horror is yet to come! Returning to his family, he finds them as zombie-like as ever, no one seeming to care about or even noticing his condition.This is a nightmare world of hate and indifference, mothers, who wouldn't know a maternal instinct from a sitcom, and fathers only interested in satisfying their pedophilia, where you are invited to share the satisfaction of seeing your disgusting little sister slaughtered. For once the complete predictability and offering of torture as entertainment works for the "story", since all concerned are certifiable psychopaths without a glimmer of human sentiment.And so in spite of every tired cliché and silly makeup effect, the result is truly chilling. In other words, it's the kind of heart-warming experience that makes you want to take your kids out behind the barn and shoot them.Along the way, we are treated to a plethora of cinematic quotations from "I never drink – blood" to "They're coming to get you, Barbara", perhaps to remind us of the gradual disintegration of the genre. I'm afraid there's no need.

Another stinker. Not that bad though. This is the V word, the story of vampires in a small town. Its not original at all very similar to fight night or Salem's lot, just put in a modern setting. It's pretty generic and doesn't seems to have the master's touch that this series usually has. The episode centers around two teens. One of them has divorced parents and the other is often teased by his brothers. What do the kids do to cope with their angst? Go check out a dead dude. So they venture of to the mortuary where they wander around in the for what seems like forever. This is where the director desperately tries to build tension for some kind of quick scare that'll make you jump and go "whoa i'm really scared right now!" This doesn't happen. long after you get sick of their aimless wander a vampire gets up really slowly and saunters around looking real spooky. When he bites the dude's neck it's pretty cool but that's about it. Micheal Ironside is pretty good vampire but its really nothing special.

All right, I have just finished watching the first showing of "The V Word" on Showtime, and having done so I have a few things to say. "The V Word" is an episode about a new-breed of vampiric legend. While they do retain many of the traditional myths, they've adapted to a new ideal.The concept for this episode is done in the best and worst of ways. While they captured the realistic nature of the idea of vampires, seeing as how rather than any psychical change they simply tear the throat of their victim out and drink the blood. Once they've had their throat removed, or at least most of it, they go through a seemingly agonizing transformation, and forever retain that physical would that never seems to heal over. It takes the idea and makes it somewhat believable, at least until the bad part comes into play.And here is that bad theme.While they've been created in this way to be believable, they seem to include some of the more silly stereotypes. These vampires do not have fangs, which makes sense, however, they burst into flames under the touch of sunlight, and it is implied that they are allergic to garlic, all though I don't think they made that official or not.It's a good episode, and a very impressive concept... however, it is insulting the basic idea of a vampire, as well as fans of the sort.However, this one does seem to have better acting than most, and it has the girl from Silent Hill in it, which amused me.Overall... I'd give this episode a 6/10.