AniInterview
Sorry, this movie sucks
ChanBot
i must have seen a different film!!
Onlinewsma
Absolutely Brilliant!
Numerootno
A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
Scott LeBrun
In what has to be one of the dopiest vampire comedies of them all, Dean Cameron of "Summer School" fame stars as Ralph, a centuries old vampire who doesn't suck blood or shun the daylight or anything like that. He just doesn't die. But he's living with an additional curse: every 22 years, he loses the love of his life, Mona (the adorable Tawny Fere) to a pirate sporting a rhinestone-encrusted peg leg and wielding a hambone. Seriously. This time, he's determined to break the cycle instead of being idle. He has the help of people like Chuck (cult icon Susan Tyrrell, "Forbidden Zone"), the Axman (Bo Diddley), and a barfly (Kevin Hunter), while the death-obsessed creep Stanley (a priceless Thomas Dolby) tries to play Van Helsing.You know with a cast like that - with another music star, Toni Basil, playing Ralphs' mom Phoebe - that this merits a viewing on that basis alone. The material is often unbelievably lame and stupid, yet at the same time it's so utterly goofy that it's hard to resist. It's often styled just like a musical, with people like Cameron, Basil, and Fere belting out numbers; and the songs can be dumb, but like the movie itself, they can be catchy and still inspire some amused chuckles. As a plot point, Ralph and his friends form a band that doesn't adhere to one style - first, they're "Rockula", then they're "Rapula". A recurring gag is to have Ralph play off a mirror image of himself (another cliche of vampire lore is dispensed with here) that regularly goads and mocks him.Co-written and directed by Luca Bercovici ("Ghoulies"), whose brother Hilary composed the score, this does generate some good vibes, punched across by an enthusiastic cast. Cameron is a likeable hero, Fere a sexy and endearing leading lady, and Basil is a hoot as the mom. Other familiar faces like Tony Cox ("Bad Santa"), Rick Zumwalt ("Over the Top"), and Bill Brochtrup ('NYPD Blue') turn up, but it's a crying shame that Diddley doesn't get more interesting things to do.All things considered, "Rockula" has enough quirks to qualify it for some sort of cult status.Six out of 10.
Leofwine_draca
I thought cheesy films went out of date in the early '80s, but this one was a surprise. The truth is, the film is totally atrocious, failing as a comedy. The PG rating eliminates any hint of gore or violence - nobody even gets bitten! Actually, the film is devoid of any horror moments, instead presenting the lead vampire of the title as a cool dude (with bushy eyebrows and pointed teeth).The film is interspersed with rock and pop scores, and even ropes in the "legendary" Bo Diddley for some of the 'hits'. The funniest of these pieces of music is 'Rapula', where the fanged dude wears a hat and shell suit and sings "He's the DJ, I'm the vam-pire." Unfortunately the rest of the film is full of lame jokes and stereotypical characters (e.g. a British bad guy) It's sad that a film which tries so hard fails so miserably. Why on earth does Rockula have a separate reflection with a life of its own? The funniest thing about this film is the video cover, a gem of cheesy delight.
marianne-81
This movie was hysterical and the music really wasn't half bad. The concept was a spoof on Dracula movies and it worked. Dean Cameron is funny, Toni Basil nearly steals the movie. Good one to watch with the kids for a Halloween laugh. If you like movies like: Clue, Naked Gun, Scary Movie, etc. You'll like this flick. How can you go wrong with Thomas Dolby as a reinvented Pirate who's destiny is to kill his love with a ham bone. Favorite scene is when they debut the music video. Not bad for a 'fake' video. Wonder why we never saw it on MTV? Phoebe must stop Mona and Ralphie from reuniting,thus spell, and keeping her son home with her forever. Not your typical vampire, Ralphie would rather drink milk than blood and he sure doesn't know much about turning into a bat. Ever seen a bat wearing boxer shorts? Search no more.a HAMBONE? LMAO!!!!! He's the DJ-I'm the Vampire.
insomniac_rod
The glorious 80's! Wait, ROCKULA came in 1990! You can say you can smell the 80's air when watching it. All of the elements that made the 80's a weird decade are present in here: horrible clothes, a cheesy soundtrack, and songs a la Rocky Horror Picture Show.This is by far one of the cheesiest movies ever made and that's something to say. To me, the best song on the movie is when this female vamp dances in front of the lead characters and sings "well you can say that the night is full of danger mmmh! but you know that in the night you're not a stranger , you know what I mean..." etc. Oh and the song ends with a rap.Late 80's stuff 100%. Unique stuff! Toni Basil is great.
The fat mad with the skirt always disturbed me, and the fangs the actors used are ridiculous, those are my memories about this movie. Man I wish I taped this strange movie.Watch it with low expectations and you might be entertained with an ultra cheesy movie. 6/10.
