Known best for playing vampire Drusilla in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Juliet Landau has now turned her attention to directing. Her first feature, A Place Among the Dead, is a heady mix of fact and fiction, blurring the lines between both to create a very unique film.
In A Place Among the Dead Landau stars as a fictionalised version of herself. Known as Jules, this interpretation of Landau is in the process of investigating a killer who may or may not be a vampire. Drawn to the case for personal reasons, Jules finds herself in over her head as bodies continue to pile up around her. Serial killers and vampires are both incredibly popular sub-genres of film and by mixing them into the same project, Landau has expanded her pool of potential viewers. Getting a broad audience is a key goal for Landau as A Place Among the Dead has a lot to say.
Although presented as a mockumentary about a serial killer investigation with allusions to vampires, A Place Among the Dead is actually a deconstruction of the narcissist. A topic close to Landau’s heart, and that of her co-writer Deverill Weekes, the film helps open eyes to the toxicity of these personality types. The self-serving vampire makes for a great metaphor for toxic narcissism. The script goes deep into not only how these people behave, but more importantly how their actions affect and influence those under their control. It is through these demonstrations that A Place Among the Dead is its most chilling. The real-world parallels scream out, and for those with personal connections with this branch of narcissism, Landau’s film will be a confronting, and potentially life-changing experience.
As Jules investigates the enigmatic killer she forges on with the making of a documentary exploring the rise and appeal of vampire media. In these sections she interviews a plethora of faces well known within the vampire community. These interviewees range from actors such as Gary Oldman, Ron Perlman, and Robert Patrick, to authors such as Anne Rice and Charlaine Harris, as well as film critic and Dracula scholar, Kim Newman. The diversity in the talent helps sell the authenticity of the project that Jules is working on, further muddying the lines between reality and fiction. That each of these appearances is also scripted demonstrates the commitment that Landau has gone to to achieve that confusion.
Technically, A Place Among the Dead has an effective mix of the naturalistic and the surreal. Landau switches effortlessly between the high production valued interview segments to almost ethereal sequences of the killer’s victims. Monica Richards’ score helps maintain the eerie atmosphere across both worlds, and Mark McHaley’s gorgeous artwork is peppered throughout to ensure that A Place Among the Dead has an avant garde appeal.
An intelligent marriage of real and fictitious helps to sell the very important message dwelling within A Place Among the Dead. By no means an easy debut, Landau has come out swinging, announcing herself as a talent to be reckoned with.
A Place Among the Dead
Summary
A riveting debut, A Place Among the Dead blurs the lines between fact and fiction beautifully.
The All-regions Ultimate Blu-ray of A Place Among the Dead is available now for pre-order on Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart and various sites. There is also a signed Blu-Ray + Q & A + Interactive Worldwide Zoom option. On Oct 13th, A Place Among the Dead will be available at more than 40 online retailers and will also be available to Stream on Amazon Prime US, Amazon Prime UK, Apple TV and Google Play.
