I’m a huge fan of the alternate worlds sub-genre of science
fiction. The Guns Of The South, by Harry Turtledove, is one of my favorite tales
from this form of literature. It depicts the changes that occur when the
Confederacy, aided by time travelers, wins the American Civil War. Another great
book, The Two Georges, also by Turtledove and actor Richard Dreyfuss, looks at
an America that never broke off from England in the 1700s (sadly, it's out of
print, but should be avaiable through secondhand dealers online). Alternate earth
stories always present a fascinating what if scenario that offers insight into
our everyday life.
And so it is with Perfect Creature, a science fiction/horror/fantasy hybrid that
takes place in an alternate world where the human race not only lives in peace
with vampires, but they worship them through an organized religion. Vampires have sprung up some 300 years ago,
and were recognized as being helpful angels to humankind. They are only male,
and are collectively referred to as The Brotherhood. The Brothers are priest-like
guardians of science and technology, and only take blood that is willingly
offered to them. No Brother has ever attacked and killed a human.
Until now. Edgar (Leo Gregory), one of the most revered members of the
Brotherhood, has apparently went insane and has begun killing humans in a
Jack-The-Ripper-like frenzy in the streets. Brother Silus (Dougray Scott), has
been sent to hunt him down and capture him before word gets out. Yet once Edgar
murders a woman in front of a witness, Silus’ private manhunt gets saddled with
several dozen new partners, all from the Jamestown police department, led by Lilly, a strong-willed female Captain
(Saffron Burrows). The setting is New Zealand, known here as Nuovo Zelandia, in
the 1960s, yet the technology looks more like a cross between 1930s and modern
day.
Zeppelins roam the skies, and the city of Jamestown has the grimy, gritty look
of having barely left the Industrial Age of the mid-1900s, yet they have genetic
engineering; the Brothers are responsible for creating vaccines which have saved
millions of lives from influenza. Writer/director Glenn Standring has done a
marvelous job of interweaving all these strands of SF, fantasy and horror
together into a gripping, well-done and highly entertaining movie. Dougray Scott
is perfectly cast as the stoic vampire Silus, and Saffron Burrows is greatly
sympathetic as Lilly, the bull-headed police Captain whose tough exterior hides
a tragic past. The DVD comes with a director’s commentary and two making of
documentaries. But it’s the film itself that makes this one worth owning, which
offers a fresh, unique look at the myth of vampires. Fans of the Underworld
movies should enjoy this.
--SF
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