Search - Blade on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Not For Children, Profanity, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1998 DVD Release: 12/22/1998 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 0 mins Studio: New Line Home Video Total Copies: 49 Genres: Action, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Superhero Film See Also: Blade [UMD for PSP], Blade [Blu-ray]

British director Stephen Norrington helmed this David S. Goyer adaptation of the Marvel Comics character created in 1973 by scripter Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan. In the -Tomb of Dracula comic book origin, just before Blade's mother gave birth to Blade, she was bitten by a vampire, which made Blade immune to vampires. Now a vampire hunter, Blade, joined by vampire detective Hannibal King and Dracula-descendent Frank Drake, stalks vampires. In the 1990s (in Marvel's -Nightstalkers), Blade teamed with Drake and King in an agency created to fight a variety of supernatural beings. The Marvel origin is retold in this 1998 Norrington film, with Blade's mother dying as he is born. Thirty-some years later, Blade now exists somewhere between the two worlds, not human but not fully vampire. He has become a relentless and superhuman vampire hunter, out to avenge the death of his mother and protect the rest of humankind from the evil vampire race. In this pursuit, Blade storms a notorious vampire nightclub and in a virtual bloodbath manages to wipe out most of the blood-lusting denizens. But the burnt corpse of vampire Quinn (Donal Logue) is reanimated at the hospital morgue and bites hematologist Karen Jenson (N'Bushe Wright). Blade magically appears at the hospital just in time to whisk Karen to his hideaway, a machine-shop run by his mentor Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), who once rescued Blade and who now produces a antidote to keep Blade from turning into a full-fledged vampire and who builds custom weapons for Blade to use against his evil foes. Meanwhile, Blade's vampire arch-nemesis Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff) uses computers to translate the Book of Erebus, with the ultimate aim of bringing down the old-guard vampire council, headed by Dragonetti (Udo Kier), and triggering the Blood Tide -- an event in which everyone in the world becomes a vampire. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Wesley Snipes - Blade
Stephen Dorff - Deacon Frost
Kris Kristofferson - Whistler
N'Bushe Wright - Karen
Donal Logue - Quinn

Marvel Comics broke new ground with an African-American superhero named Blade. The movie adaptation tweaked action-movie formulas by mixing martial arts and not quite accurate vampire legend. Appropriately, the New Line Platinum Series DVD adaptation of Blade also contains some surprises. The disc has all the trailers, bios, and commentary DVD viewers have come to expect. More unusual inclusions: a 20-minute documentary on blood and vampire folklore, an isolated movie score with commentary from the composer (great for music freaks), and Blade's screenwriter philosophizing about "dark comics." The many features devoted to comics and vampires keep the extra features from turning into a love-in for the movie, though pure cinema fans will enjoy the printable screenplay, deleted scenes, and a look at an alternate ending. Viewers who also like to read and listen will be pleased, because this is a talky disc packed with information, interviews, and trivia. It all looks and sounds good (letterboxed, 5.1 Surround Sound or Stereo, original 2.35:1 aspect ratio) and is enhanced for widescreen TVs. The back of the box exclaims, "It's More Than Just the Movie." It certainly is. ~ Jen Muehlbauer, All Movie Guide