The Vampire's Assistant

John C. Reilly Director: Paul Weitz Paul Weitz

Overview

Based on the popular series of books by Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant tells the story of a small-town teen who inadvertently shatters a 200-year-old truce between warring factions of vampires. Sixteen-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) is your typical adolescent; he spends most of his time with his best friend, Steve (Josh Hutcherson), earns decent grades, and generally manages to stay out of trouble. But trouble finds Darren when he and Steve make the acquaintance of a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) while attending a traveling freak show at a local theater. Transformed into a bloodsucker by Crepsley, Darren joins the Cirque Du Freak and quickly ingratiates himself with the unusual cast of characters who populate it, including Madame Truska the Bearded Lady (Salma Hayek) and the traveling sideshow's towering barker (Ken Watanabe). As Darren works to master his newfound powers as a budding member of the supernatural underworld, he becomes a valued pawn between the vampires and their deadlier rivals, the Vampaneze. With tensions between the two sects intensifying, Darren must figure out a means of keeping the coming war from destroying his last vestige of humanity. Patrick Fugit, Orlando Jones, Willem Dafoe, and Jane Krakowski co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/23/2010
UPC:	0025195055239
Original Release:	2009
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Universal Studios
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound]
Time:	1:49:00
Sales rank:	20,975

Special Features

Deleted scenes; Guide to becoming a vampire; Tour du Freak

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

John C. Reilly	Larten Crepsley
Josh Hutcherson	Steve
Chris Massoglia	Darren Shan
Jessica Carlson	Rebecca
Michael Cerveris	Mr. Tiny
Ray Stevenson	Murlaugh
Patrick Fugit	Evra the Snake Boy
Morgan Saylor	Annie
Don McManus	Mr. Shan
Colleen Camp	Mrs. Shan
Ken Watanabe	Mr. Tall
Salma Hayek	Madame Truska
Orlando Jones	Alexander Ribs
Frankie R. Faison	Rhamus Twobellies
Willem Dafoe	Gavner Purl
Kristen Schaal	Gertha Teeth
Patrick Breen	Mr. Kersey
Tom Woodruff	Wolfman
Jane Krakowski	Corma Limbs
Drew Varick	Loaf Head
John Crawford	Audience Member
Ritchie Montgomery	Pastor
Ted Manson	Policeman
Ann McKenzie	Woman From Town
Monica Monica	Teacher
Adella Gautier	Nurse
Beau Holden	Trucker
Patrick Fulton	Kid Passing By
Tyler Chetta	Kid in Hallway
Shaun Grant	Vampaneze
Trey Burvant	Singing Father
Beth Burvant	Singing Mother
Evelyn Burvant	Singing Kid
Anna Dawson	Singing Kid
Jonathan Nosan	Hans Hands
Madeline Gaudet	Shreiking Student
Erika Jensen	Rain Girl
Armal J. Perkins	Mr. Pipps

Technical Credits

Paul Weitz

Brian Helgeland

Paul Weitz	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
William Arnold	Production Designer
K.C. Colwell	Asst. Director
Alec Gillis	Special Effects
Brian Helgeland	Screenwriter
Leslie Jones	Editor
Kerry Kohansky	Executive Producer
Dan Kolsrud	Executive Producer
Mara LePere-Schloop	Set Decoration/Design
Ewan Leslie	Producer
Rodney Liber	Executive Producer
Judianna Makovsky	Costumes/Costume Designer
Andrew Miano	Producer
Joseph Middleton	Casting
James Muro	Cinematographer
Kathy Nelson	Musical Direction/Supervision
Courtney Pledger	Executive Producer
Sarah Radclyffe	Executive Producer
Sarah Radyclyffe	Executive Producer
Lauren Shuler Donner	Producer
Domenic Silvestri	Art Director
John Swallow	Co-producer
Stephen Trask	Score Composer
Tom Woodruff	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

A stylish and darkly playful franchise starter that successfully balances supernatural thrills with tongue-in-cheek humor, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant manages to avoid coming off as just another Harry Potter clone thanks to a smartly written and fast-moving screenplay, some inspired set pieces, and colorful characters portrayed by a talented cast. It's an interesting feat for a director known primarily for comedy dramas rooted firmly in reality, and while only time will tell whether the film's box office will warrant the sequel that's almost certainly revving its engine in anticipation of the green light, this one is worth a look for fantasy fans with a taste for the unusual. The story, based on the books by author Darren Shan, gets under way as straight-laced teenager Darren Shan (Chris Massoglia) lies in a coffin playing video games at his own funeral. As his friends and family bid him their final farewells, we learn that Darren and his best friend, Steve (Josh Hutcherson), a class-ditching troublemaker, were talking on the street when a flyer for the Cirque Du Freak sideshow mysteriously appeared at their feet. Later, at the show, the vampire-obsessed Steve recognizes ringmaster Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) from a book on bloodsuckers and makes a bid to get transformed. When Crepsley refuses, it's Darren who winds up joining the ranks of the thirsty undead. But trouble is brewing in the world of the weird; a longtime truce between the vampires and their mortal enemies, the Vampaneze, is on shaky ground, and as Darren joins the sideshow under the mentorship of Larten, the mysterious Mr. Tiny (Michael Cerveris) begins pulling strings from behind the scenes. The factors that make Cirque Du Freak so unique and bewitching are also, unfortunately, the very same factors that may prevent moviegoers from giving it a fair shake; by refusing to fit into any well-defined genre mold, delivering a few frights that could shake up the preteen set, and embracing the inherent quirkiness of such an outlandish story, co-screenwriters Paul Weitz and Brian Helgeland create a unique atmosphere where anything seems possible, and the unexpected is the norm. But, while some may consider this unconventional approach a key asset, others may be put off by the prospect of having to re-learn the vampire mythology along with our flustered protagonist while simultaneously being presented with characters whose monstrous traits are never clearly explained -- namely Mr. Tiny and his diminutive minions. By keeping us off-kilter, however, the filmmakers help us to better identify with Darren as he struggles to grasp the rules of the strange new game, and for those who resent the brain strain, fine performances by Reilly, Cerveris, Willem Dafoe, Ray Stevenson, and Patrick Fugit, among others, go a long way in maintaining our good will. Either way, it always pays to remember that this is but the setup for a much larger story, so it's logical to assume that many of our lingering questions will be addressed in future installments. By playing up the friendship between Darren and Steve in the early scenes, and positioning them as rivals later on, the story takes a kind of Peter Parker/Harry Osborn arc that compliments the comic-book feel of the film and prevents it from veering too closely to Hogwarts territory. The only thing working against this is a somewhat uneven performance by lead Massoglia, whose tone registers as somewhat flat in his later scenes with Reilly, and who fails to provide his character with any discernible sense of growth during the film's otherwise appetite-whetting epilogue. Of course, heading up a cast that includes Reilly and Dafoe is no simple task for even the most talented of young actors, and as the series progresses there will no doubt be plenty of room for improvement. Who knows whether those additional chapters will ever find their way from the page to the screen, but should that happen it appears that things could get very interesting, very quickly.

All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan