If David Slade had a nickel for every time that he directed a vampire movie in the late 2000s, he would have two nickels (which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?). In 2007, the English indie director directed his first mainstream film with the vampire horror, 30 Days of Night. In 2010, (exactly 15 years ago, at the time of writing!) The Twilight Saga: Eclipse became the third installment in its franchise and the sixth-highest-grossing movie of its year, also directed by Slade. Ever since, Slade has gone on to direct a slew of prestigious television shows, including the beloved interactive special Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
Still, we cast our minds back to that unforgettable undead era, and cannot help but wonder what it must have been like for Slade to sink his teeth into two projects that were so similar yet so different in succession to each other.
Josh Hartnett Stars in ’30 Days of Night’ (2007)
David Slade’s first turn into vampire-dom, 30 Days of Night, very nearly did not get made. It was originally pitched as a comic book, then a film, rejected, then pitched as a comic book again, made into said comic book, and re-pitched for a movie based on the comic book. Well, that final pitch took, Slade became slated to direct his second feature film, and even horror legend Sam Raimi was attached to produce.
30 Days of Night follows the residents of Barrow, Alaska, a small town north of the Arctic Circle where “night” (sundown) can last for a month at a time during certain times of the year. Of course, these are the perfect conditions for a bunch of bloodthirsty vampires to infiltrate and wreak havoc. The plot mainly focuses on Sheriff Eben Olenson (Josh Hartnett) as he attempts to shelter his family and a group of survivors from the vampires, who are turning the townspeople by the dozen. As opposed to Slade’s later vampiric work, 30 Days of Night is sincerely scary, gory, and feels rather earnest. It is a genuine horror movie.
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While its reputation has mostly succumbed to the slow, cruel hands of time, 30 Days of Night was generally successful upon its release. It grossed some $45 million and spawned a franchise (of a prequel miniseries, a limited series, and a straight-to-DVD movie, but who’s counting?). All in all, 30 Days of Night certainly put quality-enough vampiness on display to land Slade the biggest supernatural gig in Hollywood in the 2000s.
Slade Was Recruited for the Third ‘Twilight’ Movie in 2008
Any Twilight fan knows that almost all the films in the series were directed by different people. Like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and several other great YA literary screen adaptations, creative disagreements led to each of the five Twilight films having a unique vibe and director. Slade was lucky number three, meaning that he got to helm a dark horse in the franchise, Eclipse.
Perhaps you know this installment as the one where Team Edward vs. Team Jacob really comes to a head, the one where Bryce Dallas Howard suddenly starts playing Victoria, or maybe as the one where we get flashbacks to each of the Cullen’s questionable pasts (we don’t even like to think about what Jasper was apparently up to back in the day). Eclipse has some iconic funny moments, of course, like Bella breaking her hand trying to punch Jacob or her cuddling up to him right in front of Edward for “warmth.” However, this movie is generally regarded as one of the least memeable of the bunch, likely due to the stylistic touch of Slade. It feels like, because of this, Eclipse is discussed less than most of the others in the saga.
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Still, no matter what, it is a Twilight movie, and that makes it a hilarious, special masterpiece. That also makes a rather sharp pivot from 30 Days of Night, only three years before. As back-to-back projects, it is rather amusing to imagine Slade working on such polar opposite vampire flicks. There are reports of him taking his time on Eclipse incredibly seriously, having extensive meetings over casting and with actors to discuss character choices (as he should).
Despite Slade’s efforts, Eclipse still fared no better with critics than any of its sister films. Perhaps fresh off his work on 30 Days of Night, which Roger Ebert called “better than it needs to be,” Slade was determined to create a more grounded, serious take on Twilight. At the end of the day, it is about a love triangle between a teen girl, a vampire, and a werewolf, and so… that’s how it reads; but, the tone does feel completely individual to the rest of the series. Was that tone a direct effect of 30 Days of Night‘s influences? I suppose that’s a secret that only history (and David Slade) knows.
30 Days of Night is now streaming on Xumo, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is now streaming on Netflix.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
