Daybreakers is a throwback to the good old days when vampires weren't romantic, and they certainly didn't sparkle. Written and directed by Australian twin brothers Michael and Peter Spierig (who did the 2003 zombie flick Undead), Daybreakers postulates a near future where a vampire plague has swept the earth, and the battle for humanity is over; the vampires won and what few humans remain are farmed for blood or live on the run. With mankind an endangered species, the vamps are faced with the dire prospect of running out of food unless they can replicate a blood substitute. Ethan Hawke stars as a scientist working to develop such a substance, but who finds his loyalty challenged once he crosses paths with a few human survivors. The Brothers Spierig did a great job imagining what a vampire-run world would look like, full of little details like nocturnal school zones and news reports of wildfires started by infected wildlife that didn't get the memo about that whole sun-related spontaneous combustion thing. While it falters a bit in the last act, it's bloody as hell, quite a lot of fun, and features Willem DeFoe playing a human resistance leader named Elvis.
Daybreakers will be infecting both Blu-ray and DVD this May, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Both versions will include several special features: a "Making of Daybreakers" featurette, audio commentary with the directors and special effects creator Steve Boyle, a poster gallery, and the theatrical trailer. If you upgrade to the Blu-ray ($39.99 versus $29.95 for the DVD), you'll also get an extended feature-length version of "Making of Daybreakers," the Spierig brothers' short film The Big Picture, storyboards and animatics, and a digital copy of the film. It's vamp-tastic.
