Complete absence of sanity rules in this incredible original gonzo modern day fantasy from Russia with 2 factions of vampires in a cold war. One watches over the day and the other watches over the night. They drink blood mixed with vodka (!?) drive around in souped-up vehicles (including a sportscar UP the side of a building and crashing through a high-story window), play computer games, have superpowers and run corporations. The scene were an owl turns into a naked woman covered with slime and feathers is hard to forget and was said to be a nod to Harry Potter. The plot is incredibly convoluted and it contains some of the most mind-blowing CGI effects to date. It was the highest grossing film in Russia that year and spawned a sequel. The original Russian language version contains a subplot missing from the English dubbed version and Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine reported on a version with FLOATING subtitles (like Slumdog Millionaire) . Director Timur Bekmambetov went to the U.S. to make Wanted with Angelina Jolie and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Based on a novel.
