''Eternal Blood'' (originally ''Sangre Eterna'') is a 2002 Chilean vampire-

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

directed by Jorge Olguín, written by Carolina García and Olguín, and starring Blanca Lewin,

Juan Pablo Ogalde ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of '' John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, ...

Patricia López Patricia Javiera López Menadier (born July 10, 1977, Santiago) is a Chilean singer and actress of film, theater, and television. In 2012, she joined the cast of ''Reserva de familia ''Reserva de Familia'' (''Reserve of Family'') is a Chilean t ...

, and Claudio Espinoza. A group of vampire enthusiasts become convinced that their subculture has been infiltrated by real vampires.

Plot

M inducts Carmila, a journalism student, into the world of

Goth subculture Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-p ...

and live action role-playing. As Carmila becomes more immersed, M begins to have increasing doubts about her safety. Eventually, M comes to believe that real vampires have infiltrated the subculture and feeding on the enthusiasts. M desperately works to stop the vampires, whom he thinks are led by a man named Dahmer, though the others worry about his sanity.

Cast

* Blanca Lewin as Carmila *

as M * Pascale Litvak as Pancha *

as Elizabeth * Claudio Espinoza as Martin * Carlos Borquez as Dahmer The model

Ximena Huilipán Ximena Huilipán Muñoz (born September 19, 1986) is a Chilean model and actress of Mapuche descent. Career At 14 years of age, Huilipán won the Elite Model Look Chile 2002 contest.

has a non-speaking role. She was cast after director Jorge Olguín spotted her in a parade.

Release

Under its original name of ''Sangre Eterna'', it premiered in Chile on October 31, 2002. '' Variety'' wrote that it became a

cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...

and one of the highest grossing Latin American horror films.

Screen Daily ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...

described it as "the biggest box office hit in the history of Chilean cinema." After the Chilean premiere, it played in Latin American and European film festivals, and a DVD was released in Chile in March 2003. Fangoria Films released it in the United States as ''Eternal Blood''.

Reception

The film opened to critical acclaim in Chile. Mike Long of DVD Talk rated it 2.5/5 stars wrote that "the first 40 minutes ... are riveting", but "the movie goes from clever and interesting to slow and boring." Beyond Hollywood wrote that the film is creative but lacks originality.

Awards

''Eternal Blood'' won Best Special Effects in the

Málaga Film Festival The Málaga Film Festival, formerly Málaga Spanish Film Festival (FMCE), is an annual film festival held in Málaga, Spain. The festival was established to promote Spanish cinema and help disseminate information about Spanish films. Since 2017, ...

. At

Screamfest Horror Film Festival Screamfest Horror Film Festival is a horror film festival founded by film producers Rachel Belofsky and Ross Martin in August 2001. It runs over ten days during the month of October and is hosted at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Los Angeles, Ca ...

, it won Best Actor and Best FX Make-Up.

References

External links

* * * {{rotten-tomatoes 2002 films 2002 horror films Chilean independent films Vampires in film Films set in Chile Films shot in Chile Chilean horror films