Unhinged melody

George Romero's "Martin" pondered the idea of a young man who likes to kill people and drink their blood after slitting their wrists, fascinated by vampire myths, leaving us to wonder who and what he really is. Two decades later, Robert Bierman's "Vampire's Kiss," working from a script by Joseph Minion ("After Hours"), hypothesized what would happen to a pretentious yuppie bachelor who thinks he is turning into a creature of the night after a romantic encounter with a woman who likes to neck. Both films have intense leads; the latter has the benefit of Nicolas Cage losing his mind on-screen as only he can. His lonely publishing executive is in therapy while seeking true love and intimacy. He views women as encroaching on his territory, potentially sucking away his single soul, while at the same time he terrorizes his sweet office assistant (Maria Conchita Alonso). The story itself has some flaws, but just the rare chance to watch Cage go absolutely batty as he struggles with his inner vampire is highly gratifying and at times utterly hilarious. But don't be fooled -- the climax of this weird film turns seriously grim.

Bing: More about 'Vampire's Kiss' | Related: 'Dark Shadows' back on DVD

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(Hemdale Film Corporation)