There’s a lot to be angry about. It seems like everyday some new hell opens up and we can only stare slack-jawed as everything swirls further and further. I usually write about extreme horror and queer readings of those films, but for Pride month I’d like to do something different. I’d like to write about something that can be enjoyed with some friends, some drinks, and a love of camp. I’d like to celebrate instead of mourn. I’d like to talk about Love Bites!

Love Bites! is a Shot-on-Video horror-comedy directed by Kevin M. Glover that follows a young man named Jake who is set on the idea of slaying a vampire. The film opens with him reading about them while trying to convince his date to help him track down and kill a vampire haunting the city. However, early on we get a look at the tone of the film since Jake’s date is much more interested in Jake. He strips down and tries to seduce him in between double entendres, but Jake is steadfast in his goal. Disappointed, his date leaves for the night.

The tone that this brings makes the film feel like softcore porn that removed most of the sex scenes. The dialogue, jokes, and line delivery all feel like a film that is rocketing towards one of these scenes, but it pulls back and instead focuses on the characters and jokes. It’s an interesting way to make a film, and I think that this makes for a really fun riff on the type of film it appears to be at first blush. Not to say that there’s no nudity, because that would be a huge lie, but the film subverts the sex scene requirement by having them frequently interrupted or defused through plot machinations.

Our fearless vampire hunter finds the den of his prey, only to be confused when he is greeted by a hustler named Leslie. The Count has bought some of Leslie’s time to get a date for Manfield, his servant. From here on out the threads of the film begin to weave together as The Count and Jake realize that they’re in love, and everyone has to toss aside their preconceived notions about each other in order to find connection and happiness.

A lot of the film focuses on these preconceptions within the group of four main characters. Leslie first finds Manfield’s attention to be a problem since he also has an obsession with bugs. Jake has to get over the fact that The Count is a vampire, while the Count has to deal with the revelation that Jake had originally come to kill him. While this is dialed up to extremes since this is a horror-comedy, the message it gets across is still felt in the way the film is presented. The film never presents anyone as too much of a threat, and the mood is light and airy for the majority of the running time.

This theme of learning about everyone’s differences is played up in a scene where Jake is breaking into the Count’s house. Jake and Leslie are dressed as construction workers, and Jake asks Leslie to look out but to act more ‘butch’ to not draw attention to himself. The subsequent performance of a masculine role from Leslie is honestly one of the funniest scenes in the film, and it reminds me of joking around about similar things with friends. The film makes these points while still being breezy and fun, and it makes it a real joy to watch.

The only actual threat in the film is from the constant worry (and eventual reality of) homophobic violence in the city. It’s brought up early on as something these characters have to worry about, and it’s brought up several times throughout the film. When the Count attempts to die in the sunlight because Jake is a vampire hunter, he ends up being attacked by a group of straight men and returns to the house bloody and beaten. It plays to the idea of these characters and the queer community not being able to live (or die) out in the open without violence or ridicule. The film doesn’t dwell on this, but it presents the idea that the outside forces are much more of a threat than anyone in the film. They can learn to live with each other, while the faceless mob cannot.

The film ends fairly ambiguously with Jake biting The Count’s neck in an attempt to make him mortal. They stand outside and wait for the sun, but the credits roll before it rises. It’s bittersweet, but it shows them waiting to meet the future even though things are difficult. In a way, it’s beautiful.

Though the film ends on this note it’s important to remember that the film is fun above everything else. The jokes are hokey but fun, the characters are interesting, and the use of queer gaze in the camera work is felt immediately. It may be a cheesy little film, but it is a blast to watch with friends who would appreciate this kind of film. Sit down with some friends, some drinks, and a mind for escapism. It is a respite, a joy, and a balm that will make it easier to face tomorrow. Stay safe, everyone!