Serious actors don’t do genre films.

What does that mean? Well, generally speaking, genre films–science fiction, mystery, crime, and most importantly, horror–are not considered serious works and so serious actors don’t take roles in these kinds of films.

This is not really true any longer. These days, there are many “serious” films that fit into these genres and so more actors are being drawn to them. Crime stories, mysteries, and science fiction have all been accepted into the Academy, so to speak.

The hold-out continues to be horror. But even the horror genre is getting some clout these days, with The Walking Dead on television and critics reconsidering older films like Don’t Look Now, The Wicker Man, and The Shining and calling them classics.

Gabriel Byrne has never been afraid of horror films. In fact, I think he secretly relishes them. Perhaps they provide a tonic to the spirit, a relief from all that “drama.” Perhaps they are a lark. Perhaps he really takes them seriously and finds them challenging and interesting in their own way. At any rate, Mr. Byrne has plied his craft in his fair share of these films over the years. Here are examples:

The Keep (1983)

Early in his film career, Mr. Byrne took on the role of Major Kaempffer in Michael Mann’s murky Nazi/monster/horror film, now a cult classic. We tend to remember this film, as Byrne fans, for his rather severe haircut.

Ian McKellen also appears in the film:

Set in Romania during World War II, The Keep is a stylish horror film involving Nazis, a professor in a wheelchair, monstrous evil forces, and lots of fog and smoke. Jürgen Prochnow (Das Boot, Dune) and Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects) are German officers who have commandeered an ancient fortress, unleashing Molasar, the creepy denizen of the castle’s keep. After losing several of their soldiers to Molasar’s unnatural appetite, they desperately enlist the only man who can help them: a Jewish professor (Ian McKellen), now an internee at Auschwitz, whose expertise includes haunted fortresses. ~ Ian McKellen’s website

keep1Gabriel Byrne in The Keep

Gothic (1986)

Now this was a serious horror film. Or an horrific serious film. Or something. Directed by Ken Russell, it recounts the story of a very scary weekend in 1816, with Gabriel Byrne as Lord Byron. Mr. Byrne won the International Fantasy Film Award for Best Actor in 1987 for this role.

Directed by cult favourite and “enfant terrible” Ken Russell, “Gothic” delves into the erotic and terrifying night in 1816 that ultimately gave birth to Mary Shelley’s classic horror novel “Frankenstein” and Polidori’s “The Vampire”. While a wild storm rages in the sky over poet Lord Byron’s literary house party on the shores of Lake Geneva, the exiled English poet suggests everyone invent a ghost story. As the dead of night closes in, he and his guests go on to hold a séance to conjure up their deepest, most secret fears. But is it their intense lusts and vivid imaginations at work, or have they truly created a monster?Stephen Volk’s website (Mr. Volk wrote the screenplay)

Harlan Ellison observes enthusiastically:

You will cleave to this tortured bit of cinematic epilepsy because it is ALIVE… I came away from Gothic with my soul on fire… (…) because it is dangerously conceived, impudently mounted, uncaring of its footing, determined to crawl the wall or tumble into the abyss, all in the name of disgorging the absurd demon in thought. ~ Harlan Ellison’s Watching

gbgothic2wallpaperGabriel Byrne in Gothic

Stigmata (1999)

Fast forward a few years and meet Gabriel  Byrne as Father Andrew Kiernan, priest, scientist, and debunker of myths. Stigmata is a favorite with Byrne enthusiasts because 1.) he is physically so appealing we can’t take our eyes off of him and 2.) his compassion and sympathy for poor Frankie, the victim of a religious mystery, are so strong that we take the story seriously. There is that word again.

Stigmata is a supernatural suspense story about good, evil, and faith. Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) is a hair stylist in her mid-20s who has no strong religious convictions until odd things start happening to her after she’s given a rosary by her mother: she begins speaking with another person’s voice; unknown and unseen forces start to attack her; and she develops stigmata, bleeding wounds that spontaneously appear on her wrists, feet, and side, as Christ was wounded at Calvary. Some people believe that a holy miracle has been visited on Frankie, though no one can say why. A Cardinal from the Vatican (Jonathan Pryce) sends a priest, Father Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne), to investigate Frankie and her condition; after getting a first-hand look, Father Andrew finds himself less concerned with whether Frankie’s wounds are a legitimate miracle and more concerned with saving her life. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Stigmata-19cropGabriel Byrne in Stigmata

End of Days (1999)

Famously, Mr. Byrne changed his stripes in the same year and played Satan. This role was one he seemed to enjoy with a certain relish. After all, he gets to do all those things that nice people just don’t do: indulging in orgies, blowing up buildings, ripping off heads, and giving Arnold Schwarzenegger nightmares. And he wears an Armani coat, too.

With the millennium approaching, a series of disturbing signs suggests that Satan (here played by Gabriel Byrne) has returned to Earth and is walking the streets of New York City. It seems that Satan needs to find a woman who will bear his child, as the time for the arrival of the anti-Christ draws near. A woman named Christine (Robin Tunney) believes that she has seen the Devil and felt his presence, and it’s up to Jericho Cane (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a former policeman turned elite bodyguard, to keep her safe from The Dark Lord. End of Days was both directed and photographed by Peter Hyams; Kevin Pollak, Renee Olstead, and Udo Kier are among the supporting cast. –Mark Deming, Allrovi.com

endofdays-promo-01Gabriel Byrne in End of Days

Ghost Ship (2002)

As Captain Sean Murphy, Gabriel Byrne plays an Irish sea-faring man in this somewhat soggy effort. That does not sound particularly scary, and neither did the original script for this film, which was more of a psychological thriller than a horror story. But special effects and gore (the opening scene is ranked near the top of everyone’s “goriest scene ever” list) took over the spotlight. That’s okay. Mr. Byrne lent the film his trademark gravitas, looked suitably craggy and intense, and died nicely.

…Murphy and his crew — salvage expert Maureen Epps (Julianna Margulies), first mate Greer (Isaiah Washington), and crewmen Santos (Alex Dimitriades), Dodge (Ron Eldard), and Munder (Karl Urban) — set out to find a large craft seen adrift off the Alaskan coastline. To their surprise, the crew of the Arctic Warrior discover what appears to be the Antonia Graza, a famous Italian ocean liner, legendary for its luxury, which vanished without a trace in 1962. While they at first anticipate the payday of a lifetime from this find, the crew soon discover a sinister force has taken control of the ship, and before long they’re battling not for salvage rights, but for their lives. ~ AllMovie.com

ghostship-promo-01Gabriel Byrne in Ghost Ship

And now we come to Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters (2014). While not really horror, per se, the story revolves around the world of vampires and vampires have traditionally been considered horrific. In this case, the emphasis is on youth, as in Young Adult Fiction. Richelle Mead’s book series has proven popular world-wide and I can attest that she is a cracking good writer who knows how to tell a story. The film seems to be emphasizing humor and action, also highlighted in the book. The central adult role–Victor Dashkov, played by, you guessed it, Gabriel Byrne–is a complicated figure and pivotal to the plot, which makes the film very intriguing.

Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters opens February 14, 2014. I cannot provide a promotional picture of Mr. Byrne from this film at the moment, but expect one soon.

So, after taking a look at the list above, are we surprised that Mr. Byrne has chosen to participate in this film?

What do you think? Are you excited to see Gabriel Byrne in his first foray as a vampire? Seriously? wink

And which of the films above provides you with a chilling genre experience? I am a Stigmata fan myself, in case you had not guessed!

genre-roles-posting-20130820E

6 Comments

  1. DORA BARALIA

    I AM VERY GRATFUL FOR ALL THAT NEWS FROM ARGENTINE MY BEST WISHES FOR YOU

  2. Verónica Biederman

    I am fan of Stigmata too. It’s a little hard to watch certain scenes but this film does not a horror film for me, and Gabriel Byrne and Patricia Arquette liked me very much.

    Your question: “Are you excited to see Gabriel Byrne in his first foray as a vampire? ” honestly I am afraid to see him like one, and I think that after watching him, don’t know if I’ll see him in the same way just before playing that role.

    We are used to see Gabriel Byrne like a bad guy, but not a vampire…

    That role is far from our apreciation about Mr.Byrne :-)

    • If this helps, Verónica, he plays a “good vampire” in this story. Victor, his role, has his own agenda, though. Yes, it is complicated!

      But I think Mr. Byrne will be great as Victor. Not too scary. Just scary enough! :-)

      • Verónica

        Thank you Stella. Now I will sleep better, but down my pillow haha
        Can somebody be “a good vampire” ?
        If camera does remain too much on his eyes, maybe I can believe that, but a vampire with blue eyes? isn’t it a little strange?
        Although sure there are blue-eyed vampire too.
        Whatever, I don’t want to meet any. :-)

        • In the Vampire Academy world, there are good vampires (Moroi) who do not kill people. They have magical powers. Then there are the Guardians of the Moroi, called Dhampirs (human beings). And then there are the bad vampires, the Strigoi. THEY kill people. So, it’s a complex world! Victor is a Moroi but he has his own agenda. I’m looking forward to seeing Mr. Byrne in this role–he is a key part of the plot!

  3. Kim Serrahn

    For me it’s Gothic, with Stigmata a close second. I have to rate Keep and Ghost Ship in the dog list. And End Of Days, well it’s okay. But Gothic grabbed me and I was hard pressed to hang on. I guess I have too much of a vivid imagination and could put myself in Mary Shelly’s place that fateful night. The lights danced as I tried to clear my head from what I had just experienced.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.