Ok, so Skornzey was born in 1898 or something like that right? They never really looked deeply into his back ground enough to explain how or why he became a vampire or, was he a vampire at birth? I'm sorry but I just watched this movie last night and I've been puzzled ever since.
We can DO IT ALLLL DAY LONG, (We'll have to pay more for the light bill if we do it at night!)
He was born in the normal fashion somewhere in eastern Europe. At some point (judging from his apparent age, probably around 1950) he must have been bitten and turned into a vampire. The actual circumstances are never explained.
shareI think he must have been made a vampire earlier than that.
Jenks' information said that he showed up in London at the time of the Blitz (1940-41), where he passed himself off as a doctor who was interested in freshly killed air-raid victims. His flat was apparently equipped with blood pumps and even an industrial meat refridgerator.
I defer to your superior knowledge. My defense is that I haven't seen this movie in over 20 years. Actually I was going by Barry Atwater's age at the time the movie was made. An interesting point is that if a real vampire somehow appeared in the real world that we live in, would we have to basically treat the vampirism as a disease? And treat it by giving donated blood plasma? I don't the standard "stalk him and stake him" approach would pass legal muster.
shareI think it would depend on the actions of the vampire.
Skorzeny treated Vegas as pretty much his hunting ground. From the start he began murdering people and didn't seem to care if anyone got in his way.
If Skorzeny had been interested in a peaceful co-existence with mortals he could have satiated himself with blood from sources like blood banks for decades.
True. But even if he was caught after killing people he wouldn't have been staked but rather charged with homicide, assigned an attorney and then given due process. Again, this would be in the "real world". The question as to whether or not a vampire is human would probably have to go to the supreme court.
If he was actually caught, how would they be able to hold him?
With his supernatural strength and invulnerability to bullets he could escape from jail at any time. How would they even catch him alive in the first place?
It sort of depends on how you describe a vampire, doesn't it? Down through the years, they have been described many ways, and have had different abilities.
Some vampire stories leave the religious aspect out of it.
In the Night Stalker, Skorzeny is repelled by the cross Kolchak carries, thus revealing that he is evil incarnate. The image of good and the power of God is more powerful than he is.
Thus, instead of just relying on blood banks for his sustenance, he chooses to, or is driven to, attack and kill his victims. An evil act.
The best way to defeat a vampire is to track it to its resting place, and destroy it while it sleeps.
"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."
-Dennis
How are you going to charge him and put him through the System when the police couldn't even arrest him? Every time the police tried to subdue him, he wound up kicking their asses. They would have to try and corner him and surround him with crosses and crucifixes to weaken him. But with Skorzeny's superhuman strength and speed, he could easily evade them and make good his escape. And even if they somehow managed to get the cuffs on him, he would just snap them off. Can you imagine bringing him in for the arraignment? They'd have to have officers holding crosses on him at all times. Don't you think the judge would find that a bit odd? And although he might be arraigned in night court, he certainly could not be tried in the Superior Court during its daytime hours of operation. Since it's obvious we're dealing here with a supernatural being, our laws, legal procedures and protections don't apply. Anyone in officialdom in the real world who would want this guy read his rights is in need of a reality check. You don't have to read him anything. You know what he is. There is no need here for legal niceties. You just stake him, cut off his head and stuff his mouth with garlic. End of story. Case closed.
shareI just stumbled across this thread. It is fascinating, in a good way, to read a serious, intelligent discussion of how the legal system would deal with a vampire.
It's great to see the internet living up to its full potential.
Oh, my God! They're turkeys!
Or today he could just mosey on down to the local grocery store and pick up a couple of six-packs of True Blood!
shareTrust me, vampires are not real and never were. Its not something you have to think about
shareObamacare would cover vampirism today. The vampire would be allowed to live, just not kill any victims. If he likes his blood bank, he could keep his blood bank for his nourishment
shareI liked that they didnt give an explanation for his existence. That added to the mystery. all we needed was a sketchy detail not a full blown explanation. Since everything was from Kolchak's perspective, it made the movie creepier. If they had allowed us to see Skoreney's every action and learn his history, it would have lost it's impact.
shareeeley, great point and is part of the vehicle that made this movie indeed, creepy.
shareNot sure how he made it from Canada to Las Vegas without being subjected to the sun at some point, but that's probably thinking way too much.
shareMaybe he travelled by night.
Oh, my God! They're turkeys!
Traditionally, vampires have human servants who do their bidding and deal with daytime issues. there was no such servant in this film.
"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."
-Dennis
In the series, Catherine drove herself from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and taped paper over the windows during the day. Maybe Skorzeny did something similar.
shareI'd call this a plot hole
shareThe more information I get, the more I like it. This way I don't have to use my brain and or imagination as much
share