Although vampirism has been the subject of a great deal of re-examination and re-interpretation in books and comic books, motion pictures have tended to treat its vampires as minor variations on Dracula. Abel Ferrara's The Addiction is one of the rare exceptions, and it deserves credit for presenting a well-thought-out treatise on what it might mean to really be a vampire in contemporary America. Beyond this framework, Ferrara is actually exploring the problem of evil and humanity's attraction/repulsion (i.e., addiction) to it. While that is an interesting idea and admirable goal, the film presents its arguments in a fairly pretentious and sometimes irritating manner. The conventions inherent in the genre also prevent a believable exploration of these themes. In addition, the excessive goriness that is appropriate to the tale will scare off many, while most aficionados of horror movies will be bored by the between-bites philosophical debates. Lili Taylor turns in another impressive performance. She goes from victim to victimizer, innocent to monster, with convincing ease, and maintains audience sympathy almost throughout. Christopher Walken is authoritative and other-worldly, simultaneously exotic and mundane. Although the lighting is at times so dark as to actively obscure the images onscreen, most of the black-and-white photography -- alternately grungy and stark -- is stunning. It also makes the blood appear to have the color and consistency of thick black syrup, an appropriately gruesome effect. Ultimately unsuccessful, The Addiction is still a vampire movie unlike any other.