From the Editor's Desk: Erik Sees '30 Days of Night,' Eats in the Pitch Black, Completely Freaks Out

Let me preface this story by telling you I'm: a) a total wimp when it comes to horror flicks, and b) I slept with a night light in my room until I was at least 19. With that in mind, our friends over at Sony/Columbia Pictures emailed me the other day with a proposition: They were doing a screening of 30 Days of Night, followed by something called 'Dining in the Dark,' and asked if I was interested. Even though I'm in no way a horror buff, I'm a big fan of director David Slade (loved Hard Candy!), and was looking forward to seeing what he did with 30 Days of Night, an adaptation of the graphic novel about a bunch of vampires who invade a small Alaskan town under, well, 30 straight days of night. I wasn't quite up to speed on this whole 'Dining in the Dark' thing, but I figured -- what the hell -- they'll be candles, it'll be spooky, and we'll have a blast.

But before I tell you about dinner, let's talk about the movie. Ryan will be bringing you a full-on review of 30 Days when it hits theaters next week, but I'll get the ball rolling by saying it was pretty damn good. Visually (and I credit the novel, cinematographer Jo Willems, and Slade here), the film looked absolutely incredible. There's this one overhead shot which sweeps across the entire town and shows vampires feasting on residents that's, quite simply, brilliant. The quick cuts are fantastic, and there's definitely more than one scene where you'll be jumping out of your seat. Additionally, I'm starting to really dig Josh Hartnett. He's good in this film, and I'm loving the role choices he's taking on lately (between this film and Resurrecting the Champ). Melissa George doesn't do a whole lot for me, but she's fine here as Hartnett's estranged wife -- and I'm glad the two of them didn't talk about their struggling relationship too much while a group of nasty-ass vampires were invading the town (although there are some cheesy moments sprinkled throughout). Even so, the end (if you've read the novel and know what happens) is damn powerful. Oh, and I can't say enough about Ben Foster -- this guy is all kinds of creepy here.

After the jump: How I go from 30 Days of Night to eating dinner in the pitch black.

After the movie, a bunch of us boarded a big bus and headed over to The Regency Hotel here in New York City for dinner. Upon arrival, it became clear that this dinner would be unlike any dinner I've ever experienced. First, they brought in this professor (and expert in all things vampire) to speak to us about the vampire legend, and how 30 Days of Night paid homage to the other vampire flicks that have come before it. Then, we found out we'd be eating in the pitch black, with blind waitresses (yes, they were really blind!) serving us. And when I say pitch black, I mean pitch friggin' black. We couldn't see a thing, and had to place our hands on the shoulder of the person in front of us in order to find our seat. Among those sitting at my table were Brad Miska from Bloody-Disgusting, Danny from IESB, Brad from TimesSquare.com and my good pal Aaron from Gen Art. We all attempted to have a conversation, but it's real hard when you can't see anyone or anything around you -- quite surreal, I might add.

It was also tough to eat; you need to feel your plate, feel where your fork and knife are, then feel your food to make sure you're not cutting the leg of the guy sitting next to you. I swear to you, it was one of the trippiest nights of my life -- and if I were high on something, there would've been no way in hell I'd have survived it. At one point -- after numerous alcoholic beverages were consumed -- the entire room broke out into song. So, if you can, try to imagine this scene: There's roughly 40 people, no one can see a damn thing, and everyone is singing Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried, folks.

Sitting next to Brad from TimesSquare.com was also a trip. Those of us in NYC already know him, but for those that don't, he's the guy who hands out his business card to everyone he comes across. You know the kind of people I'm talking about, right? If it talks, and is capable of talking to Brad (doesn't matter who it is), he'll give them his card. Case in point: He gave the blind waitress his card. Why? I have no idea. She's blind, after all. But he gave her his card. Gotta love him for that. Danny from IESB had more energy than a monster truck, and it gave me a tiny taste of what it must be like to party with those boys. And Brad Miska from Bloody-Disgusting was pretty quiet; he wanted to go to sleep, and I didn't blame him -- when you're sitting in the pitch black for that long, your body automatically thinks it's time to sleep. Weird stuff.

All in all, it was a terrific way to experience a very cool horror flick. Special thanks to the fine folks at Sony/Columbia Pictures for setting it up, and I have no problem recommending 30 Days of Night as a must-see for all you vampire nerds out there. It was probably one of the most beautiful horror films I've ever seen ... and that's probably the weirdest compliment I've ever given. Oh, and if you ever have a chance to go Dining in the Dark, do not pass it up. Trust me, it's one helluva ride.