Vampires (also known as John Carpenter's Vampires) is a western-horror film directed by John Carpenter in 1998. Adapted loosely from the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley, the film stars James Woods as Jack Crow, leader of a Catholic Church-sanctioned team of vampire hunters. The plot is centered on Crow's efforts to prevent a centuries-old cross from falling into the hands of Valek, a master vampire. Vampires also stars Daniel Baldwin as Montoya, Sheryl Lee as Katrina, Thomas Ian Griffith as Valek, Tim Guinee as Father Adam Guiteau and Maximilian Schell as Cardinal Alba. Vampires is characterized by its strong Western overtures and allusions and its unapologetically masculine leads. Two sequels direct to video followed: Vampires: Los Muertos in 2002 and Vampires: The Turning in 2005.

Plot

A team of Vatican sponsored mercenaries led by Jack Crow (James Woods) rids an abandoned house of vampires in the middle of New Mexico, United States. The sun sets and, as the Slayers leave, the Master bursts out of the ground outside the house.