Horror/Thriller: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Mark Rendall, Ben Foster, Manu Bennett, Mark Boone Junior, Joel Tobeck, Elizabeth McRae, Megan Franich, Andrew Stehlin

Spare a thought for the lonely plight of vampires.

Cursed to loiter in shadows, walking the Earth for all eternity while the people they love grow old and die.

Persecuted and misunderstood, these creatures of the night ask only the occasional buxom wench to desiccate.

Adapted from the graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, 30 Days Of Night attempts to redress the balance. It's set in the icy wastes of Alaska - one of the few places where vampires can indulge their bloodlust in uninterrupted darkness.

But the human protagonists of David Slade's bloodthirsty ice-capade find the courage to fight back against the toothy interlopers.

It's the last sunset in a month for the residents of Barrow, Alaska, before the entire area is plunged into darkness for 30 days.

Most of the locals head south but Sheriff Eben Oleson (Hartnett) and his estranged wife Stella (George) are compelled to stay.

A flock of vampires led by Marlow (Huston) and two devoted minions Arvin (Stehlin) and Iris (Franich) descends on the town. Eben must lead the inhabitants to safety and hold out until the light returns.

30 Days Of Night sinks its teeth into a simple, neat premise and just about sustains dramatic momentum for the best part of two hours.

Performances are variable, with Hartnett's baby-faced lawman somehow commanding respect from his fellow citizens.

The dark, eerie locales make for plenty of cheap scares, but some of the editing is too frenetic, making it difficult to keep track of who is gnawing whom.

THREE STARS