BloodRayne descends on theaters

The latest offering from notorious director of game-to-film adaptations Uwe Boll has opened in North America. BloodRayne, based on the Nazi-hunting exploits of Majesco's half-vampire vixen (as opposed to her Playboy-posing exploits), is now playing in wide release.

BloodRayne boasts a fair bit of star power compared to Boll's previous efforts, including Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Thunderbirds), Blockbuster Entertainment Award-winner Billy Zane (Titanic, Posse), Michelle Rodriguez (Girlfight, Blue Crush), Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home), and Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Mortal Kombat: Conquest) as the titular bloodsucker.

While Boll's work is often decried by gamers and critics alike, there are preliminary signs of improvement on the part of the oft-maligned director. According to the Internet Movie Database's Bottom 100 ranking system, BloodRayne is only the 42nd worst movie ever made as of press time. Boll's previous game-to-film efforts, Alone in the Dark and House of the Dead, rank as the 38th and 22nd worst movies ever, respectively.

Critical response is limited so far, as the film was not screened for movie reviewers. It opens against the gamer-themed comedy Grandma's Boy (also not screened for critics) and the horror film Hostel.