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Homer is a vampire kid and a character in the 1987 neo-western film Near Dark.
He is portrayed by Joshua John Miller.
History[]
Homer is part of a pack of vampires composed of Hooker, Diamondback, Severen and Mae. Based on the interactions between the two it is suggested that he was bitten and turned by Diamondback. He has the appearance of a twelve-year-old but is much older than that as based on Hooker calling him "old man".
He is first seen in the mobile home when Severen is about to kill Caleb (a cowboy bitten by his clanmate Mae), after Mae reveals that he transformed him. He appears to be somewhat jealous that Mae has found a companion, having been the one to transformed Mae with the possible motive that he wanted her to be his companion. As days pass and he is seen setting fire on the mobile home after Severen had stolen another vehicle, killing a man and sucking his blood after pretending to be dead and bullying Caleb alongside Severen. At a later time, they enter a bar and Homer kills a man who was beaten by Caleb previously by shooting him on the back, with the clan proceeding to burn down the bar. Because Caleb had left a boy he was supposed to kill escape, he went to the police and they raided the motel where they were staying causing a dangerous shootout for them because of the daylight but with the help of Caleb (who is almost killed while making it to the vehicle on broad daylight) they manage to escape which causes Homer to stop being hostile at Caleb. By chance, Sarah (Caleb's younger sister) and her father, happen to meet the clan at the motel they are staying. Upon meeting her, Homer takes a liking to her and intend to transform her to make her his companion, which causes Caleb and the clan to argue, Caleb opens the door and as the sunlight enters Caleb and his family escapes. After Caleb has ran with his dad and sister they start looking for them as the vampires (with the exception of Mae) want to kill him and Homer still wants Sarah to be his companion, Homer manages to kidnap Sarah and tries to bite her, but she escapes from him. He later meets his end when Mae takes Sarah and runs towards Caleb, with Homer running right behind them in order to get Sarah back.
Personality[]
Homer, being a kid, is treated by Diamondback in a loving manner, having a mother-son like relationship while Severen acts like an older brother towards him. Despite being said to be middle-aged, he acts childish and somewhat annoying with other members of his clan.
Despite his childish personality he is a cold blooded killer and is the second most violent and aggressive clan member, only overtopped by Severen. However despite his violent manners he is sometimes harassed by his clanmates because of his immaturity. He frequently refers to himself as a man trapped on a kid's body, and expresses frustration at his predicament. This frustration transpires in his relationship with Mae and Sarah: he is jealous of Mae and Caleb's relationship as he turned Mae to have a companion but she turned him down due to his age, and he becomes fixated on transforming Sarah so he could have a companion who would return his affections (although this fixation is also partly out of a desire for revenge for Caleb taking Mae away from him).
Trivia[]
- Based on the information given in the film and the actors' created backgrounds for the characters, Homer is logically the second youngest member of the original group (not counting Caleb) :
- Hooker implies that he was a confederate soldier during the American Civil War and Severen mentions that he and Hooker "started a fire in Chicago" (referencing the Great Chicago Fire) which would make them both well over 116 years old.
- Diamondback's actress, Jenette Goldstein, said she was turned during the Great Depression, due to having been a grown woman at the time, this places her age at over 70 years old.
- Homer, according to the cast, was turned into a vampire during the fifties, making him over 30 years old.
- Mae says during the film that she has been a vampire for 4 years and was turned when she was in high school, thus being either in her late teens or early twenties, making her the youngest of the clan.