Vampire Lovers
Sinking our teeth into the timeless lore of the glamorous undead...
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So, I recently started watching the late 2000s TV series True Blood, which I missed when it first came out because I didn’t have HBO at the time.
It’s basically “vampire porn” LOL and I’m thoroughly enjoying it for the lurid, cheesy, sexy escapism of a wild supernatural thriller that it is.
Every episode of True Blood is stacked with familiar faces, and those “hey, it’s that guy” moments that make you pause mid-episode to check IMDB. Stephen Root from News Radio gives a poignant turn as a doomed vampire in the early seasons, and Michelle Forbes (Star Trek: TNG, and The Killing) brings a dose of cosmic chaos as the ancient maenad Maryann.
One of the best things is seeing all the small parts played by people who went on to be major stars in other series, like Evan Rachel Wood of Westworld fame, Lizzy Caplan from Masters of Sex, and many, many more.
Vampire Renaissance
With the recent success of movies like Sinners and hit shows like What We Do in the Shadows, and Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire, this classic monster genre is having a moment, like zombies did over a decade ago.
I hate to admit it, but I wanted to like Sinners a lot more than I actually did. The musical numbers were incredible, and I liked the ending, but it dragged a lot in the middle. Still, it’s a worthy addition to the canon.
Good Vamps vs. Bad Vamps
I’ve written at length about the meaning of zombies in modern society, but vampires fill a very different psychological and sociological niche.
For one thing, zombies are almost never sexy (the zom romcom Warm Bodies is the only exception I can think of). Vampires haven’t always been sexy, though they almost always are now. In their early Eastern European folkloric origins, they were unequivocally monstrous.
They’re a subculture living on the margins, subject to fear and prejudice, but with the offer of immortality if you’re tempted to join their ranks. The price of admission, an eternity in the shadows.
In True Blood, humans who sleep with vampires are called “fangbangers” by the bigoted normies who don’t understand (and violently resist) their allure.
Vampire movies and TV shows should really be divided into two categories, one where they’re the protagonists, and one where they’re simply ravenous undead monsters to be vanquished.
Until very recently, the very idea of a vampire protagonist was totally off-brand.
Old School vs. Modern Vamps
Throughout the last century, vampires have represented the exotic and alluring, with heightened senses, mind-controlling powers, super speed and strength, to say nothing of the forbidden knowledge that comes with eternal life.
But it was only in the late 19th century, with the publication of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula (not to be confused with the movie of the same name), that the sophisticated, seductive, worldly vampire that we know today became the default.
According to vampire historians (which is a thing!), the modern mythology of vampires was cemented in popular culture between the two World Wars, when the US received an influx of Eastern European refugees. They were the “other” of the day; exotic, foreign, slightly unknowable and possibly dangerous yet undeniably alluring.
As Victorian gothic gave way to art deco, flappers and first wave feminism, Dracula and his endless imitators were the perfect monster for a society on the verge of modernity, with one foot still in the past, representing a nostalgic yearning for a more mysterious and romantic, if not simpler, era.
Some scholars have made a cottage industry of vampire history and it’s prevalence in popular culture. One of my new favorite podcasts, Ologies, has an enlightening and entertaining deep dive in this two part interview with professor of vampirology, Dr. Jeff Holderman:
Vampirology: part one
Vampirology: part two
Glamorous Life
I’m sure we’ve all wondered, if I could be a supernatural creature, which would I be? Vampire is an undeniably enticing choice because, duh, immortality, but there are serious drawbacks, like having to commit mass murder and never getting to sunbathe.
I’m definitely not werewolf material, though, being more of a cat person… Ever since I can remember, I’ve been drawn to vampires for their gothic fashion sense, dangerous sex appeal and death-defying approach to romance. (Note to astrologers: that’s my Libra Venus-Pluto conjunction in a nutshell!)
The very first vampire movie I ever saw as an impressionable young girl, was the delightfully seventies spoof, Love At First Bite, featuring George Hamilton as a sexy disco era Dracula navigating the NYC singles scene. After that, Once Bitten with Lauren Hutton and Jim Carrey, a hilarious send up of vampire tropes and teenage sex comedies of the 80s set in the Hollywood hills.
One of my favorite vampire movies of all time is Near Dark, directed by Katherine Bigelow, who would become the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar decades later.
It follows a nomadic band of white trash vampires in what is arguably one of the most realistic depictions of what it would actually be like if a vampire subculture were to exist in the rural United States. It’s dark, funny, sweet, and gritty.
Best of all, it featured half the cast of one of my other favorite movies of all time, Aliens, including Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jeanette Goldstein (AKA Vasquez).
I’ll have to do another post one day on witches, rounding out the trio of classic monsters. In the meantime, here are my picks for the best in the vampire genre.
My Favorite Vampire Movies (in no particular order)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Lush, gothic, and achingly romantic, this is the definitive tale of love that conquers death, with gorgeous costumes designed by the peerless Eiko Ishioka, who also designed the costumes for Tarsem’s hallucinogenic serial killer dreamscape, The Cell.
Near Dark (1987)
A dusty, blood-soaked road trip through the American southwest that reimagines vampires as a dangerous band of undead drifters.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Jim Jarmusch’s dreamy meditation on immortality and art follows Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston as two world-weary vampires too cool for eternity.
The Lost Boys (1987)
Punk rock Southern California vampires with trench coats, the ultimate seaside bat cave, and a killer ‘80s soundtrack. The pinnacle of teen girl vampire lust for my generation. The tagline said it all: “Sleep all day, party all night. It’s fun to be a vampire.”
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
This deadpan mockumentary about a group of hapless vampire roommates in New Zealand is hilariously awkward and wickedly charming.
The Hunger (1983)
Tony Scott’s directorial debut is a sleek, seductive art-house vamp classic starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon in a vampire love triangle. High on style and existential despair, this was required viewing in my first year of art school, along with Rocky Horror Picture Show... It’s like they were actively trying to turn us all bi.
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
You think you’re watching a crime thriller, until it turns into a vampire bloodbath in outrageous, chaotic, over-the-top Tarantino-Rodriguez style. Also features the exquisite Salma Hayek in a memorable dance number with a python.
Let Me In (2010)
A haunting, melancholic tale of first love among outcasts. Sometimes the monster next door is the only one who truly understands you.
Fright Night (1985)
A classic mix of horror and humor about a teen who discovers his next-door neighbor is a vampire, played with winking sinister glee by the dead sexy Chris Sarandon. Not since Eve has anyone bit into an apple with such lascivious menace.
I Am Legend (2007)
Will Smith carries the film with Cast Away-level gravitas as the last man alive in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by blood-thirsty wraiths. Not for the faint of heart or dog lovers.
My Favorite Vampire Shows
True Blood (2008–2014)
Sexy, southern, and campy as fuck; soaked in blood and supernatural lore.
Hemlock Grove (2013–2015)
A strange, stylish, offbeat blend of horror and mystery that feels like Twin Peaks overrun with vampires, werewolves and mad scientists.
Interview with the Vampire (2022– )
The latest reimagining of the book that inspired the 90s film about sad, sexy, gay vampires who love and destroy with equal fervor is much more faithful to Anne Rice’s original vision.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
I must confess, I never actually watched Buffy, but I know it’s an iconic, fiercely funny, feminist milestone that elevated the monster-of-the-week genre. One of these days, I’ll finally sink my teeth into it.
That’s it for this week’s deep dive into vampire lore… thanks for reading!
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