Film Buffs

In the last few years there has been an insurgence of vampires into the film and literary world. These historically dark creatures have also taken on a whole new persona that can actually be good and virtuous. Stephenie Meyer introduced us to the Cullen family in her the first book of the series, Twilight. This non-biologically related group of people is bound together by their commitment to overcome the inherent evil of being a vampire. Read more »

Vampires may be all the craze right now, but more sinister versions than those sparkling ones in the “Twilight” series have been lurking on movie screens for almost a century. Versions range from a close telling of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” to motorcycle-riding teenage gang members to a human-vampire hybrid seeking the destruction of the supernatural race. No matter your taste, watch your neck, keep a mirror in sight and enjoy our top 10 list.

1. “Dracula” (1931): Bela Lugosi stars in this close Bram Stoker adaptation, in which the count travels to England after he purchases property from an Englishman whom he then hypnotizes into his control and then attempts to prey upon his young daughter. Lugosi’s performance produced often-copied vampire characteristics like a widow’s peak and thick accent.
2. “The Lost Boys” (1987): When two teenage boys move with their mother to the coast of California, they find the town rampant with mysterious deaths and a gang of teenage bikers. But when the older boy befriends the gang and shows signs of vampirism, his brother and his self-proclaimed vampire hunter friends plot to destroy the gang leader.
3. “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996): This Robert Rodriguez flick changes abruptly half-way through from a hostage to a vampire movie when brothers on the lam (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) cross the Mexican border with their hostages and RV in tow to meet a criminal associate at a strip joint that turns out to be a den of thirsty vampires.
4. “Nosferatu” (1922): The silent film is based upon Bram Stoker’s classic story with a voyage with a realtor whom sold him foreign property, but strays with Count Orlok’s exaggerated, rat-like appearance and the plague he brings with him on the voyage.
5. “Interview with the Vampire” (1994): The adaptation of an Ann Rice book shows a centuries-old vampire (Brad Pitt) chronicling his experiences with a modern-day journalist (Christian Slater), including taking a young survivor of the black plague (Kirsten Dunst) as his vampire daughter and dealing with his unruly maker (Tom Cruise). Read more »