Vampires - on the Screen
Count Dracula was the subject of my hub - Count Dracula on the Screen - this article will look at other noteworthy vampire movies and TV shows not covered in that hub,
Vampyr (1932) Directed by Carl Dreyer. 83mins.
Julian West - Allan Grey
Maurice Schutz - Der Schlossherr
Rena Mandel - Gisèle
Sybille Schmitz - Léone
A classic German horror film dismissed as one of Dreyer's lesser works on release now regarded as one of the greatest vampire movies.
Based loosely on Sheridan Le Fanu's collection of horror stories In a Glass Darkly.
A young man arrives at a small village and after witnessing strange apparitions discovers that there is a vampire feeding on the villagers.
IMDB rating 7.6
Mark of the Vampire (1935) Directed by Tod Browning. 60mins.
Lead Vampire - Bela Lugosi - Count Mora
Lionel Barrymore - Professor
Elizabeth Allan - Irena
Lionel Atwill - Inspector Neumann
Jean Hersholt - Baron Otto
Carroll Borland - Luna
A vampire murder mystery, but with a twist ending that has annoyed horror fans ever since it was released.
Spoiler -
The vampires turn out to be actors hired to trap the murderer. The film is included here because of its iconic imagery of the great Bela in full vampire getup and Carroll Borland as his creepy daughter Luna.
Count Mora: Did you watch me? I gave all of me. I was greater than any real vampire!
IMDB rating 6.3
The Return of the Vampire (1944) Directed by Lew Landers. 69mins.
Lead Vampire - Bela Lugosi - Armand Tesla
Frieda Inescort - Lady Jane Ainsley
Nina Foch - Nicki Saunders
Miles Mander - Sir Frederick Fleet
Roland Varno - John Ainsley
Matt Willis - Andreas Obry
Columbia studios were hoping to make a direct sequel to Tod Browning's Dracula (1931) but when Universal studios threatened to sue they named their vampire Armand Tesla and oddly enough gave him a werewolf for a companion (Matt Wilis).
It would be Bela Lugosi's last top billing in a film for a major studio.
Tagline - BEAUTY at the mercy of a MONSTER!
IMDB rating 5.9
Blood of the Vampire (1958) Directed by Henry Cass. 87mins.
Lead Vampire - Donald Wolfit - Doctor Callistratus
Vincent Ball - Dr. John Pierre
Barbara Shelley - Madeleine Duval
Victor Maddern - Carl
William Devlin - Kurt Urach
John Le Mesurier - Judge
A rarely seen movie which is in the style of the gothic Hammer horrors. There is a good use of colour and the sets were great. A mad scientist, who was executed and has returned to life, experiments on prisoners looking for a blood serum to extend his life.
Tagline - He begins where DRACULA left off!
IMDB rating 5.2
Kiss of the Vampire (1963) Directed by Don Sharp. 88mins.
Lead Vampire - Noel Willman - Dr. Ravna
Clifford Evans - Professor Zimmer
Edward de Souza - Gerald Harcourt
Jennifer Daniel - Marianne Harcourt
Barry Warren - Carl Ravna
Jacquie Wallis - Sabena Ravna
An interesting Hammer horror with a Hitchcockian twist, after their car breaks down a couple are stranded at a small European town with a sinister castle on the hill, When the wife disappears the townspeople claim the young man arrived in town alone.
The movie has one of the most memorable opening sequences of any vampire film, during a funeral procession a man approaches looks down at the grave than suddenly plunges his shovel into the coffin, there is a scream from inside and blood pours out - the credits start.
IMDB rating 6.5
The Last Man on Earth (1964) Directed by Ubaldo Ragona & Sidney Salkow. 86mins.
Vincent Price - Dr. Robert Morgan
Franca Bettoia - Ruth Collins
Emma Danieli - Virginia Morgan
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart - Ben Cortman
Umberto Raho - Dr. Mercer
Christi Courtland - Kathy Morgan
Based on the novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.
An Italian horror film starring Vincent Price as one of the last survivors of a plague that has devastated the world turning the infected into vampiric creatures.
Charlton Heston was the last man on earth in 1971's adaptation of Matheson's novel The Omega Man, and Will Smith did it his way in I Am Legend (2007). A major difference is the two later adaptations featured mutants not vampires which makes this Italian movie more faithful to the novel.
Tagline - Do you dare to imagine what it would be like to be... the last man on earth... or the last woman?
IMDB rating 6.9
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) also known as Dance of the Vampires. Directed by Roman Polanski. 108mins.
Lead Vampire - Ferdy Mayne - Count von Krolock
Jack MacGowran - Professor Abronsius
Roman Polanski - Alfred, Abronsius' Assistant
Alfie Bass - Shagal, the Inn-Keeper
Sharon Tate - Sarah Shagal
Iain Quarrier - Herbert von Krolock
Terry Downes - Koukol, the Servant
Fiona Lewis - Magda, the Maid
Ronald Lacey - Village Idiot
A spoof on vampire films by Roman Polanski a year before his breakout hit Rosemary's Baby. Resembling a bonkers mad Hammer horror movie, it wasn't well received on first release but over the years it has gained a following.
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: [a young lady tries to fend off the Jewish Vampire with a cross] Oy vey, have you got the wrong vampire.
Tagline - Who says Vampires are no laughing matter?
IMDB rating 7.2
Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) Directed by Bob Kelljan. 90mins.
Lead Vampire - Robert Quarry - Count Yorga
Roger Perry - Dr. James Hayes
Michael Murphy - Paul
Michael Macready - Michael Thompson
Donna Anders - Donna
Judy Lang - Erica Landers
American International Pictures (AIP) were hoping to create a new horror star in Robert Quarry to rival Price, Cushing and Lee but it was not to be,
Count Yorga, Vampire was a modern take on Dracula with some good shocks, it was successful enough to warrant a sequel The Return of Count Yorga, which was released a year later.
Tagline - Tall, Dark, And Deadly.
IMDB rating 5.7
The Vampire Lovers (1970) Directed by Roy Ward Baker. 91mins.
Lead Vampire - Ingrid Pitt - Carmilla Karnstein
George Cole - Roger Morton
Kate O'Mara - The Governess
Peter Cushing - General Spielsdorf
Ferdy Mayne - Doctor
Douglas Wilmer - Baron Hartog
Madeline Smith - Emma Morton
Dawn Addams - The Countess
Jon Finch - Carl Ebhardt
To compete with changing trends Hammer introduced nudity and sex into their horror films, but it didn't help much and the end was coming for the famous studio.
The Vampire Lovers was the first in a loosely connected series of films dubbed the Karnstein Trilogy. The film is based on the novella Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu which was first published in 1872.
An atmospheric Hammer horror starring the late actress Ingrid Pitt in her most famous role as the seductive vampire Carmilla Karnstein. And Peter Cushing appears in a supporting role to give the production some of the old Hammer class.
Tagline - Beautiful Temptress, or Bloodthristy Monster?
IMDB rating 6.5
Lust for a Vampire (1971) Directed by Jimmy Sangster. 95mins.
Lead Vampire - Yutte Stensgaard - Carmilla Karnstein
Ralph Bates - Giles Barton
Barbara Jefford - Countess Herritzen
Suzanna Leigh - Janet Playfair
Michael Johnson - Richard Lestrange
Mike Raven - Count Karnstein
The second in Hammer's Karnstein trilogy.
The vampire Carmilla is this time played by beautiful Danish model Yutte Stensgaard.
Not one of Hammer's best films, but it has a cult following. The inclusion of a pop song titled "Strange Love" was much derided by Hammer purists.
Tagline - A vampire's lust knows no boundaries.
IMDB rating 5.8
Twins of Evil (1971) Directed by John Hough. 87mins.
Lead Vampire - Damien Thomas - Count Karnstein
Peter Cushing - Gustav Weil
Kathleen Byron - Katy Weil
David Warbeck - Anton Hoffer
Madeleine Collinson - Frieda Gellhorn
Mary Collinson - Maria Gellhorn
Dennis Price - Dietrich
The third film in Hammer's Karnstein trilogy.
One of the most enjoyable of Hammer's vampire films which includes Peter Cushing as a crazed Witchfinder General, an evil vampire count and two gorgeous twins one good and one bad. The title is a misnomer but than again "Twin of Evil" doesn't quite have the same ring.
German actress Katya Wyeth plays the vampire Carmilla in a brief, but important, scene with Count Karnstein.
The Collinson twins had posed nude for Playboy in 1970.
Tagline - Which is the Virgin? Which is the Vampire?
IMDB rating 6.5
Vampire Circus (1972) Directed by Robert Young. 87mins.
Lead Vampire - Robert Tayman - Count Mitterhaus
Adrienne Corri - Gypsy Woman
Thorley Walters - Burgermeister
Anthony Higgins - Emil
Laurence Payne - Prof. Albert Mueller
Lynne Frederick - Dora Mueller
David Prowse - Strongman
An original take on the usual vampire story, a travelling circus arrives in an old town and the owners are vampires seeking revenge. A good gory horror from Hammer.
Tagline - The greatest blood-show on earth!
IMDB rating 6.4
The Night Stalker (1972) TV Movie directed by John Moxey. 74mins.
Lead Vampire - Barry Atwater - Janos Skorzeny
Darren McGavin - Carl Kolchak
Carol Lynley - Gail Foster
Simon Oakland - Vincenzo
Ralph Meeker - Bernie Jenks
Claude Akins - Sheriff Butcher
Charles McGraw - Chief Masterson
When it first premiered The Night Stalker held the record as the highest rated TV movie on American television.
Newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak investigates a series of bizarre murders and comes to believe there is a vampire loose in Las Vegas.
A sequel The Night Strangler appeared in 1973, and a TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker aired in 1974 to 1975.
IMDB rating 7.7
Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974) Directed by Brian Clemens. 91mins.
Lead Vampire - Wanda Ventham - Lady Durward
Horst Janson - Captain Kronos
John Carson - Dr. Marcus
Caroline Munro - Carla
John Cater - Prof. Hieronymous Grost
Shane Briant - Paul Durward
Lois Daine - Sara Durward
Ian Hendry - Kerro
William Hobbs - Lord Durward
Hammer Studios were hoping to have an ongoing series of films featuring Captain Kronos battling the supernatural but it was not to be.
Bond Girl Caroline Munro also appeared as one of Dracula's victims in Dracula AD 72.
Reportedly one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite horrror movies.
IMDB rating 6.7
Salem's Lot (1979) TV Movie directed by Tobe Hooper. 184mins.
Lead Vampire - Reggie Nalder - Kurt Barlow
David Soul - Ben Mears
James Mason - Richard K. Straker
Lance Kerwin - Mark Petrie
Bonnie Bedelia - Susan Norton
Lew Ayres - Jason Burke
George Dzundza - Cully Sawyer
Ed Flanders - Dr. Bill Norton
Geoffrey Lewis - Mike Ryerson
A made for TV movie which originally aired in two parts.
Adapted from the novel by Stephen King first published in 1975.
Ben Mears returns to his old hometown of Salem's Lot to write a book and finds there are strange goings on in the old Marsten House. There is a new owner moving in, and the delivery of a mysterious large crate.
An excellent horror movie for TV which was cut by one hour and released theatrically in Europe with some extra violence added in.
Straker: You'll enjoy Mr. Barlow. And he'll enjoy you.
Reggie Nalder's hideous rat-faced vampire Kurt Barlow is not one you will forget easily.
IMDB rating 6.6
A remake appeared in 2004, directed by Mikael Salomon and starring Rob Lowe as Ben Mears and Rutger Hauer as Kurt Barlow.
The Hunger (1983) Directed by Tony Scott. 97mins.
Lead Vampire - Catherine Deneuve - Miriam Blaylock
David Bowie - John Blaylock
Susan Sarandon - Sarah Roberts
Cliff De Young - Tom Haver
Beth Ehlers - Alice Cavender
Dan Hedaya - Lieutenant Allegrezza
Based on the novel by Whitley Streiber.
Miriam and her lover John are vampires living in New York and teaching classical music, when John starts to rapidly age, a tearful Miriam tells him there is nothing she can do about it. Feeling betrayed he seeks the help of a doctor who specialises in premature aging.
Miriam: You'll be back. When the hunger knows no reason! And then you'll need to feed, you'll need me to show you how.
The late Tony Scott's directing debut.
Tagline - Nothing Human Loves Forever
IMDB rating 6.4
Fright Night (1985) Directed by Tom Holland. 106mins.
Lead Vampire - Chris Sarandon - Jerry Dandrige
William Ragsdale - Charley Brewster
Amanda Bearse - Amy Peterson
Roddy McDowall - Peter Vincent
Stephen Geoffreys - Evil Ed
Jonathan Stark - Billy Cole
Jerry Dandrige: Welcome to Fright Night! For real.
A hugely enjoyable horror romp. Charley Brewster suspects his next door neighbour is a vampire but no one will believe him.
Peter Vincent: I have just been fired because nobody wants to see vampire killers anymore, or vampires either. Apparently all they want to see are demented madmen running around in ski-masks, hacking up young virgins.
Charlie Sheen auditioned for the role of Charley Brewster but the producers felt he looked too heroic they wanted someone who looked like "the guy next door"
Charley Brewster: Jesus, I warned him!
Evil Ed: He got me, Charley! He bit me! You know what you're gonna have to do now, don't you? Kill me, Charley... before I turn into a vampire, and... give you a HICKEY!
Charley Brewster's reaction to Amy as a vampire was real, they kept Amy's look a.secret from the actor until that scene was shot.
Tagline - There are some very good reasons to be afraid...of the dark.
IMDB rating 7.0
Once Bitten (1985) Directed by Howard Storm. 94mins.
Lead Vampire - Lauren Hutton - The Countess
Jim Carrey - Mark Kendall
Karen Kopins - Robin Pierce
Cleavon Little - Sebastian
Thomas Ballatore - Jamie
Skip Lackey - Russ
A comedy horror starring future comedy king Jim Carrey. A vampire countess has to feed on young virgins to keep a youthful appearance.
Countess: Being a vampire in the 20th century is a nightmare!
Sebastian: Did we get up on the wrong side of the coffin this evening?
Tagline - A one-night stand with eternal complications!
IMDB rating 5.1
Vamp (1986) Directed by Richard Wenk. 93mins.
Lead Vampire - Grace Jones - Katrina
Chris Makepeace - Keith
Sandy Baron - Vic
Robert Rusler - AJ
Dedee Pfeiffer - Amaretto
Gedde Watanabe - Duncan
Billy Drago - Snow
Two college students decide to visit a nightclub in the seediest part of town, to their horror the nightclub is infested with vampires.
An interesting vampire movie with an unusual setting for horror, the predominant use of pink and green visuals gives it a distinctive look.
Tagline - The first kiss could be your last.
IMDB rating 5.4
The Lost Boys (1987) Directed by Joel Schumacher. 97mins.
Lead Vampire - Kiefer Sutherland - David
Jason Patric - Michael Emerson
Corey Haim - Sam Emerson
Dianne Wiest - Lucy Emerson
Barnard Hughes - Grandpa
Edward Herrmann - Max
Jami Gertz - Star
Corey Feldman - Edgar Frog
One of the quintessential teen movies of the 1980s and far more popular on video than it was at the cinema.
Lucy and her two boys move to Santa Carla "the murder capital of the world" and discover it's a haven for vampires.
Sam Emerson: Look at your reflection in the mirror. You're a creature of the night Michael, just like out of a comic book! You're a vampire Michael! My own brother, a goddamn, sh-t-sucking vampire. You wait 'till mom finds out, buddy!
In the movie the name "Michael" is spoken 118 times!
A sequel was planned titled "The Lost Girls" which never got made.
Tagline - Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire.
IMDB rating 7.1
Near Dark (1987) Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. 94mins.
Lead Vampire - Lance Henriksen - Jesse Hooker
Adrian Pasdar - Caleb Colton
Jenny Wright - Mae
Bill Paxton - Severen
Jenette Goldstein - Diamondback
Tim Thomerson - Loy Colton
Joshua Miller - Homer
Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow's second movie.
One of the best vampire films of the 80's. Caleb joins up with a travelling vampire family and falls in love with Mae after she turns him into a vampire.
Caleb: How old are you?
Jesse: Let's put it this way: I fought for the South.
Caleb: South?
Jesse: We lost.
Michael Biehn was offered the role of Jesse Hooker but turned it down.
IMDB rating 7.0
Fright Night 2 (1988) Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. 104mins.
Lead Vampire - Julie Carmen - Regine Dandridge
Roddy McDowall - Peter Vincent
William Ragsdale - Charley Brewster
Traci Lind - Alex
Jonathan Gries - Louie
Brian Thompson - Bozworth
Merritt Butrick - Richie
A fun sequel to Fright Night with Jerry Dandridge's sister out for revenge.
Regine: Let's talk about blood, Mr. Vincent, its very precious to me.
IMDB rating 5.5
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) Directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui. 86mins.
Lead Vampire - Rutger Hauer - Lothos
Kristy Swanson - Buffy
Donald Sutherland - Merrick Jamison-Smythe
Paul Reubens - Amilyn
Luke Perry - Oliver Pike
Hilary Swank - Kimberly Hannah
David Arquette - Benny Jacks
Teen horror later turned into a successful TV series.
Writer Joss Whedon wasn't happy with the film and was frustrated at how badly his story was handled.
We don't find out Buffy's surname until the TV series
IMDB rating 5.4
Innocent Blood (1992) Directed by John Landis. 112mins.
Lead Vampire - Anne Parillaud - Marie
Anthony LaPaglia - Joe Gennaro
Robert Loggia - Salvatore 'The Shark' Macelli
Don Rickles - Manny Bergman
David Proval - Lenny
Chazz Palminteri - Tony
Kim Coates - Ray
Gangsters and Vampires.
As usual in a John Landis film a bunch of movie directors have cameo roles - Michael Ritchie, Sam Raimi, Frank Oz and Dario Argento.
Tagline - The Comedy That Takes a Bite Out of Crime
IMDB rating 6.0
Interview With the Vampire (1994) Directed by Neil Jordan. 123mins.
Lead Vampire - Tom Cruise - Lestat de Lioncourt
Brad Pitt - Louis de Pointe du Lac
Christian Slater - Daniel Molloy
Kirsten Dunst - Claudia
Antonio Banderas - Armand
Stephen Rea - Santiago
Thandie Newton - Yvette
Based on the novel by Anne Rice, the first book of The Vampire Chronicles, first published in 1976.
Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Lestat.
Anne Rice originally had Rutger Hauer in mind for Lestat and was disappointed when Tom Cruise took the part, she changed her mind after she saw the film.
Louis: You see that old woman? That will never happen to you. You will never grow old, and you will never die.
Claudia: And it means something else too, doesn't it? I shall never ever grow up.
Interview With the Vampire cost $60m and has grossed $223.6m worldwide.
IMDB rating 7.5
Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) Directed by Wes Craven. 100mins.
Lead Vampire - Eddie Murphy - Maximillian
Angela Bassett - Det. Rita Veder
Allen Payne - Detective Justice
Kadeem Hardison - Julius Jones
John Witherspoon - Silas Green
Zakes Mokae - Dr. Zeko
Joanna Cassidy - Capt. Dewey
"The only way I was able to do Nutty Professor and to get out of my Paramount deal, I had to do Vampire in Brooklyn. But you know what ruined that movie? The wig. I walked out in that long-haired wig and people said, 'Oh, get the f--k out of here! What the hell is this?'" Eddie Murphy interviewed by Rolling Stone Magazine.
IMDB rating 4.3
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) Directed by Robert Rodriguez. 108mins.
Lead Vampire - Salma Hayek - Santanico Pandemonium
George Clooney - Seth Gecko
Quentin Tarantino - Richard Gecko
Harvey Keitel - Jacob Fuller
Juliette Lewis - Kate Fuller
Ernest Liu - Scott Fuller
Cheech Marin - Border Guard / Chet / Carlos
Danny Trejo - Razor Charlie
Tom Savini - Sex Machine
Fred Williamson - Frost
Bloodthirsty horror thriller written by Quentin Tarantino.
Santanico Pandemonium: I'm not gonna drain you completely. You're gonna turn for me. You'll be my slave. You'll live for me. You'll eat bugs because I order it. Why? Because I don't think you're worthy of human blood. Since you'll be my dog, your new name will be "Spot". Welcome to slavery.
Seth: No, thanks. I've already had a wife.
Michael Madsen and John Travolta were both offered the role of Seth Gecko.
Tagline - From Quentin Tarantino. From Robert Rodriguez. From Dusk Till Dawn
IMDB rating 7.2
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) TV Series Created by Joss Whedon.
Sarah Michelle Gellar - Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon - Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan - Willow Rosenberg
Anthony Head - Rupert Giles
James Marsters - Spike
Charisma Carpenter - Cordelia Chase
David Boreanaz - Angel
Eliza Dushku - Faith
Seth Green - Oz
A hit TV series created by Joss Whedon. It lasted 7 seasons from 1997 to 2003 and a total of 144 episodes.
Selma Blair and Katie Holmes were considered for the role of Buffy.
Ryan Reynolds was offered the role of Xander.
IMDB rating 8.2
Vampires (1998) Directed by John Carpenter. 108mins.
Lead Vampire - Thomas Ian Griffith - Jan Valek
James Woods - Jack Crow
Daniel Baldwin - Anthony Montoya
Sheryl Lee - Katrina
Maximilian Schell - Cardinal Alba
Tim Guinee - Father Adam Guiteau
Jack Crow's parents were killed by vampires, in vengeance he has sworn to kill all vampires.
One of the reasons John Carpenter wanted to make the film is that it resembled a western.
Jack Crow: You ever seen a vampire?
Father Adam: No I haven't.
Jack Crow: No... Well first of all, they're not romantic. You wanna kill one, you drive a wooden stake right through his f-ckin' heart. Sunlight turns 'em into crispy critters.
IMDB rating 6.0
Blade (1998) Directed by Stephen Norrington. 120mins.
Lead Vampire - Wesley Snipes - Blade
Kris Kristofferson - Whistler
Stephen Dorff - Deacon Frost
N'Bushe Wright - Karen
Donal Logue - Quinn
Udo Kier - Dragonetti
Arly Jover - Mercury
Traci Lords - Racquel
Based on the Marvel comics character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. Blade made his first appearance in the comic book Tomb of Dracula #10 published in July 1973.
Eric Brooks aka Blade is a 'Daywalker', a vampire who walks in daylight. His mother was bitten by a vampire while she was pregnant and he discovers that the vampire was Deacon Frost (Dorff). Frost wants to unleash the Blood God on the world and Blade has to stop him.
Blade: There are worse things out tonight than vampires.
Karen: Like what?
Blade: Like me.
Snipes wanted to play the Marvel comics character Black Panther but ended up playing Blade instead.
Blade cost $45m and has grossed $131m worldwide.
Blade: You give Frost a message from me. You tell him it's open season on all suckheads.
The success of Blade resulted in more Marvel comic books adapted for the screen, X-Men was next and was a major success in 2000.
IMDB rating 7.0
Two Blade sequels followed -
Blade II (2002) Directed by Guillermo del Toro. 117mins.
Cost $54m and has grossed $155m worldwide. IMDB rating 6.6
Blade Trinity (2004) Directed by David S. Goyer. 113mins.
Cost $65m and has grossed $129m worldwide. IMDB rating 5.8
Shadow of the Vampire (2000) Directed by E. Elias Merhige. 92mins.
Lead Vampire - Willem Dafoe - Max Schreck
John Malkovich - Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
Udo Kier - Albin Grau
Cary Elwes - Fritz Arno Wagner
Catherine McCormack - Greta Schröder
Eddie Izzard - Gustav von Wangenhein
A fictionalized account of the making F.W. Murnau's classic vampire film Nosferatu (1922).
Friedrich Murnau (Malkovich) is shocked to discover the star of his film, Max Schreck (Dafoe) not only is playing a vampire, he really is a vampire! Murnau is finding it increasingly difficult to finish his film while his star is feasting on the production crew.
F.W. Murnau: Why him, you monster? Why not the... script girl?
Max Schreck: Oh. The script girl. I'll eat her later.
F.W. Murnau: Go ahead! Kill the writer! That will leave you explaining how your character gets to Bremen!
Willem Dafoe was Oscar Nominated for his role as Schreck, the first and only time an actor has been Oscar nominated for playing a vampire.
IMDB rating 6.9
Queen of the Damned (2002) Directed by Michael Rymer. 101mins.
Lead Vampire - Aaliyah - Queen Akasha
Stuart Townsend - Lestat de Lioncourt
Marguerite Moreau - Jesse Reeves
Vincent Perez - Marius de Romanus
Paul McGann - David Talbot
Lena Olin - Maharet
Claudia Black - Pandora
Based on the novel by Anne Rice, the third in the Vampire Chronicles series.
Aaliyah plays Queen Akasha, who according to the Vampire Chronicles was the very first vampire created. She became a vampire when the spirit of a bloodthirsty demon named Amel entered her body and fused with her soul, thousands of years ago.
Singer Aaliyah tragically died in a plane crash in 2001, she was just 22.
The Vampire Lestat was first played on film by Tom Cruise in Interview With the Vampire (1994).
Tagline - The Mother of All Vampires.
IMDB rating 4.9
Underworld (2003) Directed by Len Wiseman. 121mins (133mins).
Lead Vampire - Kate Beckinsale - Selene
Scott Speedman - Michael Corvin
Michael Sheen - Lucian
Shane Brolly - Kraven
Bill Nighy - Viktor
Sophia Myles - Erika
Wentworth Miller - Dr. Adam Lockwood
Vampires vs Lycans (werewolves), a war that has raged for generations. Selene is a beautiful vampire warrior, she falls in love with Michael Corvin, a powerful Vampire-Lycan hybrid.
Viktor: I loved my daughter. But the abomination growing in her womb was a betrayal of me and the coven. I did what was necessary to protect the species. As I am forced to do yet again.
Underworld cost $22m to make and has grossed $95.7m worldwide.
IMDB rating 6.9
Underworld was a hit and was followed by two sequels and a prequel -
Underworld: Evolution (2006) Directed by Len Wiseman. 106mins.
Cost $50m and has grossed $111.3m worldwide. IMDB rating 6.7
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) Directed by Patrick Tatopoulos. 92mins.
Cost $35m and has grossed $91.3m. IMDB rating 6.5
Underworld: Awakening (2012) Directed by Mans Marlind & Bjorn Stein. 88mins.
Cost $70m and has grossed $160m worldwide. IMDB rating 6.4
Bloodrayne (2005) Directed by Uwe Boll. 95mins.
Kristanna Loken - Rayne
Michael Madsen - Vladimir
Geraldine Chaplin - Fortune Teller
Udo Kier - Regal Monk
Meat Loaf - Leonid
Michael Paré - Iancu
Billy Zane - Elrich
Michelle Rodriguez - Katarin
Ben Kingsley - Kagan
Based on the Video Game of the same name.
The film is set in the 18th century and the central character is Rayne, she is a breed of vampire called a Dhampir and the lead attraction in a freak show in Romania.
Director, Uwe Boll, has a cameo wearing a wristwatch.
Nominated for 6 Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Actress.
IMDB rating 2.8
30 Days of Night (2007) Directed by David Slade. 113mins.
Lead Vampire - Danny Huston - Marlow
Josh Hartnett - Eben Oleson
Melissa George - Stella Oleson
Ben Foster - The Stranger
Mark Boone Junior - Beau Brower
Mark Rendall - Jake Oleson
Based on a 3-part comic book series written by Steve Niles and published in 2002.
Set in a town in Alaska so far north that when the sun sets in winter it doesn't rise again for 30 days. Vampires descend on the town knowing they can prey on the inhabitants without worrying about the lethal rays of the sun.
Marlow: [speaking in vampire language] There is no escape. No hope. Only hunger and pain.
30 Days of Night cost $30m and has grossed $75.5m worldwide.
IMDB rating 6.6
True Blood (2008-2013) TV Series.
Lead Vampire - Stephen Moyer - Bill Compton
Anna Paquin - Sookie Stackhouse
Sam Trammell - Sam Merlotte
Ryan Kwanten - Jason Stackhouse
Rutina Wesley - Tara Thornton
Chris Bauer - Andy Bellefleur
Nelsan Ellis - Lafayette Reynolds
Carrie Preston - Arlene Fowler
Alexander Skarsgard - Eric Northman
A popular TV series based on the Sookie Stackhouse series of vampire novels by Charlaine Harris.
The series deals with the vampires and other supernatural creatures residing in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.
Sookie (Paquin) has telepathic powers and has fallen in love with Bill Compton (Moyer), who is a 173 year old vampire.
Sookie Stackhouse: [surprised] You're alive?
Bill Compton: Technically, no.
Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer were married in 2010.
Running for 6 seasons and 70 episodes so far, True Blood has been picked up for a 7th season.
IMDB rating 8.1
Twilight (2008) Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. 122mins.
Lead Vampire - Robert Pattinson - Edward Cullen
Kristen Stewart - Bella Swan
Peter Facinelli - Carlisle Cullen
Elizabeth Reaser - Esme Cullen
Ashley Greene - Alice Cullen
Kellan Lutz - Emmett Cullen
Billy Burke - Charlie Swan
Taylor Lautner - Jacob Black
Based on the first book of the best-selling series of vampire-romance novels for young adults by Stephenie Mayer, first published in 2005.
Young Bella falls in love with Edward Cullen who she discovers is a telepathic vampire. Edward is over a hundred years old, he was turned into a vampire at the age of 17 by his adoptive father to save him from the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918.
Bella also becomes very friendly with Jacob Black, who it turns out is from a tribe of shapeshifting werewolves, and vampires are their mortal enemy.
Edward: That's what you dream about? Being a monster?
Bella: I dream about being with you forever.
Twilight was a big hit, costing $37m and grossing $392.6m wordwide.
IMDB rating 5.2
The sequels were even more successful -
Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) Directed by Chris Weitz. 130mins.
Cost $50m and has grossed $710m worldwiide. IMDB rating 4.5
Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) Directed by David Slade. 124mins.
Cost $68m and has grossed $698.4m worldwide. IMDB rating 4.8
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn p.1 (2011) Directed by Bill Condon. 117mins.
Cost $110m and has grossed $705m worldwide. IMDB rating 4.8.
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn p.2 (2012) Directed by Bill Condon. 115mins
Cost $120m and has grossed $829.6m worldwide. IMDB rating 5.6
Let the Right One In (2008) Directed by Tomas Alfredson. 115mins.
Lead Vampire - Lina Leandersson - Eli
Kare Hedebrant - Oskar
Per Ragnar - Hakan
Henrik Dahl - Erik
Karin Bergquist - Yvonne
Peter Carlberg - Lacke
A Swedish horror film based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist published in 2004.
Oskar is a 12 year old boy who gets beaten up by school bullies all the time, one day he meets Eli, a young girl who has moved in next door. They become friends and Eli protects Oskar from the bullies. What Oskar doesn't know is that Eli is a 200 year old vampire.
Eli: Oskar... Do you like me?
Oskar: Yeah, a lot.
Eli: If I wasn't a girl... would you like me anyway?
Oskar: I suppose so.
Let the Right One In was critically acclaimed and has won many awards from various film festivals.
The film was remade by Hammer Films in 2010.
IMDB rating 8.0
Blood: The Last Vampire (2009) Directed by Chris Nahon. 91mins.
Lead Vampire - Gianna Jun - Saya Otonashi
Allison Miller - Alice McKee
Liam Cunningham - Michael Harrison
Koyuki - Onigen
Yasuaki Kurata - Kato Takatora
Larry Lamb - General McKee
Michael Byrne - Elder
Colin Salmon - Powell
A remake of the 2000 anime of the same name.
Saya is half human and half vampire, she has been hunting and slaying vampires for centuries. There is one vampire in particular she has wanted to destroy, the demon Onigen, the oldest of the vampires and her fathers killer.
Tagline - Now that she's here, there will be blood.
IMDB rating 5.3
Daybreakers (2009) Directed by Michael & Peter Spierig. 98mins.
Ethan Hawke - Edward Dalton
Willem Dafoe - Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac
Sam Neill - Charles Bromley
Claudia Karvan - Audrey Bennett
Michael Dorman - Frankie Dalton
Isabel Lucas - Alison Bromley
The year 2019 and most of mankind have turned into vampires following a plague, but there is hope when an ex-vampire is discovered to have the cure to saving the human race.
Audrey Bennett: That thing could kill you!
Edward Dalton: I'm already dead.
Filmed in Australia, Daybreakers received good reviews and has grossed $51m worldwide, its production cost was $20m.
Tagline - In 2019, the most precious natural resource... is us.
IMDB rating 6.5
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009) Directed by Paul Weitz. 109mins.
Lead Vampire - John C. Reilly - Larten Crepsley
Chris Massoglia - Darren Shan
Willem Dafoe - Gavner Purl
Josh Hutcherson - Steve Leonard
Ray Stevenson - Murlough
Colleen Camp - Angela Shan
Salma Hayek - Madame Truska
Ken Watanabe - Hibernius Tall
Based on the young adult series of horror novels by Darren Shan.
A teenager joins a travelling freak show and discovers real vampires are part of the show, he decides he wants to be a vampire too.
Tagline - Meet Darren. He's sixteen going on immortal.
Cirque du Freak cost $40m and has grossed $39m worldwide.
IMDB rating 6.0
Let Me In (2010) Directed by Matt Reeves. 116mins.
Lead Vampire - Chloë Grace Moretz - Abby
Kodi Smit-McPhee - Owen
Richard Jenkins - The Father
Cara Buono - Owen's Mother
Elias Koteas - The Policeman
Sasha Barrese - Virginia
Dylan Kenin - Larry
A remake of the Swedish horror film Let the Right One In (2008).
A lonely young boy befriends a little girl who has moved in next door. The young girl turns out to be a 200 year old vampire who was turned as a child and has stayed young ever since.
Owen: Are you a vampire?
Abby: I need blood to live.
Owen: But how old are you, really?
Abby: Twelve. But... I've been twelve for a very long time.
In the original novel and film the little girl used to be a boy who was castrated and than turned into a vampire.
The remake was well received and was nominated for a few movie awards.
IMDB rating 7.2
Priest (2011) Directed by Scott Charles Stewart. 87mins.
Lead Vampire - Karl Urban - Black Hat
Paul Bettany - Priest
Cam Gigandet - Hicks
Maggie Q - Priestess
Lily Collins - Lucy Pace
Brad Dourif - Salesman
Stephen Moyer - Owen Pace
Christopher Plummer - Monsignor Orelas
Based on a Korean comic book.
Set hundreds of years from now in a post-apocalyptic future, the Earth's surface has been devastated and mankind has been at war with vampires for centuries. An elite group of warriors called 'Priests' have been given the holy task of eliminating the evil of vampirism.
Priest cost $60m to make and has grossed $78m worldwide.
Tagline - The War is Eternal. His Mission is Just the Beginning.
IMDB rating 5.7
Fright Night (2011) Directed by Craig Gillespie. 106mins.
Lead Vampire - Colin Farrell - Jerry Dandridge
Anton Yelchin - Charley Brewster
Toni Collette - Jane Brewster
David Tennant - Peter Vincent
Imogen Poots - Amy Peterson
Christopher Mintz-Plasse - 'Evil' Ed
A remake of the 1985 film of the same name, which did not need to be remade. There are some cool vampire scenes but the movie is too dark and you can barely see what's going on sometimes.
Watch out for a cameo from the original Jerry Dandridge, Chris Sarandon.
Charley Brewster: You read way too much Twilight.
'Evil' Ed: That's fiction, okay. This is real. He's a real monster and he's not brooding, or lovesick, or noble. I seriously am so angry you think I read Twilight.
Fright Night cost $30m and has grossed $41m worldwide
IMDB rating 6.4
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) Directed by Timur Bekmambetov. 105mins.
Lead Vampire - Rufus Sewell - Adam
Benjamin Walker - Abraham Lincoln
Dominic Cooper - Henry Sturges
Anthony Mackie - Will Johnson
Mary Elizabeth Winstead - Mary Todd Lincoln
Marton Csokas - Jack Barts
Based on the novel by Seth Graham-Smith.
After discovering vampires were planning to take over the United States of America, President Lincoln dedicates his life to eliminating them.
The reviews were mostly negative but the film still managed to gross $116.4m worldwide.
IMDB rating 5.9
Dark Shadows (2012) Directed by Tim Burton. 113mins.
Lead Vampire - Johnny Depp - Barnabas Collins
Michelle Pfeiffer - Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
Helena Bonham Carter - Dr. Julia Hoffman
Eva Green - Angelique Bouchard
Jackie Earle Haley - Willie Loomis
Jonny Lee Miller - Roger Collins
Chloë Grace Moretz - Carolyn Stoddard
Christopher Lee - Clarney
Based on the weekday TV series Dark Shadows created by Dan Curtis which run from 1966 to 1971 and a total of 1,225 episodes!
The year 1762 and a witch (Eva Green) turns Barnabas Collins (Depp) into a vampire and buries him alive. More than 200 years pass and Barnabas is accidentally freed from his coffin and finds himself lost in the year 1972.
Angelique: I'm going to make an offer to you, Barnabas. My last. You can join me and we can run Collinsport together as partners, and lovers... or I'll put you back in the box.
Barnabas: I have already prepared my counter-proposal. It reads thusly: You may strategically place your wonderful lips upon my posterior and kiss it repeatedly!
Dark Shadows cost $148m to make and has grossed $245.5m worldwide.
IMDB rating 6.4
