Top 10 Favourite Vampire Movies

So, I was watching Near Dark the other night, and I decided to make a list of my favourite vampire movies. At least, the ones I've seen so far. There are about ten hundred or so more films that I eventually want to see, but I thought it would be interesting to figure out my favourites at the moment. I would have watched them for this list, but honestly most of them are foreign art-house films (of course) and I really hard to get a hold of. So, this will just have to do for now!

Please keep in mind that these are favourites. The films on this list are ones that I enjoy watching for whatever reason, but it doesn't mean that everyone will like them or even that they would be considered good. But when it comes to favourites, I don't care about a film being 'good'. I care more about a film entertaining me, which might explain some of the weird choices on this list. Anyway, let's get on with it! Oh, and spoilers! Potentially!

10. The Twins Effect

Remember when films that featured pop stars weren't vapid documentaries, and they actually had plots and ridiculous characters? Those were the days! This film is just pure silly fun, featuring Cantopop duo Twins as a pair of vampire hunting bad-asses who have to stop an evil vampire duke from taking over the world! Kung-fu plus vampires, I mean what more could you want. The fact that Jackie Chan has a cameo makes this even more awesome. There are some really fun sequences in this film, including a part where a vampire tries to steal blood from a hospital and a really good opening fight scene. If you're up for a bit of fun, and don't mind a film that's light on the vampire lore but heavy on the comedy then I would definitely recommend this!

9. From Dusk till Dawn

This film is just crazy. Like, bat-shit insane! It starts off like a typical Tarantino crime film, but then suddenly, vampires! Because why not. A lot of people get turned off by the sudden turn this film takes, but I really like it! It's so out there that I can't really hate it. I also really like the gore effects, and the transformations as well, it's not your typical blood and guts. More like mucus and vomit. The first part of film is also a really slick crime thriller with Tarantino's trademark dialogue, and his performance in the film isn't as terrible as he usually is. It also helps that Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, and Juliette Lewis each give excellent performances. A cult favourite for a reason, it's one that I like to watch every now and then for fun.

8. Vamps

This film does a lot of things right that people just don't realise. Two awesome female characters played excellently by Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter, vampires who have to deal with time passing while they stay the same and how they deal with that existential crisis, really hilarious moments that incorporate vampire lore, Sigourney Weaver chewy the scenery with such deliciousness! Despite what the trailers tell you, the film is not about two shallow party girl vampires, it's actually about how vampires have to deal with the modern world and all the problems they face. It's surprisingly deep, for a horror comedy and if anyone has written it off I would encourage you to give it a proper look! The jokes are funny, the vampire lore is strong, and the characters are excellent!

7. Night Watch

I was a little hesitant to put this on the list, since it's not entirely about vampires. But they do play an important role in the plot of the film, and the filmmakers do some interesting things with the vampire lore. Now, if you've seen Night Watch, then you know how complicated a film it is and I don't think that I have enough time to go into detail. Basically, the Night Watch are the good guys and they have to make sure that malevolent beings don't disrupt the truce between good and evil. Vampires include those beings. There are some really cool weapons used against the vampires, like a flash light that uses UV light to shine in their faces, and they use blood to find where the vampires are. And the vampires themselves are really interesting, they break like porcelain when they are defeated, and they have these really cool systems in place to find and store blood. While it's not an entire film about vampires, it is definitely one to watch for a different take on vampires.

6. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

 Yes, I know. This is a major CGI fest, that has a really silly premise. But that's only one way of looking at it. I prefer to look at it as B movie blockbuster that managed to get a mainstream release, with some awesome set pieces, a premise it takes just seriously enough with actors whose tongues are firmly in their cheeks. And it has Rufus Sewell as the villain. How was I not going to love this film! I have done a full blog post about this, but basically, I think this is a really underrated film. People didn't respond well to it because they were expecting campy, and instead got action! I mean, yes the CGI is a little intrusive, but not so much that it impinges on my enjoyment. I just love how such a silly film takes itself so seriously yet still turns out fun and entertaining!

5. Brides of Dracula

This wouldn't be a list about vampires without at least one Hammer film on it! This is the first Hammer movie I ever saw, and consequently the first film I saw with Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. So it holds a very special place in my heart. Peter Cushing is such a bad-ass in this, that it kinda makes up for the lacklustre Dracula replacement. I do like how the film starts, and I love the main female character, Marianne Danielle (Yvonne Monlaur). It's a film I watch when I want the opulent atmosphere and fantastical sets, that may not be historically accurate but they do look amazing! I have seen more Hammer films, some good, some not so good, but this will always be one of my favourite vampire films from Hammer, even though Christopher Lee sadly isn't in it.

4. Only Lovers Left Alive

Again, another film that deals with how vampires deal with the modern world, and how they use modern technology to survive and entertain themselves. But instead of finding any joy in what they do, these vampires are instead becoming apathetic at how humanity has changed, and how the present might not be as satisfying as the past. At least, that's what it means to me. This is also the first time Tom Hiddleston has really impressed me, maybe it's because he's starring with such acting royalty as Tilda Swinton as his lover and John Hurt as a vampiric Christopher Marlowe. What is also impressive is the fact that I don't think the word vampire is actually said once during the film, which is quite a feat. The music is also excellent, and one of the few soundtracks that I listen to frequently by itself. A little more arty yes, but an excellent commentary on how isolated vampires have to become in order to survive, and how the outside world is viewed from their perspective.

3. Fright Night (both versions)

And now we're back to good old horror comedy! Fright Night is one of those films from the 80s that mixes together the perfect amount of cheese and actual horror. It's a good premise (what would happen if a vampire moved next door?) and in the original 80s version it plays out a little more unexpectedly than what you would first imagine. Our hero, Charlie (William Ragsdale) isn't a popular jock who gets his friends together to defeat the bad guy. He's a nerd who no one believes, and the only help he does get is from an Elvira type TV presenter played hilariously by Roddy McDowall. I still find it surprising how early on we find out that Jerry (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire, but it does make a nice change from the typical "are they/aren't they" story line. Things are changed to be a little more predictable in the remake, but I'm kinda glad about that. It's nice to see that they did decide to change things, like the setting, and the swapping Charlie with Ed a little bit, rather than just rehashing the original. Both films have their silly moments, and both films have their darker moments. And believe me, both of them make excellent films to watch late at night surrounded by friends!

2. The Lost Boys

Hands down, one of my favourite Halloween films of all time! I always try and watch this during at least some point in October. I dunno, there's something about 80s vampires that I just love! Maybe it's the cheese factor, maybe it's just the ridiculous fashion. The Lost Boys again is able to blend comedy and horror together really well. I also really like the characters, especially Edward Hermann as the most unlikely vampire leader. Kiefer Sutherland is electric in this film, and it's arguably his best role. Jason Patric and Corey Haim are believable as brothers Michael and Sam, and have a really good rapport with each other. Which makes the scenes where Michael tries not to kill Sam when he's hungry really tense. Another good thing about the film is the plot. When I first saw this, after the first ten minutes or so, I had no idea where the film was going to go next. And the ending! One of the greatest end lines of any films! I love it. This is a classic for a reason, if you haven't seen it yet, I would definitely recommend that you do!

1. What We Do in the Shadows

This film gives me everything I could want from a vampire movie. Horror. Check! Comedy. Check! Gore. Check! Awesome characters. Check! Looking at how aging vampires react to the modern world. Check! Analysing the traditional vampire lore and how restrictive it is. Check! A new way to tell a story through the use of mockumentary. Check! A scene with a funny dance. Check! This film is as near to perfect as a film can get. Written and directed by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, What We Do in the Shadows is one of the most creative horror films to come out in years. It doesn't rely on the usual plot conventions you get in horror films, and instead focuses on character rather than story. That might explain why the mockumentary format works so well for this film. I just love it to pieces! And now that we are done, I might just go and watch it again.

So, there you have it. I know, my film tastes are terrible. But anyway, let me know what your favourite vampire films are! I'm sure I left out a ton of movies that people were expecting, and it's probably because I just haven't seen them yet. Anyway, until next time readers, keep your powder dry.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I can see why people wouldn't like this film. It does go a little CG-I crazy, and some of the action set pieces are a bit far-fetched. And Jimmi Simpson's accent is more than a little bit iffy. But the acting is very solid and it ties in a lot of the things from Lincoln's actual life very well and-... Wait, what was that? This film is too serious? Are you kidding me?! So, Abraham Lincoln destroying vampires with an axe that also transforms into a shotgun is too serious? ... You guys have an odd sense of serious.

Based on the book by Seth Grahame-Smith (who also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), this basically tells the history of Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker), but with vampires. When he's a youngster, Abe sees his mother killed by a vindictive vampire Jack Barts (Marton Csokas), and grows up harbouring a wish to avenge his mothers death. After almost being killed by Barts, he gains a mentor in Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper), another vampire (but a good one, not an evil one) who trains him to be a vampire hunter. Fighting these monsters inspires Lincoln to pursue a political career. Eventually, he puts his slaying days behind him in order to protect his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), but is forced back into his old ways as the civil war approaches and the southern forces use vampires to help them, lead by Adam (Rufus Sewell).

I'm sure if you know more about Lincoln's life you will get more out of the way the historical events are portrayed in the story. But even if you don't (and I certainly didn't) you still get a fairly enjoyable and easy to follow story out of this. But really, this is too serious? I think that's one of the weirdest complaints for a movie I've heard. People seemed to think that this was meant to be a tongue in cheek tribute to the man. But the premise is so tongue in cheek already that if it was any sillier then it wouldn't have worked. Instead, they took a slightly silly idea and made it epic! And when a film is filled with silly sounding scenes, like Abe's training montage (a freaking training montage!), and they give them a serious edge, it adds a little gravitas to the occasion, and makes it awesome!

The acting is superb in this, even the slightly odd choices of Jimmi Simpson as Joshua Speed and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Washington (mainly because I've only seen them in teen movies). Everyone is really bloody good, but of course the star is Benjamin Walker as Lincoln, who behind the serious facade you can tell is having a lot of fun. He manages to be an action star whilst looking like he belongs in a period drama, which is the perfect mix! Rufus Sewell as Adam is also good, and wonderfully hammy in some parts, but not so much that he loses his menace. Although the person who steals the film with his performance is Dominic Cooper as Henry. He gives a rather honest performance of a man who has lost everything yet continues to fight against those who must be stopped, and in the end becomes a presence surrounding Lincoln's life.

 
The problems I have with the film are basically the CG-I and the way the vampire lore is handled. Because of budget restraints, most of the action scenes were done with an excessive use of CG-I, and so sneaky techniques with smoke and dust are used to hide this fact. But in all honesty, the fights are choreographed so well that I can forgive the hazy, smoked filled mess it becomes, because depsite all that, we can still see what's happening instead of the usual shaky cam nonsense. The vampire lore is a little harder to forgive, but I do give them props for the changes they made. And it does do the sensible thing of showing us how the vampires are portrayed instead of outright telling.


But it doesn't explain everything. Like why vampires can walk around in the day without spontaneously combusting. I think it's hinted that sunlight is mildly inconvenient due to the fact that they wear veils and sunglasses whilst out and about, but it would've been nice to hear the actual explanation for it. So, instead of sunlight killing them, it's silver, which is used in the story very well, and becomes a really good plot point. The other thing that they changed to the normal lore is that vampires can't kill other vampires, which here is basically used as the reason Henry gets Abe to be his pupil. There isn't really an explanation given for this, the only thing that comes close is a line Henry gives where he says 'Only the living can kill the dead', but that seems a little cliche ridden to me.

Apart from those unexplained phenomenom, I'd say this is a good film. Maybe not a great film, but definitely not deserving of the crap it's been getting. I reckon if people went to see this with a different mindset and not expect a cheeky riff on history, then they may enjoy it more. Not that it's historically accurate at all (Lincoln had three children, not one!), but that has never before stood in the way of a clever story. The best way I can describe this is a historical action movie, and if you remember that all action movies aren't piles of fun then sit back and enjoy an excellent escapist movie with good acting and vampires. What more could you want! Until next time, readers, where I promise it will be zombies!