Alucard's Rose

Act 2 Scene 1

2010-03-12T10:20:00.002-05:00

I found this on youtube, and thought I would post it on my main blog, so posting it here too.
It's the bathroom scene from Blood and Donuts when Earl figures it all out.

Live Evil -2009

2010-02-22T08:42:00.005-05:00

Plot: The world has gotten so polluted that the vampires are starved. Different breeds of vampires have not only started to turn on each other, they have sectioned off whole cities of the few fresh blood left and employ a blood pusher. One man knows about them and has made his life's work destroying them. At the death site of each vampire he's destroyed he's left his calling card, literally. Now he's tracked a small group of vampires to the heart of L.A. and this time it's personal.

Let me just say right off Tim Thomerson!
How can you go wrong with Tim Thomerson as your lead, well you just can't. The idea of this film is solid, and the fact they brought in a few different types of vampires made for an interesting dynamic with the level of emotion for each breed.
There are times when you are rooting for Benedict (like when he and his group are arrested by the other vamps or when he sees the goth girl poison the human) and times you are rooting for Priest.
This film made me think very fondly of Thomerson's other vampire films Trancers series (yes the debate over if Trancers are zombies or vampires will continue) and Near Dark.
This movie also reminded me very much of a book I read back nearly 20 years ago called Vampire Winter (radiation after the 3rd world war has poisoned humans making them mostly unsafe for vampires to feed from)

Keep your coffins crossed that there might be a sequel in the works.

Vampire Diary -Movie review

2010-02-15T15:24:00.005-05:00

Plot: Holly is a documentary film maker, working on her latest project the Weekend Vampires of the London clubs. While taping a group of goths in a club one night, she discovers that someone is following and video taping her. Vicki follows Holly home and seduces her, before long the Weekend Vampires are turning up dead and Vicki is the main suspect. Not only does she claim to be a real vampire she's also pregnant.

The style of this 2007 British movie is very much like an episode of Urban Gothic, in fact Keith Lee Castle (who has a very brief role in this film as a goth dj )did an episode of the British horror show with the same loose plot line. The documentary of a real vampire.
There were more then a few traces of Immortality Wisdom of Crocodiles (must find a human to love them completely) and Vampire Clan (the 2002 movie based on real life criminal Rod Farrell) as well as Carmilla, making it feel over used and old.

I was disappointed by this film. Had it been a straight up telling of Carmilla it might been easier to digest.
You are however left wondering how much of what Vicki tells Holly is true and how much of it is for the sake of the documentary she's suppose to be making. There are a few plot holes that never get sorted out (like how come she has all her teeth if she was born with fangs and had them forcefully removed? ) as it switches gears from a thriller to a drama.

I'm The Vampire That's Why -by Michele Bardsley

2010-02-08T19:15:00.005-05:00

Book #1 in the Broken Heart Oklahoma series.

Plot: Jessica is a single mom, widowed after her husband was killed in a car accident. As she is taking out the trash she's attacked by a creature and killed.
Only, Jessica doesn't die, she gets turned into a vampire. Not only is she now dealing with being one of 11 towns people who were turned that night, she has to deal with being the soul mate of one of the oldest vampires ever. Imagine, finding out you are a vampire, the soul mate of a Irish vampire prince and still having to make the weekly PTA meetings at your children's school.

I stumbled on this book one afternoon while at the mall. I had never heard of it before, but it was on a big book sale bin at christmas time. So glad I picked it up. I was looking for something "easy" to read this weekend and spotting it on my "To Read" pile picked it up. I could not put it down. I devoured this novel in just over a day. It's anything but "easy".
You are tossed back and forth slightly between the images of a modern mother and a 1950's mom. Jessica is a very realistic character who could very easily be telling you her story over coffee as to being a fictional vampire. The Irish folklore is weaved in; to perfection as you go deeper into the lives of the now vampire clan that the lead character has been thrust into.

It was a laugh out loud book, with moments that had me repeating the lines to myself as I made coffee on the rare moments I put the book down. And bonus for us fans out there of The Prince Bride (it's referenced and quoted more then once) and Remington Steele (all the males in the O'Halloran clan look like Pierce Brosnan)

The writing is witty, smart, fun and erotic. I went looking online to find there are 5 more in the series which I need to get as soon as possible.

Best of the Draculas

2010-01-01T17:23:00.000-05:00

You might remember my Best of series from 2007, (Best of the Bugeaters, Best of the Sequels, Best of the Hunters) Well, it's time for a Best of Dracula.

You would have thought this one would have been the easiest. Um no. Even though there have been hundreds of actors to play Dracula over the decades, there is less then a handful that people actually respond to.

The top four are also the most famous.

Gary Oldman

Bela Lugosi

Frank Langella

Sir Christopher Lee

What was it about each actor that made his portrayal of the count stand out in our minds?

Is it the balance they seem to bring to the character, half animalistic half man? Or is it the fact they all played him slightly damaged?
Each actor gave Dracula their own spin, some focused on the fact he was partially based on the real Prince of Wallachia, while some focused on the fact he was not human at all.

Each of the four actors who have made Dracula a household name did so at different points in the last 70 years. Each being the defining draconic icon for their generation.

Lugosi and Langella each made him irresistible.
Lee and Oldman each made him brutal.

4 different actors, 4 very different decades, 4 larger then life versions of the same man.

Tamara Review

2009-12-07T08:16:00.004-05:00

Plot: Tamara is the school's reject. No one understands her and it only gets worse when the rest of the class find out she's got a crush on their teacher. A party is planned and she's the entertainment. After a fight breaks out, Tamara ends up dead. Her class mates bury her in the woods, only she didn't stay dead. The rumours that she was a witch are true, and now she's got the power to get even.

This was a 2005 Canadian film like all classic horror seems to be. It blurs the lines between reality and fiction by it's use of witchcraft as a serious note in the beginning only to become the typical hollywood version of witchcraft mid way.
This is one of those films where you are not sure who to route for the dead girl or the class mates.
The genius part of this is that they never leave the "she's a witch" plot after she returns from the dead, so it never has to make up it's mind if she's really a vampire, zombie or ghost.
The effects were good, used in a way that makes you forget they are sfx, and the pace of the film is steady. We jump in with a main plot point in the form of a dream scene that foreshadows the rest of the film.

I would love to see a sequel to this one happen, and if there is one let me know.

I class this as a non-traditional-traditional vampire film. Non-traditional because she does not drink their blood but does take their memories when she manipulates them, that falls under psy-vamps. Traditional because she returns from the dead and manipulates them.

Blood the Last Vampire Live Action 2009

2009-11-30T16:13:00.004-05:00

I have got you wondering (for those like me) why I put "live action" in the review title and not just the movie's title right? Well, for those people like me who are not anime fans, I needed to make the distinction.

Yes folks, Blood the Last Vampire was originally an anime film. And since I am not an anime fan, I have nothing to compare this remake to. Kung Fu movies are not my thing either, so I was very surprised at the fact I actually liked this one.

Plot: Saya is a dampir, half human half demon. She made a pack hundreds of years ago to avenge her father's killer, the oldest demon still alive. She now finds herself in 1970 on a Military base in Toyko where a new round of demons have taken to nesting. Can she stop them all before the demon takes over or will she loose the last part of her own humanity?

It had a very rich sense of something that could be found in Blade or Buffy, but still managed to keep itself original. Which, I know in this genre is almost impossible to do. With solid dialog, a nicely explained back story done in flashbacks, and special effects that were limited, you sped right along with this one.
Because it does pull from folklore, the vampires were captivating to watch with a slightly new spin on a very old genre.

It's been vampire movie month for me (Vampire's Assistant, New Moon, Thirst 2009, Blood Last Vampire) so by the time I got around to viewing this, I was alittle on the tired side, but it turned out to be a better fair then I was expecting. Was not too sure how an anime would translate into live action, as I have never been able to sit through an anime film before. I can see a sequel coming of this with a steady following.

Thirst 2009

2009-11-28T12:07:00.004-05:00

Plot: a priest is infected with a virus while in a secret lab. He is pronounced dead, but somehow survives. Returning home, he's viewed as a Saint and starts to "heal" the members of the neighbourhood. One of them is his long time friend. He ends up moving in with his friend's family and starting an affair with the wife. Soon murder, manipulation and a deadly thirst become his nightly routine.

I was very interested in this film as it created alot of talk in the horror sites/groups I have been part of. I have to say first off, this is a subtitled film, and it seems to not have a firm grasp on it's own genre. With out right laugh out loud scenes, buckets of blood, and heavy dialog it's not your typical vampire film.
You're brought on a journey between a vampire who is depressed about his nature and a woman who sees no other way to be. The tone is dark and disturbing in the same vein that Interview with the Vampire was, keeping you in mind of Louis and Claudia.
It did pull from some folklore with the crossing of vampire with ghosts but plays more like an episode of Twin Peaks. And running nearly 2 and a half hours it is a bit long to sit through.
If you're looking for an action film, you will not find it here.

New Moon Rising

2009-11-20T09:43:00.001-05:00

Originally posted on Andrew and the Aluminumsidings on Nov 20th 2009

I have shown my distaste for it,
I have defended other horror site writers for reporting on it,
I have bitched about the stalker themes in it,
I have praised the control on use of sex in it,
And I now find myself posting on it.

The next part of the Twilight series hits the cinema this weekend.

Will I be going? Of course I will, in my "Then Buffy Staked Edward the End" t-shirt.

Which I am sure will get popcorn and other objects thrown at me, in much a similar way Trent Acid was covered in crap weekly by JCW fans when he worked for the company.

The whole Twilight thing has been both a blessing and a curse for not just vampire fans, but romance fans, werewolf fans, and Jane Austen fans.

What?

Yes Spudgun, the original Twilight is a remade version of Pride and Prejudice. We all know that as the author herself admitted it. But that is neither here nor there.
Yes, I sat through the first film in great pain, and read the series of books on the good faith my cousin would read just one other vampire novel Renfield Slave of Dracula by Barbra Hambly, of which I am still waiting for cousin to keep her end of the deal.

And this leads me to say this to the people who have somehow avoided the slockliness that is Twilight, the books get out of the heavy vampire stuff and into heavy werewolf stuff. And that my pets, my dear readers, is where the books have their strength.

I can't believe I just said Stephine Meyers has strength in her writing, but I did. Her werewolves are extremely well thought out.
Her vampires blow dog backwards, but her werewolves are good.

I don't get where the woman has her head though, given both her lead males are possessive stalkers who act like crazy people. What the hell are you feeding the next generation of women?
You read Beauty and the Beast one time too many lady.
But that is another rant for another day.

Some other versions of Frankenstien

2009-11-16T12:48:00.004-05:00

I did a countdown to Hallowe'en on the woman's site I am part of, with a different movie a day for the last two weeks of the month of October.
Here are some of the Frankenstein movies I talked about.

The Bride
Plot: Dr. Frankenstein has decided to create a woman. His creature, in this movie named Vicktor, gets upset when the Doctor keeps her for himself and leaves the castle. Vicktor finds himself in the middle of a circus while connected emotionally to the new Bride who is alive back at the castle. He is compelled to return to her for fear of her safety. She on the other hand has no idea he even exists.

This was a breakout roll for Jennifer Beals and made Sting more then just the lead singer of a band. Clancy Brown (from the first Highlander movie) played one of the most human versions of the Frankenstein monster. Due note this film was also the launching for Cary Elwes and Timothy Spall (credited as Tim Spall and only has two scenes at the beginning)

Boxing Helena
Plot: a successful doctor starts to stalk the woman he had a one night stand with. After she is in a horrible accident, she is left at his mercy. With no where else to go, she moves in with him where he starts to turn her into a living doll.

This was one of the creepiest films I have ever seen. A fresh take on the Frankenstein theme, with cast members from Twin Peaks, and was the directing debut of David Lynch's daughter.

Frankenstein Reborn

Plot: Dr. Victor Frank is a Neurosurgeon who is obsessed with the idea of reanimation. His most successful patient, Bryce, had been wheelchair bound after a motorcycle accident, and with the doctor's help made a full recovery. Only now Bryce is having nightmares about killing the hospital staff. After confronting the doctor,Bryce winds up dead. Dr. Frank then uses the body to continue his work and the nightmares Bryce had been having suddenly come to reality.

This effort was put out by The Asylum who are quickly becoming a name in the horror genre. This is from 2005, so it is an earlier offering from the company.
The sets are minimal, the acting at times stiff, but the effects make up for it in an all too real way.
This adaption of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein manages to encompass all the elements from her original book in a modern setting and still keep it's core plot.

People tend to forget that Frankenstein is more then just a monster story, it is a vampire story.
Over the next while, I will get into more depth on the topic so stay tuned.

November Updates

2009-11-02T22:45:00.001-05:00

Spiffy, very spiffy.

I decided since it's almost 3 years since I have had this particular blog, and in honor of the All Vamp Challenge, I would update the blog's template

In the process I forgot to copy the list of links.
So, if you had your link in the past on my list and it's not there please resubmit it.

If you would like to have your link there and it's not been before, please submit it.

Thank you for understanding

CREEPING SCREAMS!

The Vampire's Assistant -Movie review

2009-11-02T18:53:00.003-05:00

Plot: The Cirque Du Freak has come to a small town and two best friends Darren and Steve sneak out to go see it. Darren is crazy about spiders and Steve is crazy about vampires. It just so happens the final act is a combo of the two. Darren decides to sneak backstage and steal the spider while Steve begs the vampire to make him one. He's refused. The next day at school the stolen spider gets loose and bits Steve. Darren then trades his life for his friend's and becomes a half vamp. Steve then joins forces with an even deadlier vampire to start a vampire war.

This is based on the series of young adult books called Cirque Du Freak the tales of Darren Shan. And the movie is the first 3 books combined. There are over 20 books in the series, so I am very much looking forward to the idea of sequels.

William Dafoe has a small part in this as Gavner which plays out more like a Vincent Price impression. Brilliant.

Kiss of the Vampire:Immortally Yours (2009)

2009-10-16T10:05:00.003-04:00

The cover art looks slick, the description sounds cool, and it has Phil Fondacaro (Bordello of Blood, Medridian, Ghoulies 2) so it can't go wrong -right?

Plot: A local band of vampires are tearing up the city and fighting between themselves. They are discovered by the police during a drug bust and brought to the attention of the Illuminati. The Illuminati are no longer happy running the mob and want true immortality. After they kidnap the head vampire it comes down to who is quicker and smarter.

This is a cop drama cut and dry. It looks and feels like an episode of Forever Knight with a storyline ripped right out of season 2.

The whole time I was thinking this has to be a made for tv CBC film(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) . But to my shock it's a full out indie film, and it's American!

The plot was good, but it has been done before in the movie Red Blooded American Girl back in 1988/89. (which was a Canadian film)

Grace -Movie review

2009-10-09T10:52:00.001-04:00

Grown men fainted at the Sundance showing of this film. What? seriously?
I don't know, maybe because I have seen hundreds of vampire movies over the years, or maybe because I am female and have seen the craziness pregnant women and new mommies get to, but other then the animal slaughter (What did the PETA people think of this film?) there wasn't much to faint over. Nothing actually.
Oh did I mention it's Canadian? Yes people, we Canadians have a strange lust for vampire movies and morgue humour.

Plot: Madeline has had 2 miscarriages in the past, and is doing everything different this pregnancy. Everything seems to be going good on this one till her and her husband get in a car accident. He dies, and Madeline is told the baby will be still born. Set to carry it to term anyway, she hopes the doctors are wrong. The baby is indeed still born, or so everyone thinks at first. Taking baby Grace home, Madeline begins to live her life now as a single mom thinking her worst problem is her Mother -inLaw. The two women battle it out for the baby, only to find Grace is needing something thicker then formula.

Gabrielle Rose ( the aunt in Lost Boys 2 the Tribe) manages to make you hate her through most of the film then find yourself cheering for her at the end.
I did not like the animal stuff, but it was a slick move on the film makers part to add the vegan theme. This movie will hold up for decades to come and belongs on the same shelf as Rosemary's Baby and Omen. Brilliant!

Originally posted on my blog Andrew and the Aluminumsidings on Oct 9th 2009

The Vampire Diaries : Brother vs Brother

2009-10-05T09:30:00.001-04:00

Originally posted on my other blog Andrew and the Aluminumsidings on Oct 5th 2009

There was alot of huffing and puffing over this "new" vampire series geared for teens.
I was both giddy and upset over the whole idea. Giddy because this was one of my favourite series of books when I was in high school 20 years ago.
Upset that so many people are shocked to find out they are that old.

Yes, L.J. Smith's uber cool vamps are older then most of her new fans.

These are the covers I remember.

Now, it was cool to find out they were getting a double volume reissue last spring, as I only had part one in my collection, the others I remember having borrowed from the library a million years ago, so the new packaging was cool.
Then the tv show happened. And yet again another set of covers. Confusing isn't it?

Anyway, I just checked out the first episode of the show, and found it to be decent enough. Like everything they modernized it to fit the times. Which given there is to be a second series of books out in the new year, that's fine.

The main theme which is two vampire brothers fighting over one girl seems to be a popular one for many reasons. And one of my favourites I must say.

The first book was released within months of the movie To Die For (later to be renamed Dracula a Love Story to Die For) which follows the story of two vampire brothers who are fighting over one girl. This spawned a sequel called To Die 4 Too Son of Darkness.

Then less then a year later, we were given from Full Moon what one might say is the longest independent vampire series Subspeices.
Once again two vampire brothers fighting over the same girl. This time they even name one of them Stefan.
It had 3 sequels under the Subspeices name and a spin off under the Vampire Journals.

All of these films are part of my collection in one way shape or form.

Deadgirl -Movie Review

2009-09-30T10:39:00.001-04:00

I am not sure where to start with this one. Or if I should even be promoting it.
Kidnapping, Rape, Murder. Not in that order.

Dee Snider's Strangeland was a disturbing film.
Hard Candy was a disturbing film.
Kissed was a disturbing film.
They have nothing on Deadgirl.
The film was beautifully shot, the acting was amazing, the sfx were equally fitting, but the plot line itself left me in disbelief the whole time. I am not even sure how this film got made.

Plot: Two teenaged boys skip school and discover what they at first think is a dead body. As they try to move the body, the woman wakes up. JT, frustrated with his life decides to rape her. Ricky tries to save her. Quickly word gets out that JT has a sex slave, and they murder to keep the secret.

Necrophilia, addiction and insanity are the underlining subplots of this unconventional vampire movie. I was both put off and riveted by this film.
It makes you wonder about the writer who created the screenplay.

Originally posted on my Andrew and the Aluminumsidings blog on Sept 30 2009

Thunder and Blood

2009-09-28T18:37:00.003-04:00

I will be doing an interview with the author soon. Keep checking in for details.

Mr. Darcy Vampyre -Review

2009-09-19T00:21:00.003-04:00

Okay, I just posted this over on my book blog because it is part of the All Jane Austen Challenge; I am part of so, I will just post the link here

Since it is listed as one of my "to do list" on my All Vamp Challenge, I will re post it in a few weeks when the challenge actually gets under way.

Normally, I post the vampire stuff here first and then re post it on the book blog but doing it backwards this time.

Vampire Challenge 2009

2009-09-17T16:04:00.010-04:00

As I stated earlier, I was very inspired by Stephanie over on Stephanie's Written Word and her Everything Austen Challenge where she has challenged Jane Austen fans all over the internet to spend 6 months (July 1st 2009 to January 1st 2010) doing one thing a month related to Jane Austen.
Some people watched versions of movie adaptions they never seen before, some people read copies of Jane Austen's novels they had never read before, some people made arts and crafts related to the novels or time period etc. The personal lists for the challenge varied with each blogger.
One of my Challenges was reading Mr. Darcy Vampyre.
This inspired me to want to do an Everything Vampire Challenge.

So, the rules are fairly simple,

1) You sign up here by leaving a comment that gives your Name, Blog Title and Link, And your 6 challenges.

2) Each time you finish a challenge from your list you blog about it and leave a comment with your Name, Blog Title and Link to your blog post

The goal is to introduce books/movies/television shows to each other that we might not have known about before, and to have fun.

The challenge will run from November 1 2009 until May 1 2010.

Make sure your first link is to your Vampire Challenge intro post.

Official sign up ends October 31 2009.

All Vampire Challenge

2009-09-17T15:48:00.003-04:00

As I posted on my book blog

http://pushersink.blogspot.com/2009/09/lets-start-all-vampire-challenge.html

Yes you heard me.

Why do I want to do this?

Well, because I am in the process of an All Jane Austen Challenge right now, and currently reading Mr. Darcy Vampire. And thought why not? I have read god knows how many over the last 3 decades, and have at lest 10 more vampire books sitting in my to read pile.

So, starting in November 2009 I am going to do an All Vampire Challenge.

I will figure out how to proceed and post about it again soon.

My Favourite Ten Angel Episodes

2009-09-15T11:38:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't posted much in the last few months, I have been busy on other projects. So I thought why not kick things back into gear with some Angel.

10: City Of (episode 1 Season 1)

9: The Shroud of Rahmon (episode 30 Season 2)

8: Reunion (episode 32 Season 2)

7: I've Got You Under My Skin (episode 14 Season 1 )

6: Billy (episode 50 Season 3)

5: Judgement (episode 23 Season 2)

4: Harm's Way ( episode 97 Season 5)

3: Underneath (episode 105 Season 5)

2: Shells (episode 104 Season 5)

1: Smile Time (episode 102 Season 5)

Yes I loved the last season the show was on air.
I am liking the graphic novel which is season 6 as well.

Buffy Season 8 -Comic

2009-08-17T20:49:00.003-04:00

The final episode of the tv show aired in 2004.

Fans were crushed.

Late 2008 saw the first volume of the Issues #1-#5 of season 8 in comic form. (Episodes 1-5 in a collection arch called Long Way Home)

This surprisingly is a good read.
There has been 4 volumes released as of this post
*Long Way Home
*No Future for You
*Wolves at the Gates
*Time of Your Life

The comics are labeled Season 8 as not to be confused with the other many Buffy comics on the market.

They did the same thing for Angel giving him a Season 6 in comic form.

New Moon Movie Countdown.

2009-08-17T12:56:00.001-04:00

New Moon Movie and Twilight Movie

Twilight Movies Drama

2009-07-31T18:17:00.004-04:00

http://ca.movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.eonline.com/summit-blames-rachelles-lack-cooperative-spirit-eclipse-diss-20090730

It's been the hot news this week, Canadian actress Rachelle Lefevre was let go from the continuing movies based on the books.
The original complaint was that she was double booked, but it's since been leaked that she was suppose to get a pay increase for the third movie Eclipse.
The company is reported to be saving themselves money by hiring the other actress to be playing the role of evil vampire Victoria.
Fans have already started a mad protest on this issue demanding Lefevre stay.

New Site

2009-07-22T14:47:00.002-04:00

I have been working on a new horror site called Disturbia
Come check it out, join up and have a howling goo-d time.

Visit Disturbia

Netherbeast Incorporated

2009-07-14T17:49:00.003-04:00

This is a killer comedy.

Plot: An entire telecommunications building that is the secret headquarters of the vampires in the world, has been breached and one by one they become the targets.

This is a great twist on the office environment comedy. Proving once again that real life is not that far from fiction.
David Foley, Jason Mewes, Judd Nelson and Darrell Hammond star in this showing just how much back biting the corporate world really does have. Done in the style of The Edison Twins the Canadian educational drama of the very early 1980's , when it needs to go into a flashback to flesh out the story it does so with cartoons; and does it very well as to never make you feel like your watching a flashback. This is one movie I hope gets a few sequels.

My Best Friend is a Vampire

2009-07-13T12:44:00.002-04:00

20th anniversary edition was released (April 14th 2009 in the U.S. and June 30th 2009 Canada)
on DVD for the first time.
I have always loved this film, and doing my best to get my paws on a copy.

I had no idea it was getting a DVD treatment until a friend of mine said they saw it when out one day.

Well it's news to me part....6

2009-06-23T10:09:00.004-04:00

Christopher Lee was Knighted by the Queen last week and is now Sir Christopher Lee.

The actor has made a name for himself as one of the few to play Dracula more then twice in the classic Hammer Films.

New Buffy? WTF?

2009-05-29T10:52:00.003-04:00

It is rumoured there will be a new BTVS movie

Hold up folks. It seems this will be a production from the people who brought you the Original 1992 film...
Which was a tongue n' cheek comedy that got nowhere in the cinema and only made itself hot on rental. Also the reason Joss Whedon decided to take matters into his own hands back in 1997 to bring us his Slayer the way she was meant to be (remember the first season of BTVS always had above the title Joss Whedon's name- it was to separate it from the comedy)

So what could this mean? It looks like the Original movie is getting a remake. If that is the case, it might be a darker film then what we have come to love as the campy slayer film.

Bled (2009)

2009-05-20T15:48:00.003-04:00

I have always said that art is the highest form of vampirism and by the looks of this film people out there agree with me.

Bled offers up art, lust, addiction, desire, dream travel and a character mastermind named Renfield. Set in the L.A. artist scene, we are introduced to four friends who share more then just the same building. They share unmet desires for each other and an addiction for the newest designer drug. Too bad for them it's mind expanding effects is actually opening a doorway for a vampire to feed off them via Freddy Krueger style.

I am not sure if this is another made for tv movie or not; it has that vibe to it (you know no bad laungage, no nudity and soap opera shooting style) but the costumes, set design and props are outstanding. For an indie film this is one of the best I have seen in years. I am hoping there is a sequel in the works.

I am also seeing a trend as of late with the use of vampire teeth. As in a mouth full of them. The vampire's look in this film puts me in mind of a piranha. Which is always a good thing to see a fresh take on an old myth.

ITunes Essentials

2009-05-15T09:36:00.002-04:00

iTunes Canada has collected and released some of the best and worst songs in the "vampire " genre. There is something from every musical taste from punk to opera. Songs from vampire soundtracks to vampire inspired lyrics.
Overall, the album is not bad.

It is simply called "iTunes Essentials Vampires"

Underworld 3 Rise of the Lycans

2009-05-12T14:50:00.006-04:00

This is by far the best in the series.

Actress Rhona Mitra takes the lead in this offering as Sonja (originally played by Jazmin Dammak in the first film) This is Mitra's second werewolf film (that I am aware of) she was in Skinwalkers.

This time around we are treated to Lucian's back story (once again played by Michael Sheen) on how he became the leader of the pack.

Plot: Lucian is born in human form to a werewolf, and is spared by Viktor. This becomes Viktor's downfall as he decides to keep Lucian around as a slave. Little does he know that Lucian has fallen inlove with his daughter Sonja.

Half the main cast has returned for this pre-queal and third in the series. Bill Nighy gives one hell of a performance as the selfcentered Viktor in this one, and given he's played the character in all three films he's control of the role is unmistakable.
Taking place in the middle ages, Rise of the Lycans is a little more dramatic and alittle less in your face. The story is strong, and the actors are so comfortable in their roles you forget your watching a movie.

(I hope we see a fourth soon, and would be interested in seeing some of Kraven's backstory.)

Is it a Vampire or a Zombie?

2009-05-11T09:06:00.003-04:00

What most horror fans have come to think of as zombies isn't really that at all. When vampires and zombies were divided in pop-culture we ended up with a Jekyll and Hide approach to the creatures, when in fact they should have been one genre.

I recently posted this on BloodyDisgusting.com (and I See Dead.com) in my blog...

Vampires, Zombies and Ghouls=?

Confused?
All 3 sub-genres can be classed under the same genre, the trouble is who gets top billing?

The classic movie definition of a zombie is the re-animated corpse that feeds off of living flesh.
The classic movie definition of a vampire is the re-animated corpse that feeds off of living blood.
And in folklore/mythology the classic definition of a ghoul is the re-animated corpse that feeds off of the living flesh and blood.

As someone who spends much of my time buried under files and books and other dusty things researching vampires in myth and movies; I have had to at times bring the stories labeled as "zombie" into the mix. Both film icons are considered viruses that are spread most often by one getting bitten. Both have the same surefire way to destroy the monster in question by decapitation.

Should vampire and zombie movies be relabeled under the same title of ghoul or given a new category all together?

Only the fans of each genre can say for sure.

As I mentioned a few posts back in Against the Dark the movies have finally caught up with the fact that vampire films and zombie films are linked. Both genres use the idea of it being a virus that spreads through an infectious bite; and both always use the term "undead" in their myths.

So, are they simply zombie films or are they vampire films ? That my pets is something to think about.

Blood Slave of the Vampire Wolf

2009-05-08T21:41:00.002-04:00

This is a Conrad Brooks film starring Conrad Brooks. You know the dude from the original Plan 9 From Outerspace....no? Yeah he played...er .... um just a second....The Patrolman Jamie. Yeah that's it. And guess what? He's in the remake due out Sept. 9 2009 (as of this posting) as...er um...Lt. Harper. Yeah.

Blood Slave of the Vampire Wolf was a 1996 production that was very much in the style of Ed D Wood Jr.
Infact, when I saw the opening credit which was a dedication to him (hey now where have I seen that before? or right we do it all the time) I thought this was going to be a good laugh film. Boy was I wrong.
The plot didn't really exist. The lighting was over exposed most of the time and the sound kept crapping out. Mid way through I started to wonder if that was the idea.

Plot: Female movie star of the 1920's is killing the homeless and hookers in L.A. for their blood. And one member of Scotland Yard who just happens to be in the city is on the case.

It's never fully explained what the subplot is. It has a running time of 90mins, but doesn't even start to get moving until the last 20mins.

If you want to see a piece of iconic vampire history in the form of collectibles they use as props then surf your late night horror fests for it, otherwise this one isn't worth the salt you sprinkle on zombies.

Vamprio Devil, Angel, Hero

2009-05-07T22:24:00.003-04:00

There is a documentary out on dvd about the wrestler Vampiro.
If you liked the film the Wrestler, or are a fan you really need to see this documentary on Vampiro and get a look at the reality behind the making of an event.

Against the Dark

2009-05-02T13:58:00.003-04:00

Who let Steven Seagal make a vampire movie? Who's to blame?
Oh wait it's a Steven Seagal produced (well presents anyway) film. Hmmm. Seems it's us fans that are to blame.

Well then let me tell you why this film sucked (all puns intended )

Steven Seagal walks around not doing anything for 90% of the film
It rips off the recent wave of zombie films

Everyone thinks they are actually in a Blade movie

Can you tell I wasn't happy with this one?
Seriously, it's like someone took the leftover plot of 28 Days added the swords and jackets from Blade and a bunch of cut aways from Blade the series mushed them all together in a blender poured it into a Bloodymary glass and sprinkled it with Steven Seagal doing his best William Shattner impression and called it art. Or at lest they called it a direct to DVD vampire film.

Seagal has maybe 5 lines in the film, doesn't do any of the action (how can he with that pregnant belly look he's sporting) and makes the vampire genre look foolish.

The only thing it got right was the conection between vampires and zombies.

Let the Right One In

2009-05-02T13:49:00.002-04:00

We have been hearing rave after rave about this film, so I was very excited to get a chance to rent it.
I was very let down with it.

What I liked about this film was the fact it brought back the savagery that vampire films haven't had much in the last few years (don't get me started on Twilight) and that it went into some of the folklores. Thought the idea of innocence as the key foundation between the lead characters to be a great idea.

What I didn't like about this film, was simply the editing and pace. I don't know about anyone else out there, but I seem to find subtitled/dubbed films to have a strong pace in the first half then there will be an edit break that always looks like a bad jump cut in story plot. Like a reel is missing or something, that kind of makes the rest of the pace off kilter.

Vampires have been used as the metaphor for everything in the last 200 years from fear to sex. Using it this time around as a metaphor for pre-teen self awareness was brilliant.

On a ratings scale, I give this a 5 out of 10 fangs.

Angel Cast Member died

2009-04-01T15:56:00.001-04:00

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090331/entertainment/obit_andy_hallett

The actor is said to have died this past weekend of heart troubles.

In Support of BD News covering Twilight

2009-03-22T13:42:00.000-04:00

I was over on Bloody Disgusting .com just a few minutes ago, reading one of the latest news feeds.
The article was written by one of the head staff members. Mr. Disgusting.
His articles are always well written and up to date.

The topic was the upcoming Twilight movies. In this case, Eclipse, which will be the third film in the series. All fine and good. As always a straight to the point article.
The issue I am having is not the article, but one man who kept spamming the article.
We already know that this franchise is not for everyone. It is geared to teenaged girls, and a few select vampire/werewolf fans. I myself have had mixed feelings about this series.

-No I do not like the way the books and movie portrayed the lead character as a stalking boyfriend.
-Yes I do like the fact they made a series of stories and a film about teenaged desire without having alot of overly sex crazed segments.
-Yes I do like the fact the author researched vampire and werewolf folklore and used it as a main theme throughout the books, and did not rely just on hollywood's take on the genres.
-Yes I do hope this makes people want to read more in general as well as pick up the classics like Frankenstein, Dracula, Carmilla, etc.

As reporters/journalists you don't always get to pick and choose your stories. When you are in the industry that Bloody Disgusting.com is part of, you have to go with the flow at times. And right now Twilight is the flow. Like it or not. Teenaged melodrama that it is, it is still a vampire/werewolf genre piece. The company who made this film and it's upcoming sequels are a key player in the horror/thriller/sci-fi genre.

The guy who was spamming the news article, if you don't like what BD is reporting then just stop reading their site. Don't be an asshole and spam them. The staff are just doing their job, and doing it damn well too.

The Actors of Ken Russell's Gothic

2009-03-19T02:30:00.004-04:00

I have to admit, this started out as a post on Natasha Richardson, (1963-2009) but I have not seen enough of her films to do it justice.

I however loved her as Mary Shelley in Gothic. Which was infact her first film.

This film has been the major launch pad for most of it's actors, many of them have continued on in the Horror/Thriller/Sci-fi genres. The main cast runs like this:

Natasha Richardson .....Mary Shelley
Gabriel Byrne......Lord Byron
Julian Sands.........Percy Shelley
Timothy Spall......Dr. Polidori
Myriam Cyr.........Claire Clairmont

Myriam Cyr who played the character of Mary Shelley's sister, went on to be in a few other Frankenstein productions, but is more known for her small role in I Shot Andy Warhol as one of the members of Andy's Factory. (Her sister Isabelle Cyr has played a vampire in the two Karmina films as well as on the tv show the Hunger)

Timothy Spall most recently can be seen in the Harry Potter films. His role of the inspector in Immortality the Wisdome of Crocodiles oppisite Jude Law earned him international reviews. But for fans of the Frankenstein story, he can be seen in the opening of The Bride as the Igor character.

Julian Sands is most famous for his two times as Warlock. The actor has played every type of classic horror creature from a witch, to a vampire to a werewolf. (Witch Hunt, Tale of the Vampire, Werewolf Hunter: The Legend of Romasanta) Two of his creepiest characters I feel were his roles in Naked Lunch and the television series Blood Ties.

Gabriel Byrne played first the priest in Stigmata and then the devil in End of Days both released in 1999. Two roles that set him as a horror star.

Natasha Richardson made a few appearences on Tales from the Crypt. The few films I have seen her in were drama/comedy roles. Chelsea Walls, Made in Manhattan, and Evening.

Twilight DVD

2009-03-17T18:42:00.003-04:00

The countdown is on.

We knew it would happen, some of us are happy some of us are not. Either way, the movie will be out this Saturday on DVD, and already pre-sales have broken some records.

And the series of sequels have begun production. All three (New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) are being shot back to back.

New Moon is set to be released Nov 20th 2009

Wizard of Gore Remake

2009-02-01T13:29:00.002-05:00

This film comes under the heading of Non-traditional vampire films.

We open with a man who is bleeding to death but trying to get his story out there. We follow what is the longest flashback (movie is booked with the guy printing his newspaper and his reader) where we are introduced to all the major characters at this sex club carnival.
A stage magician who has drugged our lead actor then becomes the focus in a string of murders.

How does this come into the class of a vampire? The mind control. Everyone of the main characters is feeding off of the confusion and greed of someone else in the film. This film stars Crispin Glover, Jeffery Combs, Josh Miller (from Near Dark) and Brad Dourif.

Elemental my good man

2009-01-09T11:26:00.005-05:00

Polidori, Stoker, Rice, Meyers.
These authors have all redefined the elements in their vampiric worlds that have helped to redefine the subcultures that surround them.

33 years ago, we were introduced to the Brat Prince who broke all the rules when Anne Rice handed us Interview with the Vampire (1976). Introducing the idea of the Talamasca which blurred the lines between human and supernatural when she mixed her vampires (the Vampire Chronicles) with her witches (The Mayfair Witches) giving the readers popular new terms, ideas, designs and motives. Having vampires no longer living in a solitary limelight but open covens created a fledgling world everyone could sink their teeth into.

If Dracula was the King of the Vampires, then Lestat was the proper heir to the thrown.

Now, in under 4 years Stephenie Meyers has taken it down a notch and offered us her pillowy soft version with Twilight. Dazzling the dewy eyes of millions with her sparkling Cullen Clan. Edward Cullen the vampiric version of a Jane Austen hero, is another type of rule breaker. But it is Meyer's offering of the Volutri (the high council of vampires rulers) that has sparked new elements in the vampire subculture.

Where Lestat is the ultimate bad boy, Edward Cullen is just a babe in the woods.

Twilight Series

2008-12-22T13:14:00.006-05:00

I decided to wait til I had read all the books in the series before doing a review. That was only because I had read them all one right after the other this last week.
I did however do separate reviews for Chapters Community as I finished each book, so here one by one is what I had to say about them on that profile.

TWILIGHT

It's Pride and Prejudice with vampires.

It was a hard time for me to get into this novel. It wasn't until the rival clan was introduced that it seemed to get interesting for me. And it was more then the nod to Jane Austen near the beginning of the story that had a continued underline throughout ; that never let me stop thinking of Edward as Darcy.

Granted the film was playing more on the Romeo and Juliet idea, but this is straight up Austen style love affairs.
I was hoping through the last few chapters that the characters of Alice and Jasper would be expanded on, but they weren't.

I hope the next one in the saga will be better.

NEW MOON

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The fact it focuses on the werewolf story line was a nice turn, and it didn't seem as depressing as Twilight had. Maybe you just don't notice the rain as much in this one?
The idea that life continues after a heartbreak has always been a favourite theme of mine in stories, and the connection to the secondary characters from the first book made this a little fleshier a plot.
The only real upsetting factor for me was how the character of Laurent was handled. I would have written his part very differently myself. And the seen in Italy with the coven reminded me very much of Armand from the Vampire Chronicles.
Overall I found New Moon to be a much better read then Twilight.

ECLIPSE

I have to admit, I am shocked that I am liking this series.
I was very skeptical with it being geared for teens but books two and three have had me glued. I read Eclipse in a day and a half.
I liked this one for the simple fact it started to unravel the idea of first love. I have never been one for the sappy sweet idea of Romeo and Juliet and was always more interested in the "what if" factor of second love.
Given that Eclipse moves a lot slower but a lot deeper then Twilight or New Moon, you don't feel anything but anxious for the families of Bella, Edward and Jacob.
With insight into a few of the minor characters you are given a balance between the daydreams of a teenager in love and the grown up responses to that love.
The question remains is it right to ask so much of love ?

BREAKING DAWN

Long, very very long.
There has been one book ever in the past to may me cry and that was Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. Well, the last two chapters of Breaking Dawn made me cry.
That said, a nice closing to the entire Twilight series.
The last half of this story is filled with more dialog then needed, getting every point of view from the many new characters added in this novel. Unlike the last two novels, the shift is once again back on Bella and the Cullen Family. Another full circle is found with reference to real folklore and myths that the author nods to in Twilight.
The subplot in this one seems to run with the theme of myth and the power a myth can hold.

What are my feelings about this set of books? It's refreshing to see a story that collectively is 2444pages that does not feel like it because you are so captivated by the weaving web between the 3 main characters. This is a love story more then anything else, but it does edge on the side of a western in the sense that there is always a showdown at noon. Edgy and witty, even when it was a depressing teen-us against -them love story that does what alot of the books in both vampire and werewolf genres are failing to do right now; which is be tempting without being explicit. Stephenie Meyer did what I didn't think anyone in the vampire genre could or wanted to do anymore, deliver a good solid vampire story without having to resort to cheap sexual ploys.
I haven't rated anything in a long while but I give Twilight Saga a 8out of 10 fangs.

Forrest J. Ackerman 1916-2008

2008-12-05T23:28:00.002-05:00

The man who brought the world Famous Monsters of Filmland and collector of some of the greatest items in horror/sci-fi memorabilia died this week of heart failure. He was 92.

Rue Morgue had just recently paid tribute to him and his work in their October 2008 issue #83.

Renfield by Barbara Hambly

2008-12-04T09:39:00.004-05:00

There is something creepy about the cover of this novel that attracts you like the flies that seem to fill the pages. But I was trapped to it unable to put it down till I finished.

The story picks up with Renfield already in the asylum desperate for the tiny flies and spiders that can give him the strength to do "his job". Flashing back between nightmares of his past in India and the visions he sees through Dracula's eyes.
The novel also plays with the temperament of the 3 brides who are suppose to be waiting back in Dracula's Castle. Touching on the ideas that power comes in only one real form -fear- this novel tries to explain why everyone is betraying everyone else.
Less the erotic tartness that has seeped into the vampire genre for the last decade (about time we cleaned the steam and trash from the window) and more about how the fear feeds the will, Renfield Slave of Dracula, does follow the original story in the form of letters and diaries, and makes you care for the lesser public characters of Seward, Morris and Renfield.

The one element the novel has kept from recent vampire ideals is the use of the vampire as a metaphor for complete loneliness.

Rue Morgue #84

2008-11-27T09:20:00.003-05:00

I love it when a magazine devotes an issue to vampires. The November issue of Rue Morgue has half it's pages dripping with blood and bats. On stands now.

Twilight the movie

2008-11-23T19:47:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I have not read the books, and I really had no interest in the series at all, but since everyone and their dog has been at me about it....I went this afternoon to see it.
First off let me say this; my own sister who works at Chapters Books here in town told me a few months back when we first heard it was to become a movie that it was nothing but teenaged junk. Now, only an hour after I went to see the film she told me "but you haven't read the books. How can you judge it?" and I find out she is very engrossed in the books now herself.
Second, I didn't hear much of the film; as the cinema was filled with giggling pre-teens who were making more sexual comments then I have heard from episodes of Sex and the City everytime the lead actor came on screen.
What I did hear of it, I thought was over acted, and the character of Bella was played as if the actress was on sedatives not too mention that Robert Pattinson who plays Edward lets his accent slip at one point.

Storyline: Bella has to move in with her father while her mom and step dad are traveling for work. She meets Edward who is the school puzzle, and instantly falls inlove. He treats her like crap for the first while, but then saves her life. Suddenly he's promising her a never ending love but a lot of the town's people wish they would break up; for many reasons. Meanwhile there are a rash of murders taking place by a rival clan and Edward's family is caught in the middle of it.

As a stand alone product, this film is confussing. For someone like myself who has not read the books walking into this movie you are not sure who the bad guys are; it is never fully stated if the rival clan are vampires or werewolves but both are hinted at in this movie, nor are you completely sure how much Bella's father is involved with things.
As a woman who has loved vampires since I could stare at a tv screen, I have become disapointed in the last few years with all the sugarcoated bloodletting out there. The pace of the movie was too slow and seemed like it would have worked better as a made for tv movie. The only thing I felt this movie had going for it was the actor who played James and that was mostly to do with the fact he looks like the wrestler Christian Cage.

Are you a Good Vamp or a Bad Vamp?

2008-11-20T15:30:00.003-05:00

I never thought I would say this but, there are just some vamps out there that are simply too much.
Obviously I love love love the vampire and all the sidekicks it has produced, but when I go to the book store and I am seeing nothing but vampire pulppies then there's something wrong. You know the saying too much of a good thing. Well that is what we have now going on in the writing world.
About 20 years ago I was screaming at the top of my lungs about one or two titles that Harlequin Romance had released that happened to have a vampire in it. Now, there is not just a few series from them but entire walls at the store. Entire walls for vampire romances ? Yes b'y there is. What does this mean ? Well for one it means that writers of romantic fiction can't just have girl meets boy -girl gets hurt- boy realizes he loves her-they live happily ever after - anymore, now it means that girl falls for dark brooding goth dude-girl finds out he's a son of Dracula-girl conquirs the underwold for his love. As well as now there is a standard for supernatural writers too. No more with the Ghostbusters type stuff, now you are expected to be able to write your bloodsoaked villians with soap opera stamina. All the time.
You know me; I am the first to raise my deviled horned fist and say "Boo-Ya!" to a good vampire story, but when I can't figure out where the cookbooks are because everything blends together in the store, then I am giving you the Evil Eye instead.

End of the Line

2008-10-16T12:08:00.004-04:00

A mindfield of terror or a comment on religion?

This Canadian film takes you into the idea that the end of the line might just be. Set on a subway, and the surrounding tunnels, it lets the dark feed your fear and feed off it.

The lead character (Vampire High) is a nurse who just getting off of work after finding out one of her patients has just committed suicide, is seeing things. As the train car is stopped suddenly, we find out she is surrounded by a religious cult who believe that the day of judgement has arrived and inorder to save everyone they must first kill them.

Not your typical vampire film, but then again I like to point out non-vamp-vamps. It falls under the title of psy-vamps for a reasons. 1) it is filled with manipulation to increase the desire of fear. An emotion that itself is life giving. 2) it is never completely sorted out if the characters really are seeing demons or if they are being drugged. It is kind of suggested both ways.

The one major plot hole in this film : if the cult members are killing everyone to save their souls from being taken over by the rising dead after the Judgement Day, wouldn't they just be creating more dead bodies to rise as zombies?

Night of the Living Dorks

2008-10-13T12:11:00.002-04:00

Yes I know, you're thinking "is she really talking about a zombie film?" And the answer is yes I am.
Anyone who has been following me for the last decade knows I do not like zombie films. I think they are pointless. But I do like Revenge of the Nerds and that is just what Night of the Living Dorks is, a revenge of the nerds zombie film.

This 2006 German comedy (dubbed and subtitled) is frightfully groovy. 3 teens are witness to some class mates trying to preform a voodoo ritual to raise the dead. Some of the potion gets on their clothes, and then they end up in a car accident. Once the threesome realize what has happened to them there they have 4 days to get back to normal before they become zombies for good. They turn to the girl next door who just happens to be a witch for help. Throw in some drugs, teen aged sex jokes and old fashioned nerds and you have a funny film.

Watch it with both the subtitles and the dubbing on for an even funnier time.

Another graphics link

2008-09-22T10:30:00.001-04:00

Cool Halloween Graphics at iLLpic.com

Just in time to decorate your webpages.

Bite Me! The Unofficial Buffy

2008-09-15T21:18:00.002-04:00

This is the 1o year anniversary addition of the book, considering there are so many books on the market connected to the Buffyverse; with an overview of all 7 tv seasons and the first half of the 8th season only in comic form, as well as bios, photos and inside script nibbles Bite Me! the Chosen Edition is one to add to your collection.

Sundown Vampire in Retreat-Special Edition

2008-09-05T20:49:00.003-04:00

Oh My God!!!!
I can not contain myself, this news is the coolest thing I have heard in months.
Listed as one of the cheesiest but original vampire westerns around, Sundown Vampire in Retreat is finally getting the DVD it deserves.
Vampire fans and Bruce Campbell fans are sure to snatch this one up when it gets released on September 23rd for it's 20th Anniversary.

Lestat's Shop

2008-09-05T10:50:00.002-04:00

I was on the Anne Rice website and there is a link for a store called Lestat's Dark Gift Shop
You know it has to be good if the site is promoted by Anne Rice herself.
I did check this site out and the tee shirts themselves are worth it.

Blade the Series

2008-09-02T18:23:00.003-04:00

I know this has been out on DVD for most of the year, but I only got ahold of it.

The highly original action/drama that Spike Tv released in 2006 only produced one season but the 13 episodes are some of the best work in the Blade story.

Picking up after the end of the 3rd Blade movie, we find ourselves in Detroit and Blade has a new handyman.
The House of Chthon (er Chthong?) is the leader of the houses at the moment and the reason Blade is there. In walks a war vet who's brother was just killed by the head of the household and we have the love triangle. Blade hires Kristna to be his insider at the House while she secretly gets revenge for her brother's death.

Many rumours as to why this show only had one season, the main one being that Spike Tv just could not keep up the cash for the flash that this show was. It ran like mini movies through the 13 episodes.
The DVD has the uncut episodes packed with more swearing and nudity then the cable networks would allow, and only the pliot episode has a commentary. This was shot in Vancouver which flows well considering the 3rd Blade movie was shot in Montreal.

Lost Boys the Tribe-Review

2008-07-29T12:56:00.005-04:00

Picture it, I woke up this morning to pouring rain. Perfect day for a vampire movie. I got my ass over to the Blockbuster and got the first one off the shelf just as the store opened. Raced home and prepared myself for the vampire movie event of the year.
Being that the original Lost Boys was the film that set my world (I dressed like Starr for years complete with arm full of bracelets and still have the poster in my living room) and have been a fan of the Two Coreys; I was very hyper indeed.
I sit here now with mixed feelings. Part of which leads me to say there will be a 3rd installment. I will start by saying there was too much nudity in the first half and not enough blood in it. Even with the bonfire bloodbath it was short on vampiric qualities. There is a scene that refers to the Goonies (which would have been funnier if it referred to License to Drive or Dream a little Dream) and many one liners taken straight from the first film {Feldman's speech on implosion } but if you are looking for Haim don't go here. His work (that has been highly talked about on the Two Coreys ) was cut and only there for 30 seconds unless you head to the alt. endings. As well Jason Newlander even though he is credited does not appear.(again alt. endings and unrecognizable) What we do have is Feldman as the only real link in the film.
Angus Sutherland (credited on the official website as Keifer's half brother ) takes up the role as head of the Tribe. This was a nice idea as it makes you think of Keifer Sutherland throughout the film.
For me this movie lost something in translation and could never work as a stand alone piece. There are just too many holes in the plot of this film. The official site gives a "story so far" which connects the two new leads to Sam and Micheal from the first film but nothing is given in the actual movie. For those who loved the Lost Boys proper, a small cameo by Cappello as the saxophone player is a hoot, as well as the use of the antlers.
Rent it don't buy it unless like me you are a collector.

LB2T-Soundtrack

2008-07-28T12:01:00.002-04:00

Released in time for tomorrow's movie, the soundtrack hit shelves this past week.
You can download it on iTunes if you don't feel like slomping down to the store. Or you can just not.
I was not impressed with this soundtrack at all. Other then an updated remake of the love theme Cry Little Sister ;the sequel's soundtrack is lacking the bite of it's sire's.

Counting To LB2T

2008-07-19T12:18:00.000-04:00

Free Countdown Generator

Lost Boys 2 Tribe .......

2008-07-08T12:35:00.003-04:00

And the countdown begins.
A cult classic that is stirring up talk in the worlds of movie fandom, vampire fans, and fans of the Two Corey's.
Will this movie prove to be a blessing or a curse?
The DVD will be released at the end of the month here in Canada....21 days and counting.

Vampires the Occult Truth

2008-06-15T14:07:00.003-04:00

This book was first released in the mid 1990's, but has since been re-printed, so don't let the cover art fool you into thinking this is fluff because it is not.
A non-fictional look at the world of vampires, this volume combines historical case studies with modern studies on energy use and manipulation.
A great guide through some theories linked to astral projection and how much of a threat that can be for some people.
The last half of the book focuses mostly on the psi vamp and with good reason.
Anyone interested in psi vampirism, mythology, psychology, astral projection should enjoy this volume, but if you are looking for something in the "gothic subculture" then look somewhere else.

Well it's News to me part 4

2008-06-06T10:08:00.002-04:00

September 2008 will see (release date at time of this blog) the long awaited and rumored Buffy The Vampire Slayer Tarot Set.
It is available for pre-order through most bookstores.

Well it's News to Me part 3

2008-06-04T11:13:00.002-04:00

The latest chapter in the Dracula world is being released in both book and movie form. No real news as new spins on the Dracula myth happen all the time. But this is the only official sequel to the original book by Bram Stoker because it is being written by a relative of his. That is right, rumor right now in the literary world is that the book (which has already been optioned for movies) is due out later this year. Rumor also has it that the movie will be released by Universal Pictures (who had the rights to the original Dracula) at the same time. The one snag, Dracula has been in the public domain for the entire hundred and something years it's been around. I do hope the news of this new book/movie is more truth then rumor.

The Stuff

2008-05-22T20:46:00.003-04:00

Are you eating it or is it eating you?

Released in 1985 at the height of the yogurt movement, this film made you think about what you ate. It also hit hard against large corporations as well as starting the horror movie food genre (Motel Hell for example)

A group of miners (? it is never clear who they are actually ?) stumble across this white goo that just happens to be bubbling up from the ground. They taste it (cause that is always smart when you find an unknown substance) and find it to be delightful and decide to sell it. It turns out that the Stuff is alive and the more you eat the more mindless you become till it controls you.

This is one film that straddles the line between being a vampire film (it is a parasite) and a zombie film (brainwashes everyone) , but good (tastes great low in calories and doesn't leave spots) fun anyway.

Okay I die then

2008-05-22T14:00:00.000-04:00

34%

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Razor Blade Smile

2008-05-16T16:35:00.004-04:00

Part Hammer Films Part Avengers, this is the James Bond of vampire films. In this 1998 British vampire film, the lead character Lilith Silver is a vampire for hire. The police want her for a string of murders on the Illuminati in London which have been masterminded by her former lover.
This movie is campy and actually has a fresh twist in the end.
Though I wasn't thrilled with the goth club undertone it was still better at times then some of the stuff I have seen recently. The overall quality of the film is low grade as it has alot of scenes that were shot night for day with heavy blue filters giving it a washed out look.

There's a Fish in the Percolator

2008-05-16T12:48:00.003-04:00

I want to take a moment and talk about Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me.
There is no doubt that the characters of Mike and Bob are supernatural demons. The question is what kind of supernatural demons? This show and it's movie spin off, both deal with Doppelgangers, wood spirits, familiars, witchcraft, paganism, angels/demons, and aliens. It crossed so many lines in it's short lived timeframe, that some elements were crossed to the point of being too meshed.
Follow me?
As a fan of this mythology, I have still have unanswered questions as to certain references that are laced throughout the show and movie.
Was BOB infact a Psy-Vamp? or was he an Elemental? Did the corn reference refer to the Celtic/Druids corn gods/goddesses? Why was there so many fish references?

So why am I blogging about this and not giving a review? In my view of the mythology of Twin Peaks, I believe that BOB was infact a Psy-Vamp and therefore Twin Peaks belongs on the list of vampire movies/tv shows.
Ground breaking as it was, it left alot of unanswered elements.

Thirst 1979

2008-04-22T09:51:00.002-04:00

This is a gem of a vampire film.
Released around the same time as Velvet Vampire and in the wave of occult style films Thirst gives us the first real notion that vampires are more then just bats in capes.
The main character is kidnapped by a group of vampires who claim she is the last of the Bathory bloodline and therefore she is set to marry one of there's. After fighting the idea they begin to drug her and force her through mindbending shock therapy until she cracks and gives in ...for awhile.
If you liked Suspiria then this is right up you alley. Thirst is one of many films from the exploitation era that uses feminism and Countess Bathory as a theme.

After Sundown

2008-04-12T16:34:00.002-04:00

Western setting for this lowbudget/zero budget gift from Lion's Gate.
A young wife in the 18 hundreds is about to give birth to a demon, but her minister father kills her, the baby and her vampire husband.
200 years later, a small town mayor decides to move the graveyard and unleashes the evil back onto the earth.
This film can't make up it's mind if it is a vampire film or a zombie film. You decide.

Lost Boys 2 The Tribe

2008-03-30T11:47:00.002-04:00

It was said on the A&E tv show last summer that Corey Feldman turned down Lost Boys 2 when he found out Corey Haim would not be in it. The trailer for the straight to dvd movie has been released and Corey Feldman has a pretty big part. It is also been confirmed that other cast members will indeed be back. Those being Haim and Jason Newlander(?) but how big their parts are still unknown. It is scheduled to hit rental shelves this July 2008.

Horror Hound Live

2008-03-28T11:11:00.000-04:00

HorrorHound Weekend
March 28-30, 2008 at the Marriott Indianapolis East
7202 East 21st Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46219, USA
Website: www.horrorhoundweekend.com

30 Days of Night

2008-02-29T13:16:00.005-05:00

Everyone is hyper about this film. Comic fans are screaming, gore fans are screaming, teenaged girls are screaming. I just want my money back.
Storyline: City is in the middle of nowhere north of northern where it looses daylight for a month every year. Most of the town leaves and goes anywhere else. Few people have to stay to look after the town. On the eve of the last day of light for the season, a strange amount of violence starts. Once it gets dark the few towns people that stayed find themselves trapped with no heat, electricity and the main course for a pack of wild vampires.

This was done about 12 years ago on an old episode Tales From the Crypt in a better version.

I love this website!

2008-02-28T22:44:00.001-05:00

bloodbites.com - Vampire and gothic layouts, pictures, creepy stickers, and more

Vampiric Lyrics

2008-02-15T10:00:00.003-05:00

We all have a favourite vampire song, wither it be a piece of music from a vampire movie or some heavy laden cry-for me-my life is not worth living-hand me the razor- kind of crap.
Few years back I started a list of these songs/bands/albums. Here is just a minor scrapping of those blood soaked tunes.

THE VIDEOS

*I'll Do Anything For Love by Meatloaf....the video at lest is a remake of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

*When Doves Cry by Ginuwine.....yes this song is a remake of Prince's and the video another remake of Bram Stoker's Dracula

*Night Moves by Marylin Martin....in this video from 1984 (rough timeframe) they remade the movie the Hunger

*Child of the City by Triumph....this video shows a very seductive woman killing men and placing them in coffins.

*Woman by the Scorpions....the video takes elements from Carmilla as well as Dracula and adds in a touch of the movie Hunger for good measure.

* Perfect Skin by the 69 Eyes....so many elements are pulled from Countess Bathory, Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned novel, and has shades of The Vampyre by Polidori

*Bloodletting by Concrete Blonde....this was inspired by Anne Rice's novel

*Lost Boys by the 69 Eyes...they remake the movie Lost Boys in this video

*Is there Any Love in your Heart by Lenny Kravitz...this video has a female vampire designed to look like the classic Nosferatu hanging out in a car trunk

The Soundtracks

*Love Song for a Vampire by Annie Lennox....featured on the soundtrack for Bram Stoker's Dracula and the video release has Annie Lennox dressed as a pale Victorian lady/one of the Brides from the movie with scenes from the film intercut into it.

*Bloodletting by Concrete Blonde was used in the film Blood and Donuts in 1995

*The Lost Boys soundtrack released a few videos back in 1980's, one being the song People are Strange by Echo and the Bunnymen which was a remake of the Doors song, and it had scenes of the film intercut with odd shadows of the band, the titles at the beginning and end of the video were styled after the movie's letterhead. They also released an Inxs video for Good Times which once again showed scenes intercut with the band hanging out.

* Keep it Coming by C +C Music Factory from the original movie of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has cast members hanging around a white wall with the movie playing behind them.

* I Quit by Hepburn the song was used on the first Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV Show soundtrack in one of the seasons, and the video shows the band in both slayer mode and vampire mode while being at the Bronze

* ZZ Top penned a few songs for the From Dusk Till Dawn soundtrack. One being She's Killing Me where they mention the lead vampire character. Both leads from the movie starred in the video which wasn't much more then George Clooney playing basketball and Salma Hayek slithering around in a red dress. Again it was intercut with movie scenes.

THE LYRICS

There are more then I can get to right now of songs that simply come under this listing.

So this was just a taste of how the vampire has filtered into the music we live by.

Master of Horror DVD

2008-02-01T11:56:00.001-05:00

While on holiday I found a few more episodes of the Masters of Horror....one being The V Word.
This is a semi-fresh take on the vampire story. Two teens want to spice up their night by going to the morgue to see the dead body of a school mate. While there they stumble upon a vampire. This brings into the mix loyalty and humour.
Micheal Iornside plays the vampire with his every present smirk and twisted charm. This episode also has the latest and youngest scream queen Jodelle Ferland (Tiedland, BloodRayne 2, Kingdom Hospital) who is only 13 years old.

Master of Horror DVD

2008-01-09T17:10:00.001-05:00

For those of us who do not get the tv show in our area or just can't get enough of it, the second season of Masters of Horror has been released on DVD.
I am one who is very glad to see this has been released so quick to rental/to own. My first taste of the smash show came in the form of The Washingtonians. The story brings up many controversial themes regarding the American Political state, and puts it in the middle of a vampiric setting. Or more precisely the setting of a ghoul. One of the more bloody and taboo filled stories I have seen in a very long time, this story is sure to make your stomach turn.

Story: Small town holds a terrible secret that is uncovered by one man and his family when they return to close up the house that belonged to his grandparents. The town is in fact a secret society dead set on protecting the American way.

Angels-The 69 Eyes

2008-01-05T10:42:00.001-05:00

I rarely buy cds anymore, but I had to have this one.
If you like LA style hair bands (L.A. Guns, Motley Crue) and shock rock lyrics (Alice Cooper) then you indeed like this album. The latest from The 69 Eyes is a powerful statement on the face of rock/metal at the moment with popculture references that any one with a few years worth of horror films will dig. This is actually the second half to Devils which was released few years back. The first video off of Angels Perfect Skin keeps intune with the vampire theme they started on Devils with the video lost boys

Whisper

2007-12-16T21:05:00.001-05:00

This chiller is in the vein of Omen, Village of the Damned and Children of the Corn.
A group of ex-cons kidnap an 8 year old boy and while hiding in a closed down camp in the dead of winter one by one they fall prey to madness and murder.
You are left wondering if the child is indeed a vampire or an angel.
In the end it is all about who and what you can really trust.

Classic Diva

2007-12-13T21:05:00.001-05:00

I know I just posted this on my other blog Andrew and the Aluminumsidings
But I love this. Here is me in Second Life as the Bride of Frankenstein

The Munsters Scary Little Christmas

2007-12-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

This was a made for TV movie back in 1996 but has just gotten a new release on DVD.
The Munsters (this was the second movie with the new cast ) are having to deal with Eddie being depressed because he is homesick at the holidays. When Grandpa tries to create snow for the season he somehow manages to hijack Santa and two Elves dropping them into the mix. While this is happening, Herman is trying to get a job to bring in extra cash, Lily has entered into the community decorations event and Marylin has found a boyfriend.
There are no extras on this DVD and it runs at 90mins.

Skin Walkers

2007-11-27T14:21:00.000-05:00

Alittle bit Forsaken a little bit Near Dark a little bit Ginger Snaps, this Canadian film brings a nice twist to the werewolf theme.
Set in the middle of a small town that is never really mentioned, it takes you into the surface level of two packs of werewolves.
One pack is hunting down a small boy who is said to change the course of their lives, the other pack is trying to hide him. In true western style, there is a showdown in an old warehouse.
I can't say that this is really a fresh take, there is one very predicable "twist" in the plot. I can say that I thought casting Kim Coats as one of the members of the "evil" pack was brilliant. It has been said that when doing a movie with a Canadian cast having Kim Coats as your bad guy is only fitting as he gives great fright. (he plays the older long grey haired werewolf in the motorcycle pack)
I hope there is a second one in the works that might dig alittle deeper into the story.

Fido

2007-11-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

Limited release in cinema few months ago, this Canadian zombie film is not what you would expect. Set in the 1950's it seems to pick up where Plan 9 From Outerspace left off. The Earth was sent into a war with the living dead which gets simply called "The Zombie War" .
A little suburb of somewhere that is never really mentioned, is the home of the latest attack of zombies. This town has employed the zombies as butlers, maids, mailmen etc some even keep them as pets.
Fido is a very tongue in cheek film made to look like a 1950's tv show.
This is a comedy, and a poorly written one at that.

Day Watch (DVD)

2007-10-30T18:45:00.001-04:00

This film was just released here today. The second in the series of Russian horror fables, it packs a punch. Once again we are in the middle of the war between the Light Others and the Dark Others. This time, our main character must choose between the woman he's inlove with and his son. Each represents a side, and trust is the bottom line. There is a magick piece of chalk that let's whoever holds it re-write their own personal history. Both sides want this chalk. Based on the book Day Watch. The style of the film makes it alittle hard to follow at times, but the story is well worth the attempt.

Rise Blood Hunter

2007-10-25T13:20:00.000-04:00

New on DVD in two versions, rated and unrated. Another vampire film that turns the vampire into the vampire hunter.

The lead character is a reporter who has just managed to blow open the underground gothic cult that has griped the L.A. area. She ends up getting too deep into things, after her informant ends up dead. Kidnapped, raped and left a victim herself, she wakes from it to find herself a vampire. She then goes on a bloody killing spree of revenge.

Marilyn Manson has a small role in this as the bartender.

Happy Anniversary Rue Morgue

2007-10-18T16:55:00.001-04:00

Issue #72 is on stands now. The October issue is a double length issue filled with more gore then normal because it is the 10th anniversary of the Canadian magazine.

ALSO ON NEWSTANDS...

Issue #8 of HorrorHound Magazine (Winter 2007/2008) is out now.

The Thirst

2007-10-13T08:47:00.001-04:00

Well, with one cast member of Blade the Television Series, and three from the Buffy/Angel campus, you would think this vampire movie could do no wrong.
WRONG!
It is a good idea, using the vampire as a way to look at addiction, but that isn't really a new idea. It seemed like it was missing too much story leaving alot of holes for the daylight to sneak into.
We have a couple who are recovering drug addicts. One is dying from Cancer, the other is just not paying attention to things. While in hospital the lead female is make into a vampire to save her. After mourning her death, her boyfriend sees her in a club and finds what really happens, only to be turned into a vampire too. Now they have to survive the night and keep their new family from killing a camp of kids.
If it wasn't for the sexual content of this movie being in every scene, it could have passed as an after school special.
For having so many crew from the Whedon casting department, this movie was a let down.

Collector's Edition Dracula

2007-10-11T22:01:00.001-04:00

This 2 disk edition has been remasterd with a bunch of extras. 4 new documentaries, commentary and deleted scenes all in widescreen. The box art in black and red. Well worth the cash ($30 Canadian) and just in time for Hallowe'en.

Blood is the New Black

2007-10-06T09:05:00.001-04:00

This book was promoted as being "Devil Wears Prada with Vampires" and it lives up to its name.

Not a horror story, or even a mystery but straight up chick lit.
The main character is given a job at a fashion magazine for the summer, it is a job she really didn't ask for and not sure she should be doing. But since her mother was a top designer she really has no choice it's been set in stone.
All her senior staff have strange habits, they sleep all day, party all night, never eat, and never use the bathroom.
Throwin a few gossiping coworkers, a lot of sunglasses and did I mention a few bloodless bodies and we have a really funny take on an old topic.

What I would like to know is there really a StakeOut.com?

Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter

2007-10-02T16:33:00.000-04:00

Part musical part kung-fu film this 2002 addition to the vampire scene leaves alot to be desired.
I came across this dvd in Edmonton in a Blockbuster and because someone had mentioned it I decided to buy it.
Ummm...Can I have my $25 back?
The story goes like this vampires can walk about in daylight and are killing the lesbians in Ottawa. The local church has only one choice left to ask Jesus to save their souls, with help of course from a masked wrestler.
Funny at times, at lest it is original.

BloodRayne 2

2007-09-25T16:05:00.000-04:00

MMMM.....I hated the first one but rented this one anyways.
This time around Rayne is in the wild west tracking down Billy the Kid who is a vampire.
Not much to say about this one other then it is Canadian and has some of the top Canadian actors in it.
This movie is a straight up western that happens to have vampires in it. The vampires are infact down played alot. This second offering in the BloodRayne series has a very made for tv feel to it, can't say from the credits if that is the case or not, but it still out shined the first one.

The Blood Books Volume One/Blood Ties

2007-09-25T08:44:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned Tanya Huff's books have been made into a Canadian TV series.
And the re-release of her books as a three volume set (I have only been able to find three anyways) to connect it all together.
I just finished reading the first volume which has both Books 1 and 2 -Blood Price and Blood Trail- which I can't say enough good things about.
Blood Price opens with a strange creature killing people in a very vampire like fashion because of one lonely crazed student. It is the introduction to the lead characters and the set up for the rest of the series.
Blood Trail switches gears and has the leading character thrown into a modern pack of Wers.

I just saw the first 2 episodes of the tv show as well. It blended the first book well into a tv format.

Well it's News to Me part 2

2007-09-03T09:26:00.000-04:00

Blood Ties will be airing on Space the Imagination Station starting Sept. 14 at 9pm.
For those of us Canadians who do not have City TV.

The show is based on the books by Tanya Huff.

Vampires

2007-08-14T10:28:00.000-04:00

This 95paged pocketbook isn't worth the time.
It is a rehashing of everything we already know about vampires in folklore, much of which we have already read in better books and seen in documentaries. This is also part of a series (werewolves, witches etc) by Nigel Suckling.
This volume is only something that you would pick up if you are a collector, or to introduce someone to the vampire but not for a serious vampirologist looking for new information.

Tiedland

2007-08-07T23:23:00.000-04:00

My friend Erin told me about this film a few months ago. Part Alice in Wonderland part Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (made by the same people) we are taken for a surreal ride through the eyes of a little girl after her parents die of drugs. She is left alone in her grandmother's rotting house in the middle of nowhere having to deal with the people who live next door.
She is 9 years old with only her doll heads for friends. That is until the neighbours manage to creep into her life. One of which is a mentally handicapped man in his twenties. His sister is a taxidermist and decides to stuff the girl's dead father and places him in the child's room.
This film touches on the morbid in more then one way, expressing madness through the mundane. We learn that the two families are connected in many ways, one being that the Taxidermist and the girl's father had been friends years before.
Now, I am listing this as a vampire film for the fact that it plays on manipulation. Everyone of the female characters (the girl, her mother, the taxidermist, and the grandmother) all used their sexuality to manipulate the men in the film. This is a disturbing film not just because of the nightmare scenes involving the rotting corpse of the child's father, but because of the love story between the 9 year old girl and the twenty something mentally handicapped male. The girl reminds me alot of the character Claudia from Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles in the way that she is a woman trapped in a child's body (she is very aware of her charm and sexuality even at such a young age) and the comparison to an emotional vampire can be made. She goes from one adult to another through this entire film trying to get what she feels she is missing.

This is based on a book, which I have not read, and is a Canadian film.

Horror on Demand

2007-08-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

I want to start by saying, damn, I wish I was going. But it's not in my personal budget.
And this little treat was found in my crypt, a friendly little production person at RHI Horror sent me this while I was on summer break....Kevin Sorbo stars in Something Beneath, a new film that revolves around a massive deadly creature that is living underground. It decides to invade a Clean Planet conference and kills off each of the people in attendance.

And if you are a fan of Micheal Madsen then you will want to tune into Croc. This one is about a small town with a killer croc and a few croc farmers who are battling it out for the top spot.
Both these films can be seen on demand for the next while.

Thou not vampire films, we need to help keep horror alive.

Monster Squad

2007-07-24T21:45:00.001-04:00

If you read my other blog this morning, you know I was on the hunt for this dvd.
And I managed to get a copy. It was released today for the first time on DVD, Monster Squad 20th Anniversary Edition is a two disk set with a ton of groovy extras. Rue Morgue Magazine did a special with Issue #69 (July 2007) having the cover of the original poster and a hefty interview inside. I remember now when and why I started to think of vampires as something sexy, Duncan Regehr. Now for those who have been living in a tomb for the last 20 years and have not seen it...
Dracula is after a stone that will make the world loose the daylight, and he brings in the help of Frankenstein, The GillMan, The Mummy, and the Wolfman. He has won before, 100 years ago, or almost won, until Van Helsing sends all the monsters back to another time and place. His one chance in 100 years to try again is now, and the only thing stopping him is a group of teenagers who have Van Helsing's Diary, the Monster Squad.
This has always been on my top ten all time favourite movies and it's about time it got released on DVD.

Night Watch (movie)

2007-07-23T22:34:00.000-04:00

This is a Russian film from a few years back but just released here.
I spotted this and thought the story had a very new quality to it.
Set in a modern world that could be mistaken for an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (infact there is a scene where one of the main characters is watching BTVS season 5 episode 1) Where shapeshifters, vampires, and voodoo are more then possible. We open with a man wanting to have revenge on his cheating wife by going to the local witch only to start seeing things while he is there, and learns that he is an Other. As the story unfolds we learn that there were two armies, on of Light one of Dark who have been battling it out since the beginning of time. At this point now, there is a peace pact and the Night Watch are running things. There is said to be one soul that can change the balance of things, and a war breaks out for that soul.
This is meant to be the first part of a trilogy, the second chapter is called Day Watch (not released here yet) and I just found out they are based on a series of books. (which I just ran out and bought both of)
Thought the copy I found was dubbed, it didn't take away from the story. A modern fable of good vs evil or is it evil vs evil or good vs good? Hard to say, but riveting none the less.

Perfect Creature

2007-07-23T22:20:00.000-04:00

Perfect Creature.
Not so much.
This was just released here and from what I am told is a remake of a 1960's film. I have no proof of that, what I do know is I did not much care for it.
I did like the fact it was set timelessly. Half the visuals were very modern half were very 1940ish. This film is set in a world where vampire males are born and raised to be the protectors of the world. They are taken in by the church and raised as priests. While their Brotherhood is mostly doing good, one lone vampire has other plans and starts to feed on humans. When doing so, he unleashes a virus that has plague like quickness that kills his victims and shuts down whole cities. What is his goal? To find one female strong enough to breed a female child. It seems only males are born with this vampiric gene. At the same time an extreme flu has broken out almost worldwide bringing the population to it's knees. One female cop hot on the trail of the rogue vampire is the key, she is also inlove with the Brotherhood's next chosen leader.
I am not sure if this was a made for tv movie or meant to be the pilot of a tv show, but it felt like it might.

The Best of the Hunters

2007-07-13T19:53:00.000-04:00

I wanted to touch briefly on the topic of the Vampire's other half, and what a better time then Friday the 13th!

It has been said that if you believe in vampires then you need to believe in Vampire Hunters. Some have been more popular then others, but this is my list of the vampire's mortal (or immortal) enemy.

Van Helsing
Buffy/Angel
Mr. Peter Vincent Fearless Vampire Killer
Blade
Monster Squad
Roman Polanski's Fearless Vampire Killers
Lost Boys
Jack Crow from Vampires

Taking a look at the idea of team work being used runs through most of the above character list. Usually, one hunter has the brains but a group is needed to hold down, encase, or distract the vampire in question.
The Lost Boys and Monster Squad were released around the same time, each taking the approach of a group of teens who stumble upon the bad guys and without help from parents or police (until it's too late) they carve stakes and smash garlic themselves to protect the town.
Roman Polanski took a very comical approach to the topic. Playing on Europe's folklore and downright silly means to trap the vampires. One thing it did do was bring up the idea that the cross isn't always useful. One of the vampires in this film was Jewish.
Fright Night 1 and 2 played on all hunters that had been created up to that point. It combined the names of Peter Cushing and Vincent Price to create the movie's main hero, Mr Peter Vincent the Fearless Vampire Killer. Also a take on Roman Polanski's film (not just the title, but the fact that Polanski played the starring role)
Blade turned everything sideways. Here the myth of the dhampir is used, making Blade a half human half vampire. He makes the best hunter because he knows their weaknesses and their strengths first hand. This theme is also touched on in the Buffy/Angel myth.
Buffy is a creature unto herself. Something born in response to vampires. Her sole purpose is to find them and kill them. Her male counterpart is a rare thing as well, a vampire with a soul. It's the old fear of becoming what you fear/hate.
Van Helsing. Old, young, British, or otherwise he is the icon of hunters. Always a strong mind, strong will and the books to back it up. No one seems to ever really question his belief or the tales of monsters or that it is for the good of mankind to destroy the vampires that the characters come across. Maybe not the most violent of the hunters, but the most ruthless.
Top Van Helsings

Anthony Hopkins
Peter Cushing
Edward Van Sloan
Hugh Jackman

In many stories the hunter is not prepared. A person who is thrown into the chaos and disbelief. But on the flipside, a very readily trained hunter such as James Wood's verison of Jack Crow from John Carpenters' Vampires is infact backed by the church. (Jon Bon Jovi played another one of the team in the second film) Christianity runs through most modern vampire mythology once again giving the idea that the vampire is an all destructive character soul less and demonic therefore needing to inlist a priest.

Happy Hunting

Shade

2007-07-01T19:50:00.000-04:00

This is one that surprised me. It is about a group of fans who are going to a book convention for a series of vampire novels. It sort of plays off of the popularity that vampires had in the 1990's as well as the role playing vampire games. The theme of this book is blurring the lines of what is real and what is not.
We meet Shade. She is a very sexy writer of vampire novels, who just happens to be a very sexy vampire. Her books lure and seduce her victims and then she finds them all over the world by using mirrors.
I liked this book because it took a fresh look at the vampire, not just as a horror story, not just as an erotic story, but as a media persona all it's own.