View Full Version : Why Have They Made Vampires Too Sloppy?
Frankendoc66
05-16-2010, 10:01 AM
As an ardent fan of the traditionally nasty vampires as depicted in the Universal and Hammer films, I hate the current trend by filmakers and novelists to portray vampires as nothing more than pin-up style lover boys. These vampires, unlike Dracula, are just not scary, and rather than providing us with PROPER horror stories, they are just giving a rather pathetic Romeo and Juliet kind of aspect to today's vampire yarns.
Are there any other people on here who despise these superfluous vampire romance stories?
TheWickerFan
05-16-2010, 11:52 AM
But of course!!
AMICUS HORROR
05-16-2010, 01:52 PM
Yeh, I know what you mean, I prefer The Lost Boy type vampire and why dont vampires turn into bats anymore, John Cardine was the best for that. That daft hair style for Francis Ford coppala's Dracula was just the pits.
fuglystick
05-16-2010, 02:16 PM
Vampires have been wholly tainted by the emo culture, so don't look for a return to horror goodness by vampires until the self-absorbed, woe-is-me camp is on the decline, which doesn't appear to be happening any time soon.
Unfortunately, most of the offerings in the zombie genre have been treading water in the cliche pool as well. I'm bullish on werewolves; they haven't been popular enough to be watered down and defanged. :p
TheWickerFan
05-16-2010, 03:56 PM
I love my vampire men sexy and dangerous!
Bela Lugosi's Dracula
Christopher Lee's Dracula
Angelus
Spike (Oh My God!!)
even Barlow
Straker
05-16-2010, 05:19 PM
Probably worth defining what we're talking about specifically here. If we're just talking about movies like the Twilight series, then what do you expect? They are basically kids movies that happen to have vampires in, aren't they? I don't think, say, 30 Days of Night is overly sentimental compared to some of the older stuff being mentioned here.
They did it for the fucking money.
I'll take a Nosferatu over a pretty boy any day
Elvis_Christ
05-16-2010, 06:23 PM
I thought The Hamiltons was a step in the right direction (but yeh you could just go watch Martin instead). Daywalkers and 30 Days Of Night were all good too.
Not to big on the gothed out vampire. I like style of vamps in Near Dark, Fright Night and The Lost Boys a lot more.
neverending
05-16-2010, 06:57 PM
It's just a different style of vampire story. I don't begrudge them their existance, but I don't like them either.
ChronoGrl
05-16-2010, 07:08 PM
I thought The Hamiltons was a step in the right direction (but yeh you could just go watch Martin instead). Daywalkers and 30 Days Of Night were all good too.
Not to big on the gothed out vampire. I like style of vamps in Near Dark, Fright Night and The Lost Boys a lot more.
I agree with all of this - Reading this thread I thought of 30 Days of Night immediately. Sure, you'll have your humanized monsters, but there will always be storytellers that will turn them into demons again. Just give it time.
And good call with The Hamiltons - I thought that movie was subtle and great.
It's just a different style of vampire story. I don't begrudge them their existance, but I don't like them either.
Exactly. Honestly, I don't think that Twilight is killing the genre or anything, it's just a new branch in the vampire tree of evolution, if you will. It'll dip back to straight-out monsters... And if you want it to so badly, go write a script.
On the topic of modern vampires, I actually enjoy True Blood quite a bit. The vampires are definitely humanized, but at least they have fangs AND they have sex... Not exactly Nosferatu, but it's refreshing to see a Goth vampire be brooding, blood-thirsty, AND horny.
AMICUS HORROR
05-17-2010, 08:43 AM
They did it for the fucking money.
I'll take a Nosferatu over a pretty boy any day
A'm with you on that one newb, the vampire from Salems Lot was just awesome:cool:
Bastet
05-17-2010, 09:55 AM
I love my vampire men sexy and dangerous!
Bela Lugosi's Dracula
Christopher Lee's Dracula
Angelus
Spike (Oh My God!!)
even Barlow
I will probably be chastised for this, but I love Lestat. I love th homoerotic tension of Anne Rice's/Films an books. And Having Pitt, Banderas and Cruise (in one of his best roles) was just a woman's dream. Three unattainable and very dangerous men. Sorry- I do like my vamps. I also find Countess Dracula and The Vampire Lovers Very much a turn on. Vamps are erotic. Ok So are lycanthropes (a bit of rough!) but no no no way could a zombie ever be darkly dangerous, sexy or alluring.
TheWickerFan
05-17-2010, 10:00 AM
I will probably be chastised for this, but I love Lestat. I love th homoerotic tension of Anne Rice's/Films an books. And Having Pitt, Banderas and Cruise (in one of his best roles) was just a woman's dream. Three unattainable and very dangerous men. Sorry- I do like my vamps. I also find Countess Dracula and The Vampire Lovers Very much a turn on. Vamps are erotic. Ok So are lycanthropes (a bit of rough!) but no no no way could a zombie ever be darkly dangerous, sexy or alluring.
I wasn't a real fan of Anne Rice's books, but Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Antonio Banderas as vampires? So very hot!!
~Michelle~
05-17-2010, 10:20 AM
Exactly. Honestly, I don't think that Twilight is killing the genre or anything, it's just a new branch in the vampire tree of evolution, if you will. It'll dip back to straight-out monsters... And if you want it to so badly, go write a script.
I agree with the 'new branch' thing to a point think back to even Interview with a Vampire (just the first one off the top of my head and it sticks out the most) Luis was the 'good' vampire for a while not wanting to take human life even in the books.
Personally (and I know I'm about to be shot for this but) I like the twilight series when I first saw the preview the first thought that went through my head was cool a new vampire movie, at the time I didn't have a clue as to what it was about or the hype that went along with it. We rented the movie when it came out and it was defiantly not what I was expecting but still had a certain charm about it. I've read the books as well and will probably like the books far more than the rest of the movie series too.
The Vampire Diaries is yet another one with a 'good' vampire in the series.
I don't believe these type of 'good' villian shows/ movies/ books are going to hurt the horror genre so much as open it up to more and more people because even with the "good" Vamps/ Witches/ Werewolves etc... there is always the 'dark evil' ones in each of these series which give people the little thrill and the urge for more which in turn will get someone who normally wouldn't watch any type of 'scary' movie to open up to something with a little more of a thrill factor and if they continue to enjoy that 'thrill' they will finally open their eyes and start to enjoy the many great horror flicks out there instead of the normal shunning of them.
On the topic of modern vampires, I actually enjoy True Blood quite a bit. The vampires are definitely humanized, but at least they have fangs AND they have sex... Not exactly Nosferatu, but it's refreshing to see a Goth vampire be brooding, blood-thirsty, AND horny.
I haven't managed to catch this one yet I always seem to miss it :( I never seem to be near the tv when its on, but I do want to check it out!
Real vampires don't "sparkle", that's all I'm saying.....
milktoaste
05-18-2010, 02:59 PM
Real vampires don't "sparkle", that's all I'm saying.....
Real vampires don't "exist"
Let the girls have their fun.
Probably worth defining what we're talking about specifically here. If we're just talking about movies like the Twilight series, then what do you expect? They are basically kids movies that happen to have vampires in, aren't they? I don't think, say, 30 Days of Night is overly sentimental compared to some of the older stuff being mentioned here.
No its not just the Twilight epic...Its also all the Ann Rice Novels mad to movies, Dracula 2000 (But I love that movie tho!!! 2 words, Jennifer Espisito!!). Even tho they were violent they werent scaryTheywere turned into pussy cats...alot of hissing and batting their prey.
BUT!!! I dont mind a new twist on old genres. I think its actually good. Im Zombie flick fan and alot of genre fanatics hate the fact that alot of zobies are fast and agile now. I love it! The old slow ones would never get me lol...Dawn of the Dead...Now thats unnerving! So Change it up every now and again...Go ahead. Im a 31 yo self proclaimed tough guy...but the twilight books aint half bad.
Oh...but one caveat to my last post....just cuz you change it dont stop making the old or original style of film...they are always the best...thats what gets you hooked. But I guess thats reletive too. If a Zombie fan grew up watching 28days and weeks later (28 weeks later is one of my all time favorites by the way). He would probably be dissapointed with some of the classics.
TheWickerFan
06-16-2010, 03:31 AM
I HATE the Twilight movies!! The kids were watching the Rifftrax for one of them and I couldn't believe how awful the film was.
Not that it makes a difference to how dreadful the film was, but after watching Adventureland (a terrible film) I have to say that Kristen Stewart is one of the worst actresses I have ever seen.
I only just realized that Gerard Butler played Dracula in Dracula 2000; the worst Dracula portrayal ever!! He looked like Pauly Shore.http://babs886.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/dracula3.jpg