Isn’t this picture of vampire Santa intense? I stumbled across it online while I was trying to get into the Christmas spirit.
If this guy comes down your chimney, you better grab your wooden stake (aka “Mr. Pointy”).
This past weekend I went to Disneyland and rode the“Nightmare Before Christmas”version of the Haunted Mansion ride. Memories came flooding back of how truly spectacular the Tim Burton film is. “Nightmare” is the perfect blend of beautiful-ugly… scary-cute… holiday spirit-(and a different sort of holiday spirit). Plus Jack and Sally are just about the cutest movie couple ever. Their figurines adorn my desk. Unfortunately her arms fall off quite easily – I’m still unsure of whether this is a feature of the toy or if it’s a manufacturer’s defect.
Obviously “Nightmare” is my favorite holiday classic (depending on my mood, it occasionally comes second only to “Elf”). If there’s such a thing as a Christmas movie for vampires then this would definitely be it.
And to put you in the mood to watch it, here’s a snippet of the song number “What’s this?” (For those who don’t know the story, Jack is king of Halloween town but he’s become bored with putting on the holiday every year so he looks for something new. Cue Christmas town.)
How creepy does Jack sound at the end of this clip when he schemes to take over Christmas? Love it.
So this holiday season, trade merry for scary Christmas (at least for a little bit).
I’ve been feeling in the Christmas spirit lately. No big surprise considering it is December and Christmas is now just two weeks away. The world always seems to enter a surreal phase during this time for me: Christmas carols are playing on every radio station, I see commercials for all types of products on TV and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was just on last night. Everything is just so sweet and sappy.
… I love it.
Anyways, I’ve been looking into Christmas gifts for some friends who are fans of Goth culture. This kind of Christmas shopping is always the most fun because of all the intriguing gift items I come across. This year, I get to add a couple more friends to my dark Gothic gift list since a couple of them who would previously have nothing to do with anything vampire-like are now Twilight converts. So I’m going to humor their new obsession with vampire paraphernalia. They’ll probably hate the gift because it won’t have a picture of Edward or Jacob on it – oh well. (Speaking of… has anyone seen this ridiculous Twilight “Edward” holiday stocking on Amazon? The price tag of this oversized sock with Edward’s blown up face is outrageous.)
On sale for only $99.95... wait, what?
So here I am sharing some lovely vampire-inspired gift ideas that are suitable for any diehard Twilight shipper, Goth vampire wannabe or real vampire. Some are kooky, but they’re definitely all fun gifts for the holidays.
“Sealing wax”
Instead of signing and sealing in blood, you can use a dark crimson wax instead – it lends the same luxurious effect. In the past, lovers’ words were sealed this way to symbolize a passion meant only for the recipient. The prettiest seal I’ve seen is a stamp of a rose in dark glittering burgundy.
“Chalice”
Everyone should have at least two Gothic chalices to use when the mood strikes. They are sure to add elegance and color to any meal. They’re also very useful for intimidating dinner guests.
“Vampire perfume”
Aka. Bouquet du Vampyre… custom-created by a perfumer in New Orleans, it’s been known to be a scent that attracts vampires. The aroma is a blend of oils and ingredients from all over the world, but primarily the rose. Vampires adore the intoxicating fragrance of the rose which has a deep, sophisticated and musky smell. Purchase this brand of vampire perfume here.
“Poison pendant”
Small necklace with a compartment that opens to carry poison of your choice. Needs no further explanation on how useful this is.
“Gothic hourglass”
Black sand, fifteen-minute timer gives the perfect measurement time for ¼ of an hour. And it’s just so beautiful to admire.
Finally, this last gift idea is more suited for those who detest the vampire craze and are just waiting for the fad (and vampires) to die off:
“Vampire hunting kit”
Good ones should come with a couple wooden stakes, a vial of holy water, garlic powder (good for savory dishes as well), silver bullets, a revolver, and a holy cross as starter package. More vampire killing items can be acquired at a later time.
**Note: All of these lovely items (including the vampire hunting kit) can be purchased online at Boutique du Vampyre.
You’d think it would be hard to pull off pale and gorgeous at the same time, but these lovely vampire ladies are breath-taking. Out of all the undead females out there nowadays, I thought I’d share with you which ones I think are the most alluring (i.e. I find it difficult to take my eyes off them when they’re on screen). Beauty and fangs make for a killer combination.
5. Aaliyah as the Queen of the Damned (or ‘Akasha’)
The Queen of the Damned lives in Anne Rice’s vampire universe as the very first vampire ever created. She’s hyper sexual, manipulative and all around insane; it’s no surprise that the vampire boys love her. Plus her blood is a potent aphrodisiac. Though her speaking role in the film (with the same title) was negligible, Akasha stole every scene she was in because… well, look at her. That outfit gives me goosebumps.
4. Elena Anaya as Aleera
I always thought Dracula’s first bride was supposed to be the most enchanting? Well maybe she is but the youngest vampire bride Aleera in Van Helsing was definitely the most smoldering hot. I believe this is the reason why she survived to stick around until the end of the film so she could do battle with the primary female lead… epic cat fight. I kind of really wish she won. Her thick Transylvanian accent was music to one’s ears – that is if you’re into cold growl tones with a slight metallic quality.
3. Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
The combination of innocent, pixie-like features and vampire fangs and blood is irresistible. Such a cute exterior to mask a killer nature. (Well, I suppose the entire family is vegetarian so that makes it less scary?) Though Alice has quirky style and sometimes looks a little too pale and washed out in the Twilight films, her sweet face and graceful demeanor are always a pleasure to behold. Alice often has this cute smirk on her face; it’s charming in that it seems to say to would-be aggressors, “Try something. Really, I dare you.”
2. Jun Ji-hyun as Saya
The young, but incredibly deadly protagonist in Blood: The Last Vampire. She’s half-human, half-vampire which makes her all the more glorious. The fact that she carries a huge katana (a sword to kill demons of course) and her cold, aloof personality makes her an intimidating presence. No surprise she’s a loner, but it makes you want to sit next to her and be her friend. When she’s in action slaughtering other demons, she’s at the peak of her blood-smeared beauty. (Just disregard the pig-tails.)
1. Kate Beckensale as Selene
Just look at that face… beauty that is captivating and definitely beyond mortal. It’s even better when Selene speaks and you catch a glimpse of her fangs now and then. (They are of the kind that don’t retract.) The best part of watching Underworld was seeing Selene nonchalantly pummel lycans left and right in her black spandex body suit. Even in the midst of flying bullets, crumbling buildings and spatters of blood – she always looked perfect. Enjoy Selene in the intro of Underworld below:
I'm addicted to vampires and blood. This is where I'll share my musings on vampiric film and TV, as well as other thoughts on vampire culture. Read my ramblings - I could think endlessly about vampires and other divine creatures of the night.
“Chalice”
“Poison pendant” 
“Gothic hourglass” 
“Vampire hunting kit” 
