I discovered this National Geographic documentary on vampires on YouTube. It’s from late 2006 but probably more relevant and interesting for people nowadays than 3 years ago.
Watch it – the narrative and ideas are very enjoyable. It’s a crash course on vampire folklore as well as weaving an argument pro-and-con vampire existence using history, forensic science, modern medicine and chilling case studies.
The most intriguing part of the episode for me was when they interviewed so-called real life vampire Don Henrie. I’ve seen Don before on television interviews (Tyra Banks show I think from a couple years ago) and he’s apparently the “face” of the real life vampire community in the U.S. That being said, I recall hearing that the vampire community is torn about having a real life celebrity face like Don. Though it’s nice that real vampires finally get some recognition (Don’s openness welcomes others of his kind to step out), other vampires are furious because their very existence is supposed to be shrouded in mystery. Also, anti-Don vampires are upset because now pseudo-real vampire posers are stepping out and claiming the dark gift and they’re obviously not the real real thing. Because technically real real vampires would never do such a thing. And pseudo-real vampires are obviously just impostors channeling the fictional myths fed to the public by media so no one truly knows what vampires are really like … and then the argument gets supremely confusing (and preposterous) and probably best not to think too deeply about it.
Visit Don Henrie’s Myspace page if you’d like – he lives by the motto, “You cannot see the stars without the darkness.” (I believe he only found his darkness a couple years ago because he used to be a computer programmer or something in a 9-5 job… before he suddenly realized that he was a vampire. That’s called “awakening.”)
Some of the stories National Geographic shares concerning real vampires are not as nice as Don’s (since he doesn’t prey on innocent humans). Some are deeply unsettling. But that just means it makes for a good watch and lessons to learn.
I was roaming Suburban Vampire when I came across an intriguing list of vampire-related films that are slated to be released in 2010. Being a huge film buff, I’d like to share the ones I think are going to be most exciting with you. I was pleasantly surprised by the length of the list (or perhaps not judging by the widespread hype about the genre nowadays), but as usual, most offerings coming up are strictly B-movie fare and not worth the light of day. (Unfortunately since I am so dedicated to dark material concerning immortals, I tend to suffer through these horrid films anyways. And yes, they never do get better.)
Bucking the trend were the following mentions. Of course, I won’t know until I actually view the films whether they’re of merit or not but my hopes are high. Sorry to say for many of the films I won’t be able to offer a more specific time frame of when the movie will be released, other than to say “sometime in 2010.” (Helpful, I know.) I tried to uncover this information online but other sources seem at a lost also. I think the only way to find out is to upgrade to an IMDb Pro account and alas, that is not going to happen.
The Historian
Based of course on the 2005 best-selling novel of the same name by Elizabeth Kostova, people are sure to get excited about this film as more news emerges. I’m envisioning a similar historical thriller film style to the Da Vinci Code, except much more eerie. Kostova was originally inspired to write this book because of childhood stories her father told her of Dracula; hence, the novel blends history and folklore surrounding Dracula and his real life inspiration Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler.
Sony bought rights to the novel for $1.5 million and the film is currently in development. Kostova has recommended certain famous names to portray her characters, however, she is insisting that the actor who plays Dracula must be unknown. For someone to convey a truly frightening and strange presence, she believes that the audience must be unfamiliar with him.
The Knights Templar
Universal Pictures always gets the most interesting pick in movies. The Knights Templar story is definitely not new, but this time around the twist is that the knights are forced to defend the Holy Grail from a band of vampires who seek to have it destroyed. Variety states that the storyline occurs following the Crusades where these legendary fighters from the Middle Ages combat an evil vampire army. We wonder what motive these vampires will have for wanting to destroy the cup of Christ. If it’s anything like Dracula 2000 then I am beyond excited. I love religion and folklore mash ups. Plus, good-old-fashioned showdowns with swords are also a perk to watch.
Let Me In
If the title sounds vaguely familiar (along with the poster) then it’s because this is the U.S. remake of the beloved dark Swedish film Let the Right One In. The original coming-of-age tale discusses feelings of childhood alienation, bullying, improbable friendship, young love and vampires. The original has garnered major praise as both bleak and wonderfully beautiful. Though a critical success, the Swedish version didn’t attract mainstream American audiences, which is what this new adaptation aspires to do. I loved the original – the film’s vibe is definitely chilling, but you can’t help but smile at the growing love between Oskar and the vampire Eli. Watch it and then wait for the adaptation to hit theaters.
There is an official release date for this and it’s October 1, 2010.
Last Blood
Post-apocalyptic world where vampires must protect the last remaining group of humans safe from the zombie plague… because or else they would starve. I know the story sounds like a joke (and not a very good one), but I read a bit of the comic (that the film is based on) online… and I must say, I was quite pleasantly surprised. The vampires are skilled killers but they also seem to have hearts. (One of them was responsible for killing Hitler back in the day.) I think the vibe of the comic is pretty tongue-in-cheek and definitely makes you smirk. If this is preserved in the film adaptation then the movie should prove to be quite entertaining. Enjoy an excerpt below and read the comic online here.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
… Small film coming out summer 2010 sometime. About a love triangle between a human, vampire and werewolf. Don’t expect too much buzz.
The other day I was reading a post from DarkFaery Subculture Magazinethat brought up many intriguing points explaining why girls and women today are looking for vampire lovers. The ideas expressed in the post were so incredibly accurate and simple that I’m amazed I did not consider this before. The original post’s main topic of discussion is why there are no (or very little) ugly vampires in media… but then the discussion delves into love and why vampires offer the undying love that every girl or woman dreams of, hence the subsequent obsession with finding a vampire soul mate. And because vampires don’t exist, the only way to vicariously live out this immortal love experience is to worship fictional vampires like Edward Cullen. (Because in reality, I think very few women are attracted to the actor Robert Pattinson, sans broody vampire personality.)
It used to be that girls and women would dream of their own Prince Charming who would come sweep them off their feet and then they would live out their perfect lives together. Prince Charming was dashing, charismatic, good-looking, moral… pretty much the all-around perfect man. It’s a wonder when fanged, pale, soulless creatures of the night arrived and kicked Prince Charming out of the picture.
Now why are females dropping their dreams with Prince Charming in favor of the complete antithesis? … A dark, secretive and ultra-complicated relationship with a man who definitely has issues, and with at times uncontrollable propensities towards acts of evil?
Because it seems that the powerful idea of love for eternity draws women in like a potent drug. Vampires offer what Prince Charming can’t. Prince Charming will give you a love for a lifetime. Vampires provide love and devotion for this lifetime… and the next… and the next… it’s not a joke when the vampire lover says that he will be with you and love you forever.
There’s also a perceptible difference in the types of love offered by each. Prince Charming’s innately good nature assures you that his love is the most beautiful and pure in the world; that form of love is truly admirable and in a sense places the female object of his affection on a sort of pedestal. He admires her and loves her with a gentle goodness and song in his heart. Should he lose her, Prince Charming would spend the rest of his days in mourning and never be able to find another to make him happy again. Yes, we can look at this and say it is true love.
… However, contrast this with how a vampire would love his soul mate. A vampire’s love is burning, passionate and ceaseless. Nothing can stop him from being with the one he loves and his desire for her will never end. The vampire and his lover are on the same plane (as opposed to the pedestal) because he sees her as part of himself. He lived a mediocre existence before her and is only truly able to find happiness now, only because he has found her. If he were to be separated from his love, he could never truly be happy. In fact, should he lose her, in all likelihood he would take his own life in order to avoid suffering for eternity without she who makes him complete.
The true difference in the love of Prince Charming vs. the love of a vampire is that ultimately Prince Charming could still find happiness somehow after separation from his true love. Whereas a vampire’s love is so all-consuming that happiness cannot exist without his lover. Does this seem like the healthiest sort of love to have? Probably not. But it is the type of love that will promise any female devotion for eternity, which is perhaps why females don’t mind the darker bend on it. It’s so strong it’s like an addiction, which is reminiscent of Edward Cullen quotes to Bella (his soul mate):
“I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore.”
“I hate you for making me want you so much.”
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you.” (… and since he’s a vampire, it’s been a freaking long time.)
“It’s your scent. It’s like a drug to me. It’s like you’re my own personal brand of heroin.”
And why is it that vampires experience love with so much of their heart and soul (despite not really having one)? Why is it that they can resort to actions that may be deemed immoral or evil except when it comes to love? To answer this we will have to consult words of wisdom from my favorite fanged baddie, Spike (from Buffy), who despite being soulless was able to express love in its most devoted and beautiful state…
Spike: “You’ll be in love ’til it kills you both. You’ll fight, and you’ll shag, and you’ll hate each other ’til it makes you quiver… Real love isn’t brains, children. It’s blood. It’s blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love’s b*tch, but at least I’m man enough to admit it.”
I think the best contrast to make is comparing Ellie and Carl’s love in Disney-Pixar’s UP with that of Bella and Edward in Twilight. Both are obviously very powerful, but very different. I think right now I’m dreaming of the latter, but who knows in a few year’s time…
I posted before in November of last year that I was very excited for the release of Daybreakers, the supremely creepy-looking vampire flick starring Ethan Hawke. This is another example of how incredibly fast time flies because the wait is now over – Daybreakers will be arriving in theaters this Friday, January 8th. Unluckily for me, I have a rather busy weekend planned so my enjoyment of this film might have to wait a week. But for this film, I’m willing to try and make the effort to see it during mid-week or something as opposed to waiting until the next weekend.
In the meantime, I’ve been watching all the preview clips I can get my hands on – on repeat. Check out the two clips below to see if you’re interested in catching Daybreakers this weekend. Especially all you Anti-Twilight fans. I know the haters are so over the whole vampire genre, but I think everyone can still appreciate dark + crazy which this film most definitely is. Heck, I LOVE dark + crazy… vampires or no vampires.
There will be no broody, abnormally attractive (save for a few) vampires who talk incessantly about their emotions in this film. Instead, audiences will receive the full experience of what a vampire film should be – a supernatural sci-fi horror that’s rated R for a reason. Hawke said the following during a group interview Monday in Beverly Hills, CA and I completely agree:
“I think what’s good about this movie is it’s the first post-adolescent vampire movie in a long time. It’s an R-rated vampire movie. I remember being a kid and sleeping over at my friend’s house and staying up late and watching the Isabelle Adjani Nosferatu. Vampire movies are supposed to be secret and bad. They should be rated R.”
Hawke plays the character of vampire Edward Dalton who is a researcher in year 2019. Vampires have taken over the world and pushed the human population to near extinction. While the government is trying to capture every last remaining human and farm them for their blood, Dalton the scientist is trying to come up with a suitable blood substitute in time before the last drop of human blood runs out. And of course, there is the requisite band of rogue humans and covert vampires that have come up with a miracle cure that will save humanity (hopefully).
For me, the most fun thing about this film is the fact that vampires end up turning into some sort of terrifying vampire-mutant hybrid if they drink their own blood. And since some vampires who can’t afford the real thing are resorting to this measure that means there’s a handful of nasty monsters running around that both humans and vampires need to be afraid of. You’ll see what I mean in the attack clip below. You can’t help but chuckle when you hear Hawke’s vampire character let out a manly yelp when he sees the vampire-mutant.
The first clip shows a scene where the covert gang of humans accidentally get into a car accident with the scientist Dalton and he helps them out of a sticky situation. The second clip kicks your adrenaline up a notch since it shows what happens when you start splashing human blood all over your apartment.
We’ll see what the mainstream thinks, but Daybreakers definitely has the makings of a cult hit.
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.
The Knights Templar
Let Me In
It used to be that girls and women would dream of their own Prince Charming who would come sweep them off their feet and then they would live out their perfect lives together. Prince Charming was dashing, charismatic, good-looking, moral… pretty much the all-around perfect man. It’s a wonder when fanged, pale, soulless creatures of the night arrived and kicked Prince Charming out of the picture.
