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.

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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.

And here’s one more just for kicks… BLOOD RIOT!!

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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).

Happy Holidays!

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Watch the trailer for “Daybreakers” which is the film I’m anxiously awaiting:

Doesn’t that just get your blood racing? I don’t recall when I first heard about this film or the vampire storyline behind it but I know it was a while ago. It might have been when I went to see “District 9″ in theatres. Though I might be confusing it with the trailer for “Legion.” (Equally amazing – it’s a must-see film for those who like apocalyptic narratives involving fallen angels bringing about the end of the world. Yes, you heard me right.)

I’m so intrigued by the “Daybreakers” story, at least from what I can glean from the trailer snippet. (The actual release date for the film is January 8, 2010.) It’s such an imaginative twist on the vampire theme. Since vampires are usually always the predators, it’s refreshing to see when they’re the hunted or in jeopardy instead. At least that’s what I’m assuming happens in the film since it looks like vampires who continually feed on blood substitute instead of fresh human blood turn into a large hideous winged gargoyle-bat type creature. (And honestly the winged monstrosity doesn’t look so friendly.)

The last time I experienced a story like this was in “Blade II” where the so-called reaper vampires (bald Nosferatu-looking vampire mutants) fed and killed vampires and multiplied at alarmingly high rates. The reapers feeding process is terrible – they have no fangs; instead the entire bottom jaw splits open and this inner fanged mouth comes and attacks the jugular. Here’s a video clip from Blade II if you’d like to see reaper feeding in action:

(Oh my. I always have to grip my neck watching that bit.)

It’s interesting because a common thread across these two stories is that the vampire mutations came about because of scientific experimentation and biological interference. In the case of “Daybreakers” it was vampire testing of blood substitutes and in “Blade II”, the first reaper was created because the vampire legions were trying to morph their DNA so they could walk in the daytime.

… Can’t wait for the 2010 release date for this film.

(On a side note, I admit I will probably watch “New Moon” in theatres as well, but I’m waiting until the screaming masses die down. Probably in three weeks or so.)

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The story

Needless to say this Japanese gore fest of a film is off-the-wall. I’m sure the plot could play out without vampires or Frankenstein monsters involved since carnage and violence seem to be the main themes. But the vampire storyline adds a nice touch and since the title character shares the same moniker as me, I feel compelled to discuss it.

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl is pure mayhem and bloodbath by director Yoshihiro Nishimura. There’s no social commentary aspect in this one. And if there’s supposed to be then I missed it somewhere in between watching a High School girl’s skin being torn from her skull and the 10+ minutes of blood spurting out of the neck slow-mo action. This film is a messy, uber-violent, entrails-filled chaos picture that will make you drop your jaw at the absurdity of it all and perhaps slightly avert your eyes at the excess blood and carnage.

This is an ultra-tame scene from the film.

I like bloody pics. I really do. Excessive Japanese-style bloodshed (think Tarantino’s “Kill Bill”) amuses me and gives me the giggles. Yet perhaps because I’m not quite into the Japanese sub-culture movement or maybe because this film is so deranged that I felt slightly queasy during some especially graphic moments. Nothing to do with vampire allusions I assure you, it’s really the brazen and maniacal violence that’s hard to stomach. And this film is definitely not for the casual observer. The offensiveness will be a turn-off and the low-budget “look” of the film (which looks like it was all shot on a standard camcorder) is sure to make people mistake it for cheap trash. The fight choreography is truly terrible.

In addition to the relationship triangle story, there are random character development narratives from the two separate groups in the school. One group of girls compete in wrist-cutting competitions and another group of girls practice a strange version of African-American culture where they paint themselves in black faces, wear discount Chaka Khan costumes and worship Obama. These narratives were so bizarre – I think this is where social commentary may have come into play. Like it was supposed to parody sub-cultures in Japan. Perhaps.

There’s absolutely no value or meaning in this film, and little relevance to vampire myth except for the most superficial aspects. However, for those who love excess carnage and insane narratives as only Japan can deliver – this film will be heaven. It’s beyond anything Hollywood will ever produce. Just don’t watch it on a full stomach.

I also suggest avoiding a full stomach while watching the trailer:

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They're a handsome couple, but this is not the best Dracula re-telling.

Maybe I set my expectations too high when I first saw this film, but I didn’t feel anything while watching it or after it was over. Many people loved it. I suspect their opinions were swayed after seeing Francis Ford Coppola highlight as the director. (He was responsible for the Godfather’s after all.)

To be fair, the overall cinematography of this film was beautifully done – it LOOKED great. It also faithfully follows Bram Stoker’s original Dracula story. What didn’t I like about it? I felt more than a few scenes were extremely slow-moving and over-dramatized. Also, it was just such a faithful rendition of the Dracula story… nothing new or intriguing to spark my imagination. This kills me since I’m a very story-driven person.

Hence, I was so thoroughly amazed the first time I watched Dracula 2000. I immediately fell in love with the Dracula myth presented in this film and it still reigns in my heart as THE explanation of how Dracula came into being and why vampires exist. Plus, Gerard Butler lends his dark good looks for the role of Dracula. (He’s the same actor who played the Phantom in the musical film version of Phantom of the Opera, representing yet another dark tortured soul who steals my heart.)

Gerard Butler as Dracula

Though this is not Dracula's leading lady, it's still a nice shot.

**PROCEED WITH CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD**

If you saw the trailer for this film you’re probably casting distrustful eyes in my direction. I whole-heartedly agree that the trailer for this film was horrendous – to be nice. It was so bad that even though I found a clip of it on YouTube, I cannot bear to include it here. And yes overall, the film itself was nothing spectacular. It was predictable, contained some pretty cheesy dialogue at times and didn’t do justice to Butler’s acting skills. The characters (vampires and non-vampires) were pretty flat and I basically went along with the film’s superficial ride to get my vampire+blood media fix for the week. That is – until the final 20 mins or so of the film when Dracula discloses his mysterious origins… then I was hooked.

Below is a picture of Dracula in the ancient times when he was still human:

That’s right, still human. And doesn’t he look remarkably like Judas Iscariot? Well that’s because he is.

In 2000, Dracula discloses his story to his love (one he’s never shared with anyone else) that he received the ultimate punishment from God for betraying Christ – he is forced to walk the world forever with his guilt. The Judas story also explains why vampires despise silver since silver pieces were involved in the ultimate betrayal. As well, it explains why Dracula is immortal and so difficult to kill – God won’t have him. As the antagonist of Christ, it makes complete sense why Judas/Dracula is such a proponent of sin and pleasure that heaven denies. It’s a very original and ingenious continuation of the biblical story.

Dracula’s flashbacks to his Judas days lasts only 5 mins but it’s such an enlightening scene. I can’t explain it, but I felt a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction after I learned it. Suddenly I felt like I understood Dracula so much more and where he was coming from.

If you haven’t yet, you need to see it.

[One final note, I made the mistake of watching the 2 direct-to-video sequels to this film naively thinking they would offer more insight and elaboration into the Judas story. They didn't. This storyline was forgotten and more superficial vampire killing and blood thirst replaced it. Pity.]

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