From Blue Bloods to Penanggalans, a consideration of the vampire genre...Aug 24 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line The vampire genre is the most popular horror category, but it suffers from a lack of classic films. Here's a list of my ten best undead movies.
The vampire is the all-time favorite movie monster, a fact that can be attributed to several things... A) The universality of the mythology of blood-drinking undead. (Malaysia makes Transylvania look like a church sleepover camp. If you don't believe me, check out the following, http://members.tripod.com/cheahyt/penanggal.htm) B) The inherent sexuality of the "blood-sucking" act, and its ability to raise erotic issues in an "acceptable" genre disguise. C) Vampires also possess the most important asset as characters from a budding horror filmmaker's perspective. namely that they don't require anything more than pasty makeup. Even fangs are optional. (just ask Bela) The following movies are listed in chronological order. They reflect both my own personal favorites in the genre as well as the best and/or most historically important vampire films: 1) NOSFERATU (1922) Dir. F.W. Munrau. The vampire genre suffers from the fact that its first feature set such impossibly high standards that all other fangfests would be shaded. It is also the only vampire movie that has attained consensus "Great Film" status among critics, for whatever that's worth. Max Schrek's fine work as the folkloric death-bringer who yearns for beauty over-matches the hammy performances opposite his primordial vampire, and Munrau's direction is superb. No more lasting tribute to its continuing influence can be seen than the recent fantasy homage, SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE. 2) DRACULA: THE SPANISH VERSION (1931) Dir. George Melford I've already reviewed this movie (http://www.epinions.com/content_259272577327), so I will simply point out that it is the best adaptation of the Hamilton Deane/John Balderston stageplay of DRACULA available, in addition to being a sexier and scarier film than its Lugosi counterpart. Only Carlos Villarias's bad Bela impersonation in the title role drags it down. 3) ABBOT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) Dir. Charles Barton. A controversial choice, this movie makes the cut for two reasons. First, it has Bela's best ever performance as a vampire on film. He's both menacing and suavely funny, belying his age (late 60's) and morphine addiction. Secondly, it is one of the only good horror spoofs ever done, primarily because it respects the monsters' integrity and derives laughs from the comic's reactions to their genuine threats. 4) HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) Dir. Terence Fisher. Fisher and Jimmy Sangster fashion a leaner, meaner Dracula who's both Gothic -and- updated for the Atomic Age. (no loopy bat transformations {which they couldn't afford anyway}). Christopher Lee's Count is a wonderfully realized physical and sexual menace, and he's balanced by a determined and able Van Helsing in Peter Cushing. 5) BRIDES OF DRACULA (1961) Dir. Terence Fisher Peter Cushing's Van Helsing has his finest hour in this movie. He even gets a semi-romantic interest in Yvonne Monlaur. David Peel's vampire, Baron Meinster, is not as full of himself as Lee's Dracula is. He makes for a far more dangerous opponent, in addition to engaging in some -very- questionable activities that place this film ahead of its time in dealing with bizarre sexuality. A little-known must-see gem of vampire cinema, with a fine cast, direction and script. 6) VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970) Dir. Roy Ward Baker This seminal film is the best adaptation of J. Sheridan Le Fanu's classic novella CARMILLA. It is also notable for increasing the erotic content of Hammer films. Ingrid Pitt is better than fine as Carmilla, and she triumphs over some inferior supporting performances. Cushing also provides excellent acting as a vampire-hunter, naturally. 7) VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS (1970) Dir. Jaromil Jires. Jires's movie explores the parasitic desire of the old for the vigor and spirit of the young in a poetic dreamscape surrounding a young girl's awakening to womanhood. Her dreams are not escapist, but show the reality of dealing with a male-dominated society. This celebration of pagan and mythic themes is the horror movie Camille Paglia would make, if she had taste. 8) WALPURGIS NIGHT {a.k.a. Werewolf & the Vampire Woman}(1971) Dir. León Klimovsky Paul Naschy is a different kind of "Hispanic" wrestler. Unlike Santo & Co., his horror movies are serious re-examinations of the Universal horror cycle in light of the changes wrought in the genre by the Hammer revolution. Here he plays the tortured werewolf Wladamir Daninsky, whose search for a blessed silver cross that can end his torment accidentally unleashes the Countess Nadasdy (Paty Shepard). An occasional draggy pace and inferior werewolf make-up doesn't detract from the superb Gothic atmosphere and Shepard's charismatic (yet silent) turn as the vampiric villain. 9) MARTIN (1977) Dir. George A. Romero While VALERIE deconstructs vampirism by intensifying the Gothic nature of the genre to the breaking point, Romero goes in the opposite direction. His vampire (John Amplas), while of a Balkan background and apparently long-lived, has none of the requisite vampire powers and is openly skeptical of the Church and the supernatural! Set in the grimy suburbs of Pittsburgh, the decay of American urban ethnic life is reflected in the vampire's family relations. Amplas is excellent as a somewhat sympathetic serial killer. 10) NEAR DARK (1987) Dir. Katherine Bigelow Bigelow's directorial debut is one of the most lauded of modern vampire movies, due to her crossing of the gritty sensibility of MARTIN (although her vamps are more "powerful") with the road picture genre to create a sort of "vampire on the road" film that will later be mercilessly ripped off, especially by Tarantino in FROM DUSK TILL DAWN and by John Carpenter in VAMPIRES. Strong performances by Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein of ALIENS fame as the vampire family add to the modern resonance of ND. Only a dubious "cure" for vampirism and a rather dull leading man drag down the after-dark festivities. The current state of the genre is fairly moribund, if you'll pardon the pun. The only recent film that seems promising is HABIT, while genre spoofs such as MODERN VAMPIRES or pretentious nonsense like NADJA or THE ADDICTION predominate. We won't even discuss "Bram Stoker's DRACULA," since this is a family board. Honorable mention should go to COUNT YORGA and BLACULA as above average bloodsucking movies that just didn't make the cut. If you're in the mood for darkly romantic or original horror, you can't go very wrong with the preceding movies. Enjoy!  |
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