Creatures of the Night

For those who have known me for any amount of time know that I have had a long history of loving vampires. I’m not certain how it started or why, but I absolutely love the stories, the endless variations of the creatures themselves and yes, the lore from all parts of the world.

So whether you like them or not, here’s my little tip of the hat to the classic (to me) vampires from when I was growing up. And in case you’re wondering, the cut-off point I used was high school. I’d be here forever if I included all my favorite vampires.

The Count


Yeah, I know, 'really?' But let’s face it, he was quite possibly the very first vampire I ever saw and still one of my favorites. SO, here’s to you number ONE! AH. AH. AH.

Count Duckula


You know, I don’t know if many people out there would remember good ole Count Duckula. He used to be a regular vampire but during a resurrection ritual one of his servants called Nanny dropped in ketchup and so he became a vegetarian vampire. It was really a cute cartoon, but sadly short-lived.

Love at First Bite

I think I was entirely too young to see this movie when I was a child, but I saw it anyway. And wouldn’t you know it, I loved it. I thought it was absolutely hilarious and it’s still a great flick. One of my favorite things about it is that George Hamilton is in it, and he’s not day-glow orange. They actually had to make him look pale. HA!

Monster Squad


Okay, okay, this isn’t strictly a vampire move but it’s still great. And Dracula is the sort of leader of the monsters.

The Lost Boys


Enter the hot vampires. Until I saw The Lost Boys, vampires weren’t really hot. Ah but then I had never seen Michael before. Sigh… “Say hello to the night, lost in the shadows, say hello to the night, lost in the loneliness”


Once Bitten


Cheesy, yes. Campy, oh hell yes. But come on, it’s one of the earliest Jim Carey flicks and Lauren Hutton is in it.

My Best Friend is a Vampire


Robert Sean Leonard could have been the first Edward. I’m just sayin.’ He was turned into a vampire but was trying to be good and not feed from humans. Trying to get the girl and save the day. And because of his odd behavior, his parents mistake him for being gay. It’s not a very well known movie, but it is fun and yes, you guessed it, it’s loaded with 80’s cheesy camp.

The Original, Bella Lugosi as Dracula


I can’t say enough about this one. I usually catch it on a yearly basis. I mean, really, how can you go wrong? Not to mention, would any classic vampire, “look” ever exist without Mr. Lugosi?

Interview with the Vampire


Hello! As in most cases, when you have a book turned into a movie, the book is better, but can anyone deny that pre-crazy, couch-jumping Tom Cruise was just hot personified? His portrayal of Lestat, in my opinion, was spot on. The look wasn’t quite what I pictured in my head, but damn it, the attitude was spot on. For a while there I toyed with the idea of getting a neck tattoo that read, “Insert Fangs Here, Lestat.”

Vampire Hunter D


Manga or the Anime, version, this is just an awesome flick and was one of my first introductions to my other crazy obsession, the world of Anime and Manga. Not to mention, D is kind of a tragic hero that you just can’t help but really feel for.

Nosferatu


For years and years, I saw this character and didn’t quite know what to make of it. The look of Nosferatu is about as classic as the Bella Lugosi look, just not debonair. He’s actually kind of grotesque. Then at some point in high school I actually got my hands on a copy of the movie and watched it. I was surprised how much I actually really enjoyed it and it quickly became a favorite.