Best Vampire Movies: Top 10
November 1, 2009 by Admin/Neil
Filed under Best Movie Lists
Vampire movies have dominated the horror movies industry, a genre of their own amidst ghosts, poltergeists, and werewolves, movies about vampires has been established as a notable group as a result.
Vampire movies fall into a slew of different genres within themselves, including the humorous movies, the frightening movies, and the ones that simply exist to ridicule the horror movie industry. However, amidst these, a few notable movies emerged to stand testament to the original silent movie horror industry that began with the Dracula phase of the past century.
The vampire entertainment industry has gained a mass following over the years, with its own subculture, and with more movies being released everyday, this genre does not appear to be in any state of disappearing. Taking into account that Twilight the movie has set the bar for commercial and fan success, here are 10 great movies about vampires!
Fright Night
The movie from the 80s is a classic film about a horror movie fan made by horror fans for horror fans, ushering in a new genre of vampire films.
Shadow of the Vampire
The making of the original Nosferatu is sure to be on a list chronicling the best vampire movies ever, which presents a fictionalized account of the making of this horror classic. This film then asks the odd question – what if Max Schreck was a creature of night himself? The film has a great blend of comedy, drama, and of course, vampires.
From Dusk Till Dawn
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez did not disappoint with this version of a vampiric film. Beginning as a classic story of a family vacation turned awry, the movie ends up in a small Meixcan bar which presents vampires in a different light than they had been through many of the major movies of the time. Tarantino and Rodriguez presented vampire fans with the age old idea of vampires as action movie villains and blasted away the seriousness which other movies had brought up.
The Lost Boys
This film successfully combined horror comedy and the coming-of-age story which has remained a classic throughout the years. Combined with Fright Night and Near Dark, it remains a pinnacle of the 1980s that vampire movies regained their footing around this time to present themselves in a new light.
Interview with the Vampire
Anne Rice’s classic book was brought to film, featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, two of the most popular actors of the time, as the main characters within film. This brought a seriousness back to the vampire industry, featuring vampires as melancholic aristocrats who drank blood out of wine glasses and maintained a civilized lifestyle, drastically different than other interpretations.
Black Sunday
This film from 1960 features a Bavarian princess who was burned at the stake with her lover for being a witch. She then comes to life after three hundred years to enact the curse of revenge on her remaining family members. The idea of vampiric revenge is one which is not typically seen anymore, but is a recurring theme throughout the industry.
Cronos
This film is about an antique dealer who finds an ancient device that essentially turns him into a vampire. Very dark, this movie preaches the age old message combining vampires with the promise of eternal life; the protagonist of the film will do anything to get the “Cronos Invention”.
Near Dark
This movie features an outstanding combination of varying themes and ideas from vampire mythology, relating the allure and danger of being a creature of the night. This movie also features the age old question which looms throughout these movies between loyalty to vampires or loyalty to your own family.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
The many versions of Dracula have culminated in this last film that is closely based on Bram Stoker’s classic novel. A young lawyer is assigned to a gloomy village in the mists of eastern Europe; he is then captured and imprisoned by the undead vampire Dracula who then begins a reign of seduction and terror.
Nosferatu
Some call this the scariest Dracula adaption, mostly due to its origins as a silent horror film. This has turned Dracula’s story into a shadow dream full of dread, portraying Count Orlok as the most animalistic vampire ever filmed. The Count is basically a living corpse with rodent creatures and has managed to display himself as neither charming nor erotic.
This feature movie article about Vampire Movies was contributed by Sarah Russel, who writes about the criminal justice masters. She welcomes your feedback at SarahRussel1234 at gmail.com
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