Worst2First: My Top Ten Vampire Films

Worst2First:
My Top Ten Vampire Films

The folklore of vampires existed in Europe for centuries, and they wore shrouds and were often described as bloated and of ruddy or dark countenance, according to early sources of the time - much different than the romanticized version of vampires we know of today. The most famous "vampire" was Count Vlad the Impaler, whom Bram Stoker based his iconic novel Dracula after, but he really wasn't a vampire - he just enjoyed impaling the heads of his enemies on stakes and led a ruthless campaign to keep Romania intact, and his legacy has lived on not just in vampiric lore, but also history as one of the most important historical personalities who influenced the destiny of the Romanians for the better. Ever since Stoker's novel, the idea of vampires changed to that of charismatic, charming blood-suckers who attack at night and lure unsuspecting victims to their doom by sucking their blood and, if they don't kill them, turn them into the living undead. There's been numerous films highlighting this iconic creature spanning from the earliest forms of cinema, and here are my personal top ten vampire films...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

Stake Land

Mixing the traditional vampire violence with "The Walking Dead" apocalyptic wasteland, "Stake Land" centers on a group of survivors as they traverse the deadly landscape battling hordes of deadly vampires in hope of finding sanctuary. The cinematography is exquisite considering the modest budget, and the film includes top-notch performances by the likes of Nick Damici (who co-wrote the script), Connor Paolo, modern Scream Queen Danielle Harris, and Kelly McGillis, who proves why she won't be in the new "Top Gun" sequel. The violence and gore is off the charts, and the film attempts to show some of the most shocking, bloody deaths that you can think of.

#9

From Dusk Till Dawn

The memorable pairing of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino has spanned several decades and memorable films, but one of the most off-the-wall and zany (in the best way possible) is the Rodriguez-directed and Tarantino-written-and-starred "From Dusk Till Dawn." Tarantino stars alongside a young George Clooney as two brothers on the lamb who kidnap some people in Mexico, and then find themselves up against a horde of undead vampires. Tarantino blends his usual political humor with extreme violence in equal measure, and the film itself almost feels like two ideas merged into one film - the first half being a crime drama comedy and the second half a horrific fight to the death, but he pulls them both off equally well - plus having horror makeup icon Tom Savini co-star was a stroke of pure genius.

#8

30 Days of Night

Alaska is a very harsh, unforgiving land to live in - that's why they pay people to live there. Every year they go through a cycle where there's no sunlight for thirty days, and if vampires really did exist, this would be their vacation hot spot. Based off the graphic novel, the film finds a small Alaskan town under siege by a gang of bloodthirsty vampires who are relentless, ruthless, and seemingly unstoppable with their biggest foe - sunlight - nonexistent. Boasting a strong cast and even stronger visuals and scares, this movie has everything a non-"Twilight" vampire lover could ask for.

#7

Fright Night

Filled with all the glorious campy 80's cheese you can think of, "Fright Night" is an excellent vampire movie that blends then state-of-the-art effects with a chilling story and gory frights and fun. Believing his new neighbor is a vampire, young Charley finds that no one believes him, and with good reason. But he finally gets some aid from over-the-top characters including one played by the legendary Roddy McDowell, and Charley tries to turn the tables on his undead neighbor. While the 2011 remake was also admirable, nothing beats the original for the sheer enjoyment of nostalgia.

#6

The Lost Boys

Anyone who saw this film in the 80s all of a sudden wanted to become a vampire, due to director Joel Schumacher's glorification of the nocturnal bloodsuckers as the brooding bad boys of a small California town, glamorizing them and turning them into the ultimate "bad boys." When a new family moves to town, they learn that teens are disappearing at an alarming rate, and it's due to a motorcycle gang of vampires who ruthlessly strike again and again. Jason Patric and Corey Haim star as the brothers while Kiefer Sutherland gives an iconic performance as the lead vampire, while the other Corey (Feldman) assists Haim in ridding the town of the bloodsuckers. While the film isn't very deep, it's one heck of a good time and firmly established it in the pantheon of great vampire films.

#5

Let the Right One In

The Swedish horror masterpiece focuses more on just the blood and gore that most vampire films deliver (although it also delivers that here). Moreso, "Let the Right One In" is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who lives in an apartment complex, faces constant bullying at school, and has no friends - save for the mysterious new girl who just moved in, who may or may not be a vampire (obviously, she is). Director Tomas Alfredson brilliantly blends several different subgenres into a beautifully cohesive whole, resulting in one of the most memorable film endings in modern cinematic history, as well as providing a deeply personal, heartfelt story between two social outcasts and the differences that bring them together.

#4

Horror of Dracula

Christopher Lee was one of the most unique people who ever lived. He played some of the most iconic characters in cinematic history - Death, Lucifer, Rasputin, Dooku, Saruman, Jabberwocky, and of course Dracula. Not only that, he also recorded a heavy metal album, was in the Special Forces during WWII, he was a Knight-Bachelor and Commander in the Order of Saint John and the Order of the British Empire, he knew English, Italian, French, German, Greek, Latin, Swedish, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese, and he knew what it felt like to be literally stabbed in the back. The man was a legend, and Dracula was one of his most compelling performances, spanning several films, but 1958's "Horror of Dracula" was easily his best. Lee embodies the devilish deviant with delicious deviance, letting his mere presence speak more than pages of monologues could ever do in a film that's beautifully shot in Technicolor and featuring several gothic settings that firmly established the lore of Dracula for centuries to come.

#3

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Francis Ford Coppola's epic, sweeping gothic horror "Bram Stoker's Dracula" brought the classic novelist's words to the big screen, and while of course the movie is never better than the book, this comes pretty darn close. Focusing on the romanticism of Dracula through the pages of Stoker's classic, the film blends the gothic romanticism with the classic bloodthirsty horror you come to expect from the Leader of the Undead. Gary Oldman once again transforms into his role, this time as the titular villain, with Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and especially Anthony Hopkins as Dracula's nemesis Van Helsing giving equally compelling and memorable performances in a film that's withstood the test of time despite people's misgivings for its extravagance and mannered performances.

#2

Nosferatu

Next year will mark one hundred years since the release of "Nosferatu," a film that was supposed to be a take on the Bram Stoker classic but was changed when his widow refused to allow permission for her husband's work to be made into film. Instead centering on Count Orlok, the film focuses on the undead vampire's desire to be with Greta Schroder's Ellen, while incurring death, terror, and fear along the way. Max Schreck radically transforms into Orlok, a demonic being that looks downright scary even today, and includes some of cinema's most memorable scenes, including his rise from the grave and his unnerving shadow slinking up the staircase. Director F.W. Murnau turns "Nosferatu" into a German Expressionist horror that still terrifies nearly a hundred years after its release.

#1

Dracula

The film that not only romanticized Dracula but also made him a household name, "Dracula" still holds brilliantly decades after its release. Bela Lugosi epitomizes what it meant to play the bloodsucker and he gave such an indelible performance that no one has been able to top it (he was so enamored with the character that he was even buried in the outfit he wore in the film), and the mesmerizing score and beautiful cinematography work of Karl Freund only serve as highlights of a film that's wholly Lugosi's, and undeniably a horror masterpiece.