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Attitude
If there is one thing vampires need it's attitude. The great man himself, Dracula, had it in spades. Of noble birth he knew how to draw people to him and how to be master of all he surveyed. I really enjoy a good vampire with attitude.
I suppose it is only natural that after centuries of life someone would develop a well defined sense of superiority. Adam, the lead vampire from the film I recommend below definitely has one of those. David and the other vampires from the Lost Boys display the same air of entitlement and knowledge that they are stronger, faster and deadlier than any human. In a way, even though it makes me want to smack them, this is what sometimes makes a vampire sexy.
So yes, I think attitude is important for a vampire.
Who are your favourite vampires with attitude?
Abchanchu
This dangerous creature comes from Bolivia in South America. What makes it so tricky is that it is a shapeshifter. It lures in prey by pretending to be an elderly man in distress. According to Wikipedia the Abchanchu drinks the blood of anyone who stops to help him.
However, the Paranormal Fact Wiki is more detailed and the Abchanchu apparently tries to get his victims to take him home. If you take him to his home he will leapt on you immediately you are both inside. If you take him to your home he will accept your hospitality and then drink your blood while you sleep.
The Encylopedia of Vampire Mythology by Theresa Bane also mentions that those who meet the Abchanchu might also quickly die of a fatal disease if they are not found drained of blood.
Movie Recommendation:
Rating: 15
Summary: As a young man Abraham becomes a vampire hunter to avenge his family under the guidance of Henry Sturges. However, after falling in love with Mary Todd, he leaves that behind to become a politician and the president until vampires threaten the whole of his country.
Why you should watch it: It's simply brilliant. Yes the premise sounds ridiculous, but the characters are rich and the background of the story just gives it weight rather than being silly. There is action and romance and plot and I loved it. If you would like to hear more I posted about it a while ago: Review: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
(#1 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
Ianthe had never chosen to become a vampire. In fact she was pretty sure no one would have ever chosen for her to become a vampire. She was totally not the right type at all. She didn't even look like any of the other vampires she had met since joining the ranks of the undead.
Vampires took their image very seriously, even if most people thought they were mythical. Potential candidates were all chosen very carefully, screened by the local vampire community and then converted. They were all what Ianthe thought of as supermodel types. Vampirism didn't suddenly make everyone gorgeous, but vampires liked to think of themselves as supernaturally attractive so they always picked a certain type. It was obvious to Ianthe that they were stuck in a rut as to what they thought was beautiful; Tolkien fans with an obsession with elves was what came to mind.
Ianthe on the other hand was medium height and curvy; very curvy. Continuing the metaphor, she felt like a dwarf among the elves.
Her mother was English, from French Huguenot descent and her father was from a formally West African family and her genes just did not run to tall and thin. She had, basically, been a mistake.
That left her only one fallback, something she had never actually had trouble with: attitude. Ever since primary school in a small English village where some of the other kids had thought it fun to bully the girl with brown skin and a funny surname she had known how to fortify herself with sheer willpower. When she mixed in vampire circles she drew her mental armour around herself and dared any of the stuck up arses to say anything. She was from a strong bloodline, even if it had been accidental, and she could make even middle aged vampires wet themselves with fear. It was useful.
Going to a meeting of the local vampiric residents was never fun even if there were only nine of them in the area. Steeling herself, she stood up straight, put on a superior smile and walked into her maker's dining room. Six of the others were already seated around the table.
"Well good evening," she said, "isn't this nice. Anyone eaten anyone else recently?"
~~*~~
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I have yet to see Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. I think it's because it just sounds ridiculous and I can't see the president fighting vampires, so I can't take the movie seriously.
ReplyDeleteIt was not the movie I was expecting because I thought it had to be a spoof, but it's not and it really is well done. It's weird, but I just bought into it :).
DeleteThank you for dropping by.
Love the 1st post! as you know, Lost Boys is one of my favourite Vampire films. But I have to say my most favourite Vampire character, has to be Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Loved the costumes, and (although a little biased) love Gary Oldman. :)
ReplyDeleteWill be back tomorrow. :D
Thank you :) Ah yes, Gary Oldman, he did such a wonderful job. I think that was the first Dracula I saw where I was actually sorry for Dracula. I love that film, even if certain parts do make me laugh out loud for being so OTT.
DeleteI'm going to have to plump for David from The Lost Boys as my fav vampire with attitude, even though Adam has it, his is more insular, David is all, come and look at me - his clothes, his swagger :)
ReplyDeleteVampires in the 80s knew what attitude really is ;)
DeleteWell done for providing a full-on fact filled blog post for attitude. Nice to meet you. Good luck with your challenge. Popping by from AtoZ's
ReplyDeleteThank you :D It's lovely to meet you too.
DeleteMost of my favorite vamps are from romances. lol One of the best is Bones from Jeaniene Frost's series. British, hot, filled with snark and attitude. So much fun.
ReplyDeleteHow neat yall found each other for a mini hop!
He sounds like a fabulous vamp - I shall have to look up the series. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteIt all came from Tim from "The Other Side" commenting because until the week before the reveal he had been going to do vampires too and then it grew :).
I would have to say my favorite vampire with attitude is Deacon Frost from the first Blade. While vampires were clearly evil, he was evil in a much different way and wasn't afraid the consequences.
ReplyDeleteAbchanchu has come up in my research for my vampire book. I'm trying to make my own list of vampire houses based on folklore and myth and found this particularly interesting. Given their location in Boliva, I doubt they will make an appearance in my story.
http://writing.chrisvotey.com
Ah, Blade, not there is a movie I really loved when it first came out and I still really enjoy it. Deacon Frost was a great rebellious little whatsit :). I wanted him to win against the vampires, but not against Blade. Unlike in Blade Trinity where I wanted Drake to pulverise Blade ::g::.
DeleteAs for the research it's always good to have too much information than not enough, isn't it.
Indeed so.
DeleteAs a character, I thought Drake was a good counterpart to blade.
I loved Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter!
ReplyDeleteGreat start. Looking forward to seeing what you do all month!
--
Timothy S. Brannan
The Other Side, April Blog Challenge: The A to Z of Witches
It's a great movie isn't it :) It was so different from what I was expecting.
DeleteI avoided the Abraham Lincoln movie thinking it sounded ridiculous, but it sounds like I should reconsider...
ReplyDeleteYvonne
It is definitely worth a go. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteHi, I'm glad to find a site that has so much bite! my first year on a to z, good to connect
ReplyDeletehttp://aimingforapublishingdeal.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: WriterBizWoman
looking forward to reading more
:D Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteStrangely I quite liked Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter! And mustn't we all have an attitude? ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's a great movie I love it :) But some just wear attitude better :)
DeleteHi Tasha .. I'm not really into Vampires - though Dracula excepted ... but the Lincoln Vampire movie - sounds like a dose of light relief .. I may get to see it ..
ReplyDeleteThe Abanchu .. sounds like a real myth monster .. what fun - I'd never heard of the word or concept before ..
Cheers Hilary
It does have some funny parts, but it's less light and more kickarse :)
DeleteThere are many vampire creatures I hadn't heard of either, it is what made researching for this month so much fun :). Thank you for dropping by,
Wow, lots of vampirish (is that a word?) information in one spot! I'm not really into the vampire thing, but Dracula is a legendary character! He just cannot be ignored!
ReplyDeleteAbchanchu? Now that's a fascinating word...
Writer In Transit
It's definitely a word now even if it wasn't before :). Dracula is the man, or rather vampire. There is some really fascinating vampire lore from around the world as I have found out while researching for my theme. The variety and names are quite amazing. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteI've never heard of the Abchanchu before. Very interesting, and I love learning about new creatures. As for favorite vampire, definitely Dracula. After that, maybe Marius from Anne Rice's books. I'm not sure if he has attitude, but he definitely has presence. Then there's Lestat, but I think he might have a little *too much* attitude. ;)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't either until I went researching. So much fun :). Marius, definitely a good choice. Lestat is a brat, but he's a charming brat :) Thank you for dropping by.
DeleteAlthough I love zombies, vampires aren't half bad either!
ReplyDeleteUndead unite! :D Thanks for visiting.
DeleteHi, Tasha! I'm not familiar with too many vampires. Of course I know Dracula! He definitely had attitude. I also like Kirsten Dunst's character in the movie Interview with the Vampire (I haven't yet read Anne Rice's novel, though). She had more attitude than she knew what to do with!
ReplyDeleteHappy A to Z-ing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
Claudia is a fantastic character, very good choice. She was so tragic and yet so strong. Thank you so much for visiting.
DeleteLove that attitude! Good point and great post!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fun fantasy hop!
Thank you and glad you're enjoying the AtoZ, I'm really having fun too. So many wonderful posts out there.
DeleteGreat post. I love vampires. My favorite movies are Interview with the Vampire, Van Helsing, and The Underworld Franchise.
ReplyDeleteDiane
http://a-creative-mind.com
Good choices all :) I love Van Helsing for it's total turn your brain off feel - it's a great romp and Interview is the opposite, very cerebral and then there is half and half in Underworld. Thanks for reading.
DeleteI haven't seen that movie, but I have heard good things. I can't get enough of vampires. Thanks for putting together the linky too. Great way to find similar blogs within the challenge!
ReplyDeleteIt was so much better than I expected, a great movie. Me either, I love vampires :). No probs, the linky just seemed like a good idea when a couple of us bumped into each other during the reveal ::g::.
DeleteI gotta go with Barnabas from Dark Shadows as my vamp with a 'tude.
ReplyDeleteAh, but which version? :) Good choice never the less. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteI must confess that I'm not much into vampires, but I've got to agree about attitude! ;)
ReplyDeleteCorinne Rodrigues
Proud to be Arlee's Ambassador:AtoZ Challenge
Everyday Gyaan
From 7Eight
I'll forgive you, we can't all love the same things ;) Thank you so much for dropping by.
DeleteP.S. Your link to Everyday Gyaan is missing a : after the http which meant it failed and it took me a little while to figure out why. If you're using a cut and paste sig I'd suggest updating it. If not, ignore me :).
DeleteFor sure they need to have attitude. Weak vampires don't do well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the movie review. It is one that I have been interested in seeing but wasn't sure of the review.
Carrie~Anne at That Dizzy Chick
Can't be a top predator and be weak I suppose :) Glad the review made you want to look, I think it's an under appreciated film. Thank you for stopping in.
DeleteDid I say I didn't like vampires... I forgot about the St Elmo's fire boys... faster, stronger, better *sighs* teenage memories :)
ReplyDeleteReflex Reactions
St Elmo's fire? I don't remember vampires in St Elmo's fire. Do you mean the Lost Boys since it does have a brat packers as one of the leads?
DeleteI enjoyed your information on the Abchanchu. I love to find out about different local spooks and beasties out there. Like Champ, the Lake Champlain version of the Loch Ness Monster. Such cool stuff.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt. Left us with lots of questions!
Thank you :) There are so many beasties out there to find out about which is what makes it so much fun.
DeleteAttitude, swagger and charm are very important in vampires. I'm currently writing a vampire story, so I'll definitely be following your posts. Great theme! http://elizabethdarkleywrites.blogspot.ca
ReplyDeleteThank you and good luck with the vampire story; there can never be enough of them :).
DeleteI wasn't sure what I was expecting when I started watching the Abe movie, but I agree with you. It was well done and didn't come off like a spoof or parody at all. I guess call it a serious parody since it still didn't make me even consider the events to be real, but I can see where they were trying.
ReplyDeleteStopping by for the A to Z Challenge. We are highlighting amazing authors this month. Check us out HERE.
I think you have to buy in to the fantasy for any movie and that's what you have to do with Abe. It's like an alternative universe :). I loved it.
DeleteThanks for dropping in and I will return visit shortly.
ooo! i'm going to be learning so much!
ReplyDeletei haven't seen a.l. vamp. hunter yet. it's on my list. i know that the same author wrote pride and prejudice and zombies. that was a very interesting book. lady katherine had ninjas!
It is a good movie to have on your watch list, highly entertaining. Yes he did and there is supposed to be an Abe sequel or something in the works, I'm sure I read somewhere. I tried to read P&P with zombies, but I couldn't get into it. I think I shall have to try again :)
DeleteGreat concept. Like the supernatural theme. Didn't know there was a list for that, too. You've put so much work into this post. Best of luck with the challenge.
ReplyDeleteThank you and there wasn't a list until a couple of us bumped into each other on reveal day :). We kind of just thought it might be a fun idea. That's why we've left it open until the middle of the month so that people who haven't seen it before can still join. Best of luck to you too.
DeleteHave to put Abe on must view list. Have fun biting into this A to Z challenge
ReplyDeleteHappy A to Zing
Alive with Poetry
I hope you enjoy the movie when you finally see it, it's a lot of fun. LOL - the puns, the puns :D Thank you and have fun too :).
DeleteI liked that movie. I know a bunch of people didn't, but the vampires were freaky. Loved that about them. And I loved Abe.
ReplyDeleteI find there are always many people who do not like vampire movies and I mostly politely disagree with them :). I thought Abe was genius and highly entertaining and the vamps had something a bit different about them. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteWhere you are a sucker for the badass vampire attitude, I am a sap for the brooding vampire that wants to be good -- Lestat, Angel, that sort of thing. A melancholy, depressed attitude just does it for me. Don't ask!
ReplyDeleteI saw that movie and loved it. I agree, it seems like it should be dumb but somehow really works well as a strong film with very good character development. I never read the book upon which it is based, but it's on my TBR list.
Shouldn't you be a Louis fan then? Now if you want depressed he has that in spades :). He was always my fav because of his poor aching soul. I love Lestat for his brattishness, but Louis has my heart.
DeleteI haven't read the book either, I keep meaning to. Such a good film. I heard rumours of a sequel or something in the works. I hope they are true.
Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my favourite vampire with attitude. In fact, I think he's my favourite vampire. Great post! :)
ReplyDeleteAh Spike, even when he was reigned in he still knew how to deal it out - I loved the banter between him and Xander :)
DeleteI'd say Lady Margolotta would have to be my favourite vampire. As you can tell, I don't read much vampire stories :)
ReplyDeleteIanthe sounds something special!
anna @ Deeply Shallow
Thank you and I hadn't heard of Lady Margolotta, I've just looked her up :) I like your choice. Thank you for dropping by.
DeleteI think my favorite Vamp with an attitude would have to be "Vampirella" in the comic book series of that name, for me, the original version... She was awesome and no one could beat her down. http://www.vampirella.com/ Here's a link in case you haven't heard of her! Happy A to Z!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link, I shall check it out :)
DeleteOf course Angel and Spike are contenders for second place!
ReplyDeleteGood choices there :)
Delete