My Top 50 Vampire Movies

My Top 50 Vampire Movies

So it's not a secret I love vampires, I also collect vampire films and have lost count how many I own. However, I do know which ones I really like, so I thought I would share. I have a very simple system for rating films which has nothing to do with quality or ground breaking film making - it's just how much I want to watch them again :).

Synopses taken from IMDB - unless I thought they totally missed the point ;)

Here are my top 50 vampires films (titles are links to Wikipedia articles):

50 - 41

#50 True Bloodthirst (aka Night Breakers - Vampire Nation) 2012

This is an Andrew Lee Potts special - not the highest budget, but just has something which makes it watchable.

Set in a not-too-distant future in which a synthetic blood substitute, dispensed by the Romanian government, allows humans and vampires to potentially co-exist.

#49 Queen of the Damned 2002

Stuart Townsend makes a very sulky Lestat and Aaliyah is superb as Akasha - the Queen of the Damned. However, never watch this film thinking it is the book - it's one of those movies that take 'based on' to a whole new level. I enjoy watching it as if it is a stand alone film that just happens to use the same names as one of my fav books ;). It's a decent vampire flick, but Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned it is not.

The vampire Lestat becomes a rock star whose music wakes up the queen of all vampires.

#48 The Breed 2001

I have a big soft spot for Adrian Paul because of Highlander: The Series, so I was doubly excited he was playing a vampire. This movie is entertaining. I wouldn't say it's high art, but I do enjoy watching it.

In the future vampires have come out of the shadows and try to live among people as a special and peaceful breed. When a series of murders happens, a cop and his vampire colleague are assigned to arrest a dark figure who tears the throat of the victims and strains their blood off.

#47 Blood Ties 1991

This is clearly a pilot for a series that was never made, but it ticks my boxes. It's a kind of knock off Kindred: the Embraced, without all the depth that being based on Vampire: The Masquerade gives it. It basically fun.

Carpathian Americans are just like any other expatriate organization, they enjoy family get togethers, and share business opportunities. There is just one minor difference, the Carpathian Americans seem to have a predilection for drinking human blood.

#46 Van Helsing 2004

Hugh Jackman in a long coat with long hair and a cross-bow ... what, do I need another reason for enjoying this film? Okay, I love the whole thing Van Helsing and Dracula have going on too, and the plot is fun.

The notorious monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula who is using Dr. Frankenstein's research and a werewolf for some sinister purpose.

#45 The Twins Effect (aka Vampire Effect) 2003 (Chinese)

It's silly, it's fun, it has martial arts and Jackie Chan.

It's a high-kicking battle on the dark side when an ace vampire slayer and his beautiful sidekicks wage the ultimate martial-arts showdown with one of the most dangerous of the undead.

#44 I was a Teenage Vampire (aka My Best Friend Is a Vampire) 1987

This is an old favourite - I original saw this on Sky movies, I think, around 1991. Robert Sean Leonard is really good as the confused, conflicted Jeremy. It's a classic example of the 80s vampire genre.

After a sexual encounter with a beautiful client, a teenage delivery boy finds himself being turned into a vampire.

#43 Lost Boys 3 - The Thirst 2010

Lost Boys 2 is terrible, however, Lost Boys 3 is far better, much more fun and highly entertaining. I suspect this is what you get when the executives no longer care, Corey Feldman gets more of a say, and no one just tries to remake the Lost Boys.

In San Cazador, California, the clumsy vampire hunter Edgar Frog is evicted from his trailer. But the best-seller writer Gwen Lieber offers him a job to destroy the head vampire DJ X that promotes worldwide raves to increase his army of undead.

#42 Byzantium 2012

This is a stylish vampire movie focused on the female of the species. It has a lot to say with some superb ideas.

Residents of a coastal town learn, with deathly consequences, the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought shelter at a local resort.

#41 30 Days of Night 2007

I'm not fond of the end of this movie, which is probably why I don't watch it as much as the others, but it has a fabulously interesting premise and some great characters.

After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.

40 - 31

#40 Blade 1998

Saw this movie in the cinema. It's definitely the grittiest of the Blade movies and it's Blade at his bleakest. Just the opening scenes are amazing. A must see for every vampire fan.

A half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires.

#39 Vampires Los Muertos 2002

I love this movie because it pushes my buttons - I can't say how, because of spoilers, but it's awesome. It also has Jon Bon Jovi :D

A vampire hunter, a half turned woman, and a priest fight a band of the walking dead in Mexico.

#38 Blade Trinity 2004

This is my second favourite of the Blade films, and yes I know, lots of people hate it, but I love it. Abby, Drake and Hannibal - great characters, especially since Hannibal is basically Deadpool without the invulnerability, oh and much prettier :D

Blade, now a wanted man by the FBI, must join forces with the Nightstalkers to face his most challenging enemy yet: Dracula.

#37 Dracula (aka Horror of Dracula)1958

Sir Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing - it's a classic - need I say more?

Jonathan Harker begets the ire of Count Dracula after he accepts a job at the vampire's castle under false pretences.

#36 Subspecies 1991

This is another one I saw on Sky in the early 90s, and I loved it. Good vampires, bad vampires and Eastern Europe - a match made in heaven.

The evil vampire villain Radu returns to his hometown Prejnar, after spending years in exile. He steals the precious blood stone which is said to be bleeding from all saints, from his father and kills him. Meanwhile two American schoolgirls team up with a local girl for work on Romanian culture. Radu becomes attracted to them but runs into trouble when his brother Stephan helps the girls.

#35 Dracula 2001 (aka Dracula 2000) 2000

I love Gerard Butler as Dracula in this, he is so very intense, and this is a film without the perfectly straightforward storyline. It uses Dracula lore, but twists it nicely.

A group of thieves break into a chamber expecting to find paintings, but instead they release the count himself, who travels to New Orleans to find his nemesis' daughter, Mary Van Helsing.

#34 Fright Night 2 - New Blood 2013

Now this is actually the sequel to the remake of Fright Night, kind of, except it isn't at all really, it's more of a different take on a remake of Fright Night and I love it. In this one we have Jaime Murray as Gerri Dandridge and she is awesome, and Will Payne is great as Charley Brewster. A fun romp much more in keeping with the original.

By day Gerri Dandridge is a sexy professor, but by night she transforms into a real-life vampire with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. So when a group of high school students travel abroad to study in Romania, they find themselves ensnared in Gerri's chilling web of lust and terror.

#33 BloodRayne 2005

This is a movie based on a video game, which isn't often a great way to start out, but, unlike the sequels, this is a decently made movie. Rayne is an interesting character and the plot skips along nicely. It's not Shakespeare, but it's highly entertaining.

In the 18th century, a vampire escapes from the freak show she once participated in and teams up with a group of vampire slayers to kill the man who raped her mother.

#32 From Dusk Til Dawn 1996

Now this is a classic - a movie of two halves, one a gangster flick, the other a vampire horror movie. It's typically Tarantino with overt violence in both halves and it has something enticing about it.

Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.

#31 Nick Knight 1989

This is the original pilot to Forever Knight with Rick Springfield as the vampire cop who want to be human. I think the show with Geraint Wyn Davies struck a better balance between the characters, but I still really enjoy this film - except the flying, the flying is silly ;).

Detective Nick Knight is investigating a series of murders in which the bodies are found drained of blood - but the most recent one doesn't fit the pattern. Instead it involves the cure that Nick has been searching for for decades, so that he himself can face the light of day. Later remade as the first two episodes of Forever Knight.

30 - 21

#30 Vampire Hunter D 1985 (Japanese)

This film is an anime classic and one of the first anime movies I ever saw. It is stylish, action packed and intelligent. Well worth a watch.

A young girl requests the help of a mysterious dhampir, a vampire hunter, to kill the vampire who has bitten her, and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.

#29 Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1992

Before the classic series was born, there was the movie. A lot of people rag on this film, but it's a great romp. In places it's silly, in others heart-wrenching with lots of action and lots of fun. It has an amazing cast and deserves more recognition than it gets.

A flighty teenage girl learns that she is her generation's destined battler of vampires.

#28 Near Dark 1987

Another classic from the 80s, where as most of my other choices from the decade have an element of comedy to them, this definitely doesn't (probably why it gets more recognition from outside the genre). This is a gritty tale with nasty vampires who do whatever they have to to survive. It also offers an interesting take on how it might be possible to cure a vampire.

A small-town farmer's son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is turned on by a beautiful drifter.

#27 Underworld 2003

I love this movie for Selene and Michael and all the history and structure it gives the vampire and lycan societies. The world building for this film is superb, and the characters are awesome.

Selene, a vampire warrior, is entrenched in a conflict between vampires and werewolves, while falling in love with Michael, a human who is sought by werewolves for unknown reasons.

#26 Lair of the White Worm 1988

This is a film with some quite silly bits in it, although it is anything but silly when taken as a whole. It has dream sequences, flashbacks, snakes, vampires and everything you could want from a British movie without the highest budget in the world.

When an archaeologist uncovers a strange skull in foreign land, the residents of a nearby town begin to disappear, leading to further unexplainable occurrences.

#25 Dylan Dog: Dead of Night 2011

This is just my kind of movie, humans, vampire, werewolves, zombies all messing up a Southern town. There's action, there's backstory, there's plot and there's good special effects. There's also a twist in the tale, which it always fun.

The adventures of supernatural private investigator, Dylan Dog, who seeks out the monsters of the Louisiana bayou in his signature red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans.

#24 Dracula's Widow 1988

This is another movie that tries to be a gritty horror, but it's hard to take it as seriously as Near Dark. It is, however, a great movie. The special effects leave a lot to be desired, some of the acting is a little off, but it's a really good story and I love Lenny von Dohlen as Raymond.

A shipment of crates bearing artefacts from Romania arrives at Raymond Everett's Hollywood House of Wax for a Dracula display. Inside one of the crates is Dracula's wife Vanessa who is enraged to discover that she is a widow.

#23 Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter 1974

This is a classic of the 70s Hammer vampire genre - Kronos is an ex-soldier and vampire hunter who comes to the aid of a community where young women are suddenly becoming old. It is a different take on vampires that is captivating.

A master swordsman and former soldier and his hunchbacked assistant hunt vampires.

#22 Interview with the Vampire 1994

Melodramatic, full of beautiful music and fantastic imagery - Interview with the Vampire is lovely to watch and enthralling. The highlight for me is Kirstin Dunst as Claudia - she is simply brilliant.

A vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger.

#21 Bram Stoker's Dracula 1992

Another example of the 90s vampire movie, like IwtV it's melodramatic in places, and full of the most amazing imagery. The costumes are spectacular, especially Lucy's wedding dress, and the special effects are clever and engaging. This is Dracula, with a bigger backstory, and it is well worth a watch. If nothing else, Gary Oldman's performance is simply amazing.

The centuries old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker's fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land.

20 - 11

#20 Sundown - The Vampire in Retreat 1989

This movie is a little silly and a lot entertaining. We've got a town full of vampires trying not to kill people, a love triangle, a misguided vampire hunter and lots of action. It's a romp with David Carradine, Bruce Campbell, Morgan Brittany and more.

Reclusive vampires lounge in a lonely American town. They wear sun cream to protect themselves and drink synthetic blood, but their plant is having production issues. The inventor of the blood substitute and his family arrive, along with a descendant of Van Helsing arrives resulting in hilarious consequences.

#19 Vamp 1986

Yep, another 80s vampire movie, this one with Grace Jones as Katrina, the head vampire. This is a movie that combines comedy and horror as only 80s movies seem to be able to do. There are silly bits and horrific bits and it has such a great plot and great characters.

Two fraternity pledges travel to a sleazy bar in search of a stripper for their college friends, unaware it is occupied by vampires.

#18 Fright Night Part 2 1988

This is the direct sequel to the original Fright Night where Charley has moved on the college. In this one Charley is up against the mysterious Regine who is out for revenge. It is brilliant, and a case where the sequel is as good as the original, it would be further up the list if I didn't have so many favourite vampire movies ;)

Charley Brewster and Peter Vincent must face more vampires, out for revenge.

#17 Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust 2000 (Japanese)

This is the sequel to Vampire Hunter D, although it is not necessary to see the first one to understand this one. The reason I have it higher up my list is because I prefer the animation style. It is similar to the first, but not as stylised. It has lots of action and explains more about vampire and humans.

When a girl is abducted by a vampire, a legendary bounty hunter is hired to bring her back.

#16 Higanjima - Escape From Vampire Island 2010 (Japanese)

This is a live action manga with all the classic character types and the vaguely bleak outlook on vampires and their consequences. It's full of action and is highly engaging with a great plot. It is most frustrating that the subsequent TV show is not available with English subtitles!

Higanjima is an eerie island occupied by vampires, from where none has ever come back alive. When teenager Akira hears that his missing brother has been seen in the island, he decides to investigate with several friends.

#15 Vampires 1998

This is a film that takes no prisoners. It's gritty, full of cursing and there is not a whiff of sparkly vampires in this one. The vampires are cold blooded, evil and only out for blood. It has great characters, good plot and superb special effects.

Recovering from an ambush that killed his entire team, a vengeful vampire slayer must retrieve an ancient Catholic relic that, should it be acquired by vampires, will allow them to walk in sunlight.

#14 Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter 2012

It's a concept straight out of left field, and yet this film makes it work. This is no parody, this is a serious vampire film, with plot, action and special effects, where the hero just happens to be a young Abraham Lincoln. It's well worth a watch.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them. (actually, that's only half the plot, but it'll do)

#13 What We Do In the Shadows 2014

This is a great, great, great film. It's hilarious for a start. It's done in a mockumentory style, totally deadpan and very, very funny. It has to be seen to be believed. Also Taika Waititi!

Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are finding that modern life has them struggling with the mundane - like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.

#12 LifeForce 1985

This film is a cross between a vampire movie, sci-fi and a zombie flick. The vampires aren't blood drinkers, they take the life force of their victim, and they come from outer space. I know, probably not a ringing endorsement, but this movie pulls it off. It is very of its time, so there are naked people wandering around for no real reason, but I have watched this more times than I care to count.

A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos.

#11 Blade II 2002

The best of the Blade movies IMHO. I love the Reapers, and the blood pack and, well, everything about the film. The way the characters evolve, how they interact and the underlying plot are all brilliant. It's directed by Guillermo del Toro and it is superb.

Blade forms an uneasy alliance with the vampire council in order to combat the Reapers, who are feeding on vampires.

The Top 10 (with images, because they deserve it)

#10 Innocent Blood 1992

I love this movie - a vampire gets mixed up with mobsters and an undercover cop, which can only result in chaos. Marie is such a great vampire and this is not a movie that has delicately feeding vampires.

Marie is a vampire with a thirst for bad guys. When she fails to properly dispose of one of her victims, a violent mob boss, she bites off more than she can chew and faces a new, immortal danger.

#9 Rockula 1990

Now I don't expect many people to have heard of this one, although I have just discovered it's out on Blu-ray (the only copy I had before that was VHS!). This is half music vid, half vampire movie and it's very funny and entertaining. To start with the hero's name is Ralph, and his reflection (which he shouldn't have) gets more sex than he does.

A vampire cannot lose his virginity because of a curse imposed upon him centuries ago.

#8 Dracula 1979

This is my favourite traditional style Dracula movie (i.e. based of Bram Stoker). It is based on the stage play, rather than the book, so it changes a lot of things, but it still has the core feel of Dracula, and Frank Langella is super sexy as the count.

In 1913, the charming, seductive and sinister vampire Count Dracula travels to England in search of new hunting grounds and wider horizons.

#7 Moon Child 2003 (Japanese)

The only real way to describe this film is vampires and gangsters like a live action manga. It will make you cry and have lots of feels, but it will also make you laugh out loud. Lots of action, lots of emotion and lots of angst. It's awesome.

The story of love and friendship on the harsh streets of 2014 Mallepa, a small corner in Asia.

#6 Dracula Untold 2014

I love tales of Dracula, and this is a fantastically done take on how Dracula began. I love it from beginning to end and really wish there was a sequel as the last scene seems to promise.

As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom.

#5 Only Lovers Left Alive 2013

Only Lovers is a literary vampire movie. It has little action, some plot and lots of characters. It is visually stunning and it will grab your heart. It also has Tom Hiddleston as an almost terminally depressed vampire.

A depressed musician reunites with his lover. Though their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister.

#4 Let the Right One In 2008 (Swedish)

This is a masterful telling of a bleak story that is captivation from beginning to end.

Oskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.

#3 Underworld Evolution 2003

It ticks the vampire box, it ticks the werewolf box and it ticks the hybrid box, plus there is equal opportunities nakedness and lots of action. Wins all around.

Picking up directly from the previous film, vampire warrior Selene and the half werewolf Michael hunt for clues to reveal the history of their races and the war between them.

#2 The Lost Boys 1987

The movie that made me a vampire fan. Soph and I were just old enough to see it in the cinema. Went in vaguely interested, came out hooked. Also one of the gayest vampire movies ever, apparently, innocent little me totally failed to notice as a teenager, but now I see it ;)

After moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

#1 Fright Night 1985

This is most likely the vampire film I have seen the most times - so many, in fact, that I have lost count. It ticks all my boxes and hits all my buttons. All the characters are great and Chris Sarandon is so very sexy as Jerry Dandrige.

A horror-obsessed teenager discovers that his next door neighbour is a murderous vampire. He tries to convince the police, his family and friends but to no avail. Now, he must take matters into his own hands.



Let me know if I left off any of your favourites and what you think of my choices!

Review - Moon Child (2003) [vampire, gangster]

Title: Moon Child

Summary: After Japan suffers a major economic crash, many Japanese move to mainland china, one of whom is the vampire Kei. On the verge of death he is found by an orphaned boy, Sho, and saves him from gangsters out to take revenge for Sho, his brother Shinji and friend Toshi, stealing to survive. Sho and Kei form a bond that endures through the ups and downs of Sho's mortal life.

Cast:
Hyde ... Kei
Gackt ... Sho
Leehom Wang ... Son
Tarô Yamamoto ... Toshi
Susumu Terajima ... Shinji
Zeny Kwok ... Yi-Che

So this film is part vampire movie, part gangster film with all the craziness of a live action manga. It was written by Gackt, Kishu Izuchi and Takahisa Zeze and it's engaging and has surprising depth.

Now I know what you're thinking, a movie part written by a musician (Gackt) and staring said musician and another musician (Hyde) who happens to be a good friend of his - it's going to be terrible, right? Wrong. This film is brilliant. It makes me cry every single time I watch it ... and it makes my husband cry too.

Let me give you the low down.

This is Kei (Hyde) and he's a vampire.

When Sho first meets him he's not doing so well and he looks like this:

At this point Sho is not Gackt because he's a wee thing and is played by Kanata Hongo (isn't he adorable):

Sho saves Kei's life and in return Kei deals with some bad guys who are after Sho and his little gang. Sho then grows up into Gackt, learning from Kei and pulling off daring heists against gangster types and generally being a little shit.

There's a whole love story going on (unfortunately not Kei and Sho) while Kei angsts about being a vampire and Sho grows up to be a big shot gangster himself.

There is angst (oh boy, is there angst), there is love (familial, romantic, it's all in there), there are amazing gun battles (don't worry about the physics ;)), there are themes of deep racial divide (Sho and Kei are immigrants in a country that doesn't really want them), there is hopelessness (the story has an inevitability in its journey), there is heartache (if you have a soul you will cry ;)), there is comedy (Gackt can be very silly when he wants to be), there are vampires (they just fit)—there is everything we could ever want from a movie. This is a film that has it all.

This movie takes us through Sho's lifetime and it feels as if we are there every step of the way. It makes us laugh with him, love with him, bleed with him, and then it gives us Kei too, who has just as much depth, as well as a plethora of supporting characters who become real to us.

This is a great film that doesn't get enough respect and I thoroughly recommend it.

DVD - Amazon UK | Amazon US

Fangs, But No Thanks - 10 Terrible Vampire Films #MonsterMondays 36

So everyone who has read this blog for long knows I love vampires, right? Well today, rather than highlighting some great monster, I'm going to highlight some really bad one. These are the vampire movies I own or have owned in the past that are definitely worth a miss :). Enjoy!

Fangs, But No Thanks - 10 Terrible Vampire Films

Now I will forgive a vampire films many things: bad special effects, low budget, dodgy sets, bad acting. However all of these are so bad that I can never forgive them and they all have one thing in common - they make the vampire movie boring. For that there is no excuse!

Of course, this is just my opinion, you are most welcome to disagree with me :).

Mama Dracula (1980)

I used to have this on VHS and have never bothered to upgrade to DVD.

Reasons I really dislike this film:

• the vampire are ugly and I'm not sure it's intentional
• the plot is pedestrian and boring
• it's not funny and I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be.
• Even Louise Fletcher can't save it and she's usually good at pulling a bad film out of the mire.

Vampire Knights (1988)

This is another never upgraded to DVD movie, but then I'm not sure it has ever been released on DVD.

Reasons I have never rewatched this film:

• the effects are so cheap it looks like their fangs are about to fall out
• the budget is so low when they move from the living room into the kitchen the lighting completely changes because I think they're using the actual lights in the room
• there is no plot.

Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (2001)

For my sins I actually have this one on blu-ray.

Reasons never to watch this film:

• the lead actor clearly hated his wig do much that the first thing Jesus does is get a hair cut
• there is a musical number that has to be seen to be believed
• the plot makes no sense and requires fast forward in several places
• there are absolutely no likeable characters in the whole thing.

Addicted to Muder 3: Blood Lust, Vampire Killer (2000)

I have this on DVD - I have only watched it once.

Reasons to avoid this at all costs:

• I couldn't figure out what the plot was supposed to be
• the acting defies belief
• the budget doesn't help
• it was just nasty.

Against the Dark (2009)

Another cheapy I picked up from Amazon and I didn't regret it as much as some of the others, but I'm never getting that hour and a half back.

There are simply two reasons to avoid this one:

• it's not entertaining
• Steven Seagal is pretentious and made me want to punch him.

The Bood Reich - BloodRayne 3 (2011)

Now I can take vampire Nazis as well as the next obsessive vampire fan, but this film just doesn't deliver. BloodRayne 1 & 2 are okay, 3 is not.

Reasons to give this a miss:

• the plot just isn't satisfying
• the acting is terrible
• it's just not very interesting.

Embrace of the Vampire (1995  & 2013)

Now both of these should be good films - the plot had great potential, but they aren't. The is only one reason:

• They are BORING!

Not even Victor Webster can save the remake and just looking at Victor should up the interest by at least half. :)

Fright Night (2011)

Considering that the original 1985 version of this film is one of my all time favourite vampire films, you'd think I'd like this one wouldn't you, but nope. I consider this film a travesty. I really wanted to love it and I didn't - at all!

Reasons I really don't like this film:

• they wrecked the best scene in the whole movie - Ed's big moment
• Jerry Dandrige should be sophisticated and suave, Colin Farrell plays a construction worker version of him
• not even David Tennant could make me like this film
• the 3D in the cinema made it impossible to watch.

Vampire's Kiss (1988)

There is one very good reason this is a bad vampire movie - that's because it isn't one.

DON'T BE FOOLED

Boring, boring, boring and not really about vampires.

Lost Boys II: The Tribe (2008)

I waited 20 years for the sequel to The Lost Boys and they completely screwed it up.

Reasons to avoid this film:

• the plot is just a rehash of the first one
• the rehash isn't as well written
• the vampires aren't remotely threatening
• Angus Sutherland is truly terrible as Shane
• even Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman) can save it.

However, if you are a Lost Boys fan - the third on The Thirst, is actually pretty good :)

Vampire Killer Barbys (1996)

This is possibly the worst vampire film I have ever seen, and as you can tell I have seen some really terrible ones. I did not even make it through this one on fast forward, I just turned it off.

Reasons to never, ever watch this film:

• it has no plot - it's just a vehicle for bad music
• the effects are terrible
• the music is worse.

Some of these are worse than others and I could easily have fitted in a couple more :). Save yourselves the pain!

Did you spot the deliberate mistake? Yep - there are actually 11 vampire films listed and I only noticed when I got to the end so you get one for free :).

Do you have any terrible vampire films you think should be avoided at all costs? :)

Top 20 Vampire Movies Ever! - So Many To Choose From... - #FanFridays 4

So it's Friday, which means I'm allowed to get my geek on and I have picked one of my favourite subjects: Vampire movies. Welcome to Fan Friday #4 - I hope you enjoy your stay.

Top 20 Vampire Movies Ever!

So Many To Choose From...

Wittegen Press

$2.99 | £1.99
Amazon | Other

Anyone who knows me, or has perused my blog for a little while will already be aware that I love all things vampire. Books, TV, movies, the lot, but I have to admit my favourite format is vampire movies. Last count I have approximately 166 on DVD or Blu-ray - I say approximately because my DVD catalogue counts each disc and some have multiple discs, a couple I have twice and others have more than one film to a disc, so without going through and counting one at a time I can't be completely accurate :).

I should warn you, I tend to rate films by how many times I can watch them over and over again, rather than anything sensible. So these are my top 20 vampire movies based purely on entertainment value. Considering how many times I have seen all of these, they should probably be all number 1 :).

20. Near Dark (1987)

Caleb falls for Mae, a beautiful young drifter, who ends up biting him and turning him into a vampire. He faces the choice of killing for blood and travelling with Mae's violent, vampire companions or being killed to keep him quiet.

This is an 80s vampire movie with some grit to it. A lot of vampire films during the decade were quite light hearted, but this one is definitely not that. The vampires are ruthless hillbilly types who would sooner cut your throat as look at you. When I first saw this movie I loved the romance between Mae and Caleb, these days I really appreciate all the other vampire characters for making life interesting. This is definitely not a sweet teen movie; it earns it's UK 18 rating.

19. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)

Young women are being drained of their lifeforce, becoming old before their time and then dying. Captain Kronos, the famous vampire hunter, is called in by an old friend to get to the bottom of what is happening.

Time for some kitch now as we delve into the early 1970s. This is a classic period vampire film with peasant girls and sword fights and it is cheesy, but it is highly entertaining. I love that the vampires aren't just your run of the mill, blood-drinking-turning-other-people-into-vampires type fiends. They're just a little different and the film gives us a whole slew of suspects. If you like a more gentle horror, this is the vampire film for you.

18. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

After his mother is killed by a vampire, Abraham vows revenge and is nearly killed for his trouble. However, then Henry Sturgess offers to train him to hunt vampires properly. Later in life this knowledge comes in very handy when the US is faced with a the threat of a vampire takeover.

I was sceptical before going to see this film, but I absolutely love it. It has action, it has special effects, it has a great cast and it has a plot - a really good plot. The characters are well rounded and the premise might sound ridiculous, but this film has you buying into it completely. So very much worth a watch.

17. Dracula's Widow (1988)

Raymond owns The Hollywood House of Wax, a small wax museum with a gory bent to it where he makes all the exhibits himself. When he purchases relics from Romania for his new Dracula exhibit he gets one box extra and that contains Vanessa, the true wife of Dracula. Raymond is in trouble.

Back to the 80s for number 17 and this film is low budget and has some really cheesy moments, but somehow it is brilliant. It drags you in and won't let you go even when the effects are a little bit off. Vanessa is completely merciless, a true she-demon who dominates Raymond for her own purposes. It's kind of terrible, but I can watch it over and over again.

16. Interview with the Vampire (1994)

In late 1800s New Orleans Louis de Pointe Du Lac has just lost his wife and child when he meets the vampire Lestat who welcomes him to the life of a vampire. Louis does not make a very good vampire and feeds on rats rather than the humans Lestat preys upon. Of course it cannot last.

This is an incredibly beautiful film, made with the highest budget and to the most exacting standards. Sitting here I can already hear the amazing score in my head as I think of the beautiful period scenes. This is the kind of film that sticks with you. It is full of love and betrayal and sadness and yet the fact Louis survives gives it just a glimmer of hope. Louis has always been my favourite character from The Vampire Chronicles and I think this film does the book justice.

15. Sundown - The Vampire in Retreat (1989)

David and his family are travelling to the small American town of Purgatory so he can help find the problem with the town's blood substitute plant, which he originally designed. Little does he know the town is not about setting up an industry to supply others with the blood substitute, but is a town of vampires who no longer wish to have to kill to survive.

Oops, another 80s movie. How can I resist a movie that has David Carradine as Count Mardulak, overlord of a town of vampires? This film also has Bruce Campbell as a completely incompetent vampire hunter, the descendant of the original Van Helsing. Maxwell Caulfield chews the scenery as the evil Shane, but that's what he does best, so all is well. The only way to put it, is this film is funny and so very, very entertaining.

14. Vamp (1986)

Keith and AJ are trying to get into a fraternity and want nothing to do with the usual fraternity rituals, so they offer their services as procurers of things instead. The frat want strippers so Keith and AJ head off with the rich kid Duncan to find some. Unfortunately for them they end up in Katrina's club where all the strippers are vampires.

Grace Jones makes a terrifying vampire (see above). This film also has Dedee Pfeiffer, little sister of Michelle Pfeiffer. I simply love the premise of this movie. It's a little bit silly, but they commit to it and the fact that Keith has to deal with insane gangs as well as vampires and cops who don't believe a word he says is brilliant. There is the strangest striptease ever towards the beginning, which has to be seen to be believed and I just love the whole film. It's very 80s and very fun.

13. Dracula (Frank Langella) (1979)

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A ship crashes into the Whitby coast with only one survivor: Count Dracula. He is found by Mina Van Helsing, a sickly young woman who succumbs to his powers. Lucy Seward and her family welcome their new neighbour and Lucy also fall for his charms, despite her fiance, Jonathan Harker.

This is almost Dracula, but not quite. It has most of the players, but doing slightly different things. It's very character driven and it has a special place in my heart because it took me a long time to see it. When I was much younger we were watching it and at the point where Dracula climbs down the outside of the house my darling twin started screaming and we had to switch it off (we couldn't have been more than about 10). It was years before I got to see it again :). The film has the most annoying Jonathan Harker ever, but I do like the fact that Lucy stands up to all the men, even Dracula himself.

12. Underworld (2003)

Selene is a Death Dealer, a vampire whose sole purpose is to pursue and kill Lycans, the ancient enemy of the vampires. However, when she discovers a Lycan plot to do with human Michael Corvin she has to risk her own place in vampire society to discover what it means.

There is nothing I don't love about Underworld, it hits every button I have: strong female lead; confused, human in the middle of supernatural crap; hurt/comfort; vampire society and rituals; werewolves and other things I can't say because of spoilers. The effects are fantastic, the characters have depth and Bill Nighy as Viktor is just amazing. Even the plot holds together, which isn't always a given when it comes to vampire movies.

11. Fright Night II (1988)

Charley Brewster has convinced himself that the vampire next door was all in his head and just his way of dealing with a serial killer murdering his best friend and trying to kill him and his girlfriend Amy. Unfortunately for him there is another vampire about, her name is Regine and she wants revenge on Charley.

Many sequels suck, so does this one, but in a good way :). All those of you who like college stories, this is the vampire film for you, because Charley is working his way through college and the last thing he needs is vampires to mess it up. Regine is a fantastic vampire; she is sexy, deadly and very, very focused on her task. When she finally reveals her grand plan to Charley it is delivered with perfect calm and total seriousness. This film hits my biggest vampire button ever, but I can't say what because of spoilers. Everyone should see this film at least once!

10. Innocent Blood (1992)

Marie lives for two things, blood and sex. Unfortunately, she is a picky eater, she only eats bad guys, which can be tricky. Joe Gennaro is an undercover cop inside the Mafia. Their paths cross when Marie eats one of the men Joe is working to put away.

I think the whole premise of this movie can be summed up by Marie's best line: "I fucked up, okay?!" said with voice full of vampire re-verb. This is a buddy movie that turns into a romance as a vampire and a cop race to stop the Mafia from all becoming vampires and unbeatable. I love the fact that when Marie feeds there is blood all over the place and she's not completely invulnerable. The film has some hilarious moments and some great effects and the characters are superb. It also has one of my favourite love scenes ever because of the handcuffs - I shall not elaborate. ;)

9. Lifeforce (1985)

The crew of the space shuttle Chruchill, sent to investigate Halley's Comet, find three humanoids, a girl and two men, in suspended animation in the comet's tail. They go to bring them back to Earth, but fire kills everyone on board, leaving only the humanoids in their cases. The girl wakes and begins to infect London with a plague of energy eating vampires.

These are not blood sucking vampires, they are energy sucking ones and it's a cross between a zombie apocalypse film and a vampire one. I love the combination of sci-fi and horror and the vampires are simply awesome. I always get the feeling the plot got away from the writers a little bit, but I still love it. The fact that it has Patrick Stewart as a possessed psychiatrist is just all the better.

8. Moon Child (2003)

Sho is a street kid in Mallepa, a thief with bad luck, until he meets Kei, an immortal vampire. Kei helps teach Sho how to be successful and Sho give Kei a reason to go on. Of course as Sho climbs the underworld ladder it can't last forever.

I love this film because it is part vampire film, part Japanese mafia style shoot-em-up and it is all about the characters. I cry every time I watch this in several different places. There is such innocence in the beginning of the film that is stripped away piece by piece. It has love, it has betrayal, it has some absolutely brilliant fight scenes and the characters are wonderful. It's not high budget, it was written by a Japanese rock star and it stars two Japanese rocks stars, but it is truly brilliant.

7. John Carpenter's Vampires (1998)

Jack Crow runs a crew of vampire hunters and they live by rules. When the rules start getting broken and a master vampire is on the hunt, people start dying.

I think this is probably the definition of gritty vampire film. There are no last minute saves or cosy little vampire chats in this movie. It's all about blood, guts and not very nice people doing a job no one else can do. It's perfect. I tried to read the book the film is based on once and have to say I really disliked it, so I have to hand it to John Carpenter for knowing what to keep and what to throw away. This film is exciting and interesting and you want to hit most of the characters even as you're cheering them to victory. Great film!

6. Blade II (2002)

Blade has to team up with the Blood Pack, a group of vampires who have been training to kill him specifically, when a greater threat looms. There is a new kind of vampire on the street, Reepers and they kill vampires and humans alike.

I enjoyed the original Blade film, but I think number 2 is the best of the three. The Reeper vampires are superbly animalistic and horrific and the whole cooperation, knife edge betrayal, romance plot is exciting and engaging. Having Danny John-Jules as a badass vampire is the icing on the cake.

5. The Lost Boys (1987)

The Emersons have just moved to Santa Carla after an acrimonious divorce and the two brothers, have to deal with the move. Michael, the older of the two, falls in with a gang on the boardwalk, while Sam meets the Frog brothers, self-proclaimed vampire hunters. This comes in handy when the gang turn out to be the undead and they've infected Michael.

This is my gateway vampire movie. After the great Dracula debacle there were no vampire movies in my life, then this came to the cinema when I was just old enough to see it. It has everything an 80s teen desired - handsome lead in trouble, handsome bad guys, pretty girl also in trouble, quirky younger brother and side kicks. There is nothing I do not like about this film and I can still quote it to this day.

4. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

Eve returns from Tangier to the side of her depressed lover, Adam, a musician in detroit, to help bring him out of his low. They have been doing this for centuries because they are vampires. When Ava, Eve's disruptive little sister arrives, their lives are thrown into dangerous chaos.

Now this is an entirely different kind of beastie to the other films on my list. This is what I like to think of the literary fiction vampire movie. Normally I wouldn't get on with a film like this, it is all character driven and, to be honest, not a lot happens, but what does is so incredibly gripping and Adam and Eve are such wonderful characters portrayed by such amazing actors that I can watch this over and over again. The depth of feeling in this film is incredible. It should not be missed.

3. Dracula Untold (2014)

When faced with giving his son to the Turks as he was at the same age, Dracula chooses a different path. Then to prevent the destruction of his people he makes a deal with the monster in the mountains and becomes a vampire. He must survive three days without killing for blood or become a monster forever.

Luke Evans is amazing in this film and I am hypnotised by his performance. The movie is exciting, it has a good plot and it has the most amazing ending. This film has good guys and bad guys and it's not really about vampires, but war using supernatural means. I love it.

2. Higanjima: Escape from Vampire Island (2009)

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Akira travels to Higanjima to try and find his missing brother, only to discover that the whole place is crawling with vampires. As the head vampire, Miyabi, stalks him and his friends, Akira must find a way to escape.

This is another Japanese title and it is based on a manga. It has all the classic manga characters in it and some of them are a little annoying, but the plot is great and the rest of the characters carry it. As you would expect with this kind of Japanese film, the fight scenes are incredibly well put together and the whole film romps along nicely. The vampires are nasty, the good guys are just a little inept and it is a highly entertaining film. I can watch it over and over again, hence it's very high placing.

1. Fright Night (1985)

Charley Brewster is a horror fan and one night he sees people moving into the old house next door. Then he sees a woman murdered and is confronted with the fact his next door neighbour is a vampire. Of course no one believes him, not even his best friend Ed and his girlfriend Amy. They hire Peter Vincent, the TV vampire killer and Charley's idol, because they think Charley is nuts, but will listen to Peter.

So why is this my favourite vampire movie of all time? It's simple: it has everything. I love Charley, I love Ed, I love Amy, I love Charley's mother, I love Billy, the vampire's daytime guardian and I love Jerry, ruthless, sophisticated vampire that he is. Jerry is everything a vampire should be: powerful; sexy; clever; ruthless. He should win, everything is stacked in his favour, but he never had to deal with Charley before.

This film has one of my all time favourite scenes from any vampire film in it and it makes me cry every time I see it. I can't say exactly what because I don't want to spoil the movie if you haven't seen it, but it is brilliant and involves the use of Jerry coat like Dracula's cape.

Don't get me on to the subject of the remake, because they wrecked it. They took everything that was good about this one and threw it away, leaving only the generic stuff and some terrible ideas. Not even David Tennant could save it. Watch the original - it is soooooo much better. :)

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So there are my favourites all laid out for you. I hope you enjoyed my picks.

Which are your favourite vampire movies? Do you agree with any on my list? Have any recommendations for me?

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