Vampires » bram stoker

More Dracula-filled Goodness!

Moonlight — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:00:09 +0000

We’ve just got word of an upcoming Dracula movie that’s going to be completely different from past movies. Yay! Dracula Year Zero is the new flick that is still very much in its beginning stages – which means it will be a while yet before it hits theaters.

Dracula Year Zero, written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, is said to star Sam Worthington (Jake Sully from Avatar) and will be directed by Alex Proyas (I, Robot). The flick is an origin tale of Vlad the Impaler the Romanian royal who inspired Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula. It’s going to be a fresh take on the legend that will play off the horror and the sympathy for a character that “sells his soul to the Devil to save his kingdom and family.”

When asked about his decision to do a project based on a character that already has countless films, Alex Proyas commented saying, “I’m not a fan of remakes or sequels — I haven’t done any and I’m not really that excited by them usually. In the case of Dracula, the reason I got excited about the project is I read a particular script that puts the whole legend on its head in every conceivable way and comes out with something that is both a kind of an ode to Bram Stoker’s original Dracula, in that it’s kind of a prequel to that, but it also redefines the character to such an extent that I found it quite exciting, so that is very much a kind of reinvention of that character and it’s why I got excited about it.”

I have to say that I am pretty excited about this flick. While there are some amazing Dracula movies out there, they are almost always an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s book and never anything new or creative. So a story that spins a new tale and a new look into the life of Vlad and vampirism is something to be geeked about. Hopefully we’ll hear more on this upcoming film soon.

- Moonlight

In A Glass Darkly

Moonlight — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:00:14 +0000

Today’s post comes from the wonderful Michelle Hauf over at VampChix. Check it out.
- Moonlight

Vampires and their reflections

As I write about vampires in my fiction, I tend to use some mythologies that’ll suit my character, twist other myths to serve my needs, and discard stuff that doesn’t work for the story. Recently, my vampire heroine paused before a mirror to admire her reflection—and I stopped typing.

Could she really see herself? I hadn’t decided whether or not I wanted to incorporate that myth. I know the myths about vamps and their reflections varies, so I thought to do a little research and see what I could find.

Blame it on Stoker.

Dracula got a little pissy at the sight of mirrors. Guess the dude didn’t want to be reminded of what could never be his. Yet it certainly must have cured him of vanity (re: that awful white croissant bun hairstyle in the movie starring Gary Oldman). Perhaps vampires can’t see their reflections because it would reveal their lacking mortality?

Some mythology states that vampires could once be killed by silver (didn’t the werewolf myth morph from that original vampire myth?) and so, as mirrors were once backed with silver, that is the reason they cannot see their reflections.

Of course at a party where the walls are lined with mirrors, no reflection would prove a dead giveaway to others. Beware of strangers who do not cast reflections.

I like the idea of a vampire who is unable to see his reflection in a silver-backed glass, yet can easily see it in a pool of water or perhaps even window glass.

Another belief is that mirrors reflect the soul, and vampires, being undead (some of them, anyway) have no souls. This belief works nicely with the belief that it’s bad luck to break a mirror (you’ll break the part of your soul captured within in) and why mirrors are covered when someone has died in the house (to prevent their soul from being captured).

Now, for every author, there is a different kind of vampire. Some vamps can see their reflections, some cannot. I loved the use of the mirror in the Nightwatch movie (can’t recall if it was used in the actual book). In the movie the vampire can make himself invisible, and in one scene set in an abandoned house there is a mirror on the wall. The only way the hunter pursuing this invisible vampire can see him is to catch his reflection in the mirror. Sneaky invisible vampire stalks up behind you—turn and glance in the mirror to see the creature just ready to club you—spin around and stake him. Nifty use of the reflection myth.

In the recent Daybreakers movie vampires did not reflect, but of course their clothing did (sometimes stories forget that the clothing has no reason not to reflect) so when the lead vampire pulls up in his car, we see his shirt and suit jacket sitting in the driver’s seat, but no head. Cool.

What about you? What myths about vampires and their reflections have you heard about? What books featured that myth? What books put a twist to it and really surprised you?

Michele

Blood. Sure they need it, but do they have it?

kate — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:42:58 +0000

So we all know that vampires need blood to survive. Or most of them do. Or some of them do, depending on which way you look at it. But, do vampires have blood running through their…er, veins?

Bram Stoker, who is the one-stop-shop for many when it comes to all things related to vampires, didn’t think that vampires had blood in their bodies. He actually claimed that was the reason why vampires fed on blood, because they had none of their own. Stories such as the Twilightsaga furthered this thinking. In the saga, newborn vampires had blood in them, and this was why they were so strong. But eventually, their bodies used them up, and they would need to feed. But neither Twilight or even Bram Stoker can be thought to be the inventors of the vampire.

Many adaptations claim that vampires do in fact have blood. And even if they don’t have a way of specifically pointing it out, it’s there for us to see. Series like the Underworld have vampires being ripped apart, with blood flying all over the place. Others say that true vampire stories claim that the only way for a person to become a vampire is to drink the blood of one, therefore, vampires must have blood of their own. Okay, really? That’s actually something I’ve never heard before. And the ‘only way’? Whatever happened to good ol’ getting bitten?

Either way, there are arguments both for and against whether or not vampires actually have blood. Just like any vampire folklore, this one is wide open to interpretation. Do I think that vampires have blood? I think they probably do. But then again, if they needed it to feed couldn’t they just be their own donors? Maybe it doesn’t work like that? Once again, one answer brings about so many questions. I guess it depends on which story you’re reading at the time.

- Kate

The Giant’s Grave

Moonlight — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:00:05 +0000

Once upon a time in Derry, Ireland lived a dwarf named Abhartach. Now this was no ordinary dwarf, this dwarf was a magician and a vile tyrant. After committing many horrible cruelties he was at last vanquished by a neighboring chieftain, said to be Fionn Mac Cumhail.

The wicked dwarf’s body was then buried in a standing posture, but then, the very next day he reappeared in his old haunts and was even more cruel and powerful than before. The chief killed him again and buried him once again, but just like the last time the evil dwarf returned from the grave and spread fear throughout the land.

The bewildered chief then consulted a druid, and according to the man’s directions he slew the dwarf a third time, but this time he buried him with his head downwards which subdued his magical power. The dwarf was never seen again.

The laght (grave) placed over the dwarf is still there even now and if you were to visit it, the locals may tell you the tale in even more detail. The grave itself is now known as Slaghtaverty Dolmen, and is locally referred to as “The Giant’s Grave.” You have found the sight when you see a large rock and two smaller rocks under a hawthorn.

The reason I brought up this Irish story is that some believe that it had part in inspiring the Irish author we all know well, Bram Stoker. Most believe that the novel, Dracula, was inspired mostly by Vlad the Impaler. But Bob Curran, a lecturer in Celtic History and Folklore at the University of Ulster suggested that Bram Stoker may have derived inspiration from the legend of Abhartach.

Whether or not the old folktale was inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula it’s still a fantastic story.

- Moonlight

Vampires and Servants

Moonlight — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:00:51 +0000

Something that is used in quite a few vampire books, movies and shows is the whole vampire and vampire’s servant relationship. You have the Underworld movies where the lycans are the daytime protectors and slaves to the vampires. Then in Bram Stoker’s Dracula you’ve got the insane Renfield who worships Dracula and is completely devoted to the vampire. And in more stories than I can count you have the obsessed fans that beg the big bad vampire endlessly for immortality. It goes on and on – but there are a few different kinds of vampire/servant relationships.

- In some stories a vampire will drink from a little blood from human and then let the human drink a small amount of blood from them (but not enough to turn into a vampire) and the result is a telepathic bond between vampire and human. The two have become closer on a deeper and magical level. This is similar to the human servants in the Anita Blake novels, or in True Blood.

- There are then the vampire stories where the vampire uses their hypnotic powers to force a human into serving them. In some stories this can destroy the human’s mind if not done correctly. You see this kind of hypnotic control a lot in The Vampire Diaries; it’s also been used in Anne Rice’s novels, the House of Night series, and about a hundred other books and movies.

- The vampire can seduce the human into becoming their slave. Just the idea of becoming a vampire’s personal sex toy will make many humans willing to obey any order from their vampire lover. I’ve seen this relationship in a lot of vampire romance novels, of course.

- Sometimes, usually when the vampire is of noble blood, the human simply loves and respects the vampire so much that they will do anything simply out of friendship and admiration. This is another one we’ve seen in Anne Rice’s novels, usually with Marius.

- Then there are circumstances where a vampire will just use fear as a way to gain obedience. This has been used in damn near every single vampire book or film out there.

- Moonlight

Never Ending Emo Vampires

Moonlight — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:00:32 +0000

Let me set up the scene for you – you have the full moon shining down on the dark dismal cemetery and there, sitting upon an aged mausoleum is a vampire. This vampire is just sitting there staring into the nothing, brooding all serious-like. This here is your classic emo vampire, the vampire that sits and sulks all night long, the vampire that hates the vampirism he is a slave to.

Self loathing vampires aren’t anything new. While many think that the famous Twilight’s Edward started it all that is actually far from being true. Yea Edward hates what he is; he thinks he is a monster and blah blah whine whine. But before Edward you had Angel from the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel was just as whiny, he hated himself for the centuries he spent as the evil Angelus, brutally torturing and killing countless innocents. There are a handful of episodes featuring Angel simply sitting in the dark brooding silently. But where am I going with this? Read on…

You see, before Angel you then had Louis de Pointe du Lac, the tortured vampire in the renowned novels by Anne Rice. Louis, like the others, he was a slave to the curse he despised, he felt that he was eternally damned. His sufferings were more than you could bear. Oh, but dear readers it doesn’t end there, before Louis there was another hate filled vampire and before that one yet another. But where does this long list even begin? Cue Varney the Vampire.

Varney the Vampyre came out in 1847, years before the influential Dracula by Bram Stoker. It was Varney that had part in inspiring Bram for Varney was the vampire that had fangs, left two puncture wounds on the necks of his victims, had hypnotic powers, and had superhuman strength – all ideas used by Stoker. Anyway, Varney was possibly the very first sympathetic vampire, a vampire that hates what he is.

It started in 1847 and has lasted until 2009, so chances are the moody self loathing vampires will continue to last for all time. Oh boy.

- Moonlight

Brad Pitt Has Returned to the Vampire World

Moonlight — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:24:41 +0000

So good news vampire fans, it looks like Brad Pitt and the makers of the Twilight movies, Summit Entertainment, are in the process of making another vampire flick for us to sink our hungry fangs into.

The incredible Brad Pitt is set to produce a new film called Vlad, which tells the story of the young Count Dracula. The movie will reportedly focus on Dracula as a young prince and will also incorporate the true tale of Vlad the Impaler, the Romanian ruler said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire Dracula.

Brad Pitt’s Plan B production company has teamed up with Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the insanely popular Twilight franchise, for the venture. And not only that but rumors are that the famed music video director Anthony Mandler, who has done multiple videos for Rihanna, OneRepublic, Nelly Furtado, Maroon 5, The Killers and even Eminem, is said to be in negotiations to direct the picture. Considering how amazing his music videos are, there’s no doubt a full out movie directed by him won’t be just as incredible (check out Rihanna‘s Disturbia video or The Killers’ Tranquilize).

Unfortunately, we don’t know yet if the gorgeous Brad Pitt will have a starring role in the movie, but if he did he would no doubt be beyond drool-worthy.

And for those youngins that don’t know, this isn’t the famous actor’s first trip into vampire-ville. Brad Pitt was one of the stars of the 1994 movie adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, playing the dark and tortured vampire Louis, along side Tom Cruise‘s wicked Lestat. If you haven’t already, watch the movie. Yea yea, there’s no tween love story but there is an excellent story, horror and the very sexy Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas and even the flawless Thandie Newton (before she was famous).

- Moonlight

The Dreaded Ghost Ship

Moonlight — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:37 +0000

This post will be a little different than past blogs, for today I have a ghost story for you my devilish readers. Even better than that, it’s a story about a horrifying ghost ship, a ship that took the lives of many crew members – but I’m getting ahead of myself.

The Ivan Vasilli is the name of this ship, a Russian steamer to be exact. The ship was built in 1897 and was home to an insatiable murderous vampire-like ghost, but not until 5 years after the ship was built. It wasn’t until 1903 that the deaths began, the year the ship was used for warfare.

It began with strange occurrences; the crew was first overwhelmed with unexplainable bouts of fear and even paralysis after seeing a mysterious glowing shape of a human in the distance. Then, one night shortly before the ship entered port, one of the crew members suddenly let out a dreadful scream that sent everyone into a panic. The crew literally lost it, and a wild fight ensued, the men having no idea what they were doing as they beat each other and themselves. This episode ended with one of the seamen hurling himself into the dark waters below, killing himself. Afterward, the other men collapsed on the deck, and everything returned to normal.

These events continued and the surviving crew members tried to escape once they hit land, but they were quickly brought back. After many more episodes, more visions of phantoms in the mist and even more deaths, the remaining crew members managed to escape. But rumors of the ghost ship spread and it became difficult to find anyone willing to join the crew, but eventually they found a brand new crew. Once again the episodes happened, and once again there were deaths. By this time three of the ship’s captains had committed suicide aboard the ship; three captains were driven by an unknown force to kill themselves. Even the final captain, a skeptical man that didn’t believe in curses or ghosts ended up putting a revolver to his head, ending his life and his time on the horrendous ghost ship.

After this everyone refused to go aboard the ship, even after promises of rewards and bonuses, not a single soul would go near the Ivan Vasilli. Because of this the ship sat in the harbor for many years until it was finally destroyed by fire. Those that watched the ship go down swore they heard screams coming from the burning vessel and believed that it was the end to the ghost, phantom, vampire, spirit… or whatever may or may not have been.

The strange thing about this story is that it’s somewhat similar to that of the crew on the Demeter, the ship in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The famous vampire book that was published in 1897… the same year the Ivan Vasilli was built.

- Moonlight

As the Sun Rises the Dead Sleep

Moonlight — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:00:09 +0000

A vampire is known to sleep from dawn to dusk, since of course, the rays of the sun are particularly harmful to them. Truth is the idea of a vampire running to its coffin to hide from the day’s first light is something that mostly came from books and movies, it’s not a theme often used in folklore. But there are a few old tales of vampires that require sleep during the day. Like in Russian lore, there is a story of a hero is saved from death by the coming of dawn, for when the sun rose the vampire hunting the hero instantly fell to the ground asleep. Then there is another vampire myth from Crete that says the vampire is only able to sleep on Saturdays.

As I said, a vampire sleeping is mostly the creation of imaginative novelists. Once again we have Bram Stoker and his novel Dracula to thank for the spread of the idea of slumbering vampires. Remember how Jonathan Harker discovers that the Count has to sleep in one of fifty dirt filled boxes? Like most well known Dracula facts this idea spread and stuck, so now most assume that all vampires sleep in coffins.

Nowadays you have an assortment of vampires in film and in books taking dirt naps. In Anne Rice’s novels dawn tends to trigger most of the vampires to sleep against their will. Then we have shows like Buffy, Angel and even the new Vampire Diaries that often show us clips of the vampires sleeping. But then you have the famed Twilight novels and movies in which is it pointed out that Edward doesn’t have a bed, why? Because as he tells Bella, he doesn’t sleep. These are vampires from the entertainment world though. In old folklore and legends some vampires sleep, but many don’t require sleep at all, some don’t even need to hide from the rays of the sun, they can walk around during the day without any harm coming to them (like the aswang).

So once again we learn that movies and books don’t always have it right.

- Moonlight

The Truth Behind Transylvania

Moonlight — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:00:20 +0000

We hear or read the word “Transylvania” and we instantly think “vampire.” We have Bram Stoker to thank for that since Transylvania (which translates as “Land Beyond the Forest”) was pretty much unknown to the world before his legendary vampire novel Dracula came out. When writing his book Stoker picked Transylvania (known to the Romanians as Transilvania or Ardeal and to the Hungarians as Erdely) as the Count’s home because of its vast history and its countless myths. It was a superstitious and dark land so it was the perfect setting for his bloodthirsty villain.

Thanks to Dracula, the political hell and the people’s struggles in Transylvania have been overlooked by the world and instead seen only as vampire-ville. The public’s association with Transylvania is simply that it’s the land of the undead and nothing more. And to add to the stereotype, thanks to actor Bela Lugosi’s thick accent used in his portrayal as Dracula many assume that that’s how everyone speaks over there, when in fact his accent was more Hungarian than Transylvanian. But the damage has already been done.

The truth is that Transylvania is a land that’s rich with culture and beautiful and amazing sights. A visitor to the region won’t be seeing any vampires (sorry guys) but instead will have the chance to hike through underground rivers, view breathtaking mountains and visit small friendly villages. Sure you can also visit a few vampire inspired tourist traps but it’s actually places like Braşov that get the most tourist visits. Braşov is a town that’s still surrounded by its medieval stone walls, still has its cobblestone streets and ancient buildings – it’s a perfect trip for a traveler that wants to escape from the modern world for a bit. But see, no vampires, just history. Sure, the region’s age-old folklore is full of vampire tales but so is most every European country, from Germany to Greece, all countries have their own vampire legends, not just Romania.

So what have we learned today? That we shouldn‘t believe everything that books or movies tell us.

- Moonlight

Vampires » bram stoker

More Dracula-filled Goodness!

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In A Glass Darkly

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Blood. Sure they need it, but do they have it?

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The Giant’s Grave

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Vampires and Servants

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Never Ending Emo Vampires

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Brad Pitt Has Returned to the Vampire World

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The Dreaded Ghost Ship

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As the Sun Rises the Dead Sleep

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