Vampires » bram stoker

Vampires: Girls vs. Boys

annimi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:09:23 +0000

What most of the unofficial Feminists Against Vampire Romance Novels organization, –bent on the mass destruction of a fictional theme, –seems to miss in the world of vampires right now, is that normally, chicks are over-represented in vampire literature and cinema. How many badass vampire guys can you think of? Blade, Dracula, Kurt Barlow, Count Orlock, etc., etc., –but lately, doesn’t it seem like we’ve had our share of vampire chicks? Let’s see, who was the most badass, top vampire in From Dusk Till Dawn? That sexy she-bitch with the snake, Santanico Pandemonium, played by Salma Hayek. How about Queen of the Damned? Bloodrayne? Underworld? –all of them? In what world is it that vampires are suddenly the embodiment of all things sexist?

One of the first vampire novels the world ever saw, coming even before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, was Carmilla, by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. What was it about? Those of you currently Google’ing are automatically disqualified. The novel was about a female vampire preying on, –not a man, –but a woman. Now the truly dedicated feminist will search her inner database of man hate to come up with a reason as to why this novel was anti-female, but let’s just roll with this theme we’re building here. Why is it that men seem to make such crappy vampires? Whose love destroyed Dracula? Why, it was Mina, –and she was a vampire at the time. I won’t even go into the whole Akasha thing in Queen of the Damned, because we’re past that.

The point is, independent women in vampire novels are not a scarcity; the literary strong female vampire archetype is older than the literary strong male vampire archetype by twenty-five years. It’s actually rare to see a popular vampire role filled by a male, because Hollywood loves to cash in on the snotty vampire bitch trend: hot female vampire warriors are gold. At the end of the Twilight saga, Bella ends up being one of the most gifted vampires in their clan for her amazing presence of mind. How can that leave a bitter taste in the mouth of popular feminism? Vampire and horror cinema in general have moved with the times, not against them. Women as vampires have become a stronger force than men as vampires, both literally and metaphorically.

10 Deliciously Evil Vampire Villains

Moonlight — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:15 +0000

Today’s post is filled with all kinds of bloodthirsty, cruel and evil vampire villains from books, films and television. Enjoy my sweets…

1. Akasha
The vampire queen from The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. What makes this vamp villainess? The fact that when she awoke not only did she destroy most of the vampires in the world but had also planned to destroy 90% of the world’s men, keeping only a small number of men for breeding.

“We shall live even in this state of living death, we shall love, we shall feel, we shall defy all who would judge and destroy us.”

2. Damon Salvatore
The vampire hottie from the books and CW show The Vampire Diaries. If you have watched the show you know that Damon is packed full of evil and makes Stefan’s life pure hell. It appears that no one but Elena is safe around him for he just can’t seem to stop brutally torturing and killing people.

Damon: “What’s so special about this Bella girl? Edward’s so whipped!”
Caroline: “You’ve gotta read the first book first. It won’t make sense if you don’t.”
Damon: “I miss Anne Rice. She was so on it.”

3. David
David aka Kiefer Sutherland from the movie The Lost Boys. He was the frightening leader of the gang of vampires, causing all sorts of mischief and mayhem, giving Michael and the Frog brothers a tough ride.

“Maggots, Michael. You’re eating maggots. How do they taste?”

4. Dracula
Do I even need to give this legendary vampire an introduction? Big bad Dracula caused all sorts of chaos and pain in Bram Stoker’s novel. Killing off an entire ship’s crew, toying with Lucy and putting Mina under his wicked spell – this guy was one evil badass.

“It is the eve of St. George’s Day. Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?”

5. Drusilla
The totally insane, yet hilarious psychic vampire from the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Dru was one of my faves on the show, sure she was evil and killed mercilessly but she was highly entertaining while doing so.

Dru: “I’m naming all the stars.”
Spike: “You can’t see the stars, love. That’s the ceiling. Also, it’s day.”
Dru: “I can see them. But I’ve named them all the same thing, and there’s terrible confusion…”

6. James
The major antagonist in Stephanie Meyer’s famed novel, Twilight. This cruel vampire was an excellent tracker and enjoyed hunting humans down for nothing more than sport. He lures Bella away from safety in attempt to kill her.

“It was all for him, of course. You’re simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd, I might add.”

7. Lucien Lacroix
This evil vampire comes from the show Forever Knight. Lucien, once a Roman general, is the cruel, yet practical vampire that sired Nick and therefore wont leave Nick alone, which causes all kinds of problems.

“Les mortels meurent. Qu’importe la façon?”
["Mortals die. Does it really matter how or when?"]

8. Sidorio
This malevolent vampire is from the Vampirates series by Justin Somper. This vamp has an insatiable appetite for blood and feeds whenever and on whoever he chooses.

“We’re not civilized. We’re vampires…”

9. Jan Valek
The master vampire from John Carpenter’s Vampires. Valek is the big bad vampire in this film, killing off the slayers and causing all sorts of hell throughout the whole movie.

“For 600 years I have fed on your kind at will.“

10. Viktor
The first believed good guy gone bad from the hit movie Underworld. Victor destroyed countless lives, subjected the lycans to slavery and lied to Selene her whole life – he’s one bad bad vampire.

“Your incompetence is becoming most… taxing.”

- Moonlight

Dead Sucks & Other Upcoming Vampire Films of 2010

annimi — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:15:43 +0000

Dead Sucks – Dead Sucks is all about Burt the Vampire; he’s suicidal, sunburns easily, and… apparently he’s narcoleptic? At least, that’s what I surmised from the trailer. Dead Sucks looks absolutely hilarious; it’s actually a short fraction of a TV show pilot. So hopefully the guys can drum up enough support, and cash, to turn Dead Sucks into either a film, or a show. If you’re interested in co-producing, or investing in the film, you should send an email to the director: elias @ biffjuggernaut.com.

Dracula: The Undead – Dacre Stoker, a direct descendant of Bram Stoker, and Ian Holt brought us the sequel to Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Dracula, the Undead. The synopsis of the book doesn’t look half bad, though I doubt the writing will have the same early modern English flourish as did its predecessor. But we’re not talking about a book here; we’re talking about a movie! Despite the listings you’ll see on the Internet about this film coming out some time in 2010, I wouldn’t hold my breath for this year just yet. In September, Dacre and Ian claimed to be negotiating with major studios about the film, and told us to expect big news about the movie within the month. Well, September came and went, as did October, and we’ve still yet to hear any definitive news on the project. We’ll keep you posted.

Lost Boys 3 – The only thing scarier than a bunch of Joel Schumaker fans is a bunch of Joel Schumaker fans that make sequels! A great movie, turned into a franchise, –well, that’s the way of things, isn’t it? This movie is supposed to focus mainly on Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander’s return as the Frog brothers. Edgar and Alan Frog are back to kick some vampire ass; unless Alan Frog is still a vampire? Wasn’t he a vampire in Lost Boys 2? Wait, –what the hell is this movie supposed to be about? How many vampires are in Santa Carla anyway? Somebody call Buffy!

The Vampires of Bloody Island – This movie looks like it took about $200 to make. The difference is, it isn’t micro-budget American horror, it’s micro-budget English horror, –and it’s comedy, so it’s bound to be hilarious. With any luck at all it will be available by the end of this year. “In a crumbling castle clinging to the cliffs of an isolated Cornish island, the vampire Countess Morticia de’Ath (Pamela Kempthorne) is concocting a sinister plan. Standing in her way are two bickering office workers and an enigmatic, vampire-hunting window cleaner, desperately fighting to stop the spread of Morticia’s terrifying vampire army.” Watch the trailer, and enter to win a DVD!

Bram Stoker’s Descendant Writes Sequel

Moonlight — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:37 +0000

Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula forever changed the world of vampires. This book has survived generation after generation and has become one of the most influential and well known novels ever written. There has been countless movie adaptations of Dracula and even more books based on it. But has there ever been a real and genuine sequel to the timeless novel? According to Dacre Stoker, a direct descendant of the legendary Bram Stoker, there hasn’t until now. Dacre Stoker and historian Ian Holt have written what they consider the only real sequel to the original Dracula, titled Dracula The Un-Dead.

Dracula The Un-Dead is a bloodcurdling sequel based on, Dacre Stocker’s great grand uncle Bram Stoker’s own handwritten notes from the original book (which are located in Rosenbach museum in Philadelphia) . Dracula The Un-Dead begins in 1912, twenty-five years after Dracula was destroyed. Van Helsing’s protégé, Dr. Jack Seward, is now a shamed morphine addict obsessed with eradicating evil across Europe. Meanwhile, an unknowing Quincey Harker, the grown son of Jonathan and Mina, leaves law school for the London stage, only to stumble upon the disturbed production of “Dracula,” directed and produced by Bram Stoker himself.

Dacre Stoker said he got support from the rest of the family to write the sequel by agreeing to put Bram into the story. “I said to family, give me a chance to do this and I’ll put Bram into the story so all of us Stokers can speak to the world about what Bram was like as a real person,” he said.

Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt plan to have Dracula The Un-Dead made into a movie as well.

So far the reviews on this sequel are very mixed. Have you read it? If so what did you think, is it worth picking up or should we stay away?

Check out the book’s trailer…

Click here to view the embedded video.

- Moonlight

Why all the Allure?

kate — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:27:09 +0000

One of the most common associations with vampires is their incredible beauty. And just like every common trait, there needs to be a commonly known explanation for it. The most generally accepted theory is that vampires need to be beautiful in order to attract their victims, whose blood they will eventually drain. But in fact, vampires weren’t always beautiful. They, just like other creatures of the undead, were often quite grisly and creepy-looking. It wasn’t until Bram Stoker came along that people started envisioning vampires as creatures of beauty. And while Stoker may have just had his own interpretation in mind, this physical trait of the vampire was quite deliberate on Stoker’s part.

Bram Stoker didn’t make every vampire beautiful. In fact, it was only the female vampires in his book that showed any true beauty at all. This was because Stoker wanted to go against the grain of what was considered to be a perfect female during the Victorian period. Stoker thought that by making the female vampire stunningly beautiful, he was combining a huge danger of his own imagination, the vampire, with something that was considered to be so dangerous during the Victorian era – the thought of sex. What’s ironic about that is that while he was going against most morals and beliefs at the time, these female vampires, while physically dangerous, also looked much like women from the Victorian era. Only a true artist could combine something that was so similar and so very different and make them come together as one! But Stoker wanted to do much more than just lash out on the thoughts of sex during his time. He also wanted to completely destroy the idea of the typical woman during the Victorian era.

Women who lived in the Victorian era were the stereotypical maternal nurturing types. Stoker, much like many feminists today, was apparently not at all pleased with this picture of the woman. So, while he still kept the beautiful look of the women, he also turned them into horrific monsters that killed humans and infant children, all in their need for what pleased them most – human blood.

However, Stoker still didn’t allow this transformation until the women slept with the Count, when they would then change into these beautiful yet especially violent beings. So being that the woman’s power still rested on first giving it over to the man, perhaps Stoker wasn’t the first feminist after all!

Mmm Mmm Blood

Moonlight — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:00:36 +0000

I’m going to start this post with one of my all time favorite vampires quotes…

“Everyone knows the phenomenon of trying to hold your breath underwater – how at first it’s alright and you can handle it, and then as it gets closer and closer to the time when you must breathe, how urgent the need becomes, the lust and the hunger to breathe. And then the panic sets in when you begin to think that you won’t be able to breathe – and finally, when you take in air and the anxiety subsides…that’s what it’s like to be a vampire and need blood.”
- Francis Ford Coppola’s journal in “BS Dracula: The Film and the Legend”

If you haven’t guessed it already, today’s post is about blood. Blood is something almost all vampire species have in common, the drinking of it that is. Blood has always been thought to hold supernatural powers, seeing as it’s the keeper of life. Some believed that to drink blood of animals or people would cause one to gain that animal/person’s strengths. To lose blood is to lose vigor, essence and strength… and life. But to receive it through transfusions or drinking brings power, healing and immortality – or so they once believed (some still do but that‘s a whole other topic). So it makes sense that vampires main food source is blood – it’s life.

A vampire’s need for blood has been shown in damn near every myth and every work of fiction. Like in Dracula, Count Dracula starts out as a weak old man but as the story goes on he becomes younger and younger, all due to the blood of the living. In some books vamps don’t need to drink blood everyday, the older and stronger ones only need to feed occasionally or not at all, like in Anne Rice’s novels. In other books if a vampire doesn’t drink blood they become a disgusting immobile mummy-like husk. You also have vamps that don’t just feed on blood alone, but other bodily fluids as well (the Pishtaco).

But how does blood make a vampire function? How do they get power from it? How much must they drink and for how long? How does blood convert to power for a vampire? And on and on and on… a million questions, none of which I can answer. Many have tried to but have failed, I mean, there are countless theories, but they are just that, a theory. The thought is that vampires are a bridge between the physical and spiritual world, life and death and immortality; they can’t be clearly explained and put into a nice neat box. What we do know is that nearly every vampire needs blood to survive, that is one universal idea.

- Moonlight

Vampires vs. Mirrors

Moonlight — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:00:29 +0000

Heya readers, today’s post is about those smooth shiny things known as… mirrors. Woo! Vampires and mirrors, every one of us knows that the classic stereotypical vampires absolutely can’t stand mirrors because, you know, the whole no reflection thing they have going. But why do they hate mirrors so much? Where did this whole idea come about?

Cue Bram Stoker. This dislike for mirrors mostly stems from fiction, specifically Stoker’s renowned Dracula. In the book Bram Stoker has Dracula react violently to seeing Jonathan Harker’s shaving mirror (he flings it out a window). He knows that he casts no reflection and obviously he doesn’t want to cause anyone to have a spaz-attack when they see that… or rather, don‘t see it. When it comes to the folklore part of this myth, the reason for the mirror-phobia has to do with the idea that mirrors reflect souls and evil beings have no souls, therefore no reflection. So it’s sort of like the vamps in Buffy but not exactly (since Angel had a soul and still no reflection). There is also the old argument that blood suckers exist in two worlds, in the living and in the dead. But since it isn’t fully in either one it will not be seen in a mirror.

More fun mirror facts; Bulgarians turned the mirror toward the wall when a person died to prevent the death of another, in case the corpse was reflected. In Mecklenburg they thought when the corpse saw itself doubled it would grab someone to take with it. But mirrors can also be helpful to some. It was believed that mirrors could be used as a weapon against vampires. The mirror can be used to distract the vamp for a moment, giving the hunter plenty of time to get out a much deadlier weapon.

So this whole dislike for mirrors mostly has to do with the beloved Bram Stoker, but as I said it does have some meaning in folklore as well. So if you suspect someone is a vampire then mirror test just might not work for real.

- Moonlight

The First: Der Vampire

Moonlight — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:25 +0000

Vampires have been part of literature for ages and ages now. Almost all of today’s popular fiction authors have at least one vampire story out there; the recently released vampire anthology, By Blood We Live, has shown us that. There are many that think that it was the renowned Bram Stoker and his legendary novel, Dracula (1897) that started it all. While Dracula and Mina’s tale most definitely made vampires and vampire fiction hugely popular, it wasn’t the first vampire story written. Before Dracula there was the quite popular ‘Carmilla’ (1872) by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, ‘Ligeia’ (1838) by sublimely sinister Edgar Allan Poe, ‘Varney the Vampyre’ (1847) by James Malcolm Rymer and on and on, the list is extensive. But what was the very first vampire work of fiction? Who was the one to first write a creative piece of literature involving a vampire?

The answer to that question is a poem by Heinrich August Ossenfelder, titled ‘Der Vampire,’ which came out in 1748. This poem is generally recognized as one of the very first appearances of a vampire in creative literature.

Der Vampire
By Heinrich August Ossenfelder

My dear young maiden clingeth
Unbending fast and firm
To all the long-held teaching
Of a mother ever true;
As in vampires unmortal
Folk on the Theyse’s portal
Heyduck-like do believe.
But my Christine thou dost dally,
And wilt my loving parry
Till I myself avenging
To a vampire’s health a-drinking
Him toast in pale tockay.

And as softly thou art sleeping
To thee shall I come creeping
And thy life’s blood drain away.
And so shalt thou be trembling
For thus shall I be kissing
And death’s threshold thou’ it be crossing
With fear, in my cold arms.
And last shall I thee question
Compared to such instruction
What are a mother’s charms?

- Moonlight

Tattered Star T-Shirts – Very Cool, Ghoul

annimi — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:35:47 +0000

I just recently got a couple Tattered Star t-shirts in the mail, and I have to say, I’m pretty effing thrilled with them. The guys over at Tattered Star have a pretty awesome selection of monster shirts, with witty sayings on them, you know. Example, one of my shirts says “Conserve Water, Drink Blood”– how cool is that? If you’re looking for more of their wares, check out TatteredStar.com. Below, we’ve got a little bit of interview from the guy who owns the company, letting you know he feels about Vampires.com, among other things, and even giving us a sneak peek at what kind of shirts they’ll be selling in the future. So if you’re wondering, what’s so great about this Internet t-shirt shop, it’s because the shirts are funny, and soft, and all about monsters, –with new vampire designs in, what’s not to love?

Interview with Wes (Big Man at the Tattered Star Store Online!)

1. At the risk of sounding too much like a character from Scream: What’s your favorite scary movie?

That’s really hard to answer being a big fan of horror. At this moment, I would say Dawn Of the Dead (Remake)

2. What was your inspiration for starting a horror culture t-shirt store?

At first I wanted to do political shirts but I’ve always had a dark sense of humor. We started with “Undead Rights! Zombies Were People Too!” as a way to tie in to the politics by using the undead as the oppressed.
The ideas started to flow from there and now our main focus is on horror and gamer t-shirts. These are things that I enjoy and identify with.

3. What was the first horror movie you ever saw?

Return of the Living Dead. Loved that movie.

4. Do you have a favorite monster?

Zombies. But lately, thanks to TrueBlood, vampires have been taking over. I’m rereading Bram Stoker’s Dracula now.

5. What’s your favorite design among all the shirts you have for sale?

It’s a tie between “Conserve Water Drink Blood” & “Learn to Spell for His Sake”.

6. Can you reveal what’s in the future for Tattered Star? If so, please share.
We have a lot of new shirts coming out before October. There is talk of a Fangoria show in Las Vegas and I hope to have three of these new shirts ready for the event, one of which is an Edgar Allan Poe shirt that will hopefully be out next week. We also plan an H.P Lovecraft shirt before the end of the year.

7. Are you a TrueBlood fan, and if so, who’s your favorite character?

Yes, it’s one of the best shows on the air. My favorite character would have to be Sookie.

8. Who is your favorite vampire of all time?

I like the original Dracula the best but Bill from True Blood is great too.

9. If you were a vampire, what would your name be?

Armando Castrella the 623rd.

10. Finally, what are your thoughts on Vampires.com?

The biggest thing I like are the articles that cover everything vampire. Like all monsters, the myths of vampires have changed over the centuries. Writers put a new spin on old stories in order to come up with something fresh. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not but Vampires.com lets people see the big picture; all the different views and how they relate to one another. This forms it into one mythos with many faces.

The Terrifying Lost Journal

Moonlight — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:49:27 +0000

Vampyre: The Terrifying Lost Journal of Dr. Cornelius Van Helsing is an older book but totally worth mentioning. While the intended age group is 9-12 year olds it is most definitely a book for kids, teens and even adults. Since most book love is directed at adult-intended, more serious books, I thought it was about time to give a fun one a shot.

This is an highly interactive book that revolves around the lost (now found) journal of Bram Stoker’s Dr. Van Helsing. The journal follows Dr. Van Helsing’s travels while he tries to learn about his brother’s mysterious illness, along for the ride is his assistant, Gustav de Wolff.

Every page is a new journal entry and is beautifully done. The pages are full of maps, authentic looking handwriting, photographs, sketches, newspaper clippings and a handful of inserts. The inserts include things like a pull out protection spell, letters for you to open and read, a mini booklet of vampire lore…etc. As I said above this is very much an interactive book, with all the inserts and pop ups and the likes. There are so many little things for you to play with and discover, from “real” wolf fur to touch to secret messages that you have to rub in order to view what is hidden underneath. Each page has something different and innovative for you to explore.

While this is a book of fiction there are many fascinating and very true facts in there. Every page is packed full of genuine research and information for you to learn. The author of this book (the real author being Mary-Jane Knight, who’s name is hidden in the publishing info) without doubt did their vampire lore research because the book covers what many non-fiction vampire encyclopedias cover.

As I mentioned, this book is a few years old now so finding it at a bookstore may be difficult. Luckily we have the internet where you can find new and used version of the book in an assortment of places, like here. Any Bram Stoker fans and anyone looking for a break from serious novels should pick up this fun book.

Vampyre: The Terrifying Lost Journal of Dr. Cornelius Van Helsing (Hardcover)

- Moonlight

Vampires » bram stoker

Vampires: Girls vs. Boys

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