New Dracula in LA

October contains Halloween, and as a result theatre-goers with a taste for the gothic can look forward to productions of Dracula.  These vary from the Balderson-Deane classic (which made Bela Lugosi famous) to such fresh takes as last year’s “feminist” version or an adaptation on roller skates or for that matter more than a few…

9 Best Vampire Movies on Netflix

Some of us are old enough to remember Blockbuster and VHS tapes, but those days (and nights) are no more. In the spirit of such, we gladly present one list of the 9 Best Vampire Movies on Netflix! 1. What We Do In Shadows (2014) a New Zealand mockumentary/reality show about a bunch of vampires…

The Dark Arts of Blood (review)

Freda Warrington’s vampire novels make for lush, intense dramas involving angst-haunted, fierce undead–lovers, enemies, family members, friends, despots, sometimes religious fanatics or raving lunatics. Her latest The Dark Arts of Blood certainly is no exception. More, her tales explore that strange dangerous moments and relationships inherent when the world of humanity blends with that of…

Are You Willing to Fund a “Shadow of the Vampire: Nosferatu” Remake?

There’s a Nosferatu remake planned. Or, there will be if you’re prepared to fund David Fisher’s Kickstarter project, “Nosferatu — The Feature Film Remix.” Okay so, I get the main feeling of this article, and that’s probably, –“don’t touch the treasure that is Max Schreck’s Nosferatu, it’s brilliant!” But hear me out: “Revisioning” this film…

Embrace of the Vampire (review)

We all know Embrace of the Vampire as a 1995 cult favorite that starred a much younger Alyssa Milano along with Martin Kemp and Charlotte Lewis. Now 2013 sees a remake. One can confidently expect almost any halfway-successful vampire film to get the remake treatment these days. So how is it? Well, to start with…

Biting Critique: Vampire Lore as Vehicle For Social Commentary

With the 6th season of True Blood having just concluded, and with fans eager for new episodes, it’s fascinating to reflect on the bevy of issues the show has addressed over the course of its run, including: xenophobia; subjugated groups gaining tolerance in an increasingly permissive society; humanity’s constant struggle to reconcile animalistic urges with…

Non-Fiction Spotlight: The Romance of Dracula

The Romance of Dracula by Charles E. Butler is, in his own words, “a personal journey of the Count on celluloid.” I think that is a perfect way to describe this book, which is part film critique, part essay, and part personal reminiscence. Like Mr. Butler, I love the vampire film genre as well as…

Moth Sluts from the 5th Dimension!

Vampires come in all shapes and sizes, yes? We know this. From the rat-like mummy Graf Orlock to the drop dead gorgeous creatures of Twilight. More, we know some are aliens. The vampires of Doctor Who for example, as well as the shape-shifting super-psychics of Lifeforce and of course the green alien title character from…

Sneak Peak: Styria

We’ve covered the upcoming motion picture Styria for over a year. This marks the first major film adaptation of Joseph Sheridan LeFanu’s Carmilla since 1989 (the Nightmare Classics version)! This week I was invited to a private screening of the current edit of the film. A few things remained unfinished. One or two scenes haven’t…

Virtual Vampires on Kickstarter

Daniel Cavallin and Andrés Cavallin, aka the “Cavallin Brothers,” are game designers.  They created their first video games back in the 1980s  and won a programming contest at the ages of 11 and 12 respectively — before the IBM PC was even invented! They founded TrueApps LLP, with the mission of creating entertainment software to…