What's in a name

One of the key quotes for the remake of Fright Night is the line "That's a terrible vampire name Gerry"
which is being used in the commercials constantly.   It got me thinking about some of the classic vampire character names.  Names you won't be able to think of without thinking about the movies they are connected to.

4- Vlad
3- Radu (the Subspecies series)
2- Armand (Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles)
1- Lestat

Okay, so Lestat is the most obvious and a bit of a cheat as Anne Rice created the name when she originally wrote Interview with the Vampire back in 1976.

I think the vamp name game quote though has to go to 1992's original film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer  with the line "Pike isn't a name it's a fish". 

Just classic.

Movies this week-Aug 14-19 2011

There are two vampire movies this week being released that I am currently aware of. 

 
Priest gets it's DVD/Blu-Ray release  on Aug 16th  and the remake of Fright Night is released in cinemas on Aug 19th


These are release dates for Canada and the US

BloodRayne 3 (2011)

Plot: Rayne teams up with a group of freedom fighters during World War 2.  She accidentally turns one of Hitler's solders into a vampire who just happens to have the same daywalking powers as herself.  Now she needs to stop him before he can turn Hitler.


This movie even with the unrated director's cut only runs at 78 minutes.  Which is still about 30 minutes too long if you ask me.

I hesitated when I saw this on the movie shelf to begin with as I did not care for the first two.  What ended up being the deciding factor in my renting this was the fact Brendan Fletcher was in it. Who by the by was also in BloodRayne 2 Deliverance.  (As was Michael Pare who I think was the only actor to be in all three of the BloodRayne films. )

I get that the series can play out much like the Crow movies creating new storylines and characters given it is a vampire series, but this one fell really short.

The production of it rang like many made for tv Canadian shows, just a notch above an indie film. And I'm usually all for anything with a vampire or Canadian, but this one left a bad taste in my mouth.
There was little plot, bad dialogue and just felt like a waste of $7

Stake Land (2011)

Plot: Mister picks up Martin after his family have all been killed by vampires.  Together they travel through the United States trying to make their way to Canada, which is now called New Eden. The vampire plague has spread through out the rest of the world, mostly in the South.  Just trying to stay alive, they learn how to kill the vampires, and on the way save a nun from being raped.  Little do they know they have to now deal with the Brotherhood as they make their way to Canada.  The Brotherhood want revenge for them having killed two of their men. Things then heat up when a pregnant woman joins their pack of survivors.


I have to say, I loved this.  Normally I don't care for end of the world films, but this one has a quality to it that makes it dare I say believable.
The vampires in this film look more like the classic ghouls of the Night of the Living Dead films, and the kill count is so that we have one right off the start gate.  No prancing around the topic, you're watching a down and dirty film about the things and people who will pray upon you for no other reason then they can.

After watching this, you can't help but wonder if the creators were sticking their forks into other territory then the undead, which just proves something I've said over and over in the past; the vampire is the best metaphor for everything else we need to talk about.  See the movie, you'll get what I'm saying.

The Insatiable (2007)

Plot: Harry is a shy sales man who likes to help people.  While buying a hot dog for a homeless man, he witnesses the guy being killed by a vampire.  After one of his friends also becomes victim to the female vampire, he captures her but is unable to kill her. Soon he's left with the task of either destroying her or letting her destroy him.

I stumbled upon this film literally in the store. I'd never heard of it before.  I picked it up for two reasons, it's a vampire film I'd never heard of before and it starred Sean Patrick Flanery.

It could be called a remake of To Sleep with a Vampire, it has the same undertone to it. It also had a made for tv feel.
As you watch Flanery's performance, it's easy to get lost in his character and to overlook the sometimes poor sound production.  You believe he's this down on his luck out of touch hero. 

The introduction of the succubus mythology could have been expanded on but otherwise, it's a subtle movie.

Vampire Break- July 2011

Originally posted on my main blog on July 28th 2011

I was reading the latest issue of Cineplex Magazine, and they decided to do a small article on vampires with the coming remake of Fright Night just around the corner.
The magazine counted down their 9 top vamp things, which they listed as their Vampire Film Awards.

9 yes 9. Not 10 but 9.   Seems an odd number but whatever right.
They gave Best Vampire Hair  to Lost Boys (1987)
Best Vampire Fangs  to  Grace Jones in Vamp (1986)
Best Vampire Couple to The Hunger's David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve (1983)
Best Vampire Seduction to Interview with the Vampire for the Cruise/Pitt bite (1994)
Most Unbelievable Vampire Hobby   to Twilight for the vampire baseball. (2007)
Most Gruesome Vampires   30 Days of Night  (2007)
Best Dressed Female Vampire  to Underworld for Kate Beckinsale  (whole series of films)
Best Dressed Male Vampire to Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Hall of Fame Golden Cape Award to Christopher Lee for all the Hammer films

I'm with them for about 75% of these choices.  I agree that Lost Boys gets the best vamp hair hands down.  Gary Oldman getting best male dressed- agree.  I do agree that Twilight deserves the worst most unbelievable vamp hobby cause that's just... Best couple to the Hunger - yes, Best seduction to Interview with the Vampire, and I do not care for either of those actors Crusie or Pitt, watching their films is like torture for me. The hall of fame golden cape award hands down belongs to Sir Christopher Lee.
But best dressed female, best fangs, and most gruesome... those I have to disagree on.

With the hundreds of vampire movies I've seen over the years, those three categories are tough ones actually.  I think I would have given best fangs to the original Fright Night. 

All this is making me little hyper waiting for the re-make of Fright Night that comes out next month.

My Best Friend is a Vampire (1987)

Plot: Jeremy is a high school kid who just wants a girlfriend.  Roger is his best friend.  While at work one afternoon, Jeremy meets Nora, a sexy older woman who just happens to be a vampire. Soon Jeremy finds himself dealing with more then just keeping up his grades, he's got a vampire hunter on his tail.


This is one of those lost in the shuffle teen movies from the 80's, when teen movies meant something.
It was finally put on DVD just a couple of years ago, but has made it to cult status over the years from being on almost every late night television station movie marathons.

This movie is sweet, funny, and shows that no matter what you're going through, your real friends will always be there for you.   And it has the best line from any vampire film in the last 30 years   "This Blood's For You."