Vampires

Do modern and classic vampires have equal entertainment value? Vampires have been very popular in culture for a long time. Before the Box Office gave way to Superheroes there were a slew of vampire movies that held the public eye. Why do vampires hold our interest when it comes to entertainment? It seems that way because the fantastical creature has been presented to us in a variety of different forms, thanks to such horror masters as Bram Stoker and Anne Rice. Count Dracula is by far the most well-known but Rice’s infamous Lestat De Lion court also holds his own when it comes to popularity. Even though he wasn’t the first vampire writer, Bram Stoker managed to ignite our imaginations with a blood-drinking human form. Both Dracula and Lestat got their debut in books that were the chosen format probably because it’s the format that is most elusive to our senses and most appeals to our dreams. A movie is a dictatorship, but a book is a fertile ground for your own imagination. I am an avid vampire fan and have been since I was 10 years old or so. The very first "vamp" book that I read was called “Vlad the Drac”. A family had discovered him whilst on vacation in Transylvania. A terrible vampire by today's gruesome standards since he passed out at the sight of blood and preferred soap as a meal. Bringing him back home through British customs as a souvenir doll, since he was only 14 inches tall. Vlad was a kind of soap-predatory Paddington Bear. As I grew older my taste for horror became a little more sophisticated. I found that vampires grew up with me as my desire for thrills increased so did theirs as they perfected their hunt for the perfect victim. It seems that they fascinate because of a forbidden taboo, cannibalism. Some of the older vampires are more subtle in their attempts to get food, a sleight of hand in the cookie jar or bosom. Secretly, I think we all desire to be tempted by a Vampire either to become their food or their companion. The seduction of immortality is probably most prevalent at the end of our teen years and into our early twenties. The idea of being bullet-proof or untouchable is a Vampire trait we ourselves exhibit. This would explain why Stephanie Meyer’s most recent and very popular, Twilight series, is appealing to the age group that ironically needn’t worry about their immortality. Immortality is most appealing mainly because you still look like you’re 20 even though you are over 100 years old. Add the sexual romantic element of vampirism into the mix and you have a potent bestseller. Anne Rice has made a fortune from the Vampire Lestat. The loveable rouge aka “The Brat Prince”. Lestat is a French nobleman, born in 18th century France and most of his life lessons are a mirror image of Rice herself growing into an adult. The Vampire Chronicles as they are known are fantastic to read and take us through history with beauty and charm. There is no denying the popularity of such creatures and their counterparts of demons, witches, and secret societies, it's plain the appeal they have. I see hundreds of kids dressed as vampires on Halloween; they are incredibly popular today as they were 20 years or so ago when I was dressed as such. Dracula has been made into a movie several times by several different directors that have each interpreted them contrarily. Dracula tells the story of Count Dracula, notice the title. The fact that he was a Nobleman or Master, makes his dominance more seductively terrifying, I mean who wants to be tempted and seduced by a deadly aristocrat? It seems a lot of people fancy this if you take into account his popularity. Even though his failed attempts to move from Transylvania to England to acquire fresh blood and recruits for an undead cause, are just that, dead. He is stopped by Dr Van Helsing who is a leading authority on the subject of darkness. Even Rice’s Lestat and Louis have not escaped Hollywood's fascination but when it comes to vampires, I think one of the most important factors is the age of your readership. Bram Stoker is a little hard going for a high school student; Meyer’s Edward Cullen and Bella Swan are tailored for YA as the books are incredibly easy to read. Anne Rice’s novels are very well written and have beautiful descriptions and varied aspects of love. Rice herself has recently claimed that Louis and Lestat were in fact a gay couple. Vampires have always sold well whenever love is involved, they have an uncanny ability to slither across boundaries and this suits our modern interpretation of them. Compassion unfused with lust, jealousy, anger, and frustration, are a few emotions vampires amplify for us in the modern interpretation of this creature. That we just long to be loved so why wouldn’t the vampire? Anne Rice’s first novel, Interview with a Vampire, was actually pretty horrific in parts especially the part where Claudia is put to death. I must admit though that the rest of her novels seemed to lack justice to the horror industry and are borderline lipstick fantasy. Stephen King wrote Rose Red which is about a vampire house. Vampires are so very malleable they can be formed into any format, I guess that also contributes to their entertainment value. I always found that vampirism can be found in numerous forms in various places in the world. In my opinion, fantasy should really be the genre that modern vampires fall into. Fantasy is appealing to us all on some level and while some vampires are horrific, others are comedic. Take the recent animated movie by Adam Sandler, Hotel Transylvania in which Dracula’s Teenage daughter falls in love with a human. Drac is a single father, he is mocked and made a spectacle of all in the name of good fun and of course love. Maybe as we grow older, should long for a more visually “concrete vampire”? Some of the older novels, ironically, don’t really let us see the vampire. Just sniffing, maybe, at the idea that immortality can be ours. Is something dark lurking outside “our” window? Our eyes shift above up pulled bed sheets. Our breathing gets shallow and a tell-tale heartbeat that is walloping like a gong can be heard by the monster, essentially giving us away. We really want it to be our window! To save us from old age. We really want to be able to live forever but even now the impression of immortality is giving us the slip. What is lurking outside the window is the ugly truth that living forever is a curse. Maybe that’s when vampires really become a monstrosity to us. In days of youth, we wanted to fly with the vampire on his unearthly adventures but personally these days I’d rather fly with Superman. We are still, in the dark places of our minds, longing for that which is different than going to Dillions for food. Vampires bite people and drink blood. Older vampires are less sexual but way more erotic than the newer vampires. This may appeal to an older more romantic, prudish audience. Just flirting with the idea of being a vampire rather than just simply thinking, fuck it. As we get older, we prefer flirting because it is reminiscent of what we dared to do when we were youths but without the bite of consequence. Both modern and classic vampires have their roots in Europe. I would honestly like to see an American vampire. Both modern and classic vampires have exquisite fangs to pierce their victim’s necks and drink the blood draft. There are a lot of similarities between the two that cannot be denied. Another main appeal of vampires to us is their form and how similar it is to human form and the more time a vampire spends in our presence, the more human it becomes by deed, looks, and personality. Though We must never forget that the vampire is a creature, like a dog, and even though they look human they are not. I think that the author has an impact on the type of vampire that is written. Male vampires that are written by women tend to be more ruthless and sadistic than those that are written by men. I have never seen a female vampire written by a male except maybe Dracula’s brides who just docile killers are doing Drac's bidding. I actually prefer classic vampires since you know where you stand with them. The humanization of vampires has crossed barriers and definitely increases their allure. Young teen girls want a hot male-dominant vampire flippant as they are. Older female readers still want a central hot male but long to be seduced. It seems they are the most selfish creatures, living on their own passions and desires. Maybe that is true of their allure that they live whimsically without consequence. I have never seen one on trial for murder which is what would happen to us humans if we suddenly decided to drink blood. Vampire novels that have realism are terrifying but escape the mundane. I guess I can see why that is appealing. The actual story of Count Dracula is based on a real-life Lord in Eastern Europe called Vlad the Impaler. Vlad did not drink anyone’s blood, but he was a tyrannical and bloodthirsty ruler. Once his adversaries had been caught, he put their heads on spikes. This is where the beginning of the legend that a stake through the heart can kill a vampire. It seems an appropriate ending for such a creature that has “staked” our hearts for over 200 years. In that time period, Vampires have been a boundless, thrilling, fantastical, mystery and still have plenty of entertainment value to offer.