I watched a really great new vampire movie from Sweden last night Let The Right One In (2008). The story is about two 12 year olds but it is not a story for 12 year olds – the movie is deadly and it is shot with surprisingly artful vision. I don’t want to give too much away but it’s received great reviews across the board and has been optioned to be re-shot by a Hollywood studio – it’s that good and it will probably be massacred by the Hollywood touch. The movie was just released on DVD and if you want to check it out, here is the trailer...

Some of my other favorite vampire movies include….

Nosferatu (1922), no further explanation is needed. If you haven’t seen this masterpiece, you need to put it on your list of movies to see before you die, it’s that simple.

Shadow of the Vampire (2001), is a wicked black comedy about the making of Nosferatu that is well written, beautifully acted with Willem Dafoe (nominated for an Oscar for this movie), John Malkovich, Eddie Izzard and Udo Kier (who nails his role as the producer). I don’t want to give too much away but if you haven’t seen it and you enjoy old vampire movies and a smart movie, then it’s worth watching. One of the best lines of the movie comes from the director to the starlet “All you have to do is relax, and, as they say, the vampire will do all of the work.”

Near Dark (1987), What’s not to like about vampires driving around the West in a Winnebago with the nastiest adolescent vampire I’ve ever seen on the big screen? This movie was groundbreaking when it came out and holds up over time. There is a solid love story and diabolical vampire politics, it’s dark and sexy and has a western theme to it all that is engrossing. Before the Twilight series was optioned, this movie was going to be remade since it missed a large audience when it was released. It’s still a good movie and because of Twilight which lifted many of the themes from Near Dark and made them more wholesome, it is unlikely Near Dark will be reshot but it’s worth watching if you like a little more grit and guts to your vampires.

The Hunger (1983), the movie is more style than substance but the style of this movie inspired many, many movies that came after it so it’s worth watching on that level alone. Catherine Deneuve, Susan Sarandon and David Bowie are perfectly cast and it’s a visually impressive movie.

Oooh I so want to see that! It's on my Netflix!

My favorite's growing up & through to now:

John Badham's Dracula (1979) w/Frank Langella: This really got me hooked on the whole genre. My mom loved him & we watched it for the 1st time together & I thought he was so suave & sexy. It turned me to the dark side.

Love At 1st Bite: All I can say is "Black Chicken!, Black Chicken!" God I loved this growing up. I thought it was hilarious & sexy.

The Hunger: Stylistically, It just had me. Plus I was a huge David Bowie fan since I was a wee little girl.

Blade: It all comes down to that very 1st scene in the vampire rave. That took me by surpise & freaked the hell out of me. I actually felt like I was that poor victim. But it sold me on the whole movie.

From Dusk till Dawn: I never expected to like that but turns out I loved it.

Fright Night: I think I watched that movie a million times. For me growing up, it had it all. Wit, Charm, Sexiness & actually kind of freaky.

The Lost Boys: Come on. It's a part of my John Huges youth. Plus, I was always a big Jamie Gertz fan.

Near Dark: Funnily enough I just re-watched it recently & it didn't have the same impact but when I 1st saw that movie, I was riveted.

Bram Stroker's Dracula (Coppola): This is SOLELY based on Gary Oldman's performace. I thought he was amazing. That scene w/him & Mina? He was brilliant. Even having to convey thos vulnerable emotions against the atrociously wooden Winona Ryder & he did it w/zero effort & made me cry.

Honorable Mentions:

Nightwatch: I thought this was super cool. Although was hugely disappointed in Daywatch, the sequel.

Rabid (David Cronenberg): I remember as a kid, this movie freaked the hell out of me.

The Addiction: Directed by Abel Ferrar. 'nuff said for those familiar w/Abel. For those that aren't, he is pretty intense, cerebral & ah....I say a brutal attack of your senses at times. Annabella Sciorra in one of the best role I have seen her in. Also - it's in Black & White & it only seems to add to the gore & menace.

Underworld: What Can I say? I liked it! Bill Nighy is an awesome, awesome vampire as Viktor & Michael Sheen as Lucian (the Lycan) is like I have never seen him. Chock full of charisma. Those 2 had me sold (despite Kate Beckingsdale).

Blade 3 Trinity: Parker Posey, the ultimate snarky brat, as a vampire. I had died & gone to heaven. Bitchy never looked so good. My only complaint is that her role was bigger.

Hmmm vampire movies ? well i have NEVER been one to watch horror (and i mean i can read some pretty freaky stuff,just not watch it) and about the only vampire movie that i liked, was one when i was growing up

the ORIGINAL MOVIE-Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Oh that reminds me - even thought it's not the movie I am talking about - Buffy the Vampire Slayer was/is probably my favorite TV show of all time.

I love a good vampire movie.  I don’t know that I have a favorite movie of all time; however I do have a list of my all time favorites.  Here they are in no particular order:

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Interview with the Vampire

Queen of the damned

The Lost Boys

Blade the series

Underworld the series

And I am sure I am forgetting a few more.

Hi, I've been lurking on this forum for a bit.

I like all vampire movies. My favorite vampire movie is The Lost Boys.

I absolutely love Dark Shadows. The original series from the 60s-70s. Barnabas Collins/Jonathan Frid is my favorite vampire.

Newbie to this forum, so hello to all!

Near Dark (1987), What’s not to like about vampires driving around the West in a Winnebago with the nastiest adolescent vampire I’ve ever seen on the big screen?  

This movie is when I feel I fell in love with vampires! I loveloveloved that movie. and mind you I was born in 1980 so I was really young when I saw it (not very good parental supervision in my family-lol).

But I love all vampire movies!!!!

How about the Queen of the Damned soundtrack? Am I the only freak who has that and listens to it constantly? I love to play it when I'm reading anything dark and twisty.

I haven't checked it out before. Is it instrumental? I have a 'Dark & Moody' playlist I put together for when I read my Paranormal books!

Ooohhh....I'm interested to know what's on your playlist. I love my QotD soundtrack but can always use more music.

oh, it's not instumental. It's song and lyric music. but the tone of the music draws me in. Have you watched Queen of the Damned recently? Most of the music is actually played in the movie (being a movie about Lestat becoming a rock star and all)

Oh...LOL!....At 145 songs! It's long! But here are a bunch:

• Psychedelic Furs,  - "Sister Europe"
• Chris Isaak -  "Life Will Go On"
• Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny - "Cinema Paradiso"
• Erik Satie -  "Gnossienne No. 4", "Gnossienne No. 1" "Trois Gymnopedie"
• The whole Bat for Lashes Album called "Fur & Gold"
• Queens of the Stone Age - "Running Joke"  & "Into the Hollows"
• Ingrid Michaelson   - "Corner of Your Heart" -
• Echo & the Bunneymen -  "The Killing Moon"
• Fischerspooner - "All We Are"
• Beth Gibbons (from Portshead) & Rustin Man the whole "Out of Season" Album - but check out "Spider Monkey", "Drake", "Show" & "Romance" to see if you like.
• Stars - "Going, Going, Gone"
• A lot of PJ Harvey - "Catherine", "Angelne", "The River", "Working for the Man", "We Float" etc...
• Grace Jones - "Private Life", "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)", "Waling In the Rain"
• Janes Addiction - "I Would for You"
• Marilyn Manson - "Coma White"
• I have most of the whole Donnie Darko album (instrumental) bar a few which are 2 noisy for me to enjoy.
• Pulp - "This is the Harcore, "The Fear"
• Faithless - "Crazy English Summer" & "Evergreen"
• Silversun Pickups - "Booksmart Devil"
• Portishead - "Only You"

I haven't watched it recently but I will check it out on itunes now!

wow. I will definitely be looking those up when I get home.

QotD soundtrack is kinda hardcore. Not sure it's for everyone, but I love it. If you like Korn, Linkin Park, etc. then you'll enjoy it. It's very dark to me. My most out there CD in my collection. but if I'm reading paranormal, its playing in the background

I just heard some snippets of it - it is hardcore! I love all music as long as it's good. I can't read with that in the background though! You can??! That's amazing.

My playlist is exactly what it's called "moody & dark" & a bit sexy (for the right scene!)  but it's not fast or loud nu-metal.

LOL. That is the hardest music on my iPod.  I have always read with music playing. I'm wierd like that..I love music. I'm a lyrics kinda girl. a great beat mixed with great lyrics...

The only books I can't listen to music with while I read are the classics. unless its classical music, no lyrics.

Me too. I am a sucker for great lyrics.

I usually read with music too but sometimes I really do love absolute quiet. There are certain books though I have to read with music on in the background.

Hey Darlene! Funny that you mention the QoD soundtrack. Krystal and I were just talking about it a couple of days ago and we both own it and listen to it frequently. Reading/watching supernatural stuff always puts me in the mood to listen to it or other wicked sounding things- Tool, Deftones etc. I listen to just about anything though, except for country- I have to draw the line somewhere :  )

I listen to just about anything though, except for country- I have to draw the line somewhere :  )

I love it all although I agree about the country. Although I do have a weakness for Taylor Swift *sheepishly grinning now*

Would it make me a bad person if I said that I have never seen Queen of the Damned?

Loving the 'Dark & Moody' playlist. I can see that I need to do some serious updating on my iPod and get my hands on 'Queen of the Damned'.

SORRY SORRY SORRY - Just read the ground rules on using the forum! So thought I would check in and introduce myself and this seemed as good a place as any to do that.

My name is Niki, 32 year old female residing in sunny Queensland Australia. I was just prowling the internet looking for a new series to sink my teeth into when I came across your little forum. That was about 2 hours ago and now I have a HUGE list of books that I need to hunt down in the coming weeks.

I look forward to reading more of your opinions and possibly joining in the conversation.

Welcome, Niki! Glad you found us! The ladies on this forum are awesome. Expect your book list to continue to swell. lol. My top pick at the moment is the FEVER series...love me some Barrons and Mac  

Would it make me a bad person if I said that I have never seen Queen of the Damned? 

No, not at all...Just slightly deprived of the hotness that is Stuart Townshend as Lestat... 

Aaliyah rocked it as well as Akasha (spelling?)

But I love love love the soundtrack.

Good News! I managed to track down a copy of Queen of the Damned!

The phone is off the hook, the coffee pot is full and I am just about to kick back on the couch for a private screening.

Stuart Townshend as Lestat...

I am ready to be enlightened! But he has big shoes to fill if he is to make my Top 5.

Speaking of Vampire Movies, what did you guys think of Twilight (books & movies)? Most people I know won't admit to having read them or to have seen let alone enjoyed the movie.

Oh, I will admit it! I am Twilight obsessed. I have read the series to the point where I have it memorized. I enjoyed the movie, but it really kinda sucked. I think it was the style in which it was filmed. Had a very "indie" vibe to it, which is ok, but not how I envisioned the characters coming to life on the screen. Rob P. was not a welcome Edward to me at first. Then I saw the movie, and, dayum! He is sooooo Edward to me. He owned that character. Kristen S. is not a very good Bella, she kinda plays the same girl in all her movies. But she does well I guess. I do love Kristen Stewart, I just wish she'd done more justice to my beloved Bella. Overall I am highly anticipating November 20th.   I was just joking on the Sookie forum the other day how odd it is that I began by reading Twilight and ended up in the darker worlds of Sookie, Fever, Highlander, Anita, and the Black Dagger Brotherhood. LOL,  It happens...

Out of curiosity...Who are your Top 5?

Hey Niki - welcome! I loved Twilight. It actually reignited my whole reading love life. Now that's pretty much all I do in preference to Movies & TV. I honestly never thought I would see that happen!

Darlene - the same thing happened to me - Twilight brought me back to Sookie & then so on....

I am glad to hear that there are other mature readers out there who enjoyed Twilight too. I have to admit that Twilight did the same thing for me. I don't think there has been a day where I haven't been in the middle of some novel/series that has me totally sucked in. I would rather have my head stuck in a book than watch television (True Blood is the exception to that rule though!). We should all admit that nobody expected any oscar worthy performances with this film and I don't think that we saw any (if they gave away Oscar's for hotness then that would be a totally different kettle of fish!). There are things that the movie didn't do so well which makes it kind of a let down without the book to fill in the gaps and expand on the bonds that you see in the book. Ultimately I am eagerly anticipating November 20th.

I have had many heated discussions with friends regarding Robert Pattinson as Edward. I saw The Haunted Airman shortly before reading Twilight and I told a friend that he would be the perfect Edward and what do you know the universe clearly heard me! I wish Kristen Stewart would just smile once in a while. I am sure she is a perfectly nice person but she just looks so bloody depressed all the time. I am not sure who I would replace her with though, I envisioned her more like Kristen Dunst.

Okay Top 5, these are not necessarily vampires but the supernatural does make an appearance.

1.Hugh Jackman - Wolverine in X-Men. Those sideburns, biceps and that nude scene in Origins. OMG!!!!

2.Alexander Skarsgard - not just as Eric but that just ads to the appeal.

3.Louis - Interview with the Vampire. He is so loving but he is also a very frightening character.

4.Bill Compton - True Blood. I need to clarify here, I love Bill in the series but in the CH books I think Bill is a bit soft and gives up a bit too easy.

5.This one changes constantly depending on what I am reading or what I am watching. Today Dimitri Belikov makes the list. I am looking forward to Spirit Bound. I think deep down Dimitri is a good person and will find is way back to Rose and things will go back to where they left off. I think Dimitri is much more interesting than Rose, she totally ticks me off.

On reflection i think Edward Cullen should feature in the list somewhere too. He might be one of the wekest Vampires around (never sleeps, goes out in the sunlight and feeds off animals????? Who said Vampires were allowed to do all that!) but he is still pretty amazing.