Along with the figure of the zombie, that of the vampire has also been widely exploited in horror cinematography. A figure as melancholy and charming as it is ruthless and cruel, the undead has dominated and continues to dominate the imagery of thrill cinema, becoming an important and unforgettable icon of vampire movies.
We gather, below, a small portion of the vampiric filmography, compiling a list of what, for us at DarkVeins, are the best films about these pale creatures of the night, aware that we leave out other titles that are surely just as good.
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15. Underworld: a commendable blockbuster horror saga centered on the struggle between vampires (Kate Beckinsale embodies the vampire Selene) and Lycans. The first chapter, titled Underworld (2003), is directed by Len Wiseman and is followed by the sequels Underworld: Evolution (2006) e Underworld - The Awakening (2012). The franchise also enjoys a prequel entitled. Underworld - The Lycans Rebellion (2016).
14. 30 days of darkness (30 Days of Night): also emerging among titles made after the 2000s is this film directed by David Slade in 2007 and based on the comic book series of the same name by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith. 30 days of darkness enjoys a sequel namely the less successful 30 Days of Darkness II (30 Days Of Night: Dark Days).
In 30 days of darkness the protagonists, for whom we recall Josh Hartnett and Melissa George, will be dealing with a group of ravenous vampires in a small town located in Alaska, right at the time of year when the sun disappears for a month.
13. The vampire's diary (Vampire Journals): certainly does not go unnoticed this spin-off of the saga Subspecies (consisting of four chapters) conceived and written by Charles Band and directed by Ted Nicolau. Melancholy and macabre in tone, The vampire's diary (1997) by Nicolau sees vampires Ash (Jonathon Morris) and Zachary (David Gunn) vying for the love of Sofia (Kirsten Cerre).
12. Vampires: directed by John Carpenter in 1998, is influenced by elements of Western cinema and features a team of vampire hunters grappling with dangerous undead led by Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith). The two sequels, The hunter of darkness and Vampires 3 were not as successful as the first chapter.
11. From Sunset to Dawn: From Dusk till Dawn is a violent vampire movie directed by Robert RodrÃguez in 1996 and boasts, in its cast, such prominent actors as George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis and Salma Hayek. The latter among others, as Santanico Pandemonium, stars in an erotic/horror sequence that has now become a cult.
In From Sunset to Dawn, outlaw brothers Seth and Richard take the Fuller family, who are traveling by RV, hostage in order to reach the border. Their destination is the Titty Twister, a Mexican truck stop bar.
The sequels From sunset to sunrise 2 - Texas, blood and money and From dusk to dawn 3 - The executioner's daughter did not achieve the success of the first chapter.
10. Lost boys (Lost Boys) - definitely one of the best horror films of the 1980s, Lost boys (year 1987) has become a cult among lovers of the genre.
A single mother moves with her two children to California. Here one of them, Michael Emerson (Jason Patric), falls in love with Stella (Jami Gertz). Unfortunately for him, the girl belongs to a gang of vicious motorcycle vampires among whom is David (Kiefer Sutherland).
9 Vampire Slayer (Fright Night): is a horror comedy directed by Tom Holland in 1985. The film enjoys a sequel Vampire Slayer 2 And a decent remake, Fright Night - The Vampire Next Door, made in 2011 by Craig Gillespie and starring Colin Farrell. There is also a sequel and reboot titled Fright Night 2- Fresh Blood (Fright Night 2- New blood) from 2013.
Protagonist of theVampire Slayer Is a boy who is fond of vampire horror movies. One day he discovers that his neighbor, Jerry Dandridge, is undead, but no one will believe him.
An old-fashioned film made with a lot of care. Definitely ideal for those nostalgic for the 1980s.
8. Dracula the Vampire (Dracula, Horror of Dracula) - directed by Terence Fisher in 1958, Dracula the Vampire is the first installment in the series on Count Dracula made by Hammer Film Productions and certainly one of the best. Playing the role of Count Dracula is the late, great Christopher Lee, an unforgettable horror icon who, among others, played this character in eleven other films (including seven of the above-mentioned Hammer-branded series).
7. Dracula: a timeless classic directed by Tod Browning in 1931 and starring an unforgettable Bela Lugosi as Dracula. Indeed, the Hungarian actor embodies a macabre but at the same time charismatic and elegant character. Evocative and disturbing, Dracula Browning gives one of the most brilliant vampiric figures in horror cinema.
6. the vampire movie Near the Dark (Near Dark) - In Near Dark (1987) Kathryn Bigelow brings to the stage a story somewhere between horror, western and road movie, in which there is no shortage of sentimentality. Young Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) falls in love with Mae (Jenny Wright), a sweet vampire who lives with her friends in a trailer.
Ne the vampire movie Near the Dark changes the classical conception of the vampire, represented here no longer elegant and romantic but violent and dirty. A kind of society's outcast.
5. Miriam wakes up at midnight (The Hunger): based on Whitley Strieber's novel of the same name, this class of 1983 vampire movie by Tony Scott is notable for its elegance in directorial style, sophisticated cinematography, and outstanding performances by Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie. A singular film in story, thanks to the majestic screenplay from Michael Thomas, Ivan Davis and James Costigan, and which sees the vampire Miriam (Deneuve) change husbands every two to three centuries. Her lovers in fact, over time, tend to lose their eternal youth, withering away and then finding death.
4. Interview with the vampire - (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles): the film (1994) is directed by Neil Jordan and is based on the novel of the same name by Anne Rice.
In Interview with the vampire, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas play three vampires. In Jordan's film, Brad Pitt's bravura performance as Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire with noble sentiments, stands out, but even more so, it is Tom Cruise's over-the-top acting performance that sticks out. For the latter is Lestat, a ruthless undead who decides to vampirize Louis in order to have a companion with whom to share eternity.
3. Dracula by Bram Stoker - directed by Francis For Coppola in 1992, Dracula is based on the novel of the same name written by Irishman Bram Stoker in 1897 and inspired by the figure of Vlad III Prince of Wallachia. Romance, drama and horror come together for an outstanding result. In Coppola's film, Gary Oldman plays an unforgettable Count. Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves are Mina Harker, Professor Abraham Van Helsing and Jonathan Harker, respectively.
2. Nosferatu the Vampyre (Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht): a magnificent tribute to Murnau's silent classic. A successful remake, made in 1979 and considered a masterpiece. The film is directed by Werner Herzog and is masterfully played by Klaus Kinski, here in the role of Count Dracula. Herzog in fact offers a kind of re-imagining of the 1922 film by presenting the viewer with a sad vampire who wishes for death rather than being condemned to live for eternity.
1. Nosferatu - The vampire - could not macare Nosferatu (Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens), the silent film directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau in 1922 and considered the German director's masterpiece as well as one of the cornerstones of horror and expressionist cinema. In Nosferatu, Max Schreck is the deformed Count Orlok while Gustav von Wangenheim is Hutter, the real estate agent who will have to meet with the obscure client to get him to sign the deeds of sale of a house in Wisborg. Nosferatu is a timeless classic, a constant and inexhaustible source of inspiration.
What do you think might be other worthy candidates for this list?
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