Kirk's Top 5 Vampire Movies

Greetings and salutations,

    It's Kirk coming to you from the Hospital Bed of Love, and I am excited to hear your feedback on the short story for October. It was the first time I've shared a story from that Universe, but don't worry... Next month, I'm sharing a quaint little tale from the Necro Realm. Is it putting you knee-deep in the action that is that world? No. It's a standalone tale, but don't worry - next year, I'll be posting The Last Stand of Tony Laredo, which introduces you to Draco Lavanov and showcases his badassery. I thought long and hard about what the theme for this Top 5 should be, but I wasn't feeling in a thankful mood. Not that I'm not grateful for what I have, I don't get to celebrate it like you guys do. I get to sit in the Hospital Bed of Love, eat whatever it is they've made us, and that's it. I'll probably be writing, like I do every other day. Sounds depressing, that's why old folks perk up and are so excited to see you when you visit them in the home. You have no idea how much that means to us. 

Kirk's Top 5 Vampire Movies

5) Salem's Lot (1979): Surviving TWO remakes, the original is still the best. David Soul is Ben Mears, a writer who returns to Salem's Lot just in time for the mysterious Mr. Striker and Mr. Barlow to arrive as well. When I first saw this as a child, I saw only the condensed hour-and-a-half version, but I was still hooked. The vampires weren't pretty. They weren't walking around in tuxedos. They were everyday people being drawn into the darkness. Watching the whole movie is well worth it. Besides David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame, there's Bonnie Bedelia, Geoffrey Lewis, Fred Willard, and James Mason. 

4) Interview with the Vampire/Queen of the Damned: Up until the television series, this was the only version of the Vampire Lestat that we got. While I think Tom Cruise captures him perfectly, Stuart Townsend has that cockiness down to a T. It's unfortunate that they condensed the novels "The Vampire Lestat" and "Queen of the Damned" together. While it's still a good movie, they could, and should, have made them separate films. Getting Lestat's backstory would have been wonderful. While they do "kinda" touch base in Queen, it's not how he was made or his whole backstory. Where's Nicholas? His Mother? That would have made a captivating story. 

3) Dracula (1931): How could I not include the one that started it all? Alright, yes... Nosferatu did it first, but I'm referring to the creation of vampires in the classic mold. Up until Anne Rice changed the game on the genre, all vampires were considered aristocrats wearing tuxedoes, lurking in the shadows, craving virgin blood. Bela Lugosi is now, and will forever be, known as Dracula. He is the prototype, and to say he didn't do a great job in the role is to overlook the fact that he got typecast as the vampire. He was buried in the costume. And the funny thing about it is... he only played the character TWICE! Yes, that's right. The man only played Dracula in the titular film and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Now, he did play in Return of the Vampire, but that was not Count Dracula.

2) Fright Night (1985): This has been and always will be a hard choice for me. I LOVE this movie and the number one pick almost equally. I used to rent them both from the video store growing up every other week. If it wasn't Fright Night, it was the other. I've been in love with vampires since I was four. They used to terrify me. But then, that fear turned to love. I love the music to this movie, the pacing, and of course, Peter Vincent... Vampire Killer! The subtleties that Chris Sarandon put in, such as his being part "fruit bat" and whistling "Strangers in the Night," just add to the ambiance.  

Honorable Mentions: Underworld, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Innocent Blood, Nosferatu (1922), What We Do in the Shadows, Blade, The Monster Squad, 

1) The Lost Boys: "Say hello to the night!" Oh, this ONLY beats out Fright Night by a smidge. What it boiled down to is which is a better Pizza Movie. We used to buy pizza when watching these, and I associate both with the greatness that a REAL Chicago-style pizza (tavern, not deep dish) has when watching it. I clearly remember the first time that I saw it. We had Italian Villa pizza with RC cola (it was made with seltzer water). Oh, I'm reveling in the memory right now. But to the movie. The soundtrack still holds up as one of the best! The surprise ending is incredible. Even Corey Haim, whom I was never a fan of, is tolerable in the flick. If you've never seen it, get off your butts and rent it! It won't disappoint. 

Till next time,

K