It’s almost impossible to find a movie or show on TV these days without scrolling through countless vampire and werewolf selections. I’m not complaining. I like a good vampire story and I sometimes like certain werewolf movies. I prefer the vampire to the werewolf. But I’m writing to explore why we are so fascinated by these creatures. I have a couple of theories.
Movies have always been about escaping from real life for a few hours. Sometimes it’s to ease our pain, sometimes it’s to simply entertain us, sometimes it’s to explore new topics, sometimes it’s to calm us down or wake us up, or countless other reasons. Mostly for me it’s to entertain. My movie preferences have changed dramatically over the years. I once enjoyed light romantic comedies and though I no longer seek them out I do occasionally run across one with an actor I like and I’ll watch it. It must be witty and sharp and I’ve lost all interest in fluff. I still enjoy a good saga based on real or fictional events. I love to lose myself in a book of great length with lots of characters and I like my movies that way too.
From the beginning of my movie-going experience I have enjoyed vampires and werewolves and ghosts and monsters and space exploration/alien films, books, and TV. (I am currently drafting a four-book saga about an alien invasion but with a decidedly different twist.) I thought I would grow out of it but so far I haven’t---and I’m 66. Vampires for some reason have had special appeal for me all these years and I’m thrilled that there are so many new vampire stories around. Some I like, some not so much.Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula is my favorite vampire of all time. Lugosi was an imposing man, seemed very dignified and he brought something to vampire lore besides all the blood and guts. He was a monster but oh so cultured and refined. Yet, he was indeed a true vampire. He killed people and drank their blood. Not a nice guy but a great actor. A close second is David Boreanaz as “Angel.” Oh, my goodness.
Why I became fascinated with bloodsuckers as a child is beyond me even today. What is the appeal? Some say it’s a metaphor for intense sexual voyeurism. Some say it’s a release for our internal animals and allows us to keep ourselves in check by releasing a little of that imprisoned brutality via an innocent film. Over time I have determined that for me it’s the science of filmmaking and the absolute adoration of wild fiction. The more extreme the better.Vampires are only part of our obsession with abhorrent behavior. Many of the great novelists of years ago wrote about human suffering that was on a par with a vampire story. Complete degradation and depravity by one human toward another. Some took just a tiny step forward and created human monsters. Just a tiny step. A human capturing a person and torturing them say in the Spanish Inquisition is easily replaced by a “pretend” vampire. It somehow lessens the horror because we understand it’s pretend whereas the Spanish Inquisition was not pretend. These monsters we’ve created help us cope with the real monsters in our world. And we still have so many of them. Some are worse than vampires or werewolves and just as difficult to get rid of. Some hold public office.
A couple of years ago my son told me about a vampire film entitled “Let The Right One In.” It was a Swedish film and the most intense vampire film I’ve ever seen in my life. I have to say it sort of spoiled me for all other vampire films. Talk about metaphor. This particular vampire was an unfortunate child who would spend eternity finding people to take care of her and help her meet her “needs.” I won’t give it away. An American version has been made (“Let Me In” which I haven’t watched yet but I will to compare). The reason I liked this film so much is that it beautifully portrayed ordinary life so perfectly with the one simple exception, the little vampire. She was no different than any other child really. She wanted to be loved and cared for and she was lonely. The characters in the film were beautifully crafted and the cinematography was unbelievable. I thought about the film for weeks and weeks. (Wear something warm when watching this film.) There are so many suffering children in the world. The fantasy of this film brought that home clearly.
Late in the run of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (TV) I stumbled upon an episode one evening flipping around the channels trying to find something good to watch. The particular episode was so outstanding (“The Seven Gentlemen”) I watched another then another then another. I became a “Buffy” fan. My daughter has since purchased the collector’s edition set of every single episode for me then a couple of years after that she gave me the spinoff, “Angel,” with the aforementioned David Boreanaz reprising his role from “Buffy” in the lead. Joss Whedon created both series and I love the way his mind works. His vampires were fantastic and his storylines were amazing. In addition to Boreanaz, James Marsters played “Spike” in both series. Quite a vamire! Because of these two characters I have not been able to succumb to any of the current “cute” vampires. By the way, I’m “O” positive.
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