Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I've just finished watching my second vampire movie of the weekend. It was the Swedish film, Let the Right One In, which was actually pretty good, but my enjoyment was slightly marred by the vampire "rules" that peppered the storyline. To be honest, Let the Right One In is quite subtle with it's use of the "rules", but even so, in how many vampire films do we need to see somebody moving into a house and immediately taping blackouts over the windows? I know I'm watching a vampire film! I know they don't like the bloody daylight! You have no chance whatsoever of creating an "ooooooh" moment for me by implying that the strange kid next door has an aversion to the sun.

The thing is, 10 years ago I probably would have gone "ooooooh", but having reached saturation point with vampire films and tv shows, any reference to the "rules" is now kind of irritating. Even attempts to side step the cliches are now cliches. I now expect to see the know it all vampire hunter explain to the uninitiated new guy that crosses don't work. It would be easy to blame Twilight for my disillusionment, but I think I was already bored of bloodsuckers by that point. The real culprit is probably Joss Wheddon who squeezed every last drop of blood out of the genre with seven seasons of Buffy and five of Angel. By the end of that lot, every one of the "rules" had been explained, broken or ignored to the point where I could write a 10,000 word dissertation on why vampires can smoke but can't give the kiss of life.

So what do you reckon? Is there unlife left in the vampire genre or should it be dead and buried?

Twilight ruined vampires for me as they were all lovey dovey.
I hated that

I felt Underworld 2 did vamps well (haven't seen the other 2)

I usually like Vampire films, some are really bad (you all know which one I mean), but you still get some new takes on the theme. problem is at the moment there are loads of vampire films / TV programs on, so it can get a bit boring.

I think as long as the themes of the film keep changing (which they do) then the idea will stay. Recently the idea of good (and in the middle) vampires has become more popular, so the feel is changing. Instead of the normal Vampire slayer kills vampire story the ganre is getting a bit more depth which is nice.

Incidentally, the first vampre movie of the weekend was Daybreakers. Overdone vampire movie cliche in this instance = crossbows.

I just watched Daybreakers last week and was quite disapointed (even Williem Dafoe couldn't make the film good),it had it's "moments" but overall,big thumbs down...and of course,the ending set up a sequal.

I agree the "Vampire genre" is about dried up for now,nothing particular interesting or "new" being offered in any film or television show,perhaps it should be staked for a bit...but,with films like Twilight pulling in millions...I belive the worst may be yet to come.

Vampires-overdone
Zombies-overdone (still my favorite though)

I think they need to go Werewolf for a short time, come out with some good werewolf flicks while they think of some new genre of movie monster to exploit.

Yea, hot chick werewolves. American indian hotties scantily clad in soft leather, long black hair, big round luscious......

Or something completely different? What about kappas? Could you invent a brand new genre based around a japanese water demon that dies when it bows its head in respect because all of the water falls out of its brain? Erm, I guess not...

EDIT - According to wikipedia, the only thing kappas like eating more than babies is... drum roll... cucumbers! Seriously, how could you not make a great film with these guys in it?

There can be only one! One! Oooone!

My local Borders has a whole secton devoted to 'Supernatural Fiction' and it all seems to be vampire novels focused at fat women in their 40's and 13 year old emo girls.

I'm all vampired out too.
I'd also like a decent zombie movie, as long as Romero isn't involved... he kicked the genre off but his last few attempts have been truely woeful.

Waaagh_Gonads wrote:My local Borders has a whole secton devoted to 'Supernatural Fiction' and it all seems to be vampire novels focused at fat women in their 40's and 13 year old emo girls.

I'm all vampired out too.
I'd also like a decent zombie movie, as long as Romero isn't involved... he kicked the genre off but his last few attempts have been truely woeful.

I reluctently must agree concerning Romeros latest films,while I enjoyed them (because,hey...they are Romero zombie films) they are definatly not up to par with his earlier works,his latest "Survival of the Dead" being especialy cringe worthy.
I'm looking for the zombie genre to run it's course as well,however...IF a World War Z film is made,and IF that film is any sort of a finacial sucess...we will be up to our necks in terrible zombie films.

That is all.

I suggest Shadow of the vampire to each and every one of you. Dafoe is simply awesome. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189998/

As far as "the rules" go, I liked Carpenter's Vampires as it linked them to Judas and readily explained the sunlight/silver/stake weaknesses.

Oh, and Twilight sucks big hairy monkeynuts!

But what media aimed at 12 yr old girls DOESN'T?

If anyone has not seen it, True Blood on HBO is an interesting twist into Vampires and other mythological creatures. Very much like how they turned extraordinary events (like Jericho and Three Moons over Milford) into ordinary drama, it goes the same with True Blood. Vampires are there yeah, but they only add another dimension to what is happening in terms of strife and conflict.

Flashman wrote:The real culprit is probably Joss Wheddon who squeezed every last drop of blood out of the genre with seven seasons of Buffy and five of Angel.

THANK YOU!

People need to get over this Joss Wheddon = good writer myth that everyone seems to believe. He can write 2 maybe 3 decent seasons worth of stuff, but past that, he's crap. And his X-Men run sucked hard.

And before someone says it, YES Firefly was good, but it wouldn't continue to be good if it had continued. The best thing to happen to it was being canceled and spared additional seasons.

I saw Let The Right One In a couple of months ago, I really liked it. It's like The Hunger crossed with Near Dark (sort of).

WarOne wrote:If anyone has not seen it, True Blood on HBO is an interesting twist into Vampires and other mythological creatures. Very much like how they turned extraordinary events (like Jericho and Three Moons over Milford) into ordinary drama, it goes the same with True Blood. Vampires are there yeah, but they only add another dimension to what is happening in terms of strife and conflict.

And even coined the acronym "VILF".

Like a Milf, but the V is for Vampire.

Bits of True blood are ok (Anna Paquin has grown up rather nicely - giggedy), but other bits are as bad as Kindred was ( the Aaron Spelling produced TV series spinoff of the Vampire:the masquerade rpg) or Moonlight.

Underworld wasn't bad as far as vampire flicks go. It was too close for comfort for White wolf though (who seeing as they'd sold the entire non-gaming multimedia rights to the property to SONY anyway) were SOL at getting it stopped. It was a SONY movie.

The Hunger and Near Dark have their moments, though.
So does Shadow of the Vampire. A 'behind the scenes of the making of 'nosferatu' 'kinda movie.
John Carpenter's Vampires is not bad - if you consider it has no connection at all to the AWESOME book by John Steakley apart from naming similarity.

Albatross wrote:

That is all.

Not quite all...

WarOne wrote:If anyone has not seen it, True Blood on HBO is an interesting twist into Vampires and other mythological creatures. Very much like how they turned extraordinary events (like Jericho and Three Moons over Milford) into ordinary drama, it goes the same with True Blood. Vampires are there yeah, but they only add another dimension to what is happening in terms of strife and conflict.

It also seems to have popularized the term "fangbanger"

Deadshane1 wrote:Vampires-overdone
Zombies-overdone (still my favorite though)

I think they need to go Werewolf for a short time, come out with some good werewolf flicks while they think of some new genre of movie monster to exploit.

Yea, hot chick werewolves. American indian hotties scantily clad in soft leather, long black hair, big round luscious......

Angels are going to be the NEXT BIG THING, IMO.

Angels.... sorry but I've been creeped out enough by them the last 2 weeks.

Terrible, terrible sequels...

Flashman wrote:I've just finished watching my second vampire movie of the weekend. It was the Swedish film, Let the Right One In, which was actually pretty good, but my enjoyment was slightly marred by the vampire "rules" that peppered the storyline.

You should read the book. The Vampires are the least disturbing aspect of the story. Yikes!

Anyway, I would say that my favorite Vampire movie ever is From Dusk Till Dawn. Partly because I didn't know that the Vampires were even coming so when they started the slaughter at the Titty Twister I was standing up wondering exactly WTF had just happened to my awesome bank robber movie! Love that film! Interview With a Vampire wasn't bad either, but that was just a well-made film, so I don't feel that it was carried solely by it's subject matter(though it didn't hurt.) The most recent Vampire film that I enjoyed was 30 Days of Night, which was just about as far from a teeny-bopper love fest as you can get. Using a crying child as bait? Stabbing a guy through the gut with his rifle(anyone else see Pumpkinhead?) Absolutely brutal, and actually scary at times. The end was a little disappointing, but I enjoyed everything leading up to it.

I guess what I'm saying is that it's still possible for Vampires to be the subject of decent movies. We just have to wait for the Twilight crowd to move on to their next abomination and they'll go back to the dark recesses of the film industry with the rest of the Horror Genre where they belong. I'd get started on how bogus it is the way horror films are treated by the AMPAS but that's an entirely different thread.

George Spiggott wrote:Terrible, terrible sequels...

Sad but true, I do have a soft spot for the entire series though.

..and it works out well enough by the end all things considered.

Platuan4th wrote:

Flashman wrote:The real culprit is probably Joss Wheddon who squeezed every last drop of blood out of the genre with seven seasons of Buffy and five of Angel.

THANK YOU!

People need to get over this Joss Wheddon = good writer myth that everyone seems to believe. He can write 2 maybe 3 decent seasons worth of stuff, but past that, he's crap. And his X-Men run sucked hard.

And before someone says it, YES Firefly was good, but it wouldn't continue to be good if it had continued. The best thing to happen to it was being canceled and spared additional seasons.

Yes, he's probably best when he's pushed into a corner and has to finish off the story in a limited period of time. The last two episodes of Angel were obviously rushed, but you can't fault the last 10 minutes. My wife hates the ending, but the Butch and Sundance style conclusion is exactly where Angel should have finished (none of this redemption crap they kept hinting at).

Serenity is a good example too. Ok Joss, you have a hundred odd minutes to give a good case for turning Serenity into a franchise. He probably found it a bit limiting (and would have dragged out the Miranda plot line through an entire season given half a chance), but was forced to turn out a compact but highly enjoyable space adventure that knocked spots off Revenge of the Sith released in the same year.

reds8n wrote:

Deadshane1 wrote:Vampires-overdone
Zombies-overdone (still my favorite though)

I think they need to go Werewolf for a short time, come out with some good werewolf flicks while they think of some new genre of movie monster to exploit.

Yea, hot chick werewolves. American indian hotties scantily clad in soft leather, long black hair, big round luscious......

Angels are going to be the NEXT BIG THING, IMO.

Best get ready for it then. A friend of mine was reading these books called Maximum Ride, where these kids are fused with birds of prey, so they have giant wings, lighter bones, all that jazz, so they are technically angels. And they already have manga out, and he was talking about an anime coming out for them too.

Anyway, yeah, I read the twilight series because I had nothing to do (and all the girls at my school love that stuff ), but I didn't really enjoy it. It was too.... mainstreamed, at that point, and I kinda pushed myself through it for the wrong reasons.

Nerds are the only people I know who take personally other people releasing things. "They released a new rules edition, this makes my old one invalid!" No, it doesn't. just play the old one as I'm sure lots of people feel the same as you. "They made a book where vampires smile, there fore all vampires have lost their badassness for the rest of eternity!" Heavens forbid. Seriously, just read what you want and let it be.

I'm voting for insanity-inducing tentacle monsters as the next big thing.

Waaagh_Gonads wrote:Angels.... sorry but I've been creeped out enough by them the last 2 weeks.

Feth, those things give me nightmares they are easily the scariest Doctor Who monster's (I would even say they are scarier than a lot of modern horror movies I've seen).

I think we need to move onto a zombie vs vampire vs human survivors doomsday film.

Zombie plage spreads through population, vampires lose their food supply, therefore become more overt in attacking few remaining humans (perhaps rounding many of them up in secure locations to feed on them. "Wild" humans try to hide/fight both zombies and vampires, and zombies just try to kill and eat everything.