Vampire movies are back with a vengeance thanks to the box-office success of the Twilight Saga, but in all honesty they have never really not been out of the scene. One of the first ever films made, in the late nineteenth century, was a French vampire film, and since then there have been more than a thousand movies on a similar theme.
Of course before Edward Cullen came along, the most famous vampire of of all was Vlad Dracula, the Transylvanian Count. Also known as Vlad the Impaler, amongst other names, his story was made famous in the Bram Stoker novel, though there have been hundreds of other stories in vampire movies that have featured the infamous Count.
Of all those that stayed true to the story, perhaps Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation in 1992 is the truest. Starring the brilliant Gary Oldman as Dracula and Anthony Hopkins as his arch nemesis Van Helsing, it also starred Keanu Reeves and Wynona Ryder.
The character of Dracula or Nosferatu, has been popular since he first appeared on screen in 1922, played by German actor Max Schreck. Since then the character, in many forms and guises, and even with a slightly different name, has shown up in no less than two hundred and fifty titles. In an ironic twist of fate, another German actor, Thomas Kretschmann, will play the role in 2012's Dracula 3D, exactly ninety years after Max Schreck first did it.
The two actors who are perhaps most famous for playing the role of Dracula are Bela Lugosi, who starred first in the 1931 classic, and British veteran actor Christopher Lee who starred as the Count on 12 separate occasions. Of course Lee continues to make landmark films to this day, most memorably as Sauron in Lord of the Rings, as well as in the newer Star Wars films. Lee, was born of course in 1922, the same year Max Schreck first played the role, so maybe he was born to play the part.
There have also been a number of films that have been comedies, and the two genres have mixed extremely well. Actors like George Hamilton in Love at First Bite, Leslie Nielsen in Dracula - Dead and Loving It, and in 2012 Adam Sandler will take on the Count in Hotel Transylvania.
It is not only the novels of Bram Stoker though that has inspired these tales. The Twilight Saga is of course also based on a series of books, written by novelist Stephanie Meyer. The books have been translated into many different languages, and she has sold way over one hundred million copies in just a few years, making her the biggest selling author worldwide in recent times.
She follows in the footsteps of another female writer whose books have made good vampire movies, Anne Rice. Another who has sold almost one hundred million books, she has written a number of series based around Vampires. Two that have made popular films are The Queen of the Damned, starring Stuart Townsend and the late actress-singer, Aaliyah, and the smash-hit, Interview with the Vampire. The latter of course starred Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise as Lestat and a young Antonio Banderas and even younger Kirsten Dunst.
So if you enjoy vampires, there are so many movies for you to love. They come in all shapes and sizes, some are scary, some will make you laugh, while others are romantic and sexy, but vampires are here to stay.
Of course before Edward Cullen came along, the most famous vampire of of all was Vlad Dracula, the Transylvanian Count. Also known as Vlad the Impaler, amongst other names, his story was made famous in the Bram Stoker novel, though there have been hundreds of other stories in vampire movies that have featured the infamous Count.
Of all those that stayed true to the story, perhaps Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation in 1992 is the truest. Starring the brilliant Gary Oldman as Dracula and Anthony Hopkins as his arch nemesis Van Helsing, it also starred Keanu Reeves and Wynona Ryder.
The character of Dracula or Nosferatu, has been popular since he first appeared on screen in 1922, played by German actor Max Schreck. Since then the character, in many forms and guises, and even with a slightly different name, has shown up in no less than two hundred and fifty titles. In an ironic twist of fate, another German actor, Thomas Kretschmann, will play the role in 2012's Dracula 3D, exactly ninety years after Max Schreck first did it.
The two actors who are perhaps most famous for playing the role of Dracula are Bela Lugosi, who starred first in the 1931 classic, and British veteran actor Christopher Lee who starred as the Count on 12 separate occasions. Of course Lee continues to make landmark films to this day, most memorably as Sauron in Lord of the Rings, as well as in the newer Star Wars films. Lee, was born of course in 1922, the same year Max Schreck first played the role, so maybe he was born to play the part.
There have also been a number of films that have been comedies, and the two genres have mixed extremely well. Actors like George Hamilton in Love at First Bite, Leslie Nielsen in Dracula - Dead and Loving It, and in 2012 Adam Sandler will take on the Count in Hotel Transylvania.
It is not only the novels of Bram Stoker though that has inspired these tales. The Twilight Saga is of course also based on a series of books, written by novelist Stephanie Meyer. The books have been translated into many different languages, and she has sold way over one hundred million copies in just a few years, making her the biggest selling author worldwide in recent times.
She follows in the footsteps of another female writer whose books have made good vampire movies, Anne Rice. Another who has sold almost one hundred million books, she has written a number of series based around Vampires. Two that have made popular films are The Queen of the Damned, starring Stuart Townsend and the late actress-singer, Aaliyah, and the smash-hit, Interview with the Vampire. The latter of course starred Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise as Lestat and a young Antonio Banderas and even younger Kirsten Dunst.
So if you enjoy vampires, there are so many movies for you to love. They come in all shapes and sizes, some are scary, some will make you laugh, while others are romantic and sexy, but vampires are here to stay.
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Need to catch up on vampire movies starring your favourite actors? Fright Flicks has a variety of free films to choose from with new arrivals coming in daily. From zombie movies to thrillers, you will find films perfect for you.
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