OBS is bringing you a whole new feature; creatures of the supernatural, mythical beings that people fear and like. We bring you the things that haunt you in the night, howl at the moon, bite you and thurst for your blood. OBS has them all and is proud to present “Mythical Creatures Throughout History: An In-Depth Look at ‘Vampires’. We’ll breakdown every mythical creature and how it has formed part of our everyday life including favorite movies, books, songs, etc.
Brought to you by OBS Staff member Emily-June
But first, what is a Mythical Creature?
Almost always, these creatures are literary beings that generated popularity through circulation and story-telling. They are legendary creatures that at one point were believed to be real beings, while some have their origins traced from literary myths.
So with that cleared, hang garlic on the door, grab your bottle of holy water, carve a stake and sit down and relax.
The Sexy Heirs of Dracula
One of the most fascinating myths ever is that of the very old vampire. Since the ancient world there is the popular belief of bloodthirsty undead. They crawled out of their tombs during the night, but only since the 1897 published novel ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker, and instantly became media-stars. Stoker’s definition of a vampire was that they drink blood, human blood, with help of their long spikey fangs. With the blood they can life forever, change their victims to vampires, and just be plain cool. The only way to fight a vampire is using garlic, crosses and sunlight – these methods are mostly irrelevant in newly published books such as Twilight, but their ancestors such as Nosferatu and Co. still love to eat up people and burn to ash in the daylight.
Here is a quick timeline of vampire’s in movies from it’s beginnings in ancient myth until now.
These range from the beloved horror-beings of old to the snarling demons to seducing bad boy bloodsuckers up until current day lovesick immortals.
1922: Nosferatu
The beginning of horror, Friedrich W. Murnau’s german expressionist silent film staring Max Schreck as Count Orlok.
1931: Dracula
Bela Lugosi, the man who got buried in a dracula-costume is king of all vampires.
1931: Vampyr
Director Carl Theodor Dreyer did an expressionistic horror-event.
1958: Dracula
Glaring eyes and laszive elegance: Sir Christopher Lee formed the dark count like nobody else.
1967: Dracula in Pakistan
Even the islamistic world loved the undead, like this trash-gem shows us.
1967: Dance of the Vampires
Roman Polanski’s farce that brought us the first gay-vampire: Herbert.
1968: Goke
An alien parasite changes terrorists into blood-needing monsters. Strange japanese movie.
1971: Vampyros Lesbos
Naked version of the Dracula-theme by Jess Franco.
1972: Blacula
An Afro-american blood-sucker.
1974: Andy Warhol’s Dracula
Psychadelic Vampires by Paul Morrissey with Udo Kier.
1974: The Seven Golden Vampires
Very crazy martial arts-horror-mix.
1976: Dracula pére et fils
In this smug parodie the count has trouble with his all too human son.
1979: Nosferatu
Brilliant Klaus Kinski got fangs in Werner Herzogs remake – very great vibes here.
1979: Graf Dracula in Oberbayern
Vampire in the alps – thankfully not with bavarian style leather trousers.
1985: Fright Night
Horror and comedy with great special effects.
1986: Vamp
Cult movie with Grace Jones.
1987: The Lost Boys
In this 80’s hit Kiefer Sutherland is leader of a gang of undead rowdys.
1992: Bram Stokers Dracula
Francis Ford Coppola created a tragic undead antihero – played by a phantastic Gary Oldman.
1992: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Kristy Swanson brought us the vampire movie that would later be turned into a hit TV show.
1994: Interview with a Vampire
Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in quillings-shirts – adaptation of the great Anne Rice book.
1995: Vampires in Brooklyn
Eddie Murphy’s comedy film located in New York was a big flop.
1996: From Dusk Till Dawn
‘Everybody be cool’: George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino did party in the vampire club Titty Twister.
1996: Vampirella
Moderate comic-adaptation with a nearly naked girl-vampire.
1998: Blade
Wesley Snipes as grim Daywalker – half vampire, half human.
1998: John Carpenters Vampires
James Woods is brilliant as a cynical vampire stalker in this horror-western.
2000: Shadow of the Vampire
Wille Dafoe playes Murnau’s ‘Nosferatu’ in this movie-in-movie movie.
2000: The Little Vampire
Nice movie-adaption of Angela Sommer-Bodenburg’s books, but not as good as the TV series from 1986.
2002: Queen of the Damned
Dubious Anne Rice book adaptation with Aaliyah as the queen of all vampires.
2003: Underworld
Sex sells – Kate Beckinsale plays a vampire in the battle between vampires and werewolfes.
2004: Van Helsing
Gigantic budget film – $160 Million – but wan’t overly successfull.
2005: Trinity Blood
This Anime answers the question if humans and vamps can live next to each other.
2007: Rise: Blood Hunter
Lucy Liu takes revenge at her makers.
2007: 30 Days of Nights
Great comic book-adaptation about a cohort of bloodsuckers with a human-buffet in the 30 days of darkness of Alaska.
2008: Twilight
The vampire-hysteria was brought back by Stephenie Meyer’s bestseller books about Bella Swan.
With all this there have been everything from psychopaths, girlies and rebellious kids; just about a vampire for every taste.
And what vampires and supernaturals do we have to expect in 2010?
Well there’s the third Twilight movie ‘Eclipse’ and the 3rd season of ‘True Blood’, but will Robert Downey Jr. play Lestat in the new movie from Anne Rice series? And what do you think – will Ethan Hawke be a cool and hot bloodsucker in ‘Daybreakers’?
Anyway – my upshot: vampires and werewolves are the new pop-culture! And I love them … ALL!
Remember to check back next month, because OBS will be going Greek, with its Olympian Gods.
