Nosferatu
While vampire movies have been on the big screen, and been a success, for many years no film in this genre has caused as much hysteria as Twilight. An adaptation of Stephanie Meyers' popular novels the film topped the US box office grossing $70 million in it's opening weekend.
Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother remarries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change.
Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she's ever met. Intelligent and witty, he sees straight into her soul. Soon, Bella and Edward are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance. Edward can run faster than a mountain lion, he can stop a moving car with his bare hands and he hasn't aged since 1918.
So to celebrate the release of the film this week FemaleFirst looks back over some of cinema's best vampire characters and movies.
Nosferatu
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was released in 1922 and was an unauthorised version of Dracula by Bram Stoker. Thomas Hutter is an employee at a real estate firm in Wisborg and is sent by his employer Knock to visit Count Orlok in the Carpathian Mountains to finalize the sale of a house. He leaves behind his wife Ellen with friends.
Close to his final destination, Hutter boards at an inn, where the locals become frightened at the mere mention of Orlok's name, and discourage him from travelling to his castle during the night.
The next day the coach that Hutter has hired to get to the Count Orlock's castle will only take him half way and he left to walk the rest of the journey. He is welcomed by Count Orlok whose grotesque facial features hidden by his hat. At this stage he seems nothing more than an eccentric gentleman.
Hutter wakes up to an empty castle with fresh wounds on his neck, which he attributes to mosquitoes. That night he is joined by Orlok and they sign the documents for the sale of the house facing Hutter's.
Hutter finds the book The Book of the Vampires, which was in his room at the inn, and begins to suspect that Count Orlok is in fact Nosferatu. Exploring the castle hutter finds the crypt where Orlock is resting in a coffin. Filled with terror Hutter flees from the castle. And Orlok's coffins are loaded onto a boat.
When Hutter returns home he finds Knock in a confinement cell where he tries to bite the neck of the doctors. Hutter leaves the hospital and tries to warn his town of the soon to be arriving danger.
Directed by German Expressionist filmmaker F.W. Murnau and scripted by Henrik Galeen an it was the first in a string of Dracula adaptations.However the film company had failed to get permission from Stoker's estate to produce their film adaptation of his popular novel. In 1925 a court order decreed that all prints of the film be destroyed. However some did survive.
Despite this Nosferatu has become one of the most popular Dracula themed movies blending early ideas of horror with artfulness. It is distinct and memorable which is quite a feat for a movie that was released in 1922, just at the end of the silent era.
The Horror of Dracula
The Horror of Dracula was one of the first retellings of Bram Stoker's classic tale in colour and Christopher Lee took on one of his most famous roles.
Jonathan Harker takes employment with Count Dracula, ostensibly to catalog his vast library. In fact, he is on a mission to kill the Count, a vampire. Before he can do so however, the Count gains the upper hand and Harker soon finds himself as one of the walking dead.
Dracula has taken an interest in Harker's fiancée, Lucy Holmwood and it is left to Harker's colleague, Dr. Van Helsing to protect her. He has difficulty convincing Lucy's brother, Arthur Holmwood, of the dangers or even the existence of vampires.
Soon, however, Arthur's wife Mina is targeted by Count Dracula and he and Van Helsing race to find his lair before she is lost to them forever.
Blade
Blade has been one of the most vampire series in recent years producing three movies since 1998 with Wesley Snipes in the title role Blade, half-vampire, half-mortal.
Based on the comic book of the same name, Blade (Snipes) is a half-mortal, half-immortal bent on avenging his mother's death and destined to rid the earth of a race of vampires.
Meanwhile, the modern-day technologically advanced vamps he's targeted are in pursuit of his special blood type needed to summon an evil god who plays a key role in their plan to execute the human race.
The first film was the most successful of the Blade franchise grossing $130 million worldwide and kicked off the wave of superhero movies that would make it on to the big screen.
Interview with the Vampire
Horror author Anne Rice penned the screenplay for this full-blooded adaptation of her novel, which chronicles the life of 18th-century nobleman Louis (Brad Pitt) after he is bitten by powerful, charismatic vampire Lestat (Tom Cruise).
Though enthralled with the undead lifestyle at first, Louis is unable to warm up to killing humans and grows despondent. To comfort Louis, Lestat creates another vampire (Kirsten Dunst in a star-making performance), a young girl who from then on cannot age.
Antonio Banderas appears as Armand, a 400-year-old vampire, and Christian Slater plays the radio producer who interviews the remorseful Louis.
Director Neil Jordan captures the lush decadence and erotic fervor of the novel, infusing the film with rich, dusky tones. The big budget is well used to bring each period and place to sharply detailed life, and there is no skimping on the blood or immortal angst.
The film grossed $223 million worldwide and became a cult hit.
Twilight is released 19th December
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
While vampire movies have been on the big screen, and been a success, for many years no film in this genre has caused as much hysteria as Twilight. An adaptation of Stephanie Meyers' popular novels the film topped the US box office grossing $70 million in it's opening weekend.
Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother remarries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change.
Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she's ever met. Intelligent and witty, he sees straight into her soul. Soon, Bella and Edward are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance. Edward can run faster than a mountain lion, he can stop a moving car with his bare hands and he hasn't aged since 1918.
So to celebrate the release of the film this week FemaleFirst looks back over some of cinema's best vampire characters and movies.
Nosferatu
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was released in 1922 and was an unauthorised version of Dracula by Bram Stoker. Thomas Hutter is an employee at a real estate firm in Wisborg and is sent by his employer Knock to visit Count Orlok in the Carpathian Mountains to finalize the sale of a house. He leaves behind his wife Ellen with friends.
Close to his final destination, Hutter boards at an inn, where the locals become frightened at the mere mention of Orlok's name, and discourage him from travelling to his castle during the night.
The next day the coach that Hutter has hired to get to the Count Orlock's castle will only take him half way and he left to walk the rest of the journey. He is welcomed by Count Orlok whose grotesque facial features hidden by his hat. At this stage he seems nothing more than an eccentric gentleman.
Hutter wakes up to an empty castle with fresh wounds on his neck, which he attributes to mosquitoes. That night he is joined by Orlok and they sign the documents for the sale of the house facing Hutter's.
Hutter finds the book The Book of the Vampires, which was in his room at the inn, and begins to suspect that Count Orlok is in fact Nosferatu. Exploring the castle hutter finds the crypt where Orlock is resting in a coffin. Filled with terror Hutter flees from the castle. And Orlok's coffins are loaded onto a boat.
When Hutter returns home he finds Knock in a confinement cell where he tries to bite the neck of the doctors. Hutter leaves the hospital and tries to warn his town of the soon to be arriving danger.
Directed by German Expressionist filmmaker F.W. Murnau and scripted by Henrik Galeen an it was the first in a string of Dracula adaptations.However the film company had failed to get permission from Stoker's estate to produce their film adaptation of his popular novel. In 1925 a court order decreed that all prints of the film be destroyed. However some did survive.
Despite this Nosferatu has become one of the most popular Dracula themed movies blending early ideas of horror with artfulness. It is distinct and memorable which is quite a feat for a movie that was released in 1922, just at the end of the silent era.
The Horror of Dracula
The Horror of Dracula was one of the first retellings of Bram Stoker's classic tale in colour and Christopher Lee took on one of his most famous roles.
Jonathan Harker takes employment with Count Dracula, ostensibly to catalog his vast library. In fact, he is on a mission to kill the Count, a vampire. Before he can do so however, the Count gains the upper hand and Harker soon finds himself as one of the walking dead.
Dracula has taken an interest in Harker's fiancée, Lucy Holmwood and it is left to Harker's colleague, Dr. Van Helsing to protect her. He has difficulty convincing Lucy's brother, Arthur Holmwood, of the dangers or even the existence of vampires.
Soon, however, Arthur's wife Mina is targeted by Count Dracula and he and Van Helsing race to find his lair before she is lost to them forever.
Blade
Blade has been one of the most vampire series in recent years producing three movies since 1998 with Wesley Snipes in the title role Blade, half-vampire, half-mortal.
Based on the comic book of the same name, Blade (Snipes) is a half-mortal, half-immortal bent on avenging his mother's death and destined to rid the earth of a race of vampires.