Do Vampires Exist?
This has been a question that has been debated by humanity for as long as we have record. In years past, Vampires were feared and loathed. The Vampire of old more closely resembled the modern day zombie than the beautiful, marble creatures of today's fantasy worlds. Families defiled the corpses of their deceased simply out of fear of the unknown, yet these were not Vampires.The word "Vampire" once brought to mind hideous creatures that thirsted for death and wore death and destruction, however, this is simply no longer the case.
In 2011, humanity adores the Vampire, and the Vampires are simply basking in the glow of reverence offered by teens and grown men alike. With the emergence of books and films such as Twlight, Vampire Diaries and True Blood, the Vampire is no longer seen as something to be feared, but something beautiful, lonely and mysterious. Humanity hungers for the Immortal, but does the Immortal Vampire hunger for humanity.
Do Vampires Exist?
Logically, yes they do. Vampires exist and have existed in many forms throughout the ages. Annoying, exhausting co-workers might be called psychic vampires" and we're all aware of the plight of the modern mosquito! However, you're not here for such stories. You want the supernatural Vampire of myth, no?
With the recent climate change from fear to fascination, those who claim Immortality are becoming more and more common.
The Internet has opened the door for all kinds of individuals, may claiming to be vampires. Psychic Vampires, Sanguinarian Vampires... yet all are human, or are they? Underground websites have sprung from the depths of the Internet and there has never been a more exciting time for a vampiric soul to flourish. Between the Human "vampires", role players and fetishists, the occasional quiet and mysterious soul can be found. He or she does not require your belief, yet appears to revel in the anonymity afforded by the Internet. They exude strength, beauty and intelligence and a complete disregard for the vampire stereotype.
Are these Immortal Vampires that are walking silently among us? Are they wondering if we sit at our computers, pondering the question do vampires exist?
, while laughing at our ignorance.
Are they for real? Do vampires exist in our waking world? Only you have the ability to decide if Immortal Vampires exist.
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Popular Vampire Romance Book Authors by Dee Phillips
There is no doubt that vampire romance books are popular in the market right now. With the raging success of the book and movie Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, vampire romance books have dominated the romance genre market. But Stephenie Meyer is not the only vampire romance book author to shine in this newly created vampire era. There are many other authors of vampire romance books worth reading. Here is a sample of a few that you might enjoy:Charlaine Harris, Charlaine Harris is the author of the books on which the popular T.V. series True Blood is based. Her vampire novel, Dead Until Dark, is the first in the series and introduces Sookie Stackhouse and her vampire boyfriend, Bill. Their romance is a classic human-vampire mix. Charlaine Harris series of books is definitely worth reading. The T.V. series True Blood loosely follows the story, but adds a lot of embellishments for the made-for-T.V. plots. The books delve deeper into Sookie and Bills thoughts and relationship.
L. J. Smith, Here is another author that can boast of vampire books made into T.V. series fame. The T.V. series The Vampire Diaries is based on L. J. Smith vampire romance books, with the characters of Elena (the human element) and the love interest and rivalry of vampire brothers Stephan and Damon. The three battle the forces of evil and vampires to keep their hometown of Mystic Falls safe. The vampire books by L. J. Smith vary quite a bit from the T.V. series, but they also present a good read if you don't mind straying from the T.V. scripts.
Lynsay Sands, This is a different kind of vampire romance book author. Stephenie Meyer and L. J. Smith focus more on the teen vampire romance market, where Charlaine Harris captures a more mature market. Lynsay Sands goes a step further in the mature vampire market adding a bit of erotic reading to her great characters and plots. Her series of vampire novels include the Argeneau series, with character overlaping in her books, but each book is focused on a different vampire experience. Her premise of vampires and how they came about is unique and shows a different side of the vampire world. Romance leads the way, though, in every one of her books. If you like vampire romance books with a little "zing" to them, you should definitely try one of her books. Lynsay Sands books include: The Accidental Vampire, A Quick Bite and Love Bites, among many others.
Kimberly Raye, Kimberly Raye presents another twist on vampire romance books. Her books are new-age and very entertaining, even when mixed with the romance aspect of the books. Kimberly Raye has an excellent sense of humour which she incorporates into each story. Her characterization is wonderful, and her plots are extremely entertaining and quirky. Some of her books include, Just One Bite, Your Coffin or Mine, and Dead End Dating.
If you are into vampire romance books, you would definitely enjoy reading any of the vampire book authors mentioned above. All of their books make love and romance a part of their stories, but
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The Vampire Diaries is the most surprising show I have ever watched
The Vampire Diaries started out away just as one would
anticipate it to: not well. it experienced been only a teen vampire show
that latched on for that latest enjoyment vampire craze to tap in to a
marketplace the WB/CW experienced not harnessed yet. I started out
seeing it contemplating which i required some thing to drone within
track record even although I do homework, also it started out away since
the excellent show for that job: trash. The actors experienced been not
merely annoying, but moreover gave bad collection delivery (of bad
lines, at that) and do not appear getting especially decent actors (and I
arrived in to The Vampire Diaries with bad opinions of a number of
them, for example Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon), along using the
plot was all much more compared to place, without any focus.
The Vampire Diaries does have some problems (not a complete lot, but some). Some annoying/poorly acted and composed part characters could be one of the most glaring one, although it appears that somebody within your show's production office staff has caught on to this and offered them much less display time to the 2nd season. The dialogue is not great. It isn't bad any very much more (for the 1st few episodes I would cringe at several of Damon's and Jeremy's lines), also it occasionally is even good, but it's by no shows genuinely excellent (unlike real Blood, which has some extraordinary writing). The flashback scenes could be also pretty cheesy, however it isn't such as The Vampire Diaries has infinite production money.
The Vampire Diaries started out away just as one would anticipate it to: not well. it experienced been only a teen vampire show that latched on for that latest enjoyment vampire craze to tap in to a marketplace the WB/CW experienced not harnessed yet. I started out seeing it contemplating which i required some thing to drone within track record even although I do homework, also it started out away since the excellent show for that job: trash. The actors experienced been not merely annoying, but moreover gave bad collection delivery (of bad lines, at that) and do not appear getting especially decent actors (and I arrived in to The Vampire Diaries with bad opinions of a number of them, for example Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon), along using the plot was all much more compared to place, without any focus.
The Vampire Diaries does have some problems (not a complete lot, but some). Some annoying/poorly acted and composed part characters could be one of the most glaring one, although it appears that somebody within your show's production office staff has caught on to this and offered them much less display time to the 2nd season. The dialogue is not great. It isn't bad any very much more (for the 1st few episodes I would cringe at several of Damon's and Jeremy's lines), also it occasionally is even good, but it's by no shows genuinely excellent (unlike real Blood, which has some extraordinary writing). The flashback scenes could be also pretty cheesy, however it isn't such as The Vampire Diaries has infinite production money.
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During the middle ages, vampires were often apparitions. They were the embodiment of a soul that was not at rest. Usually a vampire would haunt or attack its previous family members. In order to stop these attacks, villagers would exhume the vampire body, hammer a stake through the heart, and cut off the head. Oftentimes the corpse was also incinerated. By staking the corpse it was believed a vampire would be pinned to its coffin and it would rise no more. Decapitation was a method to separate the brain from the body. In severe cases, fire was used to totally destroy a vampire corpse.
Vampires were spotted only after dark, so it was naturally believed that they couldn't exist in the sun. Additionally, darkness represents things evil whereas light, and the sun, is equated with good things. Vampires were not observed haunting their previous family members in daylight so the belief of sunlight aversion was born.
Bram Stoker released Dracula in 1897 the now revered, iconic, and timeless vampire tale. Bram Stoker redefined the meaning of what the vampire was. The creature took on personality, charm, and charisma. They were no longer senseless apparitions bent on destroying their past families. Vampires represented power and eternal life. Bram Stoker planted seeds that would grow into an enthrallment with all things vampire.
Today there are countless books about vampires. Vampire television shows such as Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Hunger, and Forever Knight found widespread success. Showing that vampire television shows aren't dead, new series such as HBO's True Blood are finding new audiences.
Vampire movies are also common productions by Hollywood. In the last few years we've seen the release of 30 Days of Night, the Evolution trilogy, I Am Legend, Twilight, and many more. Vampire groupies, fans, fanatics just can't get enough of vampire movies and Hollywood is quite willing to provide several new vampire films each year.
We love vampires. Until the creature is everlastingly redefined again, it is unlikely that vampire popularity will diminish. We can't help but become enthralled with idea of immortality, strength, power, and eternal life. Vampires represent these characteristics. Vampires will always be a popular form of fiction.
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When I first started watching the HBO series called True Blood on HBO on demand, which by the way, I watched the entire first season of twelve episodes in one weekend. I became fascinated not only with the story line and the characters, but that the vampires in this series drank bottled blood which is served in bars and stores, that of course had to be heated to the temperature of the human body. Of course the blood drank by the vampires was Rh negative blood. Over the last 8 years, I have studied, I mean by reading about this mysterious rare blood factor, and read on many websites which claimed that real life vampires, living humans who claimed to be vampires preferred O negative blood, and other of the ABO blood types with the Rh negative factor. I can understand that because O negative blood has no antigens. It is the universal blood donor. Antigens of the ABO blood types are sugars, and the Rh negative factor is a protein that can cause reactions and incompatibilities in blood transfusions, if the blood types do not mix, and since O negative blood has no antigens it is compatible with any blood type. Thus, it is the universal blood.. I am O negative and let's say, that I were a human vampire. I could only drink from another O negative or else I would have a reaction. An allergic reaction to the willing donor's blood. Yet, any Vampire of any blood type could drink from me.
What confuses me about the True Blood series is why do these vampires drink a variety of the Rh negative blood types, if as the series communicates time after time these vampires are dead? On many conversations, the vampires especially Bill Compton who is in the second highest place of the characters in the series talks about being dead frequently. He and Eric talk many times of having no heart beat, and are totally walking dead men. So, if they are dead, and would have no reaction to an antigen, why do they have to have Rh negative blood which is called the True Blood. O negative is called the "purest blood" type because it lacks no antigens. If a person is dead how could the blood react?
Another thing that is different is the myths of other vampire movies is the fact, that the blood of the vampires in the series have healing properties and hallucination properties like LSD. Lafayette the town drug dealer sold what is called V for enlightenment and for getting high. Another unusual thing in the series was that Bill used his blood several times to heal Sookie his human girlfriend, after she had been bodily injured. In the movie Bram Stokers Dracula and other Dracula movies drinking vampire blood after being bit would change that person into a vampire. I am thinking about the bed scene where Dracula would not allow his love to drink his blood in fear she would become a vampire.
You may think that the Blade franchise is dead and dusted since the last film, Blade: Trinity,
totally bombed (though personally Trinity is my favorite). But nope,
Blade is coming back! A Blade anime is coming soon to a television near
you! Another live-action flick is probably what most fans want, but we
can’t have another due to Wesley Snipes being in prison and all. Ah well, I love me some anime, and a Blade anime sounds awesome.
I wrote about this anime a few months back when a sneak peek was released, but Marvel just officially announced a few days ago that Blade will be aired on G4, with the premiere episode coming on Friday, January 13th, followed by at least three more months of episodes.
The big bad Blade will be voiced by Harold Perrineau, known for his roles in Lost and the Matrix, with the direction and writing headed by veterans of the anime industry. From Marvel’s official description, the story will be one we already know and know well, but with a more national feel to it.
What do you think of the anime? Will you give it a watch?
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5 Vampire Movie films to Watch Before You Die
5. 'Vampires Suck
Starting at number Five is the hilarious spin off of all vampire films specifically 'Twilight'. The film was launched in 2010 by directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer who are also the directors of the amazing Disaster Movie, Scary Movie 1, 2, 3 and 4, Epic Movie and Date Movie! The film relates the strange story of a girl known as Becca that finds herself involved with a bizarre love triangle (an odd idea for a film, I know!). As the film progresses it reaches its denouement at the high school graduation prom. Not all vampire films need to be spooky!
4. Van Helsing- starring Hugh Jackman
Starring Hugh Jackman, this rip-roaring adventure of a movie follows the notorious vampire hunter Van Helsing as he seeks out his arch-nemesis, Count Dracula. The film is highly regarded for its tense action sequences and stunning special effects. I would highly recommend you seek out and watch this film- it's exceptionally entertaining!
3. 'Twilight'
Ok, this is a 'marmite' film, which essentially means that you are either going to really adore it, or really detest it- there is no in between! Personally I consider myself part of the former camp- for all its faults I do believe this is a great movie. This movie tells a story of a teenage girl who risks everything as she can't help falling in love with a good-looking vampire. Twilight was initially a book written by Stephanie Meyer along with New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn which were all also made into 'must-see' movies. Undoubtedly the film's target market is the teenage sector. If you happen to watch one of the Twilight films in a cinema no doubt you will hear hysterical shrieks and other such noises coming from the teenage contingent! I know that this film gets a lot of negative press, and a great deal of 'haters', but I love it- so there!
2. An Interview With The Vampire
Coming in at number 2 is the utterly brilliant 'An Interview with the Vampire', directed by the highly regarded Neil Jordan. The film is adapted from the very popular novel (of the same name) by Anne Rice, and tells the story of a man's transformation from human to vampire, and his subsequent life as an immortal. The lead role is well played by Brad Pitt, and compared with many of the other films in my top 5, this movie is much more 'serious' and 'literary' in nature. Classic literary themes are addressed by both the film and novel such as morality, conscience and also the struggle with one's sense of mortality. If you find yourself liking this brilliant film then I would suggest you look up Ann Rice's novel as well. It's an utterly amazing read. She also published a couple of follow-ups which are equally good!
1. 'Blade'
Drum roll please! Yes, that's right, my all time favourite vampire movie of ALL time, is 'Blade'. Blade was directed by Stephen Norrington and released in 1998. It's packed with drama, horror and a lot of blood! This is more of a 'sit on the edge of your seat' or 'hide behind the duvet' movie. It tells a story of a half-vampire, half-mortal person (played by the notorious Wesley Snipes) who becomes a protector of the mortal race against evil vampires!
The Vampire Diaries does have some problems (not a complete lot, but some). Some annoying/poorly acted and composed part characters could be one of the most glaring one, although it appears that somebody within your show's production office staff has caught on to this and offered them much less display time to the 2nd season. The dialogue is not great. It isn't bad any very much more (for the 1st few episodes I would cringe at several of Damon's and Jeremy's lines), also it occasionally is even good, but it's by no shows genuinely excellent (unlike real Blood, which has some extraordinary writing). The flashback scenes could be also pretty cheesy, however it isn't such as The Vampire Diaries has infinite production money.
The Vampire Diaries started out away just as one would anticipate it to: not well. it experienced been only a teen vampire show that latched on for that latest enjoyment vampire craze to tap in to a marketplace the WB/CW experienced not harnessed yet. I started out seeing it contemplating which i required some thing to drone within track record even although I do homework, also it started out away since the excellent show for that job: trash. The actors experienced been not merely annoying, but moreover gave bad collection delivery (of bad lines, at that) and do not appear getting especially decent actors (and I arrived in to The Vampire Diaries with bad opinions of a number of them, for example Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon), along using the plot was all much more compared to place, without any focus.
The Vampire Diaries does have some problems (not a complete lot, but some). Some annoying/poorly acted and composed part characters could be one of the most glaring one, although it appears that somebody within your show's production office staff has caught on to this and offered them much less display time to the 2nd season. The dialogue is not great. It isn't bad any very much more (for the 1st few episodes I would cringe at several of Damon's and Jeremy's lines), also it occasionally is even good, but it's by no shows genuinely excellent (unlike real Blood, which has some extraordinary writing). The flashback scenes could be also pretty cheesy, however it isn't such as The Vampire Diaries has infinite production money.
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Why We Love Vampires
Vampires are a fantastical group in our literary and cinematic lore. Vampires arrest our imagination, draw us in, and let us believe in beings outside of our normal existence. The vampire has changed from a once maligned, often hated and feared, always undesirable creature into a romantic being that embodies eternal life and superhuman power.During the middle ages, vampires were often apparitions. They were the embodiment of a soul that was not at rest. Usually a vampire would haunt or attack its previous family members. In order to stop these attacks, villagers would exhume the vampire body, hammer a stake through the heart, and cut off the head. Oftentimes the corpse was also incinerated. By staking the corpse it was believed a vampire would be pinned to its coffin and it would rise no more. Decapitation was a method to separate the brain from the body. In severe cases, fire was used to totally destroy a vampire corpse.
Vampires were spotted only after dark, so it was naturally believed that they couldn't exist in the sun. Additionally, darkness represents things evil whereas light, and the sun, is equated with good things. Vampires were not observed haunting their previous family members in daylight so the belief of sunlight aversion was born.
Bram Stoker released Dracula in 1897 the now revered, iconic, and timeless vampire tale. Bram Stoker redefined the meaning of what the vampire was. The creature took on personality, charm, and charisma. They were no longer senseless apparitions bent on destroying their past families. Vampires represented power and eternal life. Bram Stoker planted seeds that would grow into an enthrallment with all things vampire.
Today there are countless books about vampires. Vampire television shows such as Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Hunger, and Forever Knight found widespread success. Showing that vampire television shows aren't dead, new series such as HBO's True Blood are finding new audiences.
Vampire movies are also common productions by Hollywood. In the last few years we've seen the release of 30 Days of Night, the Evolution trilogy, I Am Legend, Twilight, and many more. Vampire groupies, fans, fanatics just can't get enough of vampire movies and Hollywood is quite willing to provide several new vampire films each year.
We love vampires. Until the creature is everlastingly redefined again, it is unlikely that vampire popularity will diminish. We can't help but become enthralled with idea of immortality, strength, power, and eternal life. Vampires represent these characteristics. Vampires will always be a popular form of fiction.
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True Blood Vampire Series Overview by Rays4990
Every faithful vampire fanatic knows that television does not
exactly have a great track record when it comes to making vampire shows.
Many of them, especially ones that come from books, end up being a huge
disappointment. I think the main reason is that it is so hard to convey
the complexity of vampire characters through television and film. When I
first heard that HBO would be making the true blood series based on the
Charlaine Harris novels I was a bit skeptical. The novels are quite
complex because they skillfully blend
horror, romance and comedy together.
I was going to skip the series altogether until I caught an episode from season one online. I was thrilled at seeing some of my favorite characters from the books and I was shocked at how entertaining it was. I.immediately went on to search where I could find back episodes of the series so I could catch up on what I missed. I am so glad I did because I can safely say that the true blood series is the best vampire series I have ever seen on TV.
The true blood series is about a waitress in the deep south named Sookie Stackhouse who happens to be psychic. One day she meets a vampire named Bill and, from that point, her life changes completely. The main plot doesn't just revolve around Bill and Sookie's romance, it includes a very complex and interesting supporting cast of characters. Some of my favorite characters are the hilarious gay drug dealer named Lafayette, his abrasive and vulnerable cousin Tara and, of course, Sookie's painfully dumb over-sexed brother Jason. All of the main and nearly all of the secondary characters are written with such depth and complexity that the series seems more like a soap opera; a crazy, sexy vampire soap opera! There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot and every episode peels back another layer to reveal the inner workings behind the town of Bon Temps.
True Blood is one of those shows that just draws you in the more you watch it. If you have never seen it before I would definitely recommend you check out the true blood series and there are plenty of places where you can watch the back episodes online.
horror, romance and comedy together.
I was going to skip the series altogether until I caught an episode from season one online. I was thrilled at seeing some of my favorite characters from the books and I was shocked at how entertaining it was. I.immediately went on to search where I could find back episodes of the series so I could catch up on what I missed. I am so glad I did because I can safely say that the true blood series is the best vampire series I have ever seen on TV.
The true blood series is about a waitress in the deep south named Sookie Stackhouse who happens to be psychic. One day she meets a vampire named Bill and, from that point, her life changes completely. The main plot doesn't just revolve around Bill and Sookie's romance, it includes a very complex and interesting supporting cast of characters. Some of my favorite characters are the hilarious gay drug dealer named Lafayette, his abrasive and vulnerable cousin Tara and, of course, Sookie's painfully dumb over-sexed brother Jason. All of the main and nearly all of the secondary characters are written with such depth and complexity that the series seems more like a soap opera; a crazy, sexy vampire soap opera! There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot and every episode peels back another layer to reveal the inner workings behind the town of Bon Temps.
True Blood is one of those shows that just draws you in the more you watch it. If you have never seen it before I would definitely recommend you check out the true blood series and there are plenty of places where you can watch the back episodes online.
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Vampire Lust, Lore and Allure by Michael Clutton
Exploring the fascination humans have with the fantasy
characters in literature and film will plunge you into a world of
inconsistencies and contradictions. What lies in wait are the
ingredients for varieties of concocted tales that rely upon the
imaginative tastes of the author's pen. And from that pool of boundless
fiction, many an author has produced a delicious treat that appears in
the form of a mysterious, yet easily recognized figure. Though they vary
from pen to pen, we are delighted to experience any new creative
version of - the vampire.
It is the allure of vampires itself that has puzzled many. Of all the fantasy characters available to us - werewolves, witches, elves, fairies, dragons, etc - what keeps the vampire on top? Why is the vampire king of the world? Or, I should say - worlds. Vampires seem to dominate the world of horror, the world of fantasy and sci-fi and now vampires even rule the world of romance. Amazing flexibility for a character that was originally so stereotypically stiff.
Famed wordsmith, Stephen King has proven that you can take any object and make it interesting or scary. From a car to a dog to a puppet. Just let your twisted imagination run wild. So, why do so many choose to reinvent the vampire?
Perhaps, familiarity among the viewing public. Widespread popularity and the ability to "set up" the reader for a unique twist by playing on their belief that they think they know where you're going.
Since the beginning of horror, we were able to feed from the four basic food groups - Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Werewolf and Dracula. Over the decades and with the advancements in film, these "monsters" have been reanimated many times over, often receiving a new coat of paint. Yet, none have seen the light of day more often - or in a more formats - than the vampire. We don't even refer to him as Dracula anymore.
Calling on a plethora of spotty folklore and nearly a century of urban legends, the vampire now seems to be able to appear in any form or situation and the general public will welcome him/her with lustful glee. For some reason, vampires are just cool.
Breaking down the lust for vampire lore, we find it based in two realms of non-reality. Some authors choose to build their vampire characters from the magical aspects we've become accustomed to. Avoiding the sun, silver and garlic. Interacting with Weres and Fairies. Probably one of the more prolific versions of this example is the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.
Now an HBO series called True Blood, this modern tale puts the girl-next-door Sookie into a world where vampires have "come out" and live openly among humans. Harris sticks to many of the traditional vampire clich�s, keeping them out of the sun and afraid of silver. Sookie interacts with vampires like you might do so with the mailman. It's a fun and compelling series that draws you into many scary situations involving werewolves and fairies in addition to your favorite vampires. Borderline believability built on a solid platform of magical nonsense. Entertainment at its best for most vampire lovers.
By comparison, some writers lean more heavily upon the supernatural world to provide you with a darker dish of vampire stew. From the realm of angels and demons, many vampires are portrayed as tortured souls cursed to live in endless damnation. Reviled and oppressed, often hunted into extinction, these more traditional vampires represent the age-old good vs. evil story lines. Demonic creatures of the night, preying on helpless humans.
Falling somewhere between these two categories, The Vampire Diaries attempts to prey on recent surges in vampire popularity by appealing to the younger audience. It does an acceptable job of offering traditional vampire clich�s while relying on magical rings to let its heroes move around during the daylight.
L.J. Smith has penned a series that is both timely and fun. While at times, it's hard to take it seriously; it does capture the romantic side of the vampire genre with the boy-loses-girl-boy-finds-new-girl-who-looks-like-old-girl plot.
Which brings us back to the allure of vampires. Why do we never tire of a good long-toothed tale? Whether you prefer the magical side or the darker supernatural side of these tales, you can still accept them for what they are. Just good entertainment.
Since vampires don't really exist and we have countless legends to draw upon, we can reinvent vampires in endless variations. But, it's the well-written versions that really suck us in. It's the romanticism of the genre. The dark creatures who live just outside reality, preying on our natural fears and skepticisms. And, who among us hasn't admitted, at least once, that it might be fun to become a vampire? To live forever. To control your prey with eye-contact. To flash those deadly fangs and spread bone-chilling fear with just a look.
And then, of course, there's the sex. The sexual attraction of creatures with exceptional strength, stamina and animalistic desires. To be smitten and bitten at the same time. For some, it's a breath-taking fantasy.
With vampire tales firmly planted in either magic or supernatural ground, an unexpected anomaly has risen to the top of pop culture in the form of The Twilight Saga. Vampire purists have decried Stephenie Meyer's artistic creation as fluffy gibberish. This is unfair, at best. After all, she's an author. Using her imagination and creative flair, she has produced the unthinkable.
Vampires without fangs. Venom laced teeth. Skin that sparkles in sunlight but doesn't burst into flames. Twilight falls into the magical pool. There's nothing demonic or supernatural about it. And, Meyer includes shape-shifters as the vampire's nemesis. Definitely the magical genre.
A tip of the hat to Stephenie Meyer for producing a compelling love story with new twists on overworked vampire myths. To do so is her right as an artist. And, the fact that she did it so well has been validated by the raging social phenomenon we know as The Twilight Saga. Who could have imagined it? Likeable vampires. Vampires that young females around the world want to fall in love with. Vampires that young males want to emulate. Yes, even vampires without fangs are cool.
Having established that vampire lore springs from magic or darker supernatural origins, one wonders when an author might attempt to offer a third option. Could these mysterious creatures exist in a reality-based world?
A new novel, JUICE: Revolution has cast aside the roots of the vampire genre and created a new one. Injected with humor, sexual tension and real-world situations, JUICE follows its protagonist through encounters with "foreigners" who display unusual, yet slightly recognizable traits.
Readers will find themselves enjoying a more believable journey into a world where the unexpected becomes plausible - without the help of magic. JUICE: Revolution spirals toward reality-based revelations that are both shocking and horrifying. Hang on while Revolution exposes an alternate reality that will literally rewrite the history of the world, as we know it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It is the allure of vampires itself that has puzzled many. Of all the fantasy characters available to us - werewolves, witches, elves, fairies, dragons, etc - what keeps the vampire on top? Why is the vampire king of the world? Or, I should say - worlds. Vampires seem to dominate the world of horror, the world of fantasy and sci-fi and now vampires even rule the world of romance. Amazing flexibility for a character that was originally so stereotypically stiff.
Famed wordsmith, Stephen King has proven that you can take any object and make it interesting or scary. From a car to a dog to a puppet. Just let your twisted imagination run wild. So, why do so many choose to reinvent the vampire?
Perhaps, familiarity among the viewing public. Widespread popularity and the ability to "set up" the reader for a unique twist by playing on their belief that they think they know where you're going.
Since the beginning of horror, we were able to feed from the four basic food groups - Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Werewolf and Dracula. Over the decades and with the advancements in film, these "monsters" have been reanimated many times over, often receiving a new coat of paint. Yet, none have seen the light of day more often - or in a more formats - than the vampire. We don't even refer to him as Dracula anymore.
Calling on a plethora of spotty folklore and nearly a century of urban legends, the vampire now seems to be able to appear in any form or situation and the general public will welcome him/her with lustful glee. For some reason, vampires are just cool.
Breaking down the lust for vampire lore, we find it based in two realms of non-reality. Some authors choose to build their vampire characters from the magical aspects we've become accustomed to. Avoiding the sun, silver and garlic. Interacting with Weres and Fairies. Probably one of the more prolific versions of this example is the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.
Now an HBO series called True Blood, this modern tale puts the girl-next-door Sookie into a world where vampires have "come out" and live openly among humans. Harris sticks to many of the traditional vampire clich�s, keeping them out of the sun and afraid of silver. Sookie interacts with vampires like you might do so with the mailman. It's a fun and compelling series that draws you into many scary situations involving werewolves and fairies in addition to your favorite vampires. Borderline believability built on a solid platform of magical nonsense. Entertainment at its best for most vampire lovers.
By comparison, some writers lean more heavily upon the supernatural world to provide you with a darker dish of vampire stew. From the realm of angels and demons, many vampires are portrayed as tortured souls cursed to live in endless damnation. Reviled and oppressed, often hunted into extinction, these more traditional vampires represent the age-old good vs. evil story lines. Demonic creatures of the night, preying on helpless humans.
Falling somewhere between these two categories, The Vampire Diaries attempts to prey on recent surges in vampire popularity by appealing to the younger audience. It does an acceptable job of offering traditional vampire clich�s while relying on magical rings to let its heroes move around during the daylight.
L.J. Smith has penned a series that is both timely and fun. While at times, it's hard to take it seriously; it does capture the romantic side of the vampire genre with the boy-loses-girl-boy-finds-new-girl-who-looks-like-old-girl plot.
Which brings us back to the allure of vampires. Why do we never tire of a good long-toothed tale? Whether you prefer the magical side or the darker supernatural side of these tales, you can still accept them for what they are. Just good entertainment.
Since vampires don't really exist and we have countless legends to draw upon, we can reinvent vampires in endless variations. But, it's the well-written versions that really suck us in. It's the romanticism of the genre. The dark creatures who live just outside reality, preying on our natural fears and skepticisms. And, who among us hasn't admitted, at least once, that it might be fun to become a vampire? To live forever. To control your prey with eye-contact. To flash those deadly fangs and spread bone-chilling fear with just a look.
And then, of course, there's the sex. The sexual attraction of creatures with exceptional strength, stamina and animalistic desires. To be smitten and bitten at the same time. For some, it's a breath-taking fantasy.
With vampire tales firmly planted in either magic or supernatural ground, an unexpected anomaly has risen to the top of pop culture in the form of The Twilight Saga. Vampire purists have decried Stephenie Meyer's artistic creation as fluffy gibberish. This is unfair, at best. After all, she's an author. Using her imagination and creative flair, she has produced the unthinkable.
Vampires without fangs. Venom laced teeth. Skin that sparkles in sunlight but doesn't burst into flames. Twilight falls into the magical pool. There's nothing demonic or supernatural about it. And, Meyer includes shape-shifters as the vampire's nemesis. Definitely the magical genre.
A tip of the hat to Stephenie Meyer for producing a compelling love story with new twists on overworked vampire myths. To do so is her right as an artist. And, the fact that she did it so well has been validated by the raging social phenomenon we know as The Twilight Saga. Who could have imagined it? Likeable vampires. Vampires that young females around the world want to fall in love with. Vampires that young males want to emulate. Yes, even vampires without fangs are cool.
Having established that vampire lore springs from magic or darker supernatural origins, one wonders when an author might attempt to offer a third option. Could these mysterious creatures exist in a reality-based world?
A new novel, JUICE: Revolution has cast aside the roots of the vampire genre and created a new one. Injected with humor, sexual tension and real-world situations, JUICE follows its protagonist through encounters with "foreigners" who display unusual, yet slightly recognizable traits.
Readers will find themselves enjoying a more believable journey into a world where the unexpected becomes plausible - without the help of magic. JUICE: Revolution spirals toward reality-based revelations that are both shocking and horrifying. Hang on while Revolution exposes an alternate reality that will literally rewrite the history of the world, as we know it.
True Blood: Rh Negative Blood and Vampires
When I first started watching the HBO series called True Blood on HBO on demand, which by the way, I watched the entire first season of twelve episodes in one weekend. I became fascinated not only with the story line and the characters, but that the vampires in this series drank bottled blood which is served in bars and stores, that of course had to be heated to the temperature of the human body. Of course the blood drank by the vampires was Rh negative blood. Over the last 8 years, I have studied, I mean by reading about this mysterious rare blood factor, and read on many websites which claimed that real life vampires, living humans who claimed to be vampires preferred O negative blood, and other of the ABO blood types with the Rh negative factor. I can understand that because O negative blood has no antigens. It is the universal blood donor. Antigens of the ABO blood types are sugars, and the Rh negative factor is a protein that can cause reactions and incompatibilities in blood transfusions, if the blood types do not mix, and since O negative blood has no antigens it is compatible with any blood type. Thus, it is the universal blood.. I am O negative and let's say, that I were a human vampire. I could only drink from another O negative or else I would have a reaction. An allergic reaction to the willing donor's blood. Yet, any Vampire of any blood type could drink from me.
What confuses me about the True Blood series is why do these vampires drink a variety of the Rh negative blood types, if as the series communicates time after time these vampires are dead? On many conversations, the vampires especially Bill Compton who is in the second highest place of the characters in the series talks about being dead frequently. He and Eric talk many times of having no heart beat, and are totally walking dead men. So, if they are dead, and would have no reaction to an antigen, why do they have to have Rh negative blood which is called the True Blood. O negative is called the "purest blood" type because it lacks no antigens. If a person is dead how could the blood react?
Another thing that is different is the myths of other vampire movies is the fact, that the blood of the vampires in the series have healing properties and hallucination properties like LSD. Lafayette the town drug dealer sold what is called V for enlightenment and for getting high. Another unusual thing in the series was that Bill used his blood several times to heal Sookie his human girlfriend, after she had been bodily injured. In the movie Bram Stokers Dracula and other Dracula movies drinking vampire blood after being bit would change that person into a vampire. I am thinking about the bed scene where Dracula would not allow his love to drink his blood in fear she would become a vampire.
Blade Anime Launches in January
I wrote about this anime a few months back when a sneak peek was released, but Marvel just officially announced a few days ago that Blade will be aired on G4, with the premiere episode coming on Friday, January 13th, followed by at least three more months of episodes.
The big bad Blade will be voiced by Harold Perrineau, known for his roles in Lost and the Matrix, with the direction and writing headed by veterans of the anime industry. From Marvel’s official description, the story will be one we already know and know well, but with a more national feel to it.
“Blade's mother was bitten by a
vampire while pregnant, imbuing her unborn son with vampire strength and
a thirst for blood, but without the vulnerability to sunlight. A master
of weaponry with a desire to avenge the death of his mother, Blade
finds himself in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and
Cambodia in an effort to take down the evil villain, Deacon Frost. With
vampire hunter Makoto at his side, they will stop at nothing to destroy
Existence, a vampire organization with roots deeply embedded in Asia.”
As you can see by the image above, Blade looks like a total badass.
So, it’s pretty clear that this anime will be following in the footsteps
of the movies, not the original comics.What do you think of the anime? Will you give it a watch?
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5 Vampire Movie films to Watch Before You Die
5. 'Vampires Suck
Starting at number Five is the hilarious spin off of all vampire films specifically 'Twilight'. The film was launched in 2010 by directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer who are also the directors of the amazing Disaster Movie, Scary Movie 1, 2, 3 and 4, Epic Movie and Date Movie! The film relates the strange story of a girl known as Becca that finds herself involved with a bizarre love triangle (an odd idea for a film, I know!). As the film progresses it reaches its denouement at the high school graduation prom. Not all vampire films need to be spooky!
4. Van Helsing- starring Hugh Jackman
Starring Hugh Jackman, this rip-roaring adventure of a movie follows the notorious vampire hunter Van Helsing as he seeks out his arch-nemesis, Count Dracula. The film is highly regarded for its tense action sequences and stunning special effects. I would highly recommend you seek out and watch this film- it's exceptionally entertaining!
3. 'Twilight'
Ok, this is a 'marmite' film, which essentially means that you are either going to really adore it, or really detest it- there is no in between! Personally I consider myself part of the former camp- for all its faults I do believe this is a great movie. This movie tells a story of a teenage girl who risks everything as she can't help falling in love with a good-looking vampire. Twilight was initially a book written by Stephanie Meyer along with New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn which were all also made into 'must-see' movies. Undoubtedly the film's target market is the teenage sector. If you happen to watch one of the Twilight films in a cinema no doubt you will hear hysterical shrieks and other such noises coming from the teenage contingent! I know that this film gets a lot of negative press, and a great deal of 'haters', but I love it- so there!
2. An Interview With The Vampire
Coming in at number 2 is the utterly brilliant 'An Interview with the Vampire', directed by the highly regarded Neil Jordan. The film is adapted from the very popular novel (of the same name) by Anne Rice, and tells the story of a man's transformation from human to vampire, and his subsequent life as an immortal. The lead role is well played by Brad Pitt, and compared with many of the other films in my top 5, this movie is much more 'serious' and 'literary' in nature. Classic literary themes are addressed by both the film and novel such as morality, conscience and also the struggle with one's sense of mortality. If you find yourself liking this brilliant film then I would suggest you look up Ann Rice's novel as well. It's an utterly amazing read. She also published a couple of follow-ups which are equally good!
1. 'Blade'
Drum roll please! Yes, that's right, my all time favourite vampire movie of ALL time, is 'Blade'. Blade was directed by Stephen Norrington and released in 1998. It's packed with drama, horror and a lot of blood! This is more of a 'sit on the edge of your seat' or 'hide behind the duvet' movie. It tells a story of a half-vampire, half-mortal person (played by the notorious Wesley Snipes) who becomes a protector of the mortal race against evil vampires!
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