Some Lesser-Known Vampire Fare

I have mentioned my lifelong love of all things vampire a time or two before. I am in heaven with all of the vampire shows and movies out now.

As I was watching the Vampire Diaries last night, I found myself remembering a few of the vampire movies I grew up on. The vampires of today are heavily influenced by writers and filmmakers who threw out some of the conventions.

Anne Rice created the soulful, brooding vampire who feels doomed to walk the earth preying on his fellow man when she wrote Interview with the Vampire. Her desire to buck some of the common vampire trends led many to play fast and loose with the vampire tropes. Here are some of the vampire “firsts” from my formative years.

Vamp
This silly comedy was one of the first times I saw a sympathetic vampire. Robert Rusler was unwittingly turned into a vampire, and he wasn’t ready to give up the partying college lifestyle he was used to.

Near Dark
Near Dark is the first time I rooted for the vampires. They were driving around the country bored, but the humans were just boring. Side note: This movie was also the first time I saw sensitive ponytail man from Singles (aka James LeGros).

The Addiction
This movie, shot in black and white and starring 90s indie-film fave Lili Taylor, was the first time I saw vampires who were able to walk in the daylight.

Forever Knight
This lynch-pin of CBS’ Crime Time after Prime Time line-up was the first time I saw a vampire working for good. Knight was a policeman working the night shift, solving crimes and kicking ass.

The daywalkers in Twilight and the Vampire Diaries, the synthetic blood swillers of True Blood, and the all-around sympathetic crime-fighting vamp of Blood Ties would probably never have been dreamed up without these vampire forefathers.

What about you? Are you so sick of vampires, you could just cry bloody tears? Or do you remember fondly the first time you saw a bloodsucker on-screen who didn’t scare the bejesus out of you? What were your favorite vampire shows or movies from days gone by?

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