Are movies like Twilight hurting the Vampire image?

[mhg83]

So I had a debate awhile back with a fan of the Twilight books/ movies. I had read up until the scene when Edward "Sparkles" in the sun. I said how a real Vampire doesn't "Sparkle" In which she replied "The rules are different in this series". I always had the belief that there are core rules to the Vampire mythology that should stay that way. Dying by way of Sunlight being one of those rules. Blade is an exception since he's half human/half vampire and all other Vamps can die by sunlight.

With movies like Twilight and shows like Vampire Diaries, do you guys think the image of a real vampire is being tarnished? Are there any Vampire movies coming out that will go back to when Vampires were pure evil?

[Fist of Doom]

"They can't all be badass like me!"

[brayzie]

I was kind of thinking the same when I seen all these gothic Tiger Beat styled Vampire movies/books popping up.

But I don't think overall it will have too big an effect. Plus, not all the old school vampire movies prior were all great.

Off top, I liked Blade I and II, Shadow of the Vampire and...can't recall any else.

Ethan Hawke has a new one that looks pretty good.

[Jackskeleton]

I see you subscribe to the Joss Whedon school of vampire burning/ashes. You are wrong. even Bram Stoker's Dracula could move in the day light. Weaker, but could move during the day.

[superdeluxe]

Originally Posted by mhg83

So I had a debate awhile back with a fan of the Twilight books/ movies. I had read up until the scene when Edward "Sparkles" in the sun. I said how a real Vampire doesn't "Sparkle" In which she replied "The rules are different in this series". I always had the belief that there are core rules to the Vampire mythology that should stay that way. Dying by way of Sunlight being one of those rules. Blade is an exception since he's half human/half vampire and all other Vamps can die by sunlight.

With movies like Twilight and shows like Vampire Diaries, do you guys think the image of a real vampire is being tarnished? Are there any Vampire movies coming out that will go back to when Vampires were pure evil?

Vampires are made up creations. So if one can sparkle in the sun, who cares? In Vampire mythology, can there be half-human/half-vampire? Or does that mess up the apple cart as well.

[Charlie Goose]

They can't all be cool like Christopher Lee.

Pussyboy vampires aren't a new thing. Anne Rice has been mincing them up for years. And Udo Kier was the gayest Dracula ever way back in the early 70s.

[UAIOE]

Originally Posted by mhg83

With movies like Twilight and shows like Vampire Diaries, do you guys think the image of a real vampire is being tarnished?

I guess you never saw "Dracula: Dead and Loving it".

I would blame "Twilight" for making vampires seem girly, but the real blame should be on the last 15 years of Castlevania games. The "Twilight" vampires look like John Wayne compared to the androgynous blood suckers in "Castlevania".

[gmanca]

Different rules have always applied to the vampire mythology: the effects of sliver, a simple finger cross versus a golden cross or whether one has sufficient faith in the cross in order for it to be effective, if sunlight kills instantly, slowly, or just diminishes the vampire's powers, etc.

The problem is when you have weak material or simply go for gimmicks and/or the teen segment.

[dogmatica]

Originally Posted by mhg83

I said how a real Vampire...

I think that may be your problem right there.

Yeah, there are "rules" that have been established for vampires and ghosts and zombies and mummies and all of that stuff. But it can and should vary as needed for each unique mythology. In the case of vampires, some stories say a stake through the heart will do the trick while others say only sunlight will kill 'em. Garlic repels vampires in some stories, in others it's the cross and in others it's neither. If I recall Interview With the Vampire correctly, Pitt's vampire says he's rather fond of crosses. Anne Rice did a lot of vampires in the 1990s, so did she ruin the mythology or create her own?

I remember watching Shaun of the Dead right after reading The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks and when Shaun and the crew pretend to be zombies to fool the real zombies I said to myself, "Well, that would never work with real zombies." Then I laughed at myself because I remembered how, when reading that book, I kept having moments of, "Ah, of course that's what someone would have to do to survive!" ... and remind myself it's just a book.

There's no Igor in the Frankenstein novel but the original film made him part of the mythology. If there's a Frankenstein story or movie without Igor does it ruin the mythology since he's become such an ingrained part of it in popular culture?

Frankly, I think this is a case of the cool kids liking what used to be just one's own little deal, as if vampires could become "sell outs" by becoming popular with a demographic outside one's own.

[Chet Desmond]

I showed my 7th grade son "Fright Night" a few weeks ago just to show him there are cool vampire characters out there!

[wm lopez]

By taking away the christian element you take away that the vampire is part of evil,hell,the devil.
But now we have vampires as superheros, teen idols, etc.,
Today's modern vampire is not scary no matter how big their cgi fangs are.

[Nick Martin]

God boy strikes again....

[zero]

Originally Posted by Jackskeleton

I see you subscribe to the Joss Whedon school of vampire burning/ashes. You are wrong. even Bram Stoker's Dracula could move in the day light. Weaker, but could move during the day.

But Drac didn't turn into a disco ball.

oh and Chet A+ to you sir!

[Tracer Bullet]

The Twilight vampires don't even have fangs, do they?

[Hokeyboy]

Anne Rice pussified and ruined vampires forever.

[clckworang]

Originally Posted by wm lopez

By taking away the christian element you take away that the vampire is part of evil,hell,the devil.
But now we have vampires as superheros, teen idols, etc.,
Today's modern vampire is not scary no matter how big their cgi fangs are.

I don't think removing the Christian element takes away the evil aspect of vampires. Whether that's there or not, vampires (at least most) will still be killers, predators. That aspect will always be present, and I think that will always make them at least slightly evil to humans.

As far as whether modern vampires are scary, it all depends on the story.

[Groucho]

Originally Posted by Tracer Bullet

The Twilight vampires don't even have fangs, do they?

Neither did this pussy:

Spoiler:

[Nick Danger]

Originally Posted by wm lopez

By taking away the christian element you take away that the vampire is part of evil,hell,the devil.
But now we have vampires as superheros, teen idols, etc.,
Today's modern vampire is not scary no matter how big their cgi fangs are.

Fred Saberhagen's Dracula was a Christian. He drew back in horror from the communion wafers because von Helsing was wadding them up with spit and shoving them under the door. He wasn't horrified by the divine power of the wafers, but by the blasphemy of von Helsing's action.

[The Black]

After hearing from a ladyfriend that she loved this movie, and after hearing all the critique on this movie, I decided to watch it yesterday.

I'm now typing with one hand as my palm is permanently stuck to my forehead, anybody have any tips to remove it? Please?

[Nick Danger]

I think that the vampire myth isn't being weakened Twilight, but by social changes. An important element of the old vampire stories was that they were a metaphor for the sin of lust. A distinguished foreign gentleman, an older man with devastating charm, would talk to our women and put them under his spell. All one of our women had to do was to look into his eyes, and he would be able to have his way with her. Once he did, she would be forever tainted. But instead of being properly ashamed, she would seem happy with her new life, and try to seduce the hero into it too.

The only way to free her of the shame is to kill her. In the sanitized versions, merely the seductive man needs to be killed.

(It occurs to me that the vampire story wouldn't go over well in rural Pakistan, either. The metaphor would have no force, because they really do kill women to free them of the shame of having had sex.)

None of those ideas have the emotional pull that they did in Victorian and post-Victorian times. Lust is no longer a shameful secret. We live in a highly sexualized society. Everyday dress is provocative. All soap operas have a sex scene. There are discussions about whether blowjobs count as sex.

The only people in our society who still fear sex are pre-teen girls. So the latest vampire stories are aimed at them.

[Indy24LA]

Originally Posted by Nick Danger

The only people in our society who still fear sex are pre-teen girls.

And women who have been married 4 years or more.

[KillerCannibal]

I think plenty of vamp flicks have done their part to tarnish the vampire image, as you put it. Do I think shit like Twilight is incredibly gay? Yes, but if it helps good vampire flicks (like the upcoming Daybreakers) get a greenlight then I'm willing to deal.

[Michael Corvin]

Originally Posted by Groucho

Neither did this pussy:

Spoiler:

Speaking of pussy, where is that Twilight strip that was posted in Otter? That thing kills me and I didn't save it. It also sums up modern vampires quite nicely.

[toddly6666]

It's just out of hand...there's too much vampire crap.

[Giantrobo]

Originally Posted by The Black

After hearing from a ladyfriend that she loved this movie, and after hearing all the critique on this movie, I decided to watch it yesterday.

I'm now typing with one hand as my palm is permanently stuck to my forehead, anybody have any tips to remove it? Please?

Ok, I reeeeally thought you were going somewhere else with the one hand typing thing.