I have surprisingly few vampire films in my library.

No doubt. Hope they can work in some Big Daddy flashbacks.

 

I wish they didn't kill off Big Daddy...flash backs are OK, but empty.

 

Dracula's Daughter (1936)

I saw this for the first time recently, liked it a lot... It's a real sequel, picking up where Dracula (1931) left off. Interestingly, Gloria Holden (who plays Dracula's daughter) would have a role in Tod Browning's final film, Miracles For Sale (1939).

 

I was let down because I expected so much after reading the book. And I was also in high school, so I should give it another chance.

 

Pere Callahan's story is continued -- magnificently -- in the Dark Tower series.

 

No less than Stephen King himself has said that the original 1979 uncut TV movie was among the most faithful and satisfying versions of any of his novels. Very, very scary film. In fact, I seem to recall a recent interview with him where he said he doubted that a film this frightening could be aired on broadcast television today.

I re-read the novel about four years ago and was impressed how well it held up, more than 30 years after I had originally read it. It's a very interesting take on the vampire legend. To me, though, Anne Rice's novels are the gold standard for this kind of thing, and I believe a lot of the current interest in vampires and horrors -- particularly True Blood, Vampire Diaries, and Twilight -- all stole a lot from Rice's work.

 

Yep, Salem's Lot was a great book. I remember loving the TV movie the first time I saw it, and then not liking it as much the second time. I guessing I saw a cut version the second time, and didn't remember what was missing.

If Coppola's Dracula is campy (I like his Dracula, too), then Andy Warhol's Blood for Dracula is the king of camp. I love that movie. As someone once said, Udo Kier should be in every movie. It's just such a weird, bizzare film that you can't help but like something about it. And Joe Dallesandro is such a hoot as the hero. Here you have this perfect-looking Adonis with an accent like a Brooklyn cab driver. He's a hysterical counterpart to Udo Kier's sickly Dracula.

 

Dallesandro's crotch was made famous by the cover of the Sticky Fingers album, so he had other assets beyond acting.

 

Start with Hammer's large body of vampire films.

http://www.squidoo.com/The-Hammer-Vampire-Movies

Start with the Horror Of Dracula and proceed from there. No one ever played Dracula better than Christopher Lee.

 

We have a 20 or more as my Gf runs a vampire/romance fiction website. Quite a few Hammer and more obscure ones. The only one we got rid of the was the deluxe DVD set of Romero's Martin. She thought it was crap. I was inclined to agree.

 

My favorite classic Dracula tale so far is John Badham's "Dracula" (1979), featuring Frank Langella in the best title role incarnation I have ever seen (physical personality and performance). Some of the secondary roles are cheapos, but Langella (along with Donald Pleasance to a degree) carries the show.

However, the video transfer on the original VHS studio tape I have (and also I'm told of the original DVD) is terrible as it does not do justice to the subtle, poetic use of color in the original film.

...Oh and I also loved Mel Brooks' "Dracula: Dead and Loving It"! One of the last mainstream Hollywood films with real sets!

 

The Criterion DVD has a great commentary track from Kier. He has a hysterical comment as it shows Dracula regurgitating blood: "There's nothing more elegant than throwing up in a tuxedo".

I also recommend the Wurdulak sequence from Mario Bava's BLACK SABBATH with Boris Karloff as the vampire patriarch preying on his family.

 

A fine vampire movie from left field is "Shadow of the Vampire" (2000).

It's about the filming of the classic "Nosferatu", but probes the vampire theme better than many straight horror movies.

 

Oh! I have the Criterion DVD of 'Blood For Dracula'! (along with, of course, 'Flesh For Frankenstein') - I completely forgot about that one.

 

No love for Jessica? Hrrmmmmm…

 

Willem Dafoe is the ugliest vampire of all time! I loved him in that film. Playing it to the hilt!

 

No love for Polanski's the Fearless Vampire Killers?

 

Love this one, technically more a zombie flick, but with the feel and atmosphere of a vampire film.

 

he had the part down pat! I could not believe the great job he did! amazing...a fine actor.

 

None from me. I thought it was awful. Pretty to look at, however, as was Sharon Tate.

 

I never took to it either back in the day, though I tried and tried back then (it was NOT hip to not like this film!). I should give it a fresher look today. I am not against spoofs; I loved Mel Brook's Dracula!

 

Check out Roger Ebert's review:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19680122/REVIEWS/801220301/1023

 

Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter is a pretty good 1970s film that doesn't pop up on these lists too often. Very funny, imaginative film that has some genuine scares here and there.

 

Off the top of my head I have: House Of Dark Shadows, Love At First Bite, Once Bitten, Dark Shadows(2012) and Dracula(1931) along with the others in the Monsters Box(Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein, Mummy).

 

That is a great vampire film. As a bonus it stars the beautiful Caroline Munro.