Vampires Assistant, Twilight, True Blood: fun fascination with the undead

Updated 10/31/09---Vampire folklore has been around for centuries and may even have existed in prehistoric times in connection with the practice of eating flesh and cannibalism.

"Belief in vampires and bloodsucking demons is as old as man himself,” said literary historian Brian Frost.

The first notable vampire depiction came with Bram StokerBram Stoker's original Dracula in 1897. The novel and stage version captured the nation’s imagination at the time and seemed to symbolize the voice of anxiety and unrest.

The film depiction was released in the early 20th century starring Bela Lugosi. Then a landmark German-made silent film entitled Nasferatu, directed by F.W. Marnau, was released in 1922 and it spawned the beginning of a vampire-theme driven commercial enterprise.

In modern times, the fascination with the mythical vampires, demons, and the undead, has re-emerged to become as popular as any other time in our history.

The main reason is suspected to be man’s preoccupation with immortality and the subtle sexual overtones--including beastiality and underlying lesbian themes like Carmilla in 1872's Dark Blue.

Vampire themes have ranged from the dark and evil character in DraculaDracula to the humor in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Blacula; to the good and benevolent protectors in the Anne Rice novels.

Also, vampire themes have become a multi-million dollar business ranging from books, movies, television series, and cartoons; to comic books and children’s stories.

The first television series, Kolchak: the night stalker was launched in 1972, about a reporter hunting a rogue vampire on the Las Vegas strip.

Today, there are several to choose from, including the highly successful Twilight, which was based on the book series, and takes place in Forks, Washington. Shortly after Bella Swan moves to Forks, she meets and falls in love with, Edward Cullen, a young vampire, who drinks animal blood instead of human blood. But, an evil and sadistic member of a rival coven sets his sights on Bell, and the plot takes off on a sinister, suspenseful, and unpredictable journey.

HBO’s True blood adds a Southern flavor to the vampire genre and has been picked up the third season. The new vampire image is one that is more communal and interactive in the relationship between the living and the undead.

One of the more commercially successful vampire movies in modern times was 1994’s Interview with a Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, based on the Anne RiceAnne Rice novel. It was a dark, epic film of good, evil, love, and betrayal that transpired over several decades.

The movie starred Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, SlaterChristian and a debut appearance by Kirsten Dunst.

The moral message of the film seemed to be that even vampires have to answer to their own kind of Karma.

Recently, a modern day slant on the vampire theme was released in the film, Cirque du Freak: Vampire’s Assistant. The movie has an impressive cast, with John C. Riley, Selma Hayek, Willem Defoe, Michael Cerveris, and break out performances by Chris Massoglea and Josh Hutcherson.

The film takes a few liberties with the old theme, because none of the characters exhibit fangs: Nary a standard vampire fang to be found. Instead, punctures to victims are made with a sharp fingernail.

And, although, this coven of modern Vampires does drink human blood, they exhale a sedative first, which allows them to drink a small amount from an unconscious victim, who wakes up with a strange puncture wound on their neck, but doesn’t know how it got there.

Another interesting twist was the fact that even vampires killed by the usual stake through the heart, silver bullet, or exposure to sunlight—can be brought back to life. But the grotesque creature that comes back would most likely prefer to stay dead.

Cirque du Freak: Vampire’s Assistant is more of a family good vs. evil supernatural thriller, with romance, and self-realization--than it is a die-hard vampire movie.

The two main characters take refuge in a village of freaks and misfits as they hide from the evil “vampinese”; an increasingly dominate cross-breed of vampires, who set out to kill the teenage boy that John C. Riley’s character has chosen to be his assistant.

Although, the story line does tend to get a bit overly ambitious at times, the movie has good acting, fun humor, and impressive special affects.

The main message and moral of the film seemed to be “it’s not what you are…it’s who you are.”

Oh...and don’t steal spiders.

***Copyright DelilahStarling 2009