The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

I don't want to say it!!..mehh-__-...ok,ok,
Twilight.
UGGG..there i said it.
no,i don't like the movie or books..BUT,
alot of people do,and they are trying to copy-cat
right off of them,thinking it's 'CooL' to be a sparkly vampire.
they all dress like they do,and drink that...umm..
fake blood stuff in the bottle to look like they are
really into it..as some kind of new freak race.
but,its not real at all..and this is whay i did not
want to bring that one up.
----
I think,
everyone is getiing anna rice into there heads,
and her lestat..(wich everyone si saying that lestat really exsisted)...but..i thought these stories are
fiction.Anyways..i have been seeing traits and copy-cats
off from these books..and movies she produces.
---
Christene feehan,
she write about dark romance vampire novels.
about carpathians,and how the CAN change into
monster..horrible vampires..if one does not find his
or her lifemates.
This i believe is catching on a little bit.
--
I dont know why people read fiction stories,
and believe that somthing about them in totally
real.
whats the deal anyways?
I know...old books...long time ago scrolls,
and stories on achient wall or pottery..might be true,
cause..you got to get an idea someplace.right?
now days...
though..its like..people just sit in the dark and think up
things..and people like this stuff so much,
that it's being appart of peoples and beings culturs.

I don't know about there being an upsurge of popularity since they have always been an interest by society for many years. sure vampires have been transformed through the ages as many write of them. i think authors give them their own twists to make 'their version' of the vampire more interesting, more spice or flare compared to your average written vampires. such as mentioned above, anne rice vampires are much different from the Carpathians that Feehan writes about, different from the Twilight characters that are more popultar these days. I don't dislike any version of them. I think it's awesome and bring'em on!

I believe that twilight has had a major influence in the vampire popularity recently. even though to me I have always been entrigued

Yes, Twilight and Anne Rice have influenced us, but why did we let them? Why did they enter our consciousness with their vampires?

How about the idea of one being something mystical, sexy ( as with most media, sex sells: fact) or maybe, just maybe there is just enough of the truth left in all those creative works mentioned to keep the fire burning.

And why has everyone missed Nora Roberts?

The media vampires of old, like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, were scary but not that sexy. They had charisma, but their focus was power and draining their victims. And the female vampires sometimes seemed seductive, but you got the feeling that they were mostly interested in using their sexuality to distract you then kill you -- evil teasers to be avoided.

The current trend is towards vampire males who are physically attractive and who would actually make love to their "victims." They are not in it mainly for the blood -- they are powerful and seek women for love/sex, not feeding/exploitation. This seems a lot more appealing to women than getting killed by some fairly repulsive old guy like Bela Lugosi.

And one of those Cullen sisters was hot. I would seriously consider becoming undead to be with her for eternity.

The combination of vampire power and immortality with sexuality has proven powerful -- much more appealing to today's audience than the Bela Lugosi archetype.

Bela's Dracula was sort of like a date rapist and serial murderer. Today's popular vampires are sometimes so appealing that the becoming undead part seems like a fair price to pay. And the dramatic tension is not so much between good and evil -- it's more between love and indifference.

Good or Evil, Love or Indifference . . . some good points LUke. You've given me something to think about.

Maybe the great moral arguments of the ancient philosophers having to do with right and wrong, good and evil have reduced down to What is Love in modern times?

In that sense, the vampire can be designed as the most steadfast lover ever.

This is rpobly WHY,movies and book of vampires
have been catching on,and being copy-cat.
Ok,
modern times..the love in it is gone.
for humans..they don't love like the used to,now days it complicated..and lacks the soft-at-heart.no bonds are made..threw blood,threw the heart...and the males are mostly over DOM..by females in this world and time.

vampyres...the males are more liked,
because of the way they can love...the way they can protect..and to humans this attracts them.the diffrence in attention,in life and death.

People also want somthing diffrent...so they look too books and movies like these..to over-come there hatred for themselves.you cant be somthing from a book..you cant actually become.Now vampires..anyone can 'look' like one and pick up traits from a book or movie..
and 'BAM'...you are instantly loved.

I said before, I will say it once more... "Twilight" was all hyped up because of the promotional advertising. That was it, that was all.

It was advertised to the younger crowd, which is why the teeny bopper crowd are attached to it. Nothing like a 500 year old vampire, still going to High School being a pedophile. No arguements, just my perspective.

Cullin sparkled like a fairy from just his chest and not from his face, and therefore presented a somewhat connotation that he was "differant" or evolutionized by his author.

If popularity is measured by how good the individual can write, or the value and integrity of conceptual thought, then it proves my point of how the advertising made the movie possible.

Unlike the measuring sticks called "Anne Rice", and "Bram Stoker" based upon these two individuals genious, one can conclude that these two individuals did not need such advertising since their books were all the hype they needed. As well as the actors that took on the lead rolls. The world did not see A list actors such as Orlando Bloom, or Elijah Wood wanting to be the lead rolls, did they? Hell, no... Because the movie is simply an overly hyped B rated movie.

Advertising plain and simple is the new ages popularity booster, in a nutshell.

Vampires have been slowly rising in the ranks of popular culture since the mid-eighties, as far as I can recall. Mainly with the growing underground Goth culture, and books by Anne Rice. And it's been snowballing ever since to iconic pop culture status...yuck.

Alrighty... Trend and advertising... How's that for that add? I guess society can't have one without the other for the almighty "popularity contest."

And most of the super heroes of the day are no longer perfect; they all have some flaw or another, to make them more accessible to the average person.
Vampires make cool superheroes - or anit-heroes - due to the things already mentioned: super human strength, mystery, etc. And they are sexy - sex sells!

In other words, a sort of super hero/villian psychie as a metaphor for the wishing of unnatural phenominal cosmic powers? Interesting...

I'm not one for twilight, personally i think it's crap, vampires are not glittery,they don't drive bmw's and live in the sub-burbs. The are cold hearted creatures who sleep in the ground and kill humans.

Although i do have thing for anne rice vampires, i think she comes close to making them more realistic

Bram Stoker will always be my all time favorite he was the original vampire writer.

Check this out for more on vamps as superheroes: Vampires, Superheroes, Gods

Twilight! Yuck.

It has been snowballign together for a while now. Anne Rice books have played a huge part.
And humans have been obsessing over vampire love...Twilight didn't help. :P

I suppose it could be for gothic and rocker style as well.

Fiction! Too many people rollplaying!

I happen to like Twilight but not that they made them glitter or have no fangs..I agree it is hyped up but...

I always liked Vampires and it wasnt no Twilight back then, you seem to forget and yes I agree hollywood once again but there was angel and yes buffy..And the past year Vampires are becoming more popular, books, movies, tv series..I didnt get into Anne Rice so I cant blame her on my liking of them..SS, You always have the best words*laughs* I enjoy reading Your theory on things...This is my opinion anyways

Alright, how about the real life vampire raves that happen across the country... Such as the New York scene as an example.

Why is the vampire so popular amongst a group scenerio as apposed to the individual scenerio?

I cant answer that for I dont know..Here we have nothing like that and if We do it is so well hidden, I dont know about it...Wished I did

I liked Buffy and Angel, the stories were done right, not a alot of fufu crap and such, that and the shows delt with real life subjects peopel could really relate to the shows and characters. and oh yeah i have the biggest crush on Spike V------V

Lol..Least they had fangs abd didnt sparkle....wait i like twilight

Vampires have been popular my whole life... I remember them being popular before Anne Rice was popular. Heck, we even had one on Sesame Street (still do), and that was the 70s. There were always tons of vampires trick or treating on Halloween.

Beyond that, they've been popular for centuries. Twilight didn't start any trend... Vampire Rave was here before Twilight, and so were all these role playing games and hundreds of other films. People have been sharing the legend for ages, and it's interesting. What made them popular? The first time someone shared their strangeness- that's all we need to perk our curiosity. Out of the ordinary draws enthusiasm.

And from a scene in 'Kindred: The Embraced', Julian Luna says, "We're living proof that the monster is in you." That's huge. That sells. That's a magnet.

So perhaps television in particular is stepping up to the plate with vampires thereby inciting the circle of excitement even further.

You're right images, vamps have always been a Halloween staple, but were mostly confined to the big screen and books, but they've always been with us.

I never played the game Masquerade, nor have I been to a Rave like SS mentioned.

But the group aspect is a fascinating angle.

Anyone been to one? What goes on?

Wow Imageinwords, You reminded me of Sesame Street, Thank You*smiles*

And You are right..Vampires have been a part of my whole life as well..I am glad to be a part of VampireRave

Popularity is usually based on how well adverted something is.. Anne Rices book were big time advertised and she was on TV.. So if something is publicised enough then yeah wham instant popular..

I think it started with the Dracula book and most recently Twilight.

I have to wonder where everyone has been hiding if they think Twilight has made vampires popular. Twilight has made Twilight popular... vampires had already had their place in the spotlight from tons of other things.

Vampires have always been glorified since way back. Remember "The Lost Boys"? Boy, did the masses go nuts over that, I know I did! It is great to fantasize having the ability to live forever. Who wants to die?
No matter what perception Vampires are a mythical creature with immortality, powers of strength and mind control, the undying beauty that can not be measured nor met, what is there not to like or obsess over?

Ah yes the lost boys was a huge start due to the fact the actors whom played the vampires wee hot back then and were popular..

Is the vampire of current mythology a kind of superhero? Why or why not?

Yes because the modern vampire is seen as an omnipotent.

TV, books, wanted to portray this type of vampire because they knew people would like it, first of all because that way that's get more money (an attractive actor always does) and people like these things as a way to escape from the everyday stress, so watching these type of movies and series and reading books is a way to escape reality. Surely one can read and watch movies for the simple idea of entertainment but part of the entertainment is indeed escapism.

Movies and books have always gave our society the intrest in monsters and lore. Vampire novels or movies seem to hit every third year to spark the interest once more.

For me it was Dracula, starring Gary Oldman... I was young, but I fell in love with the poor guy. Bound to darkness, eternal love, even the blood exchange seemed sacred to me.
Everyone wants that dark, handsome creature in the corner to sweep them away into eternity.

THAT is what makes Vampires so popular, we have romanticised them. Through books and movies. Always beautiful, always strong, always looking for a victim.

We are the willing victims.

Sorry, for me it is deeper than movies, books, or Tv imaginaries. It is a piece of Ancestory.

The mentality of the movie makers and the Book makers are for the money. They don't care about the Vampire tradition or the history behind the real story. Yes, there is a mass of hysteria because the young generation has found a new hero in the "vampire" movies. The real thing never will be published, because the evidence that can be presented is well guarded by the real Vampires.

The hero issue I would imagine is related to Twilight Series.
Like all things in time, it too will pass as a fade.
Movies, books, TV all spark higher interests of the subject towards Vampires and Werewolves alike. Entertainment always fasinates imaginations of the "What if" theories.

I'm inclined to believe that the recent spread of vampire media is because more and more people are looking for something more, if you know what I mean. I know my reasons for ever considering getting into vampire related things was because I always felt there was something more, something unknown out there, just waiting to be discovered.

Another reason may be because can see themselves in many of the things vampires come to deal with. Controlling lust after something, feeling either like a monster or feeling more powerful than the rest of society.

I think the reason for vampires being so popular is of course the supernatural aspect. It can be so portrayed and a good story when you can basically make up anything you want with them. Movies and books almost all are considered an ok movie from people because it is a vampire movie and you can just make up about anything in the movie to make it interesting. Gothic lifestyle has made it a known popular creature because of all things they try to take from the mythical vampire. The only coming out in night, the we all have to dress in black, we love killing and drinking blood. These groups try to bring aspects of a mythical creature into reality, making them known. Religion i think does not take part in the making a vampire popular.

~RomaMarieNightWing~ thinks: "The Hero issue is related to the movie Twilight."

I prespond: I beg to differ, only the naive would relate this movie as the first in line. As there have been numerous vampiric movies that have heroes within them.

Such as Queen of the damned, where there were two heroes, one being lestat as he goes against Akasha and the second being Maharet when she chooses to "drink the last drop" of Akasha's blood thereby taking Akasha's essense into herself.

The Blade series, where Blade being a Dhamphir chose to hunt down laborously the natural threat to society as he perceived them to be.

The Underworld series, where the heroin Selene was one of the protagonists of the films as being a heroin to her people.

Innocent Blood, where a vampiress was the protagonistic heroin fighting a bunch of vampiric mobsters.

Subspecies, where Radu's brother was heroic in helping the protagonists try to rid the world of Radu.

Blood: The Last Vampire, where Saya being the vampiric heroin uses her magic sword to rid the planet of monsters.

The Lost Boys, where one of the protagonists Michael fights vampire Keifer Sutherland for the sake of his family.

Interview With The Vampire, where Louise fights Armand's brood in order to releave himself of the menace.

You see? A ton of movies that came before Twilight was even thought of. Most of the heroes mentioned were heroes in their own ways but heroes nonetheless.

I only cut through the surface of the vampire hero/heroin list. As there are plenty more out there.

No doubt. I'm a fan of Twilight, but I am not a fan of the idea that it's brought vampires to popularity in any way. Like I posted earlier, Twilight has made Twilight popular. Vampire fiction was here and just as strong without the Stephenie Meyer series.

I like being able to take my 4th grade son to the movies to see a movie with vampires in it- and Twilight fits that bill... but True Blood is filling my vamp TV fix these days. They do have their own specifics to their author, but they maintain almost every old school vampire trait- coffins, no sunlight. This is a show to watch.

I will agree with what has been said already of how twlight didnt just make the surge in vampire movies, there have been so many before hand as vvSoulshroudevv and Images have both clearly demonstrated , also adding in Stephen Kings Salems Lot, and how can we forget the late 70's Dark Shadows. From dusk till dawn, Cronos, Near Dark, John carpenters vampires, subspecies and Near Dark yes in the last few years there has been more and more movies and series and books that have come out, but it was more so the books came first, hell even kids books some how depicted a vampire bunnicula for example... The new series that came out over the last 3 years, Moonlight, Bloodties on Lifetime, TrueBlood on HBO, the curiosity has always been there each has their own reasoning for what it is that draws them in.

I myself have always been intrigued by vampires, even though I was never really exposed to them. However I believe the influx of interest towards them is due in part to the Twilight saga. I have never read these books nor do I ever think I will, but I think this is what has increased the interest.

I guess it's got to do with the emotions that people go through.. the inability to deal with them.. and vampirism is an outlet for that.. Vampires (famous ones) have always been "role models".. Maybe the image that they portray triggers the feelings of some people... The darkness, the solitude, the immortality of it all.. That the Vampire never really "dies".. Though the undead, he/she represents the "afterlife".. That life really does go on.. Just in a slightly different way...
Ah well, the dressing and all that comes as an added effect I guess.. :[

I was first introduced to vampire by my mom >_< I remember as a kid watching old movies that protrade vampires as monsters that would come in the middle ofthe night and kill the beautiful virgin. Then came Anne Rice, my mom dropped all of her true life crime books and turned over. I was soon to follow.

Then the world exploded with Buffy and along came Angel (the guy who now plays Booth on Bones (cant think of his name)) who was a sexy vampire with a soul and I was hooked

..bah.. just been said for me, Angel, Interview With A Vampire and Twilight. We're as shallow as that.. buying into the latest fad, or craze.

Contemplation of the eternal is never a faze. Vampire fiction repackages it for the masses, but it never goes out of style.

I was thinking of this thread earlier: I chose this username, as I wrote several angel fanfic and felt the first three episodes of the show and, identified with them... specifically those first three, if anyone recalls them??

Just... thought I'd share.

The love of vampires comes from the mortals desire to be beautiful and live forever, people are drawn to it even if they in their minds see it as something evil or damned. I remember when I was a small child a movie on t.v. called Salem's Lot, it was a vampire movie, the main vampire in the movie looked very hideous, but those he transformed into his children were very sensual and young looking.
That is my thoughts on why vampires seem to be very popular at the moment and as with everything it rises and wanes only to stir back up in future generations.