It goes without saying that this list is entirely subjective and based on my own personal preferences, so please do not be offended if I did not include some or all of your favorite films. (Chances are, I have seen them and love them.)
Great Performances – Count Dracula (1977) – Louis Jourdan turns in a beautifully understated performance as the Count in what is, to my knowledge, the most faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's magnum opus. There is no denying that the production values in this one are a bit lacking by today's standards, but all the significant plot details are there, with hardly anything extraneous added. My only gripe is that Quincy P. Morris and Arthur Holmwood are condensed into a single character, Quincy Holmwood, but overall, there is very little to quibble about. One performance of note is that of Frank Finlay, who imbues the character of Professor Van Helsing with a sense of dread and urgency that I feel is often lost in many other character portrayals. Fun fact: Klaus Kinski, who played Dracula in Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht, plays Renfield in a sadly watered-down role compared to most other adaptations.
Mystery and Imagination – Dracula (1968) – This one is fascinating—not necessarily one of my favorites as far as straight adaptations go, but at the time I saw it, it was just so damn hard to find. It is worth watching if you have never heard of or seen it. Here, Dracula is portrayed by Denholm Elliot, probably best known in America for playing Marcus Brody in the Indiana Jones films (personally, I fondly remember him as Selsdon Mowbray in Noises Off, his final film before his untimely passing, and arguably one of the greatest comedies of the early 90's). He may lack some of the charm or charisma brought to the role by other actors, but the allure lies mainly in the fact that this rare film was tough to come by before it was posted on YouTube.
30 Days of Night (2007) – This film adaptation of the widely-acclaimed DC comic series is a frightening reminder of just how little chance humans would actually stand against real vampires, given that they physically outmatch us in almost every way. Hand-to-hand fisticuffs? Forget it; you are as good as dead. This one has considerably more gore than the other films on the list, so be prepared. An excellent performance of note is that of Ben Foster, the "Renfield" of the story, who arrives at the town before the vampires to assist in sabotaging any chance of escape for Josh Hartnett and his crew.
As with any list of great films, some almost made the cut but ultimately ended up being left out. Here are ten runners-up:
Fright Night (1985)
Dracula (1931)
Horror of Dracula (1958)
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Near Dark (1987)
Thirst (2009)
The Hunger (1983)
John Carpenter's Vampires (1998)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Of course, no top-ten list of favorite movies is complete without its antithesis. Be sure to check in on October 15th when I post my list of Ten Vampire Films to Avoid During the Halloween Season.
Here, in no particular order, are ten great vampire films to watch during the Halloween season.
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) – The seminal classic vampire film and one of the most widely-regarded pieces of Germany's Expressionist period. Originally conceived as a direct adaptation of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the film ran into legal trouble with Stoker's estate and changed the names of characters, places, and even the climax in a vain attempt to avoid copyright infringement. After all known copies were destroyed, it was thought to have been lost for several decades before being re-discovered. Max Schreck's portrayal of Graf Orlok as a twisted, rat-like creature feeding on the blood of innocents still sends chills up the spine. (Bonus points if you score a copy boasting a soundtrack by Type O Negative and hosted by David Carradine.)
Vampyr (1932) – Carl Theodor Dreyer's film, loosely based on elements of J. Sheridan Le Fanu's In A Glass Darkly, about an occult-obsessed adventurer who gets wrapped up in a vampiric mystery, is equally ahead of its time as well as behind. Dreyer was reputedly only used to filming silent movies, so the film ultimately serves as a sort of “hybrid” of silent and sound, with a limited soundtrack and title cards to help move the story along. Nevertheless, it is widely regarded as a horror masterpiece and is undoubtedly worth the look. Fun fact: the lead actor's name, “Julian West,” is actually the stage name of Nicolas de Gunzburg, a prominent banker and socialite (and, subsequently, the editor of magazines like Town & Country, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue) who actually helped fund the making of Dreyer's next film in exchange for a starring role in this one.
Drácula (1931) – Universal's Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, is a beloved classic and still undeniably the benchmark by which we judge screen adaptations of Dracula. Still, the Spanish language version is a technical masterpiece that improves on the Lugosi classic in almost every way. Everything is better here, from the noticeably smoother dolly tracking to the actors' performances. Pay particular attention to Pablo Alvarez Rubio's portrayal of Renfield, who comes across as a more tragic and sympathetic character than his American counterpart, Dwight Frye. If you are okay with subtitles, this is definitely one to catch.
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979) – Werner Herzog's loving homage to the classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens is not your typical remake in that it is almost better in every way than the original. Klaus Kinski turns in an absolutely chilling and vile performance as Graf Dracula (this version retains the names of the characters from the novel), succeeding by leaps and bounds in portraying the Count as a simultaneously sympathetic and revolting creature. An English-speaking version, titled Nosferatu the Vampyre, was produced concurrently with the German one, so while you do not necessarily have to suffer through subtitles, my suggestion ultimately comes down to the German version. It is painfully evident that English is not the native language of the actors, and the line deliveries are considerably more wooden. Either way, both versions are astounding, and the film's haunting soundtrack makes that ride all the sweeter. I cannot wait for Robert Eggers' new adaptation to drop in December; comparing all three should prove quite interesting.
Let the Right One In (2008) – Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of a 2004 Swedish novel of the same name tells the lonely tale of Oskar, a young boy living in Stockholm in 1981 who leads a lonely existence and is relentlessly bullied at school. He soon discovers a new neighbor at his apartment complex, Eli, a 200-year-old vampire trapped inside the ageless body of a young girl. What follows is a haunting and beautiful tale of burgeoning emotion and friendship interspersed with extremely dark undertones of the nature of revenge, violence, and doing what is necessary to survive. I cannot express enough how this movie affects me; I am nearly in tears every time the credits roll. It is probably my favorite vampire film of all time.
We Are the Night (2010) – This film confidently walks the thin line between the heavy cinematic stylization of the Underworld films and a more heady, character-driven story like Let the Right One In. A young, drug-addicted, suicidal girl named Lena is “chosen” by Louise, the dominatrix of an all-female vampiric trio, to be the fourth member of their little family, and soon they are living it up in nightclubs, driving fast cars with carefree abandon, and feasting on the blood of whom they please. All of the girls have turned to vampirism as a means to the ultimate escapism, leaving their old lives behind to embrace the dark power they have discovered...but what happens when the past begins to catch up with them? Many films and stories have skirted similar plotlines, but this film shows the harsh reality that, no matter how long one can live, they cannot run from themselves forever.
'Salem's Lot (2004) – My personal hot take is that I prefer this version of 'Salem's Lot to the 1979 television miniseries. (Incidentally, audiences will again have an opportunity to travel back to the Lot this month as Gary Dauberman's long-delayed film adaptation will finally be made available for streaming on Max.) Possibly the best television miniseries adaptation of a Stephen King novel, save for Storm of the Century, perhaps, this one retains almost everything that makes the book great. Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher, James Cromwell, Donald Sutherland, and Rutger Hauer perform fantastically in this tale of a small New England town overrun by vampires. Though a few special effects could have been handled better (it is a television production, after all), they hardly detract from a masterful adaptation of one of King's best stories. Given the time this was made, there are quite a few shocking scenes on display, so it is lovely to see that they pulled no punches in bringing the novel to life with such a quality small-screen production.
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) – The seminal classic vampire film and one of the most widely-regarded pieces of Germany's Expressionist period. Originally conceived as a direct adaptation of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the film ran into legal trouble with Stoker's estate and changed the names of characters, places, and even the climax in a vain attempt to avoid copyright infringement. After all known copies were destroyed, it was thought to have been lost for several decades before being re-discovered. Max Schreck's portrayal of Graf Orlok as a twisted, rat-like creature feeding on the blood of innocents still sends chills up the spine. (Bonus points if you score a copy boasting a soundtrack by Type O Negative and hosted by David Carradine.)
Vampyr (1932) – Carl Theodor Dreyer's film, loosely based on elements of J. Sheridan Le Fanu's In A Glass Darkly, about an occult-obsessed adventurer who gets wrapped up in a vampiric mystery, is equally ahead of its time as well as behind. Dreyer was reputedly only used to filming silent movies, so the film ultimately serves as a sort of “hybrid” of silent and sound, with a limited soundtrack and title cards to help move the story along. Nevertheless, it is widely regarded as a horror masterpiece and is undoubtedly worth the look. Fun fact: the lead actor's name, “Julian West,” is actually the stage name of Nicolas de Gunzburg, a prominent banker and socialite (and, subsequently, the editor of magazines like Town & Country, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue) who actually helped fund the making of Dreyer's next film in exchange for a starring role in this one.
Drácula (1931) – Universal's Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, is a beloved classic and still undeniably the benchmark by which we judge screen adaptations of Dracula. Still, the Spanish language version is a technical masterpiece that improves on the Lugosi classic in almost every way. Everything is better here, from the noticeably smoother dolly tracking to the actors' performances. Pay particular attention to Pablo Alvarez Rubio's portrayal of Renfield, who comes across as a more tragic and sympathetic character than his American counterpart, Dwight Frye. If you are okay with subtitles, this is definitely one to catch.
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979) – Werner Herzog's loving homage to the classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens is not your typical remake in that it is almost better in every way than the original. Klaus Kinski turns in an absolutely chilling and vile performance as Graf Dracula (this version retains the names of the characters from the novel), succeeding by leaps and bounds in portraying the Count as a simultaneously sympathetic and revolting creature. An English-speaking version, titled Nosferatu the Vampyre, was produced concurrently with the German one, so while you do not necessarily have to suffer through subtitles, my suggestion ultimately comes down to the German version. It is painfully evident that English is not the native language of the actors, and the line deliveries are considerably more wooden. Either way, both versions are astounding, and the film's haunting soundtrack makes that ride all the sweeter. I cannot wait for Robert Eggers' new adaptation to drop in December; comparing all three should prove quite interesting.
Let the Right One In (2008) – Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of a 2004 Swedish novel of the same name tells the lonely tale of Oskar, a young boy living in Stockholm in 1981 who leads a lonely existence and is relentlessly bullied at school. He soon discovers a new neighbor at his apartment complex, Eli, a 200-year-old vampire trapped inside the ageless body of a young girl. What follows is a haunting and beautiful tale of burgeoning emotion and friendship interspersed with extremely dark undertones of the nature of revenge, violence, and doing what is necessary to survive. I cannot express enough how this movie affects me; I am nearly in tears every time the credits roll. It is probably my favorite vampire film of all time.
We Are the Night (2010) – This film confidently walks the thin line between the heavy cinematic stylization of the Underworld films and a more heady, character-driven story like Let the Right One In. A young, drug-addicted, suicidal girl named Lena is “chosen” by Louise, the dominatrix of an all-female vampiric trio, to be the fourth member of their little family, and soon they are living it up in nightclubs, driving fast cars with carefree abandon, and feasting on the blood of whom they please. All of the girls have turned to vampirism as a means to the ultimate escapism, leaving their old lives behind to embrace the dark power they have discovered...but what happens when the past begins to catch up with them? Many films and stories have skirted similar plotlines, but this film shows the harsh reality that, no matter how long one can live, they cannot run from themselves forever.
'Salem's Lot (2004) – My personal hot take is that I prefer this version of 'Salem's Lot to the 1979 television miniseries. (Incidentally, audiences will again have an opportunity to travel back to the Lot this month as Gary Dauberman's long-delayed film adaptation will finally be made available for streaming on Max.) Possibly the best television miniseries adaptation of a Stephen King novel, save for Storm of the Century, perhaps, this one retains almost everything that makes the book great. Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher, James Cromwell, Donald Sutherland, and Rutger Hauer perform fantastically in this tale of a small New England town overrun by vampires. Though a few special effects could have been handled better (it is a television production, after all), they hardly detract from a masterful adaptation of one of King's best stories. Given the time this was made, there are quite a few shocking scenes on display, so it is lovely to see that they pulled no punches in bringing the novel to life with such a quality small-screen production.
Great Performances – Count Dracula (1977) – Louis Jourdan turns in a beautifully understated performance as the Count in what is, to my knowledge, the most faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's magnum opus. There is no denying that the production values in this one are a bit lacking by today's standards, but all the significant plot details are there, with hardly anything extraneous added. My only gripe is that Quincy P. Morris and Arthur Holmwood are condensed into a single character, Quincy Holmwood, but overall, there is very little to quibble about. One performance of note is that of Frank Finlay, who imbues the character of Professor Van Helsing with a sense of dread and urgency that I feel is often lost in many other character portrayals. Fun fact: Klaus Kinski, who played Dracula in Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht, plays Renfield in a sadly watered-down role compared to most other adaptations.
Mystery and Imagination – Dracula (1968) – This one is fascinating—not necessarily one of my favorites as far as straight adaptations go, but at the time I saw it, it was just so damn hard to find. It is worth watching if you have never heard of or seen it. Here, Dracula is portrayed by Denholm Elliot, probably best known in America for playing Marcus Brody in the Indiana Jones films (personally, I fondly remember him as Selsdon Mowbray in Noises Off, his final film before his untimely passing, and arguably one of the greatest comedies of the early 90's). He may lack some of the charm or charisma brought to the role by other actors, but the allure lies mainly in the fact that this rare film was tough to come by before it was posted on YouTube.
30 Days of Night (2007) – This film adaptation of the widely-acclaimed DC comic series is a frightening reminder of just how little chance humans would actually stand against real vampires, given that they physically outmatch us in almost every way. Hand-to-hand fisticuffs? Forget it; you are as good as dead. This one has considerably more gore than the other films on the list, so be prepared. An excellent performance of note is that of Ben Foster, the "Renfield" of the story, who arrives at the town before the vampires to assist in sabotaging any chance of escape for Josh Hartnett and his crew.
As with any list of great films, some almost made the cut but ultimately ended up being left out. Here are ten runners-up:
Fright Night (1985)
Dracula (1931)
Horror of Dracula (1958)
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Near Dark (1987)
Thirst (2009)
The Hunger (1983)
John Carpenter's Vampires (1998)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Of course, no top-ten list of favorite movies is complete without its antithesis. Be sure to check in on October 15th when I post my list of Ten Vampire Films to Avoid During the Halloween Season.
Until next time!
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