Dracula rolls in his grave
November 20, 2008 9:15 am Books, Movies
I’m beyond sick of the media frenzy over Twilight. I had to sit through the trailer for the film adaptation the last time I went to the movie theater, and it reminded why I can’t stand 99% of vampire fiction.
Why? Because so much of it portrays vampires (and often their cousins, the werewolves) as these incredibly fruity characters that are a jarring contrast to their roots. These clowns would be more at home prancing about in a Broadway musical! They’re supposed to be monsters, people, not well-dressed emo kids! Even Dracula, the original gangsta, knew when it was time to drop the charade and slaughter the villagers. Screw this whiny love story bullshit. We need to bring back serious vampires, who see and treat humans as the cattle that they are.
The Blade films did it right, but if you want some proper vampire action, I suggest you read Brian Lumley’s Necroscope saga. The vampires depicted therein are much more realistic (and frightening!) than the protagonists of some teen craze. The monsters therein mean business, and actually pose a significant threat. Sorry, sad-eyed teenage vampires are about as threatening as an earthworm who’s crawled out of the ground on a rainy day.
Where’s Simon Belmont when you need him?
November 21st, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Cute quasi-catgirl vampires, however, are a perfectly reasonable alternative.
Moon Phase is a good alternate take on the vampire story, I think. Sure, the protagonist is a young girl, but the story elements are derived from vampire tradition, albeit with some asian mysticism (and the Japanese obsession with cute) on top of it. One of the first major events in the story is when Hazuki, the main character (and a vampire) decides to make a slave out of one of the other main characters. In fact, the whole vampire ‘hierarchy’ plays a significant role in the story.
So while it’s not a hardcore vampire horror story, Moon Phase does seem to follow the spirit of the vampire story (if not the letter) a lot more than the emo pretty-boy ones.
There’s plenty more vampire anime out there that I still haven’t seen, but they appear to respect vampire tradition as well, from what I’m aware of.
You’re right though… Belmont is the man we need to weed out the inferior vampires. Even though he is sworn to kill them all. What? I think you know what I mean.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:31 AM
That’s a good point; I should’ve brought up Rosario + Vampire, because the titular character Moka is a whirling engine of destruction when she’s in her “released” form. Hell, she’s even properly arrogant, as she often tells her foes to “know their place” while she hands them a severe beating!
As for the Belmonts…well, Julius did defeat Dracula once and for all back in 1999…