Vampires... Real or Fake?

[TheMedic]

Just got done having a vampire movie marathon (No, not those stupid twilight movies, the real ones like: Underworld, Interview with the vampire, Queen of the damned, Nosferatu, etc...) and I've been wondering since this legend has been around for so long, could they in fact be hiding in the shadows?

I had researched this a very long time ago and came across an article about a journalist who went clubbing with "Vampires" and she was really excited about writing the story, but she never came back from the club that night. Her body was never found either...

This thread is all about the legend of the "vampire's" and how they have been around over the centuries. Real or fake, I would like to hear your theories, stories, or thoughts on them.

[Bertha]

Just got done having a vampire movie marathon (No, not those stupid twilight movies, the real ones like: Underworld, Interview with the vampire, Queen of the damned, Nosferatu, etc...) and I've been wondering since this legend has been around for so long, could they in fact be hiding in the shadows?

I had researched this a very long time ago and came across an article about a journalist who went clubbing with "Vampires" and she was really excited about writing the story, but she never came back from the club that night. Her body was never found either...

This thread is all about the legend of the "vampire's" and how they have been around over the centuries. Real or fake, I would like to hear your theories, stories, or thoughts on them.

Nosferatu would be the only "real" vampire in that list. All those others serve for emo/goth fodder and have ruined the vampire image. And your lack of Dracula saddens me.

There's a book called The Embrace by Aphrodite Jones. I've read it...very interesting read. It's about a guy that was born somewhere in Kentucky (because we're all fucking insane here apparently), and he moved to Florida and ended up killing some girl's family. He claimed he was a vampire prince, and that's how he ended up seducing a lot of his followers into believing him.

[TheMedic]

Nosferatu would be the only "real" vampire in that list. All those others serve for emo/goth fodder and have ruined the vampire image. And your lack of Dracula saddens me.

There's a book called The Embrace by Aphrodite Jones. I've read it...very interesting read. It's about a guy that was born somewhere in Kentucky (because we're all fucking insane here apparently), and he moved to Florida and ended up killing some girl's family. He claimed he was a vampire prince, and that's how he ended up seducing a lot of his followers into believing him.

I saw Dracula too tonight, but I mean, he's so mainstream. Nosferatu was pretty good, I also saw a film about the actor and the legend behind him saying he really was a vampire and was killing people while making the film. I'm pretty freaked out at the moment. I will make sure to read "The Embrace" sounds very interesting.

[Bertha]

I saw Dracula too tonight, but I mean, he's so mainstream. Nosferatu was pretty good, I also saw a film about the actor and the legend behind him saying he really was a vampire and was killing people while making the film. I'm pretty freaked out at the moment. I will make sure to read "The Embrace" sounds very interesting.

Saying Dracula, a classic, is mainstream but then mentioning movies that star Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, plus movies that have vampires doing nothing but running around in leather and angsting is...yeah.

You really should check out the book though. You can google the guy yourself...his name is Rod Ferrell. I know his old cult used to role play in some park/wooded area outside of whatever part of KY he's from....and I think some groups still do. A person I worked with said they saw some of the shit...and that it was pretty crazy.

[TheMedic]

Saying Dracula, a classic, is mainstream but then mentioning movies that star Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, plus movies that have vampires doing nothing but running around in leather and angsting is...yeah.

You really should check out the book though. You can google the guy yourself...his name is Rod Ferrell. I know his old cult used to role play in some park/wooded area outside of whatever part of KY he's from....and I think some groups still do. A person I worked with said they saw some of the shit...and that it was pretty crazy.

Well, what can I say? I would rather see Lestat and Selene running around in their skimpy little leather outfits instead of Bela Lugosi (Dracula) running around in his cape... Is that so wrong? lol

I will definitely check that book out though. Thanks for telling me about it!

[GuardhouseMusic]

I remember I had a brief flirtation with vampire lore when I was in middle school, but being the kid I was, it was restricted to, ehh, anime portrayals. I did see a Hammer film with Christopher Lee as Dracula though. Vampire Hunter D has always been one of my favorite OVAs. Plus there's this George Romero film that I've been meaning to see for a while called Martin. Definitely a more modern interpretation of "vampires." Thanks for the book recommendation.

VHD <3

[Corrin]

i am a Vampire IRL...

i am of the Cape,.,the Brotherhood of the Cape. We are of the skul..........

[Bianca]

OMG! Vampryz r s0 realz! 1 day I am g0nna meet a b0i just like Edward Cullen!!!!!

Pffffft.

I'm not a huge fan of vampire stories, but I have read a lot of the older stuff, particularly the ones that center around vampire lesbianism, like Carmilla. Unfortunately, these days, those type of books/movies have really gone down in quality, as most feed into titillating heterosexual men rather than telling a good story. The Hunger is an example of that. *shudder*

Getting back on the real topic, though... I don't really believe in vampires. I think they are an interesting legend, but I'm not going to spend my life searching for them, but I am somewhat saddened by what they've become to the mainstream media. Thankfully, however, I'm not that invested in the legends to begin with, so I can't get myself to get really upset over it or whatever.

[GuardhouseMusic]

Carmilla, eh? Well I found a pdf and it's a quick read. Once I'm done with The Short-Timers this'll be worth it I'm sure. I've always heard that name in reference to vampire stories, if I'm not mistaken more of a connection to the countess Elizabeth Bathory. I think people speculated that she was a vampire. Something about bathing in her victims' blood.

[Bianca]

^Sadly, Elizabeth Bathory's life isn't as interesting when you really delve into it and realize it's been sensationalized so much over the years and much of what brought you into researching her in the first place ends up being completely false. So disappointing. Although, she most certainly had a lot of impact on vampire legends, both the ones with lesbian undertones and otherwise.

But, yes, do read Carmilla. It's an easy read, but very short. I still read it from time to time, and I'm always blown away by how subtly erotic the whole thing is. :3

[CODE_umb87]

Vampires like the one's seen in movies with glowing yellow eyes and fangs are definitely myth, but I do remember seeing a documentary once on TV about people who drank blood because of it's "good" taste and considered themselves to be part vampire.

As for the movies, I always had a thing for the more "fun" vampire films (The Lost Boys, Fright Night, Near Dark, Blade, Salem's Lot, etc...). Aside from Nosferatu the only Dracula film I really ever liked was Bram Stoker's Dracula, one of the best vampire movies ever. I've never really watched the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, I've been thinking about giving it a try though.

[Darkmoon]

In a similar vein to zombies, I have to wonder about the legends of vampires. So many different cultures have different legends with different names of blood drinking, night dwelling former humans. There's no scientific evidence for there exsitence but it's hard to ignore so many cultures, isolated from each other, comming up with such similar legends.

[Becky's Butt]

Saying Dracula, a classic, is mainstream but then mentioning movies that star Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, plus movies that have vampires doing nothing but running around in leather and angsting is...good and preferable to bland horror.

I quite agree.

And insulting Brad Pitt? Unforgivable.

And emo is just a general meaningless insult for hates who can't actually justify their opinions.
"Louis is emo1!!!"
Well..golly here I thought he'd be in high spirits after spending centuries murdering people against his will and being partly responsible for the person he loved being killed.

Emo can just be assumed to mean good characterization and depth when used by some people.

[WeskerSexyCheez]

Vampires aren't fake, per say. They are fictional of course, but one of the reasons they have survived so long is because they have some basis in fact. Personally I find the factual side of vampires to be far more interesting than fiction... Especially because the factual side is about as far removed from Twilight as you can get. <_< Lot's of blood, gore and terror. I'd like to see somebody ending up with their head stuck on pole in a Meyer book...

And it's Ezerbet Bathory... I know Elizabeth is the English version of it and all,
but she was Hungarian, not English. If everybody used everyone's English names, what a boring world it would be.

[Bianca]

I quite agree.

And insulting Brad Pitt? Unforgivable.

And emo is just a general meaningless insult for hates who can't actually justify their opinions.
"Louis is emo1!!!"
Well..golly here I thought he'd be in high spirits after spending centuries murdering people against his will and being partly responsible for the person he loved being killed.

Emo can just be assumed to mean good characterization and depth when used by some people.

I’ve only read two of Anne Rice’s novels—Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat—and while I generally think she is given far too much credit for “reinventing” vampires, I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with her stories. It is more of her fanbase that is quite... disturbing. In fact, IWTV (the book) is quite enjoyable. I think the characters in the book are really interesting, and I was sincerely interested in what they went through, especially Claudia, the little girl. It’s been EONS since I’ve watched the movie, but from I remember, I think Brad Pitt made Louis far more “whiny” and “annoying” than how the character was portrayed in the book. As far as Tom Cruise’s portrayal of Lestat, well, I actually thought he did a decent job, but it’s not a performance I couldn’t have seen from another actor. I feel IWTV is too “Hollywood,” and I would’ve liked to see its outcome with lesser-known actors. Of course, I am not a fan of either actors (Pitt or Cruise), but whatev.

Anne Rice’s vampires are sort of a hit or miss. Some of her characters are genuinely pleasing, while others are ridiculous and laughable. I sort of think she should’ve made IWTV a stand-alone book instead of taking the characters on a 30-year ride with over 9000 novels.

However, I will say that her “version” of vampires is one of the few modern-day versions I actually accept, because she makes it realistic and truthful to the legends. For example, she doesn’t let her vampire characters engage in sex. It sincerely aggravates me when people allow vampires to still have intercourse, because it seems completely meaningless. The whole concept of “biting” someone in vampirism is completely akin to sex. The “biting” is penetration, pleasure, an exchange of fluids, and generally, a means to reproduce. Why would vampires be having conventional sex if they are no longer human and should no longer have human urges (especially when the alternative outlet is, as I said, akin to sex)?

And about the definition of “emo”… uh, whut?