Posting about True Blood got me thinking about great TV and movie vampires. Poking around, I realize that though I've seen my share of vamp flicks, I'm hardly well-versed in the genre. Perhaps that's because I have a definite preference for postmodern reimaginings over classical horror, however well done.
My love of Buffy and Angel is well known, of course, and I've also mentioned a few times the British show Ultraviolet, which had themes that prefigured True Blood in many ways, though it was more MI5 adventure than gothic. Also, it co-starred Idris Elba, later to make his name in The Wire. In this scene, the hero confronts his best friend, now a vamp, and one of the moral issues of the show are laid out: are vampire hunters nothing more than a fascist death squad? (The question isn't as loaded as I probably just made it sound. The vamps in this show are really evil, after all.)
Near Dark also toyed with the mythology in fun ways, as did Lost Boys, I suppose. What are your favorites -- again, with an emphasis on clever twists. I mean, 30 Days of Night looks creepy and fun, but is it interesting?
And WTF is Vampire High?
