Vampires and Werewolves: Is there any good movie on them?

Have you seen "Bram Stoker's Dracula", directed by Francis Ford Coppola back in the 90's?

It tries to stay true to the classic novel (sort of, a bit) whilst taking a few liberties. Personally, I think it's a magnificent film even with Keanu Reeves pretending to be an Englishman.

"Dog Soldiers" - a British werewolf film.
"Wolfman" - a recent remake of the classic from the forties.

"Perfect Creature"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403407/

The Howling is a good start for werewolves.

And I second the Bram Stoker's Dracula from the 90's, close enough to the book.

The Wolfman remake had the more human wolf face to pay homage to the original designs.

Interview with a Vampire is probably the best one I've seen. You really should watch it.

The Howling, Wolfen, and American Werewolf in London are about as good as it gets for Werewolf movies.

I haven't seen it, but I heard that "Let the Right One In" is great (remade as "Let Me In" here in the US released earlier this year).
Cronos was interesting (definitely not your Grandpa's vampire movie).
"From Dusk Till Dawn" and "Lost Boys" were fun.

Since this is about movies, rather than writing, I'm sending it to TV & Movies.

Ginger Snaps is an excellent werewolf flick, as is its sequel and prequel.

As far as vampire flicks, I highly recommend Let Me In as well as several that have been mentioned already, along with Lets Scare Jessica To Death.

Wolf starring Jack Nicholson is good also.

Vampire Hunter D
Vampire In Brooklyn (Total Freaking CLASSIC!)
Ultraviolet---I was undecided on this, but the fight scenes rocked
I am Legend
Van Helsing (I liked this, but it was kind of hum, costumes were awesome)
From Dusk Til Dawn (YES!!!)
Underworld Trilogy- Watch the extras-the special effects were amazing.

Werewolf
Ladyhawke-interesting but odd
Van Helsing and Underworld both have werewolves
The Brothers Grimm-this movie was kind of freaky, but I am not a horror movie gal. it had very spooky scenes!
The Wolfman-My husband says this was good, but I didn't have a chance to see it.

Most movies take a pretty standard route. If you want cool vamps, I Am Legend Vamps are good. The best werewolves I liked were in a foreing film with Liam Neeson. GAR I cannot find it anywhere. It DID have werewolves. What was the Vampire one that Had, um, Gerard Butler in it? I can't think? That was a fun one.

Vampires:
Nosferatu
Coppola's Dracula
Les Vampires
Let the Right One In
Let Me In
Dracula (1931)
Near Dark

Werewolves:
Ginger Snaps
The Wolf Man (1941)
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
The Howling
Wolf (1994)
Cat People (1942--not really a werewolf film, but the main character is a kind of were-cat)

For vampires, Let the Right One In was amazing. I also got a weird kind of kick out of Van Helsing's unashamed campiness--vampires, werewolves, AND Frankenstein's monster. Can't really go wrong.

For pure werewolf movies, all I can say is to give Blood and Chocolate a pass. It's not loyal to the book, and the wolves come off way too wimpy.

Hmm... No one mentioned The Company of Wolves. Still one of my favorite movies--werewolf or otherwise--and definitely my second favorite movie featuring Angela Lansbury. Perhaps I am dating myself...

AL (as Granny): Oh, they're nice as pie until they've had their way with you. But once the bloom is gone... oh, the beast comes out.

Just off the top of my head: the first few Hammer Dracula films, Let The Right One In, Dog Soldiers, The Howling, Wolfen, American Werewolf in London, The Wolf Man (original, not the shitty remake), and Martin.

Nightwatch and Daywatch are Russian films that give a very different spin on vampires. Both very good, and the books are excellent too.

Surprised that no one has mentioned the Blade Trilogy or 30 Days of Night for vamp movies.

30 Days of Night
Dog Soldiers
Let the Right One In / Let Me In
Interview with a Vampire

I'll admit... I have a soft-spot for An American Werewolf in Paris. It's one of those movies I know is bad (and I hate the werewolf designs) but for some reason I enjoy it.

And I agree about staying away from Blood and Chocolate. Book was pretty good. The movie was terrible.

I liked the Jack Nicholson one, was it called "Wolf"?

veinglory said:

I liked the Jack Nicholson one, was it called "Wolf"?

Click to expand...

Yep. A good one.

Let the Right One In / Let Me In . Stellar stuff there.

I can't really think of a Werewolf movie I've liked enough to recommend, though.

I think it depends on what you define as being good.

Captain Kronos -- Vampire Hunter

Just thought I'd throw that in there.

In most of the folklore, vampires are pathetic, mindless life-sucking ghosts, usually preying on their immediate families. Compulsive counters of beans. 19th century writers romanticized them, made them real characters, and then a few decades ago, they evolved further, until now in some forms they're practically superheroes with very few downsides.

Hops on ---> (No, I'm not angry, but it's the only soapbox simile we have.)

Vampire stories started out as plague tales, not nursery tales, and they're different depending on the culture you find them in.

European vampires were mainly of the rodent-like Nosferatu (which were the ones spread like the plague) up until the last two centuries.

There are Asian vampires that are more spirit drinkers that are covered in green fur.

There's an African variety that's the result of a person who practiced witchcraft in life not finding rest after.

Then, come the Dark Ages, the Catholic church jumped onto the folklore wagon (there was actually a Treatise against them sanctioned), declared vampiric traits to be demonic possession, and started the whole stakes, holy water, crucifixes and defacing the dead parts of the stories. Those cases were actually extreme instances of rabies, also spread like the plague during that time. The victims became incoherent, shrieking, shaking, and acted out when water was tossed on them (hydrophobia). They were light-sensitive, and animalistic thanks to the virus, and in some cases, their libido actually kicked into overdrive.

The "romantic" vampire started with a dig at Lord Byron, by his doctor, who didn't like his life-style or his womanizing. He wrote a short story (Lord Ruthvyn) that was basically Byron as a blood sucker/defiler of innocent women unable to refuse his advances, and then others like Varney, Carmilla, and finally Dracula cropped up afterward.

Thanks to Hollywood, the "bursting into dust/flame" at sunlight became a staple that was never part of the actual lore.

<--- hops off


Underworld is good.
Wolf is good.

If you like campy, Kindred was okay. Forever Knight was over the top on the camp, but fun. (These are both series, as is Wolf Lake, which was a were-show I liked as a kid.)

Ladyhawke is not a werewolf tale, it's more complex than that, but yes, a good movie.

Avoid Blood and Chocolate.
Avoid Interview with the Vampire.
Avoid UltraViolet (the movie, I've heard the series on netflix was good.)
BURN Van Helsing if you are unfortunate enough to be subjected to its awfulness.

Rufus Coppertop said:

Have you seen "Bram Stoker's Dracula", directed by Francis Ford Coppola back in the 90's?

It tries to stay true to the classic novel (sort of, a bit) whilst taking a few liberties. Personally, I think it's a magnificent film even with Keanu Reeves pretending to be an Englishman.

Click to expand...

Well, it's the only filmed version I know of that includes all the characters; and it does a good job of reflecting the novel's epistolary structure. I despise Coppola as a person, but he does know how to put stuff on film.