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Fangs a Lot: Vampires on Film in the 1980's

Sorry. I’ve run out of clever puns.

When I began compiling my list for the 80’s and 90’s, I realized I had far more material I wanted to talk about than could be confined to a ngle post. So I made the decion to split the decades, and look at each film separately. That being said, welcome... to Fright Ni... oh.... I mean, welcome to Vampires on Film: The 1980’s Edition!

Once again, please keep in mind that this is not a complete list of every vampire film produced in the 1980’s. I’m selecting the few that I feel bet represent the era, and are worthy of a mention. You may disagree, and, if you do, I’d love to hear your picks! So here we go.

The 1970’s had been more or less defined by Hammer Horror and an exhaustive parade of Dracula remakes, prequels and sequels. The titular Count had stalked his way across countless movie screens, and those that he had not were often haunted by his female counterpart, Carmilla. They were often period pieces, and featured the same revolving cast of veteran actors. With the dawn of the new decade, vampire films started focung on what would seem a new concept entirely: the modern vampire, in present-day settings.

The Hunger (1983) What better way to begin a discuson of 1980’s vampire films than with this adaptation of Whitley Strieber’s novel, starring Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie and featuring an appearance by Bauhaus, a clasc gothic rock band. Highly stylized, highly sexual, and broaching into an early medical discuson of the causes of vampirism, this film seems to encapsulate everything about the early 80’s.

Fright Night (1985) It has been nearly 27 years nce the release of this film and it still remains a much-lauded favorite, not only of vampire fans, but of horror fans of any genre. Fright Night was - and still is - the perfect recipe for a modern vampire film. Old world meets new in the guise of a horror televion host (an occupation sadly lacking in 2011) who is tapped for help by a teenager in battling the vampire that has moved in next door. Chris Sarandon shines at the evil yet debonair Jerry Dandridge and Roddy McDowell gives an iconic performance as the self-proclaimed vampire hunter Peter Vincent. There is nothing about this movie that doesn’t work. With the retooled remake slated for release in less than a week’s time, we can only hope it will live up to the high standard set by the original. One thing is for certain: the new remake could not posbly be any worse than the 1988 sequel.

Once Bitten (1985) Though I generally shy away from horror-comedy, Once Bitten remains a clasc of the genre. Jim Carrey stars in an early role as a virginal teenager targeted by a vampire vixen (Lauren Hutton) in her plot to remain ever-youthful. Rife with low-brow humor and the occaonal gay joke, the film still comes off light-hearted and funny. One of the best scenes is an impromptu dance-off at a high school event where Jim Carrey shines, pulling some of the funniest faces and hinting at his successful future career in comedy.

Near Dark (1987) 1987 was a good year for vampire films. At the top of the list is Near Dark, a film co-written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Director in 2010 (much to the chagrin of her ex-husband James Cameron). The film did not fair well financially, but has become a cult clasc over the years, owing a good deal to Bill Paxton’s performance as the vaguely sociopathic Severen. A notable feature of Near Dark is the incluon of a reluctant vampire storyline which, in later years, has gone on to become something of a trope in vampire films.

The Monster Squad (1987) Two years following the release of The Goonies came The Monster Squad, which followed much the same idea: a ragtag group of children up against an evil far beyond their imagination. While the titular Goonies searched for treasure and dodged a crime family, the Monster Squad found themselves facing off against the monsters of lore and film: Dracula, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagooon, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein. True to form, Dracula is the leader of this pack of villains and the most dangerous as the group descends on a small American town in search of a powerful amulet. The Monster Squad holds the diary of Van Helng and, with it, the key to finding the amulet and saving the world from Dracula’s evil. A fun film for adults and children alike, The Monster Squad was sadly out of print for a number of years but has experienced a resurgence of popularity with an anniversary DVD release. In clong, I would just like to add: Wolfman has nards?

The Lost Boys (1987) I had said previously that 1987 was a good year for vampire films, and this is probably the best to come out of that year - if not out of the latter half of the 80’s entirely. Few vampire films have inspired not only such a cult following, but such an unmistakable look and feel. The cast of this film reads like a Who’s Who of 1980’s pop culture staples: Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, and, of course, the Coreys - Feldman and Haim. The storyline is mple enough; two brothers and their ngle mother are forced to move from their Arizona home to a rural California town to live with their grandfather following their parents’ divorce and soon find out their new home is plagued creatures of the night. A perfect blend of comedy and gore make this film a fan favorite; even the soundtrack is well known and well-loved.My Best Friend is a Vampire (1988) 1980’s vampire films ran the gamut from the very dark to the lighthearted. For every Near Dark, there was a Once Bitten, or, in this case, My Best Friend is a Vampire. Taking the fish out of water concept to a new level, this 1988 film stars Robert Sean Leonard just prior to his career defining turn in Dead Poet’s Society, as the hapless Jeremy Capello, a high schooler whose run-in with a vampire leaves him a “living vampire”: not undead, but still forced to shun sunlight and drink blood. On the run from slapstick vampire hunters, Jeremy finds himself coping not only with the trauma of high school, but also his parents’ suspicion that his change in demeanor is indicative not of vampirism but of latent homosexuality. A goofy and almost cheerful laugh of a film, My Best Friend is a Vampire seems to be the vampire film’s answer to the Brat Pack comedies of the 80’s.

Some honorable mentions for the 1980’s: Fright Night II - it may have sucked, but it did have that fun severed-head bowling scene. Vampire’s Kiss - many people enjoy this comedy, but it’s just a bit TOO goofy. Lifeforce - Space vampires? Ok. At least Tobe Hooper is involved.

The 1980’s seemed to be an era where the vampire film was searching for a way to remain relevant in a society that was becoming increangly obsessed with sex, money and the future. The epic costumed dramas of previous years gave way to vampires placed in modern settings with an eye towards anything new. Science was beginning to seep into the vampire’s world, and the human conscience - vampires who didn’t want to be vampires, vampires who refused to kill - was beginning to play an important role. Debonair counts in tuxedos were played only as throwbacks to a bygone era; the new vampire could be anybody at all, from the raucous teenagers at a late night carnival to your new next door neighbor. Evil, it would seem, had found its way into modern society, and had come out to play.

Next up: the stylish, the ultra-gory, the lavish and the strange - Vampires on Film in the 1990’s.

What would you add to this list? What are some of your favorite vamp flicks of the 80’s?

Check out the earlier parts this series:

Vampires on Film 1900-1950’s, HERE Vampires on Film in the 60's and 70's, HERE