Six Vampire Movies to Sink Your Teeth Into This October

 Spooky Season is here! It’s time to cozy up in your house, turn all of the lights off, and watch all of the horror movies your horror-addicted heart desires.

 

Today’s post is going to be one to help you decide which movies you should watch in the Vampire subgenre of horror. Vampires have been a staple of this genre since the 1920s with Nosferatu, and have gone through many peaks and valleys in the quality department over the years.

 

But no worries, I’m going to be talking about six movies today that are not only great in the quality department but are also infinitely rewatchable so you can make any one of these six (or all of them) a yearly watch for you! So without further ado, let’s get into the list, shall we??

The Lost Boys

 

I talked about this in a previous post but I still feel that The Lost Boys is a must-watch if you’re going to put on a vampire movie. This film about two brothers moving to a new city and trying to fit in while dealing with a pack of vampires is still a blast to watch. So if you’re looking for a hip vampire flick set in the 80s and infused with ALL of the style of that decade then The Lost Boys is for you.

Fright Night (1985)

 

1985 is one of the best years for film in cinema history. Back To The Future, Teen Wolf, The Goonies, The Breakfast Club, and The Return of the Living Dead are just a few examples of how wild this year was for cinema.

 

Another classic movie to come out in 1985 is Fright Night, a story of a boy named Charley Brewster, a horror junkie (hey I am too!) who starts to notice that his next-door neighbor Jerry Dandridge is acting strange. When the young 17-year-old looks further into the situation he finds out that Jerry is a vampire! And he must do everything in his power to hunt down and kill Jerry before he kills more people.

 

Fright Night is a film that wears director Tom Holland’s passion on its sleeve and it benefits from it. Tom is one of the best screenwriters and directors in Hollywood having written the screenplays for Psycho II, Class of 1984, and co-writing Child’s Play.

 

This film is yet another perfect blend of creepiness, scares, and comedy. There are moments in this film that’ll have you on the floor laughing and then there are other times where you’ll be scared out of your wits. This film gets a high recommendation from me and it should be on your October watch list this year and for many years to come.

Near Dark

 

Near Dark is a Neo-Western horror movie that was released in 1987, the same year as The Lost Boys. While this film may have been overshadowed by its vampire-infested brother, it still gets a VERY high recommendation from this horror nerd.

 

Near Dark is the story of cowboy Caleb Colton, a young man who lives in a small town and is smitten with a beautiful drifter named Mae. Just before Sunrise, Mae bites Caleb on the neck and runs off then proceeds to pick him up in an RV and explains that she just turned him into a vampire, and Caleb is forced to choose between his love for Mae or his love for his family.

 

This film perfectly makes vampires work in a western setting and is very gripping and engaging. The tension is aplenty, the music is cool, the setting is perfect for western fans, and the way the vampires work in this film is pretty unique compared to most adaptations of the titular monster.

 

If you’re a fan of Westerns and you’re looking for a vampire film in that type of setting, then Near Dark is the film for you.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

 

In the 1990s, Vampire movies were aplenty during the decade. Classics such as Interview With The Vampire, From Dusk Till Dawn, Blade, and John carpenter’s Vampires were all movies that came out during this decade alone.

 

But I’m going to be talking about a film from 1992 based on one of the most influential books ever released. That film is Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by legendary director Francis Ford Coppola. This film is based off of the book of the same name and is praised for its brilliant soundtrack, costume designs, makeup effects, and unique spin on the classic tale of Dracula.

 

This version of Dracula is by far the best in my eyes for how creepy it is, how awesome it looks due to the amazing cinematography, and how it portrays Dracula as more than just a big, scary vampire. If you’re looking for a version of Dracula to pop on in October for your spooky season marathon, make 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula the version you choose.

Salem’s Lot

 

Gothic Horror is a cornerstone of the monster movie subgenre of horror. From as far back as Nosferatu in the 1920s, gothic horror has always been associated with monsters such as vampires or werewolves.

 

One such tale of gothic horror is Salem’s Lot. Salem’s Lot is a TV miniseries based on the book of the same name by legendary horror author Stephen King (my favorite author EVER by the way). This miniseries is directed by legendary horror director Tobe Hooper, who’s known for horror classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist.

 

This miniseries has “classic gothic horror” written all over it. It’s got the creepy atmosphere, the slow burn into an inferno of creepiness, the fantastic set design, and the stellar makeup effects that add to the horror.

 

If you can forgive the slow burn, then you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of Salem’s Lot and I highly recommend it.

30 Days of Night

 

The 2000s were ripe with Vampire movies as well. From Dracula 2000 to Underworld, to 30 Days of Night, the movie I’m talking about.

 

This film from 2007 is the story of an Alaskan town being attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of Vampires during a month-long polar night. This film is a different twist on the typical vampire formula, in the fact that the vampires themselves are fast, scary, and brutal as opposed to your typical vampires who use their mind games to sneakily prey on their victims.

 

There’s also a sense of realness to the film that all other films I’ve talked about don’t have. You feel like you’re in this Alaskan town with this group of people and you’re trying to survive until daybreak.

 

If you’re looking for a vampire movie that’s different from your typical vampire affair, then 30 Days of Night has you covered this October.

 

Those are six vampire movies to sink your teeth into as we gear up for spooky season in October. Did I miss any?? Do you agree with my list?? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you in the next issue.