Is the vampire craze over??
Seems like I keep hearing the media and critics whine and moan about the longevity of the current vampire craze. Lots of eye rolling, lots of heavy sighs followed by “Not ANOTHER vampire show/book/movie” (side note to hubby: please stop doing that). With everyone talking about how the vampire craze has surely peaked, I’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s been around a long time, long before I discovered it in college, and will probably be around for a long time to come.
Now I’ll let you in on another little secret: I’m just a wee bit older than Shannan and Stacy, and my college days were in the … cough … 1980’s. Yah, I’ve been a fan a long time.
I’ve always been a lover of fantasy and science fiction, from my elementary and junior high school days. I cut my teeth on Madeline L’Engle, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Susan Cooper. But I can trace my love of vampire stories directly to one defining moment: I saw “The Lost Boys.” Yes, this was back when the mullet was in style, Kiefer Sutherland was a young hottie, and Corey Haim was a just cute little kid and not a drugged out former child star (may he rest in peace). I wanted to be Jami Gertz – the hair, the clothes, the perky nose. Released in the summer of 1987, this movie was one of my favorites because of its humor, action and (of course) romance. Who wouldn’t want to snog Jason Patric? Who doesn’t know someone like the Frog brothers?
The next year, Anne Rice published her book Queen of the Damned. I remember going on a trip with some other girls in my sorority and one of them had this book. I went to the library when we came back and checked out Interview with the Vampire (because I wanted to start at the beginning of the series), and the rest, as they say, is history. My fascination with the fanged was cemented. I did manage to graduate from college in 1990 despite my love of vampire stories (and please, don’t do the math).
I wasn’t all vamp, all the time – don’t misunderstand me. I had and still have a love for all stories with a supernatural or sci-fi flair. I was a total Trekkie (old and new versions), and I adored “The X-Files”. Then in 1992, “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” came out with cutie pie Keanu Reeves and my favorite winsome girl, Winona Rider. That movie gave me the serious creeps, especially the rat scene, but Keanu was hot! When “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie came out in the same year, I thought it was a funny movie (and Paul Reubens was a gas – Pee Wee Herman with fangs!). I remember the 1994 Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise version of “Interview with the Vampire”, and the controversy surrounding Cruise’s casting (for Pete’s sake, Lestat is supposed to be tall and BLONDE!). Then Buffy the TV show came out in 1997 and became big – and much darker, more dramatic than the movie. I loved it! Oh, and Angel, I still love you more than Spike. Buffy ran until 2003, and soon I found other vampire movies to watch (the “Blade” series, the “Underworld” series, “Queen of the Damned”), and books such as Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse books, and of course, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Don’t even get me started on “True Blood” and the Twilight movies!
What I’m trying to show you is that there’s been a steady public interest in vampire stories since I saw “The Lost Boys” – the only thing different is the age group. A new generation of teens fell in love with Edward (or Jacob), and before them they fell for Buffy’s Angel, and before them Brad Pitt’s Louis, and so on and so forth. As we age, we keep on going to those movies, and remember fondly when we were the screaming teens. So the next time a friend rolls her eyes when you mention the latest Twilight movie, just remember this: Vampires never die, they just keep going and going and going … and so does this craze.
STACKGirl Nancy, who hopes someday they make a sequel to “Lost Boys!”
I agree it is not over, and I so remember when Interview with a Vampire came out. I was not allowed to watch it at the movies, had to wait till I was older then watched it on a good ole VHS tape.
LOL I was just telling my friends that I wasn’t a “twi-hard” as much as a “vampire girl.” They wanted to watch Robert Pattinson’s Remember Me just because he’s Edward. I voted for Interview with a Vampire.
Hi Nancy, I could not agree with you more! I remember watching The lost boys (which BTW, they DO have a part 2, check netflix it’s where I rented it from, and they are in the talks for making a part three)when I was in elementary school . I have been a HUGE fan of Buffy the vampire slayer (The series) since the beginning (1997) when I graduated from Highschool. I have read TONS of books/series and it just never gets old!
Hooray for you, Nancy. I too have always loved the vamp novels, along with a bit of witchery and sci fi.
It’s not vampires that are overcooked, it’s the anti-vampire articles. They’re always written by someone who hasn’t even read the book that they’re whining about.
I love all those vampire books: from Dracula, Lestat and Edward, to all those nasties in Thirty Days of Night and I Am Legend. Keep em coming, I say.
i agree completely nancy. though my interest in the paranormal, fantasy genre started a little later than yours (early 90′s) with the buffy movie and having to read the hobbit for school etc, i have been loving the recent resurface of the older stuff. i was too young in the 80′s to be allowed to watch lost boys and only recently my boyfriend (who is 6 years older than me and wasnt too young to watch it) brought it home and reminded me that it was always something i had wanted to watch when i was younger. It was Amazing, i also remember not be allowed to watch interview with a vampire but i got a little sneakier with that one and mananged to see it with some friends (who really didnt appreciate it). Though the critical point of love of supernatural was the Buffy and angel TV series. I am currently enjoying reading the Anita Blake series that again i was too young to read when it was originally published and i love that the current craze has brought all these older publications from the genre back into our bookstores to be rediscovered by a new generation.
I totally agree with you. What drives me crazy is that you can’t like, write, or read vampires now without it being blamed on Twilight(not knocking Twilight because I love it). Um… really? Vampires have been around WAY before Twiight. People have always loved them and will for a long time, IMO. They’re not going anywhere.
Nikki – thanks for the info! I will definitely check out the sequel…
Shalini – yes, I once told a friend I was reading Harry Potter and she asked me if I didn’t think it was leading children into the occult… wha?
Kelley – yes, vampires stories have been around since civilization began! Bram Stoker really began the modern worldview of them!
[...] Is the vampire craze over? (No.) [...]
I think the craze is over but the interest will always be there! Check my review of ‘Blood Hunger’by A.M Esmonde.
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Durke
it’s not twilight but it has everything vampirelike before there was a craze.
I keep saying I am not going to get caught up in another vampire series and then I do. LOVE Twilight and True Blood books (tv series has gone off the rails) and now I am obsessed with Vampire Diaries the tv show though I am very tempted to buy the ebook on Kindle because no one has to know that’s what I am reading.