"A Week of Twilight": More vampire stories

The "Twilight" series have quickly become some of the most successful vampire stories of all time, and the upcoming film should only add to that. But they are far from the first. Here's a list of some of the other best vampire-related stories I've come across:

• Interview With The Vampire (novel and film) - Before Stephenie Meyer, Anne Rice was the original queen of the damned. Her "Vampire Chronicles" series set the bar for future vampire stories, and "Interview..." is the most famous of them all. The confessional story style and the treatment of vampirism as an unwanted curse to the infected, along with viewing the vampire as a sympathetic/romantic character rather than just a villian, changed the way vampires were viewed in popular culture and laid the groundwork for series like "Twilight." And Lestat, the vampire anti-hero of the series (played by Tom Cruise in the film), could be an ancient ancestor to Edward Cullen, though Lestat can be a little/lot more wicked at times. The novel is excellent and, in my opinion, the film is still the best vampire movie currently in existence.
• 13 Bullets (novel) - In this novel by David Wellington, Pennsylvania State Trooper Laura Caxton is recruited by FBI Special Deputy Jameson Arkeley to help him thwart a series of recent vampire attacks. Despite a few flaws (including a cliffhanger ending that actually made me angry when I read it), this story has a strong plot, very engaging characters, and a cinematic style that I think could easily translate into a good film. This is a different world than that of "Twilight" and "The Vampire Chronicles" in two major ways: 1) the world is aware of the existence of vampires, and 2) the vampires in this story are all evil, bloodthirsty and very, very ugly. "13 Bullets" is the first of a planned trilogy, so now is a good time to get into what is shaping up to be a great series. I still hate the ending though.
• Blood + (manga and anime series) - This series concerns Saya, a high school student who can't remember her past. One day she is confronted by a man named Hagi, who gives her a sword and tells her the truth about her past: she is the last true vampire, and is charged with defending humanity against an evil race called the Chiropterans. The animation in both versions are excellent (the manga in particular is beautiful to behold), and the story is an intriguing one that is carried out very well. A lot of blood is spilled in this series, but it's a vampire story, so it shouldn't come as a surprise. It's also a good place to start if you're thinking about getting into anime and/or manga.
• I Am Legend (novel) - If you've seen the most recent film version of this story that starred Will Smith, you might not be aware that the creatures in Richard Matheson's original novel were actually vampires, not zombies. Robert Neville is the last man on Earth who is somehow immune to a virus that has turned everyone else into bloodthirsty vampires. Holed up in Los Angeles (not New York, another change in the movie), he spends his days looking for a cure to the disease and his nights trying to survive against the creatures. While I did like the film, reading the book makes you wonder why they didn't just film the original version (and hopefully someone will someday).
• 30 Days Of Night (graphic novel) - A story about a group of vampires who travel to Barrow, Alaska, where the sun sets and doesn't rise for thirty days and wreak havoc on the town. The story is interesting, but the artwork makes it worth checking out; it's very dark and nightmarish (think "Silent Hill"). This series was made into a somewhat lackluster film last year, but whether you've seen it or not you should definitely check out the graphic novel.
• Here's a few more quick recommendations: Salem's Lot (novel) by Stephen King, Vampyr (film), Vampire Hunter D and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (anime), Nosferatu (film) and Shadow Of The Vampire (film), and, of course, the original Bram Stoker's Dracula (novel and a vast number of films of varying quality).

"A Week of Twilight": Werewolves vs. Vampires!

For today's "Twilight" article I decided to explore the seemingly eternal battle between werewolves and vampires. One of the major plotlines in the series is the conflict between the werewolf and vampire species. According the books, werewolves are the natural enemies of the vampires, and come into being wherever vampires naturally occur as nature's means to balance things out. The idea of vampires and werewolves battling it out is nothing new; the "Underworld" films also tell this type of story (although in a less-brains/more action-oriented way). But where did this idea come from? Has it been around as long as the myths of these creatures have?
Apparently not. The earliest recorded stories actually link vampires and werewolves together; in fact, one of the most common beliefs instructed that werewolves who died would, if their bodies were not properly disposed of, be resurrected as vampires. Other cultures believed that some vampires chose to become werewolves, and some even consider the two beasts to be one and the same.
Believe it or not, the earliest record I could find of vampires and werewolves being enemies is taken from a popular pen-and-paper role playing game series called "Werewolf: The Apocalypse." "Werewolf..." was released by publisher White Wolf, which was born in 1991 (White Wolf also created the popular RPG "Vampire: The Masquerade"). After this came the "Underworld" movie series, which many "WTA" fans argue stole the idea. And then came "Twilight." So there you have it.
Honestly, can't we all just get along?

Be thee warned; A Week of Twilight Approaches...

Yeah, I know that headline is really dumb, but so be it. Before I head off for Ludington this weekend I wanted to let everybody know that, in honor of the release of "Breaking Dawn" (the fourth and final novel in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga") next Saturday, I will be devoting the week leading up to it to news related to the popular vampire series. Tuesday's CD and DVD releases and Friday's New Movies list will still be posted, but I'll also post an extra Twilight-related article on these days as well. This'll all lead up to Friday when I will post my own personal recaps and reviews of "Twilight," "New Moon" and "Eclipse," the first three books in the series. Enjoy the weekend, and get ready for a very pale week...

-Matty G