The Evolution Of Vampires
vampires have evolved over the years into something that is almost unrecognizable from the way they once were.
The Beginning
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| 1922 Nosferatu. |
vampires were a thing to be feared and killed. they were ugly walking corpses with a need for blood.
decapitation with a stake through the heart was the only way to deal with them. history has never seen these vampires. legends were fed by local superstition. when someone turned up dead it was a vampire, people started getting sick it was a vampire. since people were ignorant in those days and didn't understand much about what happens to a body after death they took natural occurrences and turned them into a sign of vampirism. if a corpse was dug up and the body appeared bloated it was because it had fed recently. if the nails had grown it was because the body was undead. sometimes blood appeared around the mouth meaning vampire. little did the know that when a body decays the shin starts to recede making the nails appear longer. gases would build up bloating the body and when the coffin was opened the gases could cause the body to shift and sometimes even sit straight up. so the body was mutilated to keep the body from rising again but truth was it was going anywhere to begin with.
The New Age
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| 1931 Dracula |
Bram Stroker rewrote the rules on vampirism.
in comes the aristocrat, evil and dangerous he comes to you at night and takes what he will. with this the perception of vampires changes somewhat, vampires become romanticized. he is something to be feared and something to be desired.
The Rock and Roll Era
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| 1987 lost boys out with the old and in with the new. the vampires of the 80's ditched their capes for jeans, chains and leather. these punk rock vamps were not only cool but just plain hot. they were no longer evil romantics that "have come to suck your blood" but badass misguided teens seduced by power. not understanding the concept of power and responsibility it was the party all the time nothing can touch me attitude the ultimately led to their untimely demise. The Return of the Aristocrat  with the return of the aristocrats returned the romance and sensuality. in a time when women must hide their feelings and sex was taboo enters Dracula. a powerful count who lived in a castle with his three brides and his unlimited money. he was a man who could seduce you with a glance and lure you out into the night where he would have his way with you in the garden. during this era anne rice introduces us to the likes of the vampiric aristocracy of france.   these two vampires have very opposite view on their lives. Lestat sees him self as a god among men, vampirism is a gift not to be squandered and humans are here for his pleasure. Louis on the other hand sees vampirism as a curse and himself as a monster. he struggles with his curse and for a long time resist his urge to feed and lives solely on animals before finally giving in and embracing his new life but he never quite sees himself the way Lestat does. |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for years as well as the spin off Angel. Buffy was very popular with the teens of the 90's and early 2000's. the vampires where dark and and very hot. these vampires are different from their predecessors. when they become vampires a demon takes over their bodies but it doesn't get their souls which disappears. they have no conscience and no remorse. with the exception of Angel a vampire cursed with a soul. suddenly many teen girls were dreaming of their vampire love somewhere out there. the Buffy generation could be compared to todays Twilight generation though the Buffy vampires weren't nearly as weak or meek as the twilight vamps but we'll get to that later.
The Age of the Modern Vampire
starting with Blade vampires are no longer hunted with stakes but modern weapons. vampires now wield guns and look like something out of the Matrix. leather, sunglasses, the works.
followed closely by Dracula 2000. Dracula had been imprisoned by van Helsing for years his blood being harvested to keep Helsing alive until he can find away to kill Dracula. Dracula awakens to find himself in the 21st century and though the times have changed he has no trouble returning to his old ways of seducing women in fact it may be even easier since women no longer need hide their innermost desires.
anne rice brings her vampires into the modern age when Lestat awakens after years of sleep and becomes a gothic rock star then rises to power as the queen of the damned's lover before giving it up for the love of a human who longs to join him with his dark gift.
in Underworld the leather wearing gun wielding vampires return
in a war against the werewolves known here by their original name as lycans. these vampires are as badass as it gets they are a mix of aristocracy and warriors known as death dealers
Vampires Return to Their Roots
Count Vladislaus Dracula returns in Van Helsing as the beautiful and seductive count who made a deal with the devil and was granted wings. he and his brides try desperately to find a way to bring his numerous progeny to life.
this vampire had reawakened the sense of lust and power of the previous vamps but his reign is short lived and he is soon replaced once again by the modern vampires of today.
Vampires Become Fellow Citizens
vampires suddenly were no longer these great beings who were lords over all. humans now had means and technology of dealing with vampires so the vampires changed with the times and disappeared. they started living normal lives as humans because no matter how powerful they might be they are still out numbered and must do can to survive
in moonlight vampires hide among humans and can walk in the sun for short periods of time making it easier to blend in. you find every type of vamp in this series from the rich business man to the medical examiner and the crazy ex-wife. some vamps still drink fresh blood where others buy theirs from the morgue. this series stems around a vampire private investigator who uses his heightened senses to solve crimes and protect innocents.
in true blood vampire become citizens over night after the creation of synthetic blood.
Present Day Vamps
the present day vampires seem like kittens next to the majesty of the original vampires we once loved. these vampires have turned into a crazy for the younger generation and are found on everything from teeshirts to lunch boxes. everywhere i look i see these new vamps that i almost hesitate to call vampires. the rules of vampirism have been changed to where they are no longer harmed by sunlight instead sparkling like a pretty little disco ball. and these vamps lives revolve around the human women for which they have fallen.
vampires walk around like normal people in this but the main theme is a love triangle between a human girl and two vampire brothers. these don't sparkle thank goodness but the vampires of Twilight do.
these are the vampires idolized by little girls who know nothing of these vamps might predecessors. they drink only animal blood and go to high school and have issues with killing and turning others into vampires. they're version of romance is almost sickening. the main vamp Edward follows his human around, watches her sleep, spends almost every waking hour with her and removes the battery from her car to keep her from seeing friends he doesn't approve of. he later tries to commit suicide after wrongly hearing that his love is dead. what these vamps have succeeded in doing is making the traits of an abusive boyfriend seem like every girls fantasy.
so sorry to you twilight lovers but the truth hurts. though i can accept that most of the twilight fan girls are too young to know that these vamps are a joke compared to the vampires that have been feared and fantasized about for the last hundred or so years.
Honorable Mention
these forms of vampires have been seen on screen but did not catch on enough to be considered a movement.
daybreakers presents the scenario of what would happen if vampires took over the world. nearly everyone had been turned to the point that there were not enough humans to feed the vampire masses. with humans nearly extinct and the blood supply running out they try to find a blood alternative while others hope to rebuild the human race.
Priest presents vampires as mindless monsters that kill anything in their path and almost nothing can stop them. these monsters could easily kill off the human population in a matter of months and are a reminder of the previous versions of werewolves with the ability to shift from form to form.
