“Ultraviolet“
This strange mix of science fiction and vampirism flopped in the box office but is worth a viewing just for the great visual effects, fight scenes and beautiful Milla Jovovich. In the year 2078 after a global pandemic that gives the infected vampire-like powers but also kills them in 12 years, Violet is hired to steal a weapon that will be used to kill all infected on the planet. The plot is a bit silly but the fun twist on old-world vampirism in a future-setting is amusing.

“The Last Man on Earth“
This classic 1964 science fiction film is still powerful today thanks to a wonderful performance by Vincent Price and the dark, desolate, against-all-odds mood of the film. Dr. Robert Morgan is the last man on earth, struggling to survive against a world decimated and flooded by infected humans turned vampires. It is a slow movie but the viewer is rewarded some great scenes and a powerful, often-quoted climax.

“The Hunger“
Any vampire horror film that has David Bowie playing a stylish vampire is worth seeing in my book. This 1983 film has gained a cult following in recent years thanks to its moody, dark and glamorous atmosphere, as well as its soundtrack. Of course, now that the vampire genre is at an all-time peak thanks to “Twilight”, Warner Bros plans to remake the film for 2010. See the original first.

Trinity finds Blade (Wesley Snipes) wanted for murder by the FBI and just about everyone else as the underworld of vampires that rules the city tries to do away with their greatest adversary. In order too be rid of Blade for good Danica Talos (Parker Posey) resurrects the first of her kind Drake (Dominic Purcell) to not only kill Blade for good but to usher their kind into a future where their will be no more need of the human disease. After his mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) is killed, Blade finds himself allied with the Nightstalkers lead by Whistler’s daughter Abigail (Jessica Biel) and Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds) to help him rid the world of vampires once and for all.

Bringing back the king of vampires Dracula as the new christened “Drake” is a bold move considering how over used the character has been in recent years, but since Blade fought the character many times in the comic book it makes for a nice reference as does bringing in the Nightstalkers.

Although Goyer’s film does not have the cinematic flair and style of Stephen Norrington’s original nor the horrifying atmosphere of Guillermo del Toro’s sequel, Trinity does have a sense of humor that never takes away from the story courtesy of Reynolds who holds his own throughout. Some may view the addition of the humor as a step down for the franchise but in my opinion since none of the humor comes from the Blade character but is a trait of the King character Blade is never compromised. It’s even a running joke how much Blade hates King especially when his jokes are at the expense of Blade himself. Trinity was not a well received film on many levels but it should deter from the enjoyment of this entertaining film.

Purchase the The Blade Trilogy (Blade/ Blade II/ Blade: Trinity) from Amazon

Patrick’s first horror novel was based largely off his own experiences except for any vampire encounters; however, he did face spiritual attack during the writing of this book. Family issues exploded enormously, ministerial duties swallowed his time, and the book was becoming far more difficult to finish. However, these problems compelled him to complete his writing so that the world could peer into the spiritual realm through the story of a young boy.

Seven-year-old Nero Demare believes in vampires and grows up admiring their mythical slayer, Duke Angtrav. But little does Nero know that he himself carries the bloodline of the vampire slayers.

Throughout his childhood, a mysterious man watches over Nero and saves him from a fleet of the bloodthirsty brethren, who take their orders from King Orthendarh, a master far worse than Dracula ever dreamed of being. Without Nero’s knowledge, this man continues to watch over him, knowing that the world will one day need Nero.

As he grows older, Nero learns that it is his destiny to save the world from the malicious clutches of the vampires. Vampires soon cower in fear at the mere mention of his name. But sinister forces conspire to condemn the entire world to darkness, and only Nero Demare can save mankind from destruction.

Nero Demare and the Legend of the Vampires is a fast-paced story of good versus evil and the battles waged by both sides.

This novel was written predominantly for gothic fans and other avid horror readers but only for young adults due to the graphic violence and mature themes.

Now, that vegetarian isn’t always a vamp.  Vegetarian = someone who won’t bite our heroine (at least…his bite won’t turn her into a vamp!)  But that bad boy is always a vamp.  And he always really, really wants to nibble on the heroine.

Two wildly popular series, Twilight and True Blood, have this down to a ‘t’!  Bella is our heroine and even tho Edward repeatedly puts her in danger, she never falls for Jacob, the vegetarian.  Sam, Alcide, Quinn…Sookies’ veggie list goes on and on.  But first she’s with vampire Bill and then Eric catches her eye and won’t let go….I can’t wait to find out what Sookie gets into next!

Even The Vampire Diaries follows this “forbidden fruit” story.  Stefan can’t stay away from Elena and Elena SHOULD fall for Matt, the best friend who has been around forever and is clearly her perfect match….But Stefan and Damon are right there in the way.

Clearly it’s lust for the unknown.  The vegetarian is our constant…he’s always there to pick up the pieces.  He’ll always love you and always support you and will take you back no matter how many times that stupid blood-sucker breaks your heart.  And somehow, in every story, our heroines’ life is perfect and then the bad guy shows up and sows a seed of discontent…and we’re off and running!  But I guess it wouldn’t make much of a story if there wasn’t discontent.  Who likes to open a book that says “and they lived happily ever after.  THE END” on the first page?

So let’s say vampires are real. What is the first thing you’ll say when you come face to face with a vampire? Would you ask him his name or will you be scared to say anything at all? Would you run as fast as you can without looking back or stay and pinch yourself to know if you’re awake? There’s really nothing I can come up with but thousands of question.

And when you become a vampire, what’s the first thing you’re going to do? Would you hunt down and kill your enemies? Would you become a “vegetarian”? Do you want to see the world? Just like Bella, are you willing to give up your family and loved ones or opt to turning them like you instead? What if you’re not strong enough to resist your thirst for human blood? Will you become a monster and justify your nature? Will you be able to find some friends? Will you be ready to face that world if it might not even be close to what you have dreamed of? Have you ever thought that you might not exactly become what you expect like Stephenie Meyer’s description in her books? Would you still want to become one if vampires do live in coffins at night, burns in the sun and does not posses angel-like beauty after all? Not to mention you’d live like that forever, literally. I’m pretty sure you’d think twice, thrice, maybe more? Alright, that’s a little bit of an understatement, I guess. These are just some of the few crucial things to consider though since vampirism spells i-m-m-o-r-t-a–l-i-t-y and immortality means eternal boredom and loneliness if it wasn’t what you wanted. Worst if you have nothing to live for. At least, Bella has Edward.  Your mind might be clouded with eagerness for infinite damnation, power and beauty to think clearly. Isn’t this a little bit shallow and self- centered motive to crave for this kind of existence? Obviously, it is. We all know that the quest for eternal life is as old as our history and the main reason is the love for oneself and power. Now tell me, why do you want to become a vampire? That’s right, the three basic reasons; immortality, beauty and power. You may already have decided what to do with all these situations or the attitude of crossing the bridge when you get there was the best option you can come up with.

But then again, I can’t stop people from believing that it is maybe, just maybe possible. Besides, this world we live in is full of mystery. Phenomenon of unexplained events and creatures or beings for that matter still lingers around us; which makes life more amazing. These little wonders give human minds something to work on to, right?

While these pointers work well to help you identify a vampire, they do not comprise a full proof technique. With evolution there have been significant changes in the characteristics of the newer generation of vampires. It is therefore important to play it by ear and be very careful when identifying an individual as belonging to the undead. The repercussions of being wrong are almost as dangerous as those of being right.

Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Series. Vampire: the Masquerade. History channel documentaries about “real vampires.” It seems literary vampires are more popular than ever, and there are more real vampires walking among us than most “normals” ever realized. They are coming out of the woodwork in greater numbers with every passing year – becoming more vocal on the internet, making TV appearances in documentaries, forming houses, holding conventions, and steadily increasing visibility as a community. The vampire subculture is experiencing a revitalization similar to that which Wiccans and the gay community have experienced in past decades. But who and what exactly are the vampires who walk among us?

Modern day vampires are a form of Otherkin. “Otherkin” is a blanket term for a variety of people including many who feel they have a non-human spirit in a human body. Otherkin include vampires and other vampiric beings; therians, which are were-beings like werewolves and were-leopards; faery-kin; angel-kin; dragon-kin; and many other varieties. Vampires are not to be confused with Goths. “Goth” is an artistic movement encompassing a “dark” aesthetic. Some, but not all, vampires are Goths. Some, but not all, Goths are vampires.

The vampire subculture encompasses many varieties of vampiric beings. The major delineations are: sanguine vampires, who consume life energy by consuming small amounts of blood; psy vampires, who primarily draw on psychic, emotional, or magickal energy; sexual vampires, which include incubi, succubi, and leannan sidhe (an Irish faery version of a vampire, succubus, and muse all in one); and of course, the donors, who are sometimes vampiric themselves, but often suffer from the opposite condition, having an overload of energy that they are constantly trying to siphon off.

Vampires are not simply playing a Live Role Playing Game (LARP or RPG) such as Vampire: the Masquerade; nor are they merely people who like to dress up in costume. Such individuals are called “vampire lifestylers.” Lifestylers do not have a physical need for blood or energy to maintain health and well-being, they just enjoy the vampire mystique. There is also a basic difference between vampires, who need energy from an outside source, particularly human, and those who are vampiric, who can take energy from other sources but don’t necessarily need it to survive and stay healthy.

Vampires may suffer from an energy deficiency for several reasons: they may be unable to access the natural, ambient, or universal energy that others have access to without thinking; they may be unable to “digest” or utilize that energy fully, like being unable to make the most of a particular vitamin; or they may naturally expend energy at a faster rate than they can take it in. This tends to be the case particularly with powerful magick users, who find themselves drained and needing to recharge after a big, sudden, or unexpected expenditure of magickal energy.

People who self-identify as vampires do so because they are conscious of what they are, and the vast majority of these choose to live by a set of rules and ethical standards designed to ensure their well-being and that of those around them. One of the best known codified versions of such a set of rules is The Black Veil.[1] Others are in the process of “awakening” or discovering what they are, which usually means taking some time to realize and acknowledge their vampiric tendencies so they can control them properly.

Most vampires are capable of harmless “ambient” feeding, drawing on the excess energy that floats around the room in large crowds of people, who naturally emanate such energy. Others “surface feed,” drawing lightly from several different individuals in a social setting (though many vampires frown on this being done without the individuals’ consent). The most intimate form of feeding is one-on-one feeding from a donor, and this must always be a consensual relationship. Deliberately targeting someone to feed from them without their consent is considered worse than rape by most in the vampire community, and one reason for this is the incredible intimacy of such a psychic connection and energy exchange. Donors often experience a kind of euphoria from sharing energy during a feeding, and many vampires are adept at refining the energy they take in, circulating it through their system, and feeding some of it back to their donor through their connection. Vampires are often donors for each other, especially when each is capable of taking in and using one particular kind of energy that their partner can offer, and easily outputting another, that their partner needs.

I recommend Michelle Belanger’s excellent book, The Psychic Vampire Codex: A Manual of Magick and Energy Work (Weiser Books © 2004) for a more in-depth exploration of the history of the vampire community, and for an introduction to modern vampirism, generally.

[1] One example can be found at Michelle Belanger’s House Kheperu site at: http://www.kheperu.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=41&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

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To read the full article go to the October issue of the Instant Magick newsletter (http://instantmagick.com).

Genetic

The Science of Vampires by Katherine Ramsland briefly discusses the possibility that vampirism may be genetic; either there is a recessive gene for vampirism (meaning both parents must carry the gene for it to be inherited in the child), or, alternatively, vampirism is the result of “junk DNA” becoming activated.

The neo-Darwinian evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins goes into detail about what “junk DNA” is in The Selfish Gene and other books. Briefly, the human genetic code has many genes that do not seem to code for any proteins — so-called “junk DNA.” The current theory is that this junk DNA became part of our genetic makeup through our exposure over our entire evolutionary process to viruses capable of injecting their DNA into our own. The ones that didn’t kill us became symbiotic, becoming part of our genetic code. Mitochondrial DNA (found in the cell nucleus and only passed on from the mother) is probably the best known example of this.

Genetics is a good explanation for the physical symptoms of vampirism. This would make being a vampire akin to being blond, having blue eyes, or being a hemophiliac. It could be inherited or run in families. The only possible way to Turn in this scenario, (as opposed to being born a vampire), would be through the activation of (possibly “junk”) DNA.

The Science of Vampires suggests that this might be induced through high stress and adrenaline levels, such as might be experienced during a vampire “attack,” or from the biochemical mix of endorphins and other pleasure hormones induced by the ecstasy that some donors experience from being fed upon. An additional theory expounded in an article on Sanguinarius.org suggests that the right biochemical mix must be achieved in the gene-carrier’s body to activate the gene for vampirism. See: http://www.sanguinarius.org/articles/DG_biochemical-theory.shtml.

There are spiritual or metaphysical paths that believe it is possible to affect one’s own genetic code with magic or other metaphysical manipulation. I am skeptical, but others believe it is possible.

Spiritual/Soul

Turning in this instance would more truly be an Awakening to your True Self, discovering that you are already a vampire in spirit, or have a vampire’s soul in a human body. To discover if you are already spiritually a vampire, you might ask yourself, why do you want to be a vampire? Explore the vampire archetype already within you, through meditation, visualization and role play. Research as much as you can and find out what, if anything about vampirism resonates for you (and there are many different kinds).

I would suggest, if this scenario were true, then it should also be possible to do some sort of magick or spiritual ritual to Turn oneself. There are those who claim to be able to do this. (There is one such person referenced in The Science of Vampires. She does not sound credible to me, but that is my personal opinion).

Parasitic/Symbiotic Entity

If this scenario is true, then there would definitely be a possibility vampirism could be passed on through physical or psychic contact, either like a physical parasitic infection or some kind of spirit possession.

In the latter case, it would theoretically be possible to summon a vampiric entity from the astral plane, invite it to join with you, and thus make you a vampire. Once again, this would mean deliberately Turning yourself, rather than being turned by another person (although it would require the assistance or cooperation of a spiritual entity).

Damaged/Missing Chakras; Energy Deficiencies; etc

If this is the explanation for vampirism, it wouldn’t make sense for someone to deliberately damage or handicap themselves in this fashion, so unless someone already has this condition, there’s no benefit in being Turned.

In theory, this kind of damage can be caused by giving too much or for too long as a donor, and I have heard of people believing they have been Turned this way. I have heard of more instances, though, of donors who only became vampiric temporarily, but go back to normal once they have “healed” or spent time away from their vampire. Michelle Belanger calls this “sympathetic vampirism” in her book, The Psychic Vampire Codex.

This is a subject of much debate in the vampire community. Many do not believe it is possible to be Turned into a true vampire, but only to be made temporarily vampiric until the effects of feeding wear off.

Virus or other outside pathogen

In this scenario Turning would be possible as a form of infection, but it would require exposure to another (vampire) who is already infected, or exposure to the environmental factor that has caused others to Turn. (At this point, such a pathogen is unknown; The Science of Vampires suggests chemical pollutants or nuclear radiation as possibilities). This explanation seems unlikely, based on vampire experience. I have not heard of any “infecting” their donors in such a fashion.

Of course, there are many kinds of vampires (see my article, “The Truth About Modern Day Vampires,” for an explanation of the various kinds), and more than one of these scenarios might be the “true” explanation for any given vampire. Therefore, there might be a variety of ways that someone could be “Turned,” depending on the type of vampirism in question and which paradigm(s) are accurate.

Twilight may well owe its success to the intriguing and gothic romance between a normal teenager, Bella Swan, and an intoxicatingly charismatic vampire, Edward Cullen. Just like Romeo and Juliet, the tie binding Cullen and Swan are even more strengthened by the obstacles they had to face due to the opposing existence they tread—Swan as a mortal, and Cullen as a vampire, one of the scary creatures of the night known to have roamed the world of the living for centuries.

Vampires and other scary creatures of the night have been a famous character since the early 1800s. These dark creatures possess an eerie combination of beauty and lethal danger. Both repulsive and attractive, vampires are a borderline between monstrosity and humanity. Capitalizing on these scary creatures’ grim and fascinating characteristics, Stephanie Meyer has created a world like no other—A world where love between a mere mortal and an enticingly dangerous scary creature of the night is within the bounds of possibility and reality.

Instead of the stereotypical vampires replicated over and over throughout the years, the book has introduced us to a fairly different set of vampires. Rather than being portrayed as pure evil, we are welcomed into the world of conscience-ridden vampires that could choose to feast on human blood or jeopardize their existence by denying their nature. Edward CullenEdward Cullen (Edward Anthony Cullen) was born in June 20, 1901. He was saved by Dr. Carlisle Cullen to grant Elizabeth’s (Edward’s mother) dying wish. However, the only way to do so is to transform him into a vampire—a scary creature of the night that doesn’t eat, sleep, breathe or age. Frozen in his 17-year old body, Edward has survived the century by feasting on animal blood.

He instantly fell in love with Bella as soon as she arrives in Forks. Fighting the urge to kill her because of his nature and wanting to love her, he faces a bout with himself almost throughout the story. Jacob BlackHe is werewolf who is later revealed to be a shape-shifter as he doesn’t transform on a full moon. Being Bella’s best friend, he’s determined to protect and stand by her no matter what.Carlisle CullenHaving brought compassion from his human life, Carlisle Cullen spent most of his early years as a vampire in perfecting his resistance to human bloodlust and becoming a doctor. In the book, we are told of Carlisle’s love affair with Esme and how he transformed her into a vampire to save her life. He also transformed Rosalie Hale and Emmett into vampires. Esme CullenShe is the wife of Carlisle and adoptive mother to Edward, Rosalie, Alice and Emmett. She has no special power, but has a strong ability to love passionately. She committed suicide because she couldn’t bear the pain of her son’s death.

It was in this condition when she was transformed into a vampire by Carlisle. Rosalie HaleBeautiful and alluring, Rosalie Hale is one of these scary creatures of the night adopted by Carlisle and Esme. In the book, we see her as a repulsive character for always undermining Bella. But in the latter chapters, we find that the reason behind such callous behavior is her insecurity towards Bella Swan’s mortality. Wanting to be mortal herself, Rosalie tries to convince Bella to stay as she is and not transform as a vampire.

Emmett CullenHis curls and innocent appearance reminded Rosalie of her dead son. Because of this, she decided to take Emmett back to her father to transform him into a vampire. Emmett is married to Rosalie Hale. Alice CullenThis petite vampire with a graceful gait has a special ability to see the outcome of a decision once it is made. She also uses this ability to help Bella to surpass the dangers that await her. When she was still a mere mortal, she was sent into an asylum for having premonitions. She later learned that she was transformed into a vampire to protect her from another vampire that haunts her. Jasper HaleHe was transformed into a scary creature of the night when he was 20 and soon developed the ability to manipulate the emotions of people around him. Due to his past, where he was able to feed on humans whenever he chose, Jasper lacks strong self-control to feast on human blood. In addition, his body is covered with crescent-shaped scars, after the many years of fighting and training newborn vampires.

The movie will only tell the story of the first book but there are three books after that (and another one on the way!)

The first book is titled simply Twilight and it sets up the story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. At it’s heart this is a story about the unlikely budding romance between Bella and Edward. What makes it so unlikely? Edward is a vampire who is over 100 years old (although that’s actually quite young for a vampire!) Bella on the other hand is just a 17 year old girl. But while Edward is over 100 years old, he looks 17 too and he will look 17 forever because that’s how old he was when he became a vampire. Yes, that’s how it works!

The second, third, and fourth books are called New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. I do not want to give a synopsis of each book as that would be giving too much away.
There is a fifth novel planned by author Stephanie Meyer. The 5th book isn’t really an extension of the story but rather a different point of view of the story. The four books are told through the point of view of Bella and Breaking Dawn will tell that same story through the eyes of Edward.

While that’s an interesting literary device (have you ever read The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner?) it does seem unlikely to be ripe for a film adaptation but perhaps if the Twilight movies do as well as the Harry Potter movies, the movie studios will go ahead with it anyway!

The movie version of Twilight stars Robert Pattinson as the vampire Edward and Kristen Stewart as Bella. Robert Pattinson has become a heart throb for many young girls (and some older girls who should really know better.)

Pattinson first gained attention as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Kristen Stewart has been in movies such as 2002′s Panic Room (she was Jodie Foster’s daughter) and 2007′s Into the Wild (which is a very good movie by the way.)

If you enjoy “young adult” fiction and in particular romantic young adult fiction then you may very well enjoy these books. They will not be for everyone that enjoyed Harry Potter (which I think has a wider audience) but if you do like the Harry Potter books that may be an indication you would like these books as well.