So, you’ve already watched Dracula and The Lost Boys for the fourth time each this year, and you’ve realized your unhealthy obsession with the greased-up saxophonists and the bloodsucking undead may need a little variety. Well, no fear, because here are some lesser-known, outstanding, and underrated films to add to your regular vamp rotation.
Subspecies (1991)
Subspecies is the perfect franchise for vampire lovers that both enjoy classic Romanian vampire lore and great, cheesy effects. The films are done by Ted Nicolau with Full Moon Pictures (Puppet Master, Evil Bong), and have the benefit of being shot at Charles Band’s own castle. There are four Subspecies films and a spin-off titled The Vampire Journals. The franchise boasts fun performances from actors like Angus Scrimm (Phantasm), Melanie Shatner (daughter of Star Trek legend William Shatner), and Anders Hove as the imposing vampire Radu. Be prepared to see awesome decapitations, well-done mummy makeup, fire suits, and tiny little stop-motion monsters. These films go all-out in the fun department.
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Ganja & Hess (1973)
In 1973, during the prime of the heavy hitters in Blaxploitation, Bill Gunn released a truly unique and beautiful vampire film. With Duane Jones (Night of the Living Dead) and Marlene Clark heading the cast, we’re given a gorgeous and stylistic vampire romance film that brings in interesting lore and vampirism brought on by a magical ceremonial dagger. The film was created as a metaphor for black assimilation and white imperialism and hits both of those points clearly. If you’re looking for a film with tons of blood and gore, this one may not be for you, but if you’re interested in a gradually-paced piece of beautiful Black art, you can’t go wrong with Ganja & Hess. For those of you who may be more in for an updated version, Spike Lee remade the film in 2014, calling it Da Sweet Blood of Jesus.
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Stake Land (2010)
Think Zombieland (2009), but way more depressing and no comedic quips by Woody Harrelson. Stake Land features three strangers that come together to maneuver across an apocalyptic United States after being overrun with feral vampires. The story is emotional, the acting is well-done, and the creatures & gore effects look fantastic. The film keeps its audience invested well after the watch, as the filmmakers released prequel shorts on Youtube that dive into the character’s backstories. The film donned one sequel, The Stakelander (2016), which wasn’t bad!
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Before Taika Waititi did Thor: Ragnarok or Jojo Rabbit, he and fellow Flight of the Conchords creator Jemaine Clement released one of the absolute best horror comedies of all time. What We Do in the Shadows takes a mockumentary style approach to documenting the lifestyle of several vampire roommates in a New Zealand flat. All of the characters are memorable, the jokes are clever and long-lasting, and the theme song is catchy as hell. The film inspired the filmmakers to create an FX show of the same name, which was chosen as one of our best tv shows of all time.
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Martin (1978)
Much like the metaphorical meanings behind Ganja & Hess, George A. Romero, created Martin as one giant metaphor for drug addiction. Not your classic vampire tale, Martin follows a young man that believes he’s a vampire, and rather than go through the withdraws of his blood addiction, must roam the city in search of a way to quench his thirst. This film is more of a message than it is a vampire film, but it does a great job using one thing to tell another. This one is definitely worth a shot if you’re looking for more on an artistic film.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
An artsy black and white slow-burn, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is an absolute masterpiece in all of the cinematographic categories. English-Iranian-American filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour created a gorgeous “Iranian-horror-western” film chock full of woman empowerment. The action might not be there, but the intense, quiet moments of dread throughout the film more than make up for constant blood and guts. Sheila Vand is stunning as “The Girl”, and she perfectly toes the line between luring beauty and sneaking terror.
Cronos (1993)
In Guillermo del Toro’s first feature film, he takes a scientific and parasitic approach to vampirism. An old man and his granddaughter discover an ancient artifact that injects its hosts with a serum that causes them to crave blood. In true del Toro fashion, the film boasts amazing practical special effects, but also fantastic acting on both the protagonist’s (Federico Luppi) and the antagonist’s (Ron Perlman) parts. The story is unnerving, emotional, and possibly one of the greatest Spanish horror films ever made.
Near Dark (1987)
Speaking of directorial debuts, Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) released one of the most balls-to-the-wall vampire films ever as her first film. Classified as a “horror-western”, Near Dark brings together excellent acting talent like Lance Henriksen (Aliens), Bill Paxton (Frailty), and Tim Thomerson (Trancers) to provide an action-packed ride of fire and gore. This unique take on vampires follows a blood-sucking roughneck family around in an RV, who travel to small towns in the west to fulfill their bloodlust. If you only watch one of these underrated vampire flicks, this should be the one.
