Well met my frightful feline friends! In this meeting, we will be taking another field trip, so grab your holy water, crucifix, and some wooden steaks. Also, be very, very quiet; we’re hunting… vampires!
You’ve never hunted for a vampire before? Not to worry; with these fangtastic films, we will learn all we need to know about dealing with those bloodsuckers!
We will start with the most well-known vampire hunter. Van Helsing. Professor Abraham Van Helsing is a fictional character in the novel Dracula, which was written by Bram Stoker in 1897. Since then, there have been countless retellings of not only Dracula’s story but also of his greatest adversary, Van Helsing.
The One Name They All Fear
My favorite reimagining of his origins story comes from 2004, simply entitled Van Helsing. It was written and directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale and Richard Roxburgh.
Plot:
Van Helsing is in the world to rid all evil, even if not everyone agrees with him. The Vatican sends the monster hunter and his ally, Carl, to Transylvania. They have been sent to this land to stop the powerful Count Dracula. Whilst there, they join forces with a Gypsy Princess called Anna Valerious is determined to end an ancient curse on her family by destroying the vampire. They just don’t know how!
This film is the definition of a popcorn movie. The plot is pretty simple, but the visual effects do their job of transporting the viewer right from the start, with the iconic Universal Studios logo going from color to the classic black and white and then being set ablaze, to the climactic battle between werewolf and vampire. This is one wild ride.
The relationship between Van Helsing, played by Hugh Jackman, and Anna, the gypsy princess, played by Kate Beckinsale, is magic! There are so many great scenes in this film. It’s hard to choose just one or two, but if I must, my two favorite scenes are when Van Helsing and Carl the Fryer are welcomed to Transylvania and have to fight Dracula’s brides. The other is the masquerade ball that takes place during Halloween! I highly recommend that you put this film on your spooky viewing list and get the soundtrack to this film because it’s the purr-rfect background music for your next masquerade ball this spooky season!
President by day. Hunter by night.
There are copious amounts of historical fiction based on Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War, but nothing prepared me for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It was produced by Tim Burton, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, and written by Seth Grahame-Smith. The film stars Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, and Dominic Cooper.
Plot:
At the age of nine, Abraham Lincoln witnesses his mother being killed by a vampire, Jack Barts. Ten years later, he unsuccessfully tries to eliminate Barts but in the process makes the acquaintance of Henry Sturgess, who teaches techniques on how to hunt and kill vampires. The arrangement they make is quid pro quo. Lincoln will kill only those vampires that Henry directs him to. He eventually relocates to Springfield. Falls in love with a young woman named Mary Todd and becomes president of the United States right as the country is thrown into the Civil War. Lincoln discovers that the vampires have their plans for this new nation and must fight for the freedom of all!
Don’t let the title of the movie dissuade you from seeing this film. It’s amazing! It’s the American cousin to Van Helsing. Instead of using a gas-powered repeating crossbow. Abraham uses a much simpler and sleeker approach to slaying vampires by using an axe with a silver-tipped blade.
Benjamin Walker, who plays Abraham Lincoln, does a fantastic job in the choreographed fight scenes. Then there’s Rufus Sewell as Adam, so-called because it’s said he is the first vampire. Just like in my previous film recommendation, there are two scenes I love. The first takes place at Adam’s plantation home. The second is the fight on the train. These clips are just a small sampling of how action-packed this film is.
Homework. Cheerleading practice. Killing vampires. No one said high school would be easy.
Now that we have looked at the hunters of the past, let’s see what the future holds with a high school cheerleader known as Buffy The Vampire Slayer. This film was made four years before the wildly popular television series. Joss Whedon wrote both, and the film was directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui. It stars Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, and Luke Perry.
Plot:
Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson) has the lifestyle any young woman could want. Cheerleading, dating the Captain of the basketball team, and copious amounts of time spent shopping with friends. She had no idea of her true calling until a mysterious man named Merrick (Donald Sutherland) approached her and told her that she was the Slayer, one woman called to defend the world from vampires. Reluctant to concede to the fact, Buffy soon learns that Merrick speaks the truth and so begins to take her new life seriously while trying to maintain the sense of normality her life had once been.
Even though this film is completely different from the TV series, it’s still fun to watch! Full of campy and spooky goodness! The entire cast looks like they had a blast in making this. What stands out to me in this film is Paul Rubens’ performance as Amilyn, the loyal servant to Lothos, played by Rutger Hauer. If you are looking for a cheerleader hunting vampires, this is the movie for you.
Well, now that you’ve seen how it’s done, let’s get out there and slay some vampires!
Did you enjoy this article? Do you still want more films you can sink your teeth into? Then check out my other article called. The Scaredy-Cat Club Presents: 3 Fang-tastic Vampire Films.
