Welcome to "Clutch of Vampires," an ongoing feature where I'll grab and discuss five random things that I like about vampires. Books, movies, art, odd facts, music, thematic elements...if it is vampire-related and I enjoy it, it's fair game. Now don't mistake this feature as a "best of," or even a comprehensive "favorites," list; my goal here is to show the wide variety available in the world of vampire lore and entertainment.
Bloodshift. Originally published in 1981, Garfield Reeves-Stevens' Bloodshift was ahead of the curve by about, oh, fifteen years. In this action-packed thriller, a hitman is called out of retirement to assassinate a mysterious woman. Wouldn't you know it - the woman is not only a vampire, but the assassin falls for her. The pair then go on the run from enemies both human and inhuman. A strong heroine, international intrigue, secret societies, a "viral" explanation for the undead - Reeves-Stevens didn't create any of these things, but he combined them before anyone else. It's a shame that this book isn't better-known; it's certainly long-overdue for a reprint.
The art from Varney the Vampire. I've never actually read the infamous penny dreadful Varney the Vampire Or, The Feast of Blood, which probably makes me a poseur or something. But you don't have to read Varney to appreciate its fantastic, lurid illustrations which are as famous as the book itself - if not moreso. The menacing gentleman in black, the swooning heroine...sure, nowadays those things are almost as cliche as vampire bad boys in leather dusters. But there is something almost primal about the illustrations in Varney - especially since it is the birthplace of many of those cliches to begin with!
Music from the Succubus Club. Music from the Succubus Club was a compilation CD for the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade. I do not game anymore, but I still have nostalgia for the Masquerade game setting. Individual mileage may vary, and there are a couple of songs here that I am not sure if they are meant to be campy or not (I'm thinking about you, Bloodsucker 2000), but overall I love this comp. There are plenty of good tracks, including Fall No More by my friends Bella Morte, and Deception, my all-time favorite song by The Crüxshadows. While some of the songs directly reference vampires, many of the acts chose to instead evoke the subject in more oblique, symbolic ways. Overall, Dancing Ferret did a great job representing the various styles of music that were found in the 1990's "dark music" spectrum.
The Joe Pitt novels. Believe it or not, I am not just some cranky old guy ("Hey you kids! Quit walkin' on my grave!") who likes 'museum pieces'...there are plenty of contemporary authors, movies, and the like that I enjoy. But for this installment of "A Clutch of Vampires," I am going to spotlight Charlie Huston's excellent Joe Pitt series. Pitt is kind of a "fix it" man for the various vampire communities in New York City; that is, when he doesn't have them at his throat. Huston is the king of mixing vampirism with the darkness of neo-noir. Hard-boiled and extremely violent, this series all but cries out for the pay-cable television series format.
William Marshall in Blacula. 'Nuff said. Despite the "blaxploitation" trappings, the name of the flick, and some pretty bad vampire make-up, William Marshall rose above it all to give a dignified performance. As Prince Mamuwalde, Marshall sometimes seems out of place with his surroundings (in more ways than one), but he plays one of the silver screen's most memorable vampires. In a more enlightened age, Marshall would have been hailed as an actor on par with Christopher Lee, who he resembled in many ways. As a film, Blacula might not exactly rule, but William Marshall sure does. Hail to the Prince!
2 comments:
A very cool and worthy collection! I've seen a couple of things here I'm not familiar with and need to check out. Meanwhile...all hail William Marshall! A singularly cool individual.
wow - completely forgotten about bloodshift, thanks for the memory job (oh, and read Varney - its a hard slog in places but ultimately worth it - the last third is inspired)
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