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An addict is someone who is obsessed with an activity or substance. It could be anything from drugs to pizza; to shoes to sci fiction. I don't consider myself an addictive type of person. I don't own a thousand pairs of shoes and only have wine on occasion. However, I am fixated on vampires. I love vampires. I can't get enough of them in books, movies, television, you name it. I think this may have driven my parents a little crazy as a teen but once I was out of the house, I could indulge my addiction as much as I wanted.
The first vampire I remember that had an impact on me was from the movie Love at First Bite. Ok, I might be dating myself a bit there, but there was something about George Hamilton and that crazy guy who played Wrenfield. Of course, I watch that movie now and think it was super cheesy. The next vampires that showed up on my radar were The Lost Boys. I watched that movie ad nauseum. I had the entire thing memorized and wished I could live in California, dress like Star, and party with Jason Patric. That movie set the bar for the next several years. Vampires were all about big hair, sleeping all day, and partying all night.
By this time, my family was aware of my addiction and began to act as enablers. My aunt told me about a novel called Interview with the Vampire. Ahhhh... my next fix. This novel took the vampire and made him into a tragic, misunderstood creature. Poor Louis hated himself for what he had become and decided to live on animals rather than people. While Lestat was all about the vampire power trip. Throw the vampire child Claudia into the mix and it made for a compelling story. Anne Rice went on to write an entire series of the novels entitled the Vampire Chronicles.
My next obsession arrived with a watcher, a blond ponytail, and a gang of sidekicks. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her posse saved the fictional Sunnydale from certain doom from 1997 to 2003. The show had witty writing, interesting plots, and tons of vampires and demons. In 1999, Joss Whedon created a spin off entitled Angel which featured Buffy's ex moving to Los Angeles and opening a detective agency to help people with supernatural problems. Angel ended in 2004 which had me searching for a new fix.
During this time, I stumbled upon the Twilight series. What caught my eye at the book store was the book cover. I picked up the book and devoured the series. While I loved the book series, I haven't been a huge fan of the movies. But they are out there if you are in need of a vampire fix.
In 2007, Moonlight came to the small screen. This sexy little series featured a vampire named Mick St John as a private investigator who falls in love with a human named Beth. This smart show was a victim of the writer's strike in 2008 and only had 12 episodes before it was cancelled.
There was a noticeable lack of vampires on the tube after that, so I turned to the printed word and found the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristen Cast. The series poses that vampirism is a physical, genetic change that teenagers go through, similar to puberty. However, there is the possibility that their bodies reject the change and they die. In the Cast's series, vampyres have learned to coexist with humans. At least temporarily. I have a special affinity for this series as the authors are from my home town.
The latest offering on the television has been The Vampire Diaries. The story follows a pair of brothers who were turned into vampires by the same woman in the 1800's. While the plots can be a bit sophomoric, Damon Salvatore is my new favorite vampire. There is just something about his eyes.
My vampire familiars have run the gamut from silly to sexy and while my addiction has changed over the years, there is always a new vampire story waiting in the wings.
