With the release of Universal's latest film, Renfield, the crew decided not to wait until October to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Vampire Films/Series.
Each writer ranks his or her top 15 films or series in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
To me, director Francis Ford Coppola made the gold standard when it comes to Dracula. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is scary, romantic, strangely funny, and exciting, all in a stylish and haunting package that features a career-best performance from Gary Oldman as the titular vampire. The look and feel are way too iconic for me to ever forget the vibe and tone of this monster classic. - Adriano
4. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
The Lost Boys may have brought vampires into modernity, but it’s Anne Rice’s novel and subsequent film adaptation, Interview with the Vampire, that solidified the sexy vampire trend. The influence the film has had on the vampire genre as it stands now cannot be understated, and it still holds up as a heartbreaking and fascinating character study on the price of eternal life. From the A-list cast to the gorgeous costumes and the grandiose scope, Interview with the Vampire is a certified and underappreciated classic. - Joseph
3. THE LOST BOYS
The best thing about The Lost Boys is that it’s more than just another vampire movie. Despite the genuine scares and visceral gore, it’s also a very funny coming-of-age story. But more importantly, it is one of the first movies to introduce teenage vampires, paving the way for the likes of Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you need further evidence of its lasting influence, consider that the opening scene of Jordan Peele’s Us is one long The Lost Boys Easter Egg. Plus, who can forget 80s iconography like Kiefer Sutherland’s delightfully rad spiky-topped mullet, original song “Cry Little Sister,” the Two Coreys, and, of course, the oiled-up Sax Man. - Quentin
2. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement took a page right out of Christopher Guest’s playbook when they developed one of the all-time great mockumentaries. What We Do in the Shadows is a
hilarious, blood-sucking comedy spoof that got its start as a short film before
being expanded into a feature and one of the funniest series on television.
It’s inventive and filled with extremely amusing and committed performances
from some of the funniest actors and actresses in the business. - Paige
1. FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
The greatest trick From Dusk till Dawn pulls is having Quentin Tarantino’s writing drive the whole affair right up to the minute that it goes full Robert Rodriguez. Half of what makes it a great vampire film is that it was already a good movie before the vampires even show up, the cringe fest that is Tarantino’s character notwithstanding. I can only imagine what the original theater reactions must have been like at the turn. - Jacob
HONORABLE MENTIONS
BLADE
30 DAYS OF NIGHT
FRIGHT NIGHT (2011)
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
NOSFERATU
Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Columbia Pictures; Photo 2, 3 - Warner Bros.; Photo 4 - Madman Entertainment; Photo 5 - Miramax Films