Have you heard about this new vampire movie opening tonight? Something about a sparkly dead guy and a werewolf and a girl who mutters a lot? Yeah, we thought it might ring a bell.
Well, Edward and Bella may not have ever existed without the great vampire revival of the 1990s. And the movie that made vampires sexy was Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this 1992 gothic-horror romance stars Keanu Reeves as Van Helsing, Winona Ryder as Mina Harker and Gary Oldman as the Count himself. It's supposed to be a faithful adaptation of the novel Dracula, but it sexies up the story considerably, creating a love triangle between the Count, Van Helsing and Mina. Coppola imbues the movie with all the atmosphere and foreboding that he brought to The Godfather, while at the same time basking in the melodrama of torch-lit castles, fog creeping over floors, and blood dripping from neck wounds. And every vampire attack carries an erotic charge, like the seduction/attack of Van Helsing by Dracula's brides (watch for Monica Bellucci in her first American film role).
We named Bram Stoker's Dracula one of the best vampire movies of all time, and it just got even better -- because you can watch right now, for free...
As for that other vampire movie, you can buy your tickets here -- if there are any left.
What's your favorite vampire movie? Chime in below!
