Thread: Vampire: "Classic" vs "Modern". Which do you prefer, and why?

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After the traditional witch, I like vampires.
This year in the "Ultimate Warrior" TV series, they featured the "Modern" vampire vs Zombie. Vampire won, yet the series was left open by the vampire becoming a Zombie just 2 seconds before the episode ended. (Thanks, Ultimate Warrior, for opening THAT can of worms!)
Anyway, the director of "30 Days of Night" was the vampire expert for this episode. He detailed how a "classic" vampire- wears a cape, turns into a bat, might live in a castle, etc, has been supplanted these days by a "modern" vampire, which he described as a vampire/zombie hybrid. A Zombieland Zombie, at that- fast, vicious, semi thinking. Not a stumbling, slow moving zombie.
What do you all think?
My favorite series is Buffy, and the vampires in Buffy seem to tilt to the modern vampire.
Thanks in advance for your opinions! Can't wait to read them. I am already thinking Halloween 2012!

For me, with vampires the most modern I get is the movie Interview with a vampire- one of my favorite movies. My second favorite is Brahm Stokers Dracula, which is more classic vampire. For zombies, I tend to like traditional slow moving dead people- it makes the most sense. I like the series the walking dead, which features traditional zombies. Romero movies are always the most well done, imo. Zombieland featured super charged zombies as well as other movies where the zombies can outrun you. I think that's adds to the scare and urgency of the chase- after all, zombies are always coming for you. I just prefer the sensible pace of a slow methodic chase- a typical scenario of someone dead.....if there was such a thing! As for the look of each, only dracula looks traditional. All the vampires he 'makes' look more like regular people with fangs. Zombies- I'd like to see more creative garb. The zombie in a worn suit and tie get a bit old. Surely the rotting dead people can have more interesting clothes!

LOL, I have a completely different understanding of classic vampire. I think of a vampire as the eastern European creature- undead looks dead, smells dead, glassy eyes, long fingernails- I like mine feral crawling out of the dirt. I know Im seriously old school.

I agree with Shockwave, the classic vampire in Interview and Dracula. One of the things I liked about Brahm Stokers Dracula is that it was made without CGI, all the special effects were classically done. I havent totally embraced the zombie genre, but Walking Dead looks good.

Right inline with Shock's thinking here about zombies. There's a place for both. The slow, disgusting decayed version is terrifying in a closed in scene. You are horrified, want to barf and know you are going to die. But, in an open scene - they aren't scary and in fact somewhat clownish. You want to point and laugh. Just like what the movie Shawn of the Dead did. In the 28 days and the 28 Weeks later movies... THAT was scary. Lighting fast and oh so gory. That, to me is the scariest.

Kind of the same scenerio for antique (oops, I mean classic) vampires. They just aren't scary and a little silly. The modern ones (pre-Twilight) are much more scary.

Originally Posted by Allen H

LOL, I have a completely different understanding of classic vampire. I think of a vampire as the eastern European creature- undead looks dead, smells dead, glassy eyes, long fingernails- I like mine feral crawling out of the dirt. I know Im seriously old school.

Oh, that's right! That's the scariest vampire.

Real vampires don't sparkle

Since the subject of zombies were in discussion and I may have not appeared to be pro-zombie, I did write a short story on my blog some time back - you zombie lovers might enjoy:
Mortuus Pupa

A movie that's a bit twisted but is to me realistic zombie is Deadgirl. I have to warn you it's pretty graphic and somewhat sadistic in the story, but the basic premise of the zombie genre scenario is done well.

Originally Posted by BlueFrog

Real vampires don't sparkle

You can say that again, BlueFrog

The Buffy vampires are my favorite, too, in big part because it's my all-time favorite show. You see mostly contemporary vampires on the series, but you also get to see those same vampires, like Spike and Angel, in flashback scenes in different times, sometimes when they're still human. We even saw Dracula in one episode, a great episode at that. I love when Angel pretends he's still bad and brags to Spike about his act to fool people into thinking he's good, and Spike says something like, "People still fall for that Anne Rice routine." I love that line; I was infatuated with Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles when I was a teenager.

I still like the Ann rice Vampires,,, and I totally agree. vampires don't sparkle! I guess I would say, classic modern if that makes sense,,, not the twilight vamps, but Buffy and Ann Rice type,,, as far as Zombies,,, slow, digging their way out of the grave is the way to go! as far as clothes,,, they have on what they were buried in, and ususally suits and ties for the guys and dress's for the gals,, so that is unlikely to change any time soon,,,,