Vampires in Popular Culture - 5 Bloody Good Vampire B-Movies

Vampire movies seem to be pretty easy to make. You need a lot of fake blood, some makeup to make the actors look pale and/or ugly and a decent script to make up for the lack of budget. Hopefully you know some people that can act and are willing to work for free. A touch of originality couldn't hurt either. Today's movies and TV shows prove you can rip off older, better stories (I can compare and contrast any True Blood episode with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight with any standard run-of-the-mill fiction story) and insert vampires into everyday situations so it's not like you can make things more absurd with whatever vision you might have.

Here are some low budget shockers that have made an impact (for better or for worse is debatable) on the vampire genre.

Subspecies

This direct-to-video series, distributed by Full Moon Pictures, is one of the more popular b-movie series ever made. A vampire named Radu returns home after spending a considerable amount of time in exile and returns to his usual vampire business. Far from perfect but definitely worth seeing. Three sequels followed along with another film called The Vampire Journals.

Razor Blade Smile

Filmed in the UK, Razor Blade Smile is a tribute to the Hammer Studios erotic vampire films of the late '60s and early '70s. A female vampire who doubles as an assassin starts knocking off businessmen and becomes the target of a detective working for Scotland Yard. It is a fairly outlandish plot and to fully enjoy it you should probably familiarize yourself with the aformentioned Hammer Studios vampire films.

Modern Vampires

I think it's safe to say this is the first vampire movie in popular culture to feature vampirism as a sexually transmitted disease (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). It even makes reference to past vampire films and features characters inspired by classic vampire films. Part horror, part satire and part black comedy Modern Vampires is both weird and socially aware. Interesting to say the least.

Vampires Anonymous

A vampire joins a 12-step program to rid himself of his vampiric eating habits. Not much more really needs to be said about this one. Just give it a watch.

The Thirst (2006)

The Thirst is a direct to DVD vampire film about a clan of vampires who persuade a couple of recovering drug addicts to join them. Personally, I found this to be a fun and interesting film but not everyone agrees.

I really dig independent films because the filmmakers seem to take things a bit more seriously and put more heart and effort into their films. I'm looking forward to seeing more indie vampire films taking a bit out of the pop culture scene.