Vampire Movies

[EvilRbt]

Curious as to everyone's thoughts about whether or not vampire movies are conceptually fatigued.

On a personal note, I sold a vampire project last year and the studio is actually replacing the vampires with another "monster" because they think vampires are "passe."

I also read a great many vampire scripts in my day job, and have read a couple of great ones this year (both for Script Shark). I gave them "considers" but I fear producers and financiers are tired of them. I've even heard of producers flat-out refusing to read a script simply because it's a vampire movie.

Yes, I know TWILIGHT and TRUE BLOOD are huge, but are those projects adding to the saturation of the genre or helping?

Okay, sink your fangs into this debate. I look forward to your thoughts.

[Naudikom]

In my personal opinion, yeah - it's very, very saturated. "Vampire" is the new "serial killer"... I wouldn't write a script in that genre for that reason.

[seminarian]

On the one hand, congrats on your sale. On the other hand, please tell me I'm not the only one who hopes (dare I say prays?) that vampires are indeed fatigued.

[Erehwon]

They always say they're fatigued and people are tired of the blood suckers... until a new spin on them shows up.

[instant_karma]

from comments I've seen on this board, people seem to feel the same way about zombie and serial killer movies.

I don't really accept that anything is ever really conceptually fatigued. A lot of people probably thought the western genre was dead before Unforgiven came out. I think there is a near infinite scope to approach a seemingly exhausted genre from a new angle.

Certainly, there does seem to by cycles of fashionability, but I don't think the audience generally ever says to themselves 'That's it, I'm never going to watch a vampire movie again, no matter how interesting the new take on it looks'.

[EvilRbt]

On the one hand, congrats on your sale. On the other hand, please tell me I'm not the only one who hopes (dare I say prays?) that vampires are indeed fatigued.

In my defense, I wrote my project back in 1999 and after years of options it finally sold last summer. The story also has a unique spin and the vampires were a very organic element. Sorry to be vague but I'm not supposed to reveal anything else about the plot/concept. ;)

In general, I agree it's a fatigued genre but I think audiences will always like vampire movies because they know the rules and feel comfortable with them as antagonists.

[seminarian]

So should my cowboy serial killer be a zombie or a vampire? What to do, what to do...

[EvilRbt]

So should my cowboy serial killer be a zombie or a vampire? What to do, what to do...

Long as they aren't a werewolf, I'm not fussy. Werewolves never look good on film.

[Ravenlocks]

On a tangent, vampires are huge in the urban fantasy genre right now (I'm talking novels). I can't say whether the people who read those novels also go to see vampire movies, but I can say that interest in vampire subject matter is clearly still out there.

[lucidimage]

Let the Right One In was probably the only great vampire movie I have seen in... ever...

[Erehwon]

My votes would go to The Hunger, and the remake of Nosferato (sp), and... um, there might not be a 3rd, but I am a HUGE fan of the Hammer ones with Christopher Lee, in a campy/cheesy/Saturday afternoon/drunk sort of way.

[TheKeenGuy]

It is unquestionably an oversaturated corner of the spec script market, which raises the bar on just how unique and undeniably marketable a writer's take needs to be in order to sell theirs.

Vampires scripts do feel passe, zombies being the current craze, and I keep seeing people trying ready their scripts for when werewolves become hot again.

[wcmartell]

Vampires are just like cops - they are characters, not *concepts*. If you have a completely unique take on cops or vampires, people will be interested. If it's just a standard vampire story like the thousands of others out there, they will not care.

So - what makes your vampire story like no other vampire story? Why is it unique? What's the high concept?

- Bill

[Southern_land]

So should my cowboy serial killer be a zombie or a vampire? ..

near dark, an under appreciated movie
________
LovelyWendie99 (http://www.lovelywendie99.com/)

[Rantanplan]

I think vampires will always be cool. There's so much to do with that, so many philosophical underpinnings, and if you think about it, how many vampire flicks are released in the theatres every year? Not that many.

[Peripeteia]

Due to the overwhelming response of Vampire films and specs in the recent years, I've had to unleash my own monster -- The Wookanile. :eek:

[ruby-throated phil]

I am amazed at the amount of vampire stuff out there. The craze has to die down at some point but I aggree with the idea that a new take will always be welcome.

Face it. Vampires are cool as sh!t.

I thought that LOVE AT FIRST BITE was an incredibly good concept and my favorite vampire movie.