Monster Mash: The Greatest “Verses” Films in Horror

 

Monster Mash: The Greatest “Verses” Films in Horror

What’s better than a horror movie? Two horror movies! And what’s better than two horror movies? Two horror movies rolled into one! The monster mash, the peanut butter and jelly of horror movies, has been around for 80 years.  Used most effectively by Universal in the 40s and Toho in the 60s, the monster vs monster formula still has the potential to give fans what they want, mainly their favorite horror creations from various films and genres all under one roof.  What follows is a list of some of the greatest monster vs. monster films out there.

25) Monster Brawl (2011)- This is less a narrative story and more of a live action fighting game. With almost no plot, the film simply features fights between various monsters in WWE style bouts. The film will probably leave most horror fans scratching their heads but there are a few that would like this, mainly those fans of professional wrestling and fighting games. Several real-life wrestling performers appear (including Kevin Nash and Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart). Somehow, the makers of this film got Lance Henrikson to lend his gravelly voice, doling out occasional Mortal Kombat style commentary.

24) Dr. Jekyll y el Hombre Lobo (Dr Jekyll and the Wolfman) (1971) -The first of many Paul Naschy films to appear on this list, this is a pretty ingenious idea that I’m surprised Universal never thought of, as both Mr. Hyde and the Wolf Man involve the unleashing of our darker, bestial sides. Naschy plays both Mr. Hyde and the Wolf Man with veteran horror actor Jack Taylor as Dr. Jekyll. A solid film that fans of Spanish horror will enjoy.

23) The Creeps (1997)-If you were a Gen X fan of horror, Full Moon Pictures was the best thing going from the late 80s through the 90s. Their movies were usually low budget, but never looked like it, and as they were skipping the theatres and marketing straight to the video store, they usually had some creative ideas. A plot that is too convoluted to bother with involves a mad scientist trying to bring to life history’s greatest monsters; Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, the Mummy and the Wolf Man. He succeeds, but the process goes awry and the monsters are created as 3 foot tall versions of themselves. The pack of pint sized terrors is led by Dracula, played by veteran genre actor Phil Fondacaro (Willow, Bordello of Blood, Troll, Dollman vs Demonic Toys (which appears later on this list) and about a million other things.

22) La Maldicion de la Bestia (Night of the Howling Beast) (1975)- Another Paul Naschy film with him as the Wolf Man. In this installment, his doomed protagonist finds himself in the Himalayas.  There is a circuitous plot involving a group of mountain witches and an army of bandits, but what lands the film on this list is the finale which features Naschy’s Wolf Man fighting the Abominable Snow Man (aka the Yeti).

21)-Destroy All Monsters (1968)- Most Godzilla films feature Godzilla vs other monsters. Often these monsters  are created just for that film, but occasionally other monsters are imported from other franchises. The Shōwa period of Godzilla films (i.e. the 60s and 70s) was a mixed bag with some movies that were serious, some farcical and all with a little camp. Destroy All Monsters is heavy on the camp, maybe too heavy, which prevents it from landing higher on the list, but for kaiju fans it is a must see, being a veritable who’s who of 50s and 60s Japanese monsters: Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Rodan, Mothra, Baragon, Manda, Varan and others.

20)- Assignment Terror (Los Monstruos del Terror) (1970)- Another Paul Naschy film with him as the Wolf Man. In this film, aliens (???) bring to life a werewolf, a mummy, Frankenstein’s monster and a vampire with a plan to use them to take over the world, because sure why not. The Wolf Man (who ,interestingly, is always the protagonist in both the Universal films and the Naschy films) has to fight the other monsters in turn in order to save humanity. This film is pretty weak compared to Naschy’s other films of the period, but you have to give credit to the ambitious story.

19)-House of Dracula (1945)- The penultimate monster mash for Universal, it was preceded by House of Frankenstein.  Lon Chaney Jr. reprises his role as the tortured Wolf Man and Glenn Strange returns as Frankenstein’s monster. John Carradine reprises his role as Dracula and thankfully gets more screen time than he did in House of Frankenstein. It also features Universal horror regular, Lionel Atwill.

18)- The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy (1958)- If you are unfamiliar with Mexican horror, the first thing you need to know is that it never followed the “rules” of American horror, and nowhere was this more evident than in the Aztec Mummy trilogy. These films feel like something a group of kids came up with while hopped up on too much candy and soda. The final film in the saga features the ever-vengeful Aztec mummy fighting a mad scientist and his very atompunk looking robot man. Pure fun.

17) Alien vs. Predator (2004)- A film that sort of gave fans what they wanted while also leaving them wistfully hoping for more. The premise for this started in the 1989 Dark Horse comic and in typical Hollywood fashion, they rejected the source material in favor of something else. Ever since the ending of Predator 2, which showed an Alien skull mounted as a trophy in a Predator ship, fans had hoped for this match up. Alien vs. Predator has good looking Aliens and good looking Predators, but it lacked the punch of the better volumes of either franchise. Pretty much mandatory viewing for fans of both franchises but most other horror fans can skip it.

16) Dollman vs Demonic Toys (1993)- A crossover between three different Full Moon films; Dollman (a futuristic cop shrunk to the size of a GI Joe and played by Tim Thomerson; Demonic Toys, toys powered by infernal spirits; and Bad Channels a story about reality warping aliens. The film wouldn’t make a top 10 list of Full Moon features, but is notable for the comic book like attempt to bring so many properties together.

15) House of Frankenstein (1944)- This film is the direct sequel to Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (which appears later on the list) and features Lon Chaney again as the Wolf Man. This movie is the first of 3 times that Glenn Stange would play Frankenstein’s Monster. John Carradine is a rather dapper Dracula, who unfortunately gets very little screen time. The best part though is the addition of Boris Karloff as the antagonist of the story. A truly fun film for fans of Universal monsters.

14) Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)- This is the third film in the Underworld franchise and the only one that doesn’t star Kate Beckinsale. What sets it apart from its leather clad brethren is its setting, taking place entirely in the Middle Ages. The film attempts to tell the franchises backstory about how the centuries old war between werewolves and vampires began. Strong performances from everyone involved and some really nice black armour for the vampire knights. Even though its best viewed after seeing Underworld, it’s totally watchable as a stand-alone film.

13) Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)- In case you’re not hip to the lingo, about every 15 years, the Godzilla franchise reboots itself and a new “era” of films begin, with only the original 1954 film remaining in cannon. The second era, the “Heisei” era, ran through the 80s and 90s and is notable for creating a single cohesive story that loosely connects all of the films together.  This film features a match up between Big G and Mothra and is essentially a reboot of the Showa period film featuring the same match up. It is a technically better made film than its predecessor and even introduces a new monster, Batra, a sinister version of Mothra. As good as it is, it’s still a remake and you always get bonus points for being first, which is why I put it just slightly behind the original.

12) Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)- A true Godzilla battle royal featuring Godzilla’s most dangerous foe, the three headed dragon King Ghidorah.  But we also get Rodan and Mothra who team up with Godzilla to beat the evil dragon. A fun film, it takes itself more seriously than Destroy All Monsters and this really helps the story. A truly entertaining film and a must see for kaiju fans.

11) Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)- Mothra is one of the most interesting and bizarre kaiju to come out of the genre. Not only is she largely a benevolent creature but she is usually accompanied by her two twin fairies that sort of speak for her. Mothra had previously appeared in her own 1961 film. As it was a huge success, it was only natural that she team up with Godzilla. Mothra movies are always a little weird and this helps elevate the match up above most of the other Godzilla movies.

10) Werewolf vs The Vampire Woman (La Noche de Walpurgis) (1970)- The final Paul Naschy film to appear on this list, it is maybe his best film, and definitely the best of his werewolf movies. In this installment, the doomed lycanthrope must go against a vampiric queen of the undead.  The film is a real masterpiece of 70s horror featuring beautiful women, spooky ambiances, morbid visuals and Naschy at the top of his game. Worth seeing even if you are totally unfamiliar with the franchise or Spanish horror. It’s just a great looking, creepy film.

9) Underworld (2003)- Werewolves had been fighting vampires on screen for almost 60 years by the time this film came out, but no other film has done it as well, before or since. Underworld tells the story of Selene, a soldier in the vampire army whose sole reason for existence is to hunt down and kill their furry enemies. Her un-life gets more complicated when she falls in love with a mortal who is at the center of a werewolf plot to destroy the vampires. A super stylish film and Kate Beckinsale is smoking hot decked out in latex and leather. A must see for fans of the old White Wolf role playing games.

8) Mad Monster Party? (1967)- Not really a horror movie as much as a fun homage to horror movies. Mad Monster Party? was brought to us by Rankin and Bass, the masters of animation that gave us the classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as well as the 1977 version of The Hobbit and the 80s dark fantasy The Last Unicorn. The film features a who’s who gathering of monsters with practically every western horror icon appearing. It also features the voice of Boris Karloff as the mad scientist organizing the affair. Mandatory viewing for Halloween, and fun whether you’re 8 or 48.

7) Van Helsing (2004)- Following the success of the first two Brendan Fraser Mummy films, this was Universal’s next attempt to revitalize its monster franchises since it closed up shop in the 1950s. Hugh Jackman plays the titular Van Helsing who teams up with Kate Beckinsale (fresh off the success of Underworld) to fight Dracula, his Brides, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein’s Monster and even the Hunchback of Notre Dame. A very stylish movie that is well made with high production values that refuses to take itself too seriously. The late 90s/ early 00s was a bit of a low point for horror but this film has aged better than most of its counterparts of that era.

     One question remains: Stephen Sommers made both the 1999 Mummy and Van Helsing and both films were successful. Why did we never get Van Helsing vs The Mummy?

6) King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)-OK, first off ,this film looks like crap compared to some of the other Godzilla films of the same era. Godzilla’s design has changed many times, sometimes making Big G look scarier, sometimes sillier. This design is about middle of the road but it seems like a Ray Harryhausen sculpt compared to the Kong design, which makes you wonder if the film makers ever even saw a picture of an actual gorilla.  So how could I have it placed so high? Because its King Kong verses Godzilla!!! This is the kind of film that fanboys and fangirls grow up dreaming about! This isn’t the typical Godzilla crossover with multiple Toho properties meeting under one roof. This was 2 monsters from 2 different film companies from opposite sides of the planet! This was like putting Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan on the same tag team! Or having the Avengers fight the Justice Leage!

    The film is pure camp, but for lovers of kaiju, it doesn’t get any more fun than Kong vs. Godzilla.

5) Freddy vs. Jason (2003)- What King Kong vs. Godzilla was to kaiju fans, Freddy vs. Jason was to slasher fans. Freddy and Jason were the kings of 80s slasher films (Freddy had 5 films in the 80s while Jason had 8, compared to Michael who only had 3 in the decade and Leatherface who only had the 1).

    By the 21^st century, both franchises had long since passed their primes but this film gave fans something to get excited about with a new film that actually offered something creative without simply relying on nostalgia to carry the story. The most amazing thing about the film is how faithful it is to both characters. You never get the feeling that either character has been plucked out of its home franchise and dropped into unfamiliar lands. The story feels natural and the characters are just as you remembered them. A great achievement in the annals of slasher film history.

4) Waxwork (1988)-Of the many great horror films of the video store era, this is one of the best because of its fun, its creativity and its high production values. The story surrounds a nefarious wax museum run by a sinister curator (David Warner). A preppy college student (Zach Galligan) starts nosing around after his sort of girlfriend goes missing after visiting the museum. What he discovers is that the museum is playing home to real life monsters whose spirits are stored in the displays.

    And what a list of monsters it is: Dracula, a werewolf, a mummy, the Marquis de Sade, not to mention appearances from Frankenstein’s creature, zombies, and various murders, monsters and more. There are also appearances by Miles O’Keefe and John Rhys-Davies. A very entertaining film with good looking special effects and some memorable monsters.

3) The Monster Squad (1987)- The plot is simple, Dracula is trying to bring about the end of the world with the help of the Wolf Man, the Mummy and the Gill Man. All that stands in his way are a group of kids aided by Frankenstein’s monster.

    The film’s strength is its total commitment to being fun. The kids are likable if occasionally unbelievable and Dracula is thoroughly evil. Duncan Regehr’s portrayal is very memorable, making his Dracula a little bit like a Bond villain. The monster effects all look beautiful, especially the Wolf Man which has a design echoing Hammer’s Curse of the Werewolf. As a bonus, this movie is totally appropriate for kids. Definitely needs to be on your Halloween watch list if you are looking for something without sex and (too much) gore.

2) Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943)- This is the granddaddy of verses films and really the film that created the blueprint for monster vs. monster movies. The only reason its not #1 on the list is because the final film just has so much to offer.

In this film, Lawrence Talbot (dead after the events of The Wolf Man) is brought back to life and is actually pretty depressed about it. While most of us might be stoked at a second chance, all Larry can see is an eternity dealing with the curse of lycanthropy. He learns about Dr. Frankenstein’s work and reasons that, if Frankenstein can bring life to the dead, perhaps he can bring death to the seemingly unkillable Larry (makes sense if you think about it). He soon finds himself coming face to face with the Monster (played by Bela Lugosi this time (Chaney himself had played the Monster in the previous Frankenstein film).

Beyond this being the first time that we ever got to see horror icons face off on the screen, the movie also has other merits. Lawrence Talbot is a kind of Goth prototype (or at least Emo). He’s very depressed and suicidal and has no goal beyond escaping his own miserable existence. While the follow up films, House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, are campier and played for fun, this film is more serious.

1) Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)- The greatest monster mash of all time! By the mid 40s, Universal horror was on the decline in popularity and its not difficult to understand why. After the real world horrors of WW2, audiences just weren’t in the mood for anything morbid. Horror in general took a back seat to science fiction through most of the 50s.

But the Universals Monsters had enough left in the tank for one last hoorah and it was brought to us by the most successful comic act of their time. Abbott and Costello had grown to monumental popularity during the War (when people needed a laugh more than ever), and they would be the vehicle to give the Universal Monsters a memorable send off.

The combination of humor and horror proved to be potent and popular, spawning several more Abbott and Costello creature features. For fans of monsters, this is like revisiting a beloved childhood memory. Lon Chaney Jr. revised his role as the Wolf Man, Glenn Strange returned for his 3^rd appearance as Frankenstein’s Monster and ,best of all, Bela Lugosi took on the Dracula mantle for the first time since his 1931 portrayal. The only way this film could possibly have been any better was if Karloff had been involved somehow, but him playing the Monster was simply out of the question as he was in his 60s by this point and the role was very taxing for even a young man.

Of every movie on this list, Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein is the absolutely must see  film and (I think) a mandatory part of any October line up.

                So Hollywood, its time for some more monster vs. monster films! Michael vs. Leatherface, or Gremlins vs. Critters, or Species vs. Aliens, or Chucky vs. Annabelle or…..

The 50 Sexiest Vampires in Horror Movies

 

The 50 Sexiest Vampires in Horror Movies           

Vampire movies probably make up the biggest subgenre of horror movies after slashers. One of the great attractions to the genre is the vampire’s sex appeal, something that exists mostly because of the movies. Dracula, as presented in Stoker’s novel is quite repulsive and doesn’t seduce his victims as much as uses a kind of psychic version of date rape drugs.

                Nosferatu, the first adaption of Dracula that still survives, presented a vampire more in line with Stoker’s vision. Despite Dracula not being sexy in Stoker’s novel, the novel is full of erotic elements and Hollywood understood that those erotic elements would be easier to present with an attractive lead rather than with something that looked like a hairless rat. That we consider Dracula a sexy character has less to do with Stoker and more to do with the movies.

                Since Lugosi, cinema has been awash with sexy vampires, some that have become a part of popular culture. I’ll admit to a real fondness for the subject matter. Vampire movies are my favorite subgenre of horror after infernal movies about witches, demons and devils. Fifty may seem like a rather large number, but I hope to share my love of the genre and include at least a few movies that you haven’t seen.

                You’ll notice some repeating trends throughout the list. First, obviously, Dracula, and the actors who played him, appears throughout the list. No surprise there. Also, Carmilla, the vampire created by Sheridan Le Fanu, has appeared in numerous vampire movies, usually with a lesbian theme either implied or explicitly depicted.

Another trend is the number of Hammer movies on the list. Between 1958 and 1974 Hammer made 16 of the best vampire movies you’ll ever see (well at least 12 or 13 and the occasional miss). If you are a fan of vampires and are unacquainted with Hammer, I encourage you to find the films listed here. Your time will be rewarded!

What follows is a list of the sexiest vampires in horror movies.  Did your favorite vamp make the list?

50 -Countess Wandesa (Patty Shepard)-Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman-In one of Paul Naschy’s most entertaining films, his beloved werewolf faces off against a vampire queen and her minions. What really catches the eye here is how goth she looks. Patty Shepard wears what looks like a black wedding dress and her skin is almost porcelain white. The film was essentially remade about 10 years later with a bigger budget and called Night of the Werewolf (which appears later on this list). Patty also appeared in another vampire film, Hannah Queen of the Vampires, though she wasn’t the vamp in that film.

49 -Countess Marya (Gloria Holden)-Dracula’s Daughter- This movie is probably the least well known of the Universal Monster franchise, which is a shame, because it was a groundbreaking, clever film. Gloria Holden plays the titular character who hopes to give up her thirst for blood but with little success. As far as I know it was the first film to feature the vampire as a protagonist, the first film to depict vampirism as an addiction or mental disorder and the first lesbian vampire film.

48-Countess Karlstein (Lina Romay)- Female Vampire- Spanish exploitation master Jess Franco’s most frequent collaborator was Lina Romay, and she is the star of this 1973 film that walked the line between erotica, exploitation and pornography, and sometimes crossed back and forth across the line given the numerous versions of the film that got released. Lina was far more sexually open that her predecessor, Soledad Miranda, and while Lina had more graphic roles, no other movie showcased her as much as this one.

47-Rose (Marilyn Chambers)- Rabid-This is definitely not your typical vampire film with 70s porn star Marilyn Chambers playing a victim of plastic surgery gone wrong. Rose is horribly injured in a motorcycle wreck and the doctors use an experimental technique to regrow damaged tissue. The process leaves Rose with a craving for blood and a voracious sexual appetite. However, rather than consuming the blood in the traditional way, she does so with a phallus that protrudes from her armpit. This is the film that made David Cronenberg a star and made body horror into a genre.

46-Luisa Karlstein  (Britt Nichols)- Daughter of Dracula- This film is definitely not to be confused with the Universal Horror film with a similar name that appeared a little earlier on the list. Jess Franco had a handful of women that he worked with over and over during his career. The primary was his longtime life partner Lina Romay and next was Soledad Miranda, who was definitely his muse before her death. Probably the third on his list was Britt Nichols who starred in 9 Franco films in 2 years. Britt was usually a supporting character except in 2 films; Franco’s lesbian nunploitation inquisition film, Les Demons, where Britt costarred as the lead, and Daughter of Dracula, where she is the titular character. Not nearly as graphic as Franco’s Female Vampire, but it would probably be shocking to a modern audience unaccustomed to 70s exploitation films.

45-Carmila/Mircala (Alexandra Bastedo)-Blood Spattered Bride- In this retelling of the Carmilla story, the vampire appears to lure a newlywed wife away from her narcissistic, abusive husband.  The Carmilla story has been the basis for many movies and this one probably has the most feminist message as the heroine’s husband is a really unlikable fellow. We are definitely rooting for the vampire in this one. Alexandra Bastedo has a very natural beauty, looking a little like a surfer girl version of a vampire.

44-Tiger Woman (Serena)- Vampire Circus-As Hammer studios was winding down in the 70s, they threw the rulebook out the window as far as vampire films. From 1970-1974, Hammer made some of the most experimental movies of the genre, and none were more experimental than Vampire Circus. With a host of unusual characters, the most memorable is the dancer who turns herself into a tiger. Even as a human she has an alien aesthetic and catlike grace. A truly original character.

43-La Contessa Dolingen (Rosalba Neri) -The Devil’s Wedding Night- This is a strange film mixing Norse mythology, vampire lore and satanism. Rosalba plays a kind of Bathory-esque vampire who uses a magic ring to summon virgins so that she can bathe in their blood. This is a fun Italian film with the kind of sexiness that you expect from European exploitation films of the 70s. Rosalba looks great naked and covered in virgin blood.

42-Zorina (Lorena Velázquez)-Santo vs. The Vampire Women- Any attempt to pigeon hole the Santo films will fail miserably as they are an eclectic blend of horror, sci-fi, wrestling and comic book style action. In this installment, the masked wrestler runs afoul of a coven of devil worshiping vampires led by Lorena Velázquez. Lorena was, in real life, Miss Mexico in the Miss Universe beauty pageant. She brought that charisma to the role and stands out in a movie with several vampire hotties.

41-Vampire Woman (Valerie Gaunt)- Horror of Dracula- Valerie Gaunt (great name for a horror actress!) only appeared in 2 films before calling it quits but those 2 films just happened to be Hammer’s inaugural Frankenstein and Dracula films. In Horror of Dracula, she plays Drac’s lone Bride. Valerie’s performance is short but memorable, creating an almost predator like creature. The images of her as a vampire still hold up 60 years later.

40-Betty/ Clarimonde (Pia Degermark)- Vampire Happening- This is a West German comedy /horror from the early 70s. It features the kind of dual role confusion that was common in Barbara Steele movies. Swedish actress Pia Degermark plays an American movie star that inherits a Transylvanian castle. What she doesn’t know is that her distant ancestor (also played by Degermark) is a vampire who still lives in the castle. The movie has the kind of nonchalant presentation of sexiness that you could find in 70s movies and Pia is sexy and entertaining in the dual roles.

39-Dracula (Miles O'Keeffe)-Waxwork- This is one of the most entertaining horror movies of the 80s and a terrific monster mash with various monsters and madmen. Genre fans probably know Miles best as a kind of poor man’s Conan in the Ator trilogy of fantasy films. Here he plays a more subdued role as the film’s version of Dracula. He had the long haired beard stubble cool of the late 80s and though he wouldn’t make sense as Drac in a serious adaptation of the book, he was perfect for this fun movie.

38-Tania (Miriam Giovanelli)- Dracula 3D- Dario Argento’s Dracula is a bad film. Whether it’s so bad that its good or just plain bad is a matter of personal taste. If there is one reason to watch it, however, its Miriam Giovanelli as Dracula’s super sexy, buxom vampire bride.  You get to see a whole lot of her and her scenes almost make up for the movies shortcomings.

37-Miriam (Catherine Deneuve)- The Hunger- Miriam is a millennia old vampire who creates vampire companions that only last a few hundred years before they start growing old. She sets her sights on Susan Sarandon to replace her previous lover played by David Bowie (that’s a tough act to follow). The film’s central themes are not erotic but it certainly incorporates erotic elements such as the protracted seduction of Sarandon’s character. 

36-Dracula (Gerald Butler)- Dracula 2000- This movie, though reeking of its late 90s style, executed an idea pretty effectively; Count Dracula is brought back to life in the year 2000. Every member of this cast was hip and attractive with a very young Gerald Butler as the Count. This may sound like strange casting but this was a much slimmer version of Gerald than the beefier version we’d all get to know and love in 300.

35-Elizabeth Bathroy (Julia Saly)-Night of the Werewolf- This Paul Naschy movie is basically a remake of an earlier Naschy film, Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman (which appeared earlier on the list). In this version, Julia Saly is the vampiric Elizabeth Bathory, brought back to life with a satanic ritual. Saly appeared in several Spanish horror films of the era including Night of the Seagulls and Inquisition. She was hot in all of them.

34-Spike (James Marsters)- Buffy the Vampire Slayer- OK, this is supposed to be a list of characters from vampire movies, and Spike is from the TV show, but this character had so many fans, I would be remiss if I didn’t include him. In a show filled with hot young people, Spike stood out as a fan favorite.  He alternated between hero/ villain/ and love interest. He wasn’t the first vampire to be a main character on the show, that would be Angel. But whereas Angel wanted to be good, Spike wanted to be bad, and the bad boys always get more attention.

33-Dracula (Luke Evans)- Dracula Untold- This story about how Dracula became a vampire is as Hollywood as you can get, turning Drac into a sympathetic family man. Never the less, it has some great action, creative horror, and a well-designed suit of armor for The Lord Impaler. Luke Evans looks like a GQ model on his worst day, and clad it a suit of well crafted armor, he makes a sight to behold.

32-Alice (Linda Hayden)- Taste the Blood of Dracula- Linda is like Daryl Hannah in that they are both best when they are being bad. If you need proof, check her out as the leader of a cult of murderous children in Blood on Satan’s Claw.

Here Linda plays Alice, the long suffering virtuous daughter of a cynical, wealthy hedonist. All she wants is to have fun with her boyfriend which her father forbids (while he himself is visiting a brothel). All of this changes when Dracula sinks his teeth into her and the bad girl in her gets to come out and play. A great scene is where she and another vamp turn the tables and kill a vampire hunter with a stake through his heart!

31-Katrina (Grace Jones)- Vamp- Grace Jones has never been anyone’s idea of conventionally beautiful, but she’s always been sexy, with her sleek body, androgyny and exotic presentation. In Vamp, Grace is an ancient vampire working as the featured performer in a strange nightclub. If Vamp had been made in 70s or 90s it would be remembered as one of the cleverest vampire movies around. However, in a decade with Near Dark, Fright Night and Lost Boys, Vamp gets lost alongside its better known cousins.

30-Anne (Barbara Crampton)- Jakob’s Wife- It’s amazing, given the longevity of Barbara Crampton’s career (it started in 1985 with Re-Animator), that it took her this long for her to play a vampire. In this film she is the repressed (maybe oppressed?) wife of a tightly wound minister. After an attack from a nosferatu she finds herself having some distinctly unholy cravings for blood. A good blend of horror, humor, and character study and Barbara is as hot as ever.

29-Lilith (Angie Everheart)- Bordello of Blood- This film from the mid 90s feels more like a fun film from the early 80s with its generous helping of nudity and gore. It has a straight forward concept; Lilith ( the queen of all vampires) runs an underground brothel. The working girls who get jobs there are turned into vamps and the Johns who show up are their victims. It is a good blend of horror and comedy and Angie Everhart, who was a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, makes for a gorgeous, buxom creature of the night.

28-The Brides (Monica Bellucci, Michaela Bercu, Florina Kendrick) Bram Stoker’s Dracula- OK, it may be unfair to include them as this is three women, not one, but this is a special case. The Brides are an iconic part of the Dracula story but so often in Dracula movies they are under-represented or even left out!!! Even the vampire kings, Hammer studios, only had 1 Bride in their adaptation of the story.

                Here we get all 3 women and they get some serious screen time, appearing at the beginning and the end of film (like in the book) and they make a memorable impression. The tree women were unknowns at the time and little did anyone guess that one of them (Monica Bellucci) would become a big star and one of the sexiest women ever to grace a movie screen.

27-Sonja (Rhona Mitra)- Underworld 3- This movie is a prequel to the original underworld and depicts the start of the vampire/ werewolf war at its beginning in the Dark Ages. Rhona Mitra is the daughter of a vampire lord and she prefers to lead from the frontline despite her father’s wishes.

                Rhona has always been good at action parts (check her out in Doomsday and Beowulf) and she is very memorable decked out in black medieval armor, wielding a sword. The movie can be enjoyed as a prequel to part 1 or as a standalone film.

26-Sarah (Sharon Tate)- Fearless Vampire Killers- In this very well balanced horror/ comedy, Sharon Tate plays an inn keeper’s daughter that is kidnapped by the local aristocrat vampire and turned into a member of the undead.  The entire movie is beautiful to look at but Tate, a redhead here instead of her usual blonde, is particularly beautiful. This was her second horror film (check her out in the Eye of the Devil), and if she had had the chance, I think she would have become a scream queen icon.

25-Gina (Andrée Melly)- Brides of Dracula- The movie title is a bit misleading as it has neither Dracula nor his brides. But it does have a vampire and some sexy female victims who become vampires, so close enough.

                Andrée Melly plays a Gina, young woman living in an upper-class boarding house for women when she is turned into a member of the undead. To be such a sweet looking young woman, Andrée looked positively feral once she becomes a vampire.  She isn’t as well known as the Hammer starlets of the early 70s but the images of her as a vampire are some of the best that Hammer ever produced.

24-Fran (Marianne Morris) -Vampyres-After Vampire Lovers, this movie is usually one of the first films cited in any discussions of the “lesbian vampire” genre. Two young women, are murdered and return as vampires who lure victims into their English country home and then have their way with them.

                The 70s was the height of exploitation movies and this movie doesn’t shy away from sex and blood. Of particular note, the vampires don’t suck blood in the “traditional” way. They stab or cut their victims and lap up the blood straight from the wounds! Sex and death have always made for erotic bedfellows and Vampyres pushes the theme pretty far.

23-Carmilla /Mircalla (Yutte Stensgaard) - Lust for a Vampire- The middle film in the loosely connected Hammer Karnstein trilogy has a female vampire (Stensgaard) taking up residence at an all girl’s college.  She integrates with the student body with predictably bloody and sexy results. The opening shot of Yutte, rising bloody and half naked from her coffin, has become a permanent part of Hammer iconography.

22-Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard)- True Blood- OK, its another TV show, but it was pretty important to the genre, so I thought it deserved an entry. With a show that had so many hot actors as True Blood, multiple characters could have been on this list, but I opted for just one; Eric Northman, the sometimes ally, sometimes enemy of the show’s protagonist and one leg in the show’s ongoing love triangle.

                Eric Northman had so many fans that when Skarsgaard came out with his Viking epic The Northman, some fans assumed it was a True Blood prequel.

21-Frida (Madeleine Collinson)- Twins of Evil- This is such a brilliant concept it’s a marvel that it took 40 years of vampire movies before anyone did it!  Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeline Collinson play Maria and Frida, twin sisters who are put in the care of their cruel Puritan uncle (Peter Cushing). Frida and Maria have different dispositions. Maria is a polite, demure rule follower and Frida is a resentful rebel. Frida willingly gives herself over to a vampire and the stage is set for conflict. 

                The third film in Hammer’s Karnstein Trilogy, it was made during Hammer’s most experimental, and naughty, period. It’s a fan favorite and behind the scenes photos of the film’s twins are always a hit with Hammer fans.

20-Louie (Brad Pitt)- Interview with the Vampire-After Bram Stoker, no one had as big of an impact on the vampire genre as Anne Rice and this adaptation of her best-known work was a huge success, making a quarter of a billion dollars, which was a rarity in the 90s. Its also surprisingly faithful to the book (for a big budget Hollywood film).

                The film was laden with sexy faces but the main attraction was Brad Pitt as the eternally whiney but easy on the eyes Louie, the vampire protégé of Lestat (Tom Cruise).  Whether you’re a Brad Pitt fan or not, no one can deny the guy is good looking and his portrayal of this character turned a lot people into vampire fans.

19-Akasha  (Alliyah)- Queen of the Damned- A sort of sequel to Interview with the Vampire, this movie wasn’t as good, or as well received as its predecessor. It probably would have been forgotten if not for Aliyah, the popular R&B singer who was playing the film’s titular character. She died tragically between the end of the film’s production and its release.

                Aliyah certainly cuts a distinctive figure as an ancient vampire re-awakened. She is sexy, majestic, and scary. A generation later, images of her in this film still fill internet horror pages and fans who knew nothing of her, or really anything about Anne Rice, know this movie entirely because of her.

18-Marie (Anne Parillaud)- Innocent Blood-John Landis’s spiritual follow up to American Werewolf in London, this movie has to be the only horror-comedy-mobster movie out there.

                Anne Parillaud (best known from La Femme Nikita) is a vampire that preys on mobsters, which makes sense as they tend to die violently anyway, so covering up her antics isn’t too hard. Things go awry when she accidentally turns a mob boss into a vampire and shenanigans ensue. Anne is so sexy in this movie. She has the hungry grace of a jaguar and doesn’t shy away from showing skin. Watch this if you want to be turned on and belly laugh at the same time.

17-Countess Nadine (Soledad Miranda) -Vampyros Lesbos- It was Soledad’s role as vampire Lucy in Jess Franco’s Count Dracula (a movie that has largely been forgotten) that landed her the role as the lead in Vamyros Lesbos. This is maybe Franco’s best film and one that will not likely be forgotten.

                Her vampire is aloof, exotic, and a little sad in her loneliness. Soledad’s career was tragically cut short but she and Franco put together several movies in a short time and this one is her most memorable.

16-Aleera (Elena Anaya)- Van Helsing- Usually Dracula’s Bride are grouped together, mute and without individual personalities. Not so in 2004’s monster mash ,Van Helsing. Dracula’s Brides have distinct looks, personalities, and varying amounts of screen time. Aleera, the longest lasting of the Brides is super sexy and vicious. Her red hair and off pink dress present a vibrant, memorable image, very different from the way that the Brides are portrayed in most movies.

15-Dracula (Bela Lugosi)- Dracula (1931)-It might be a little difficult to convince a modern audience that Bela Lugosi was sexy but in 1931 he definitely was. As proof, remember this; the very reason that we consider Dracula a sexy character is because of Lugosi. Dracula, as described in Stoker’s novel is quite repulsive. He has pointed ears, hairy palms and bad breath!

                Lugosi created an image of Dracula as urbane, sophisticated and always in control. So convincing was Lugosi’s portrayal that every Dracula actor since then is expected to conjure up these traits.

14-Blade (Wesley Snipes)- Blade- OK so he’s only half vampire, but he’s twice as bad ass as many of his full blooded brethren.

                Based on the Marvel comic character of the same name, Wesley Snipe’s vampire hunting half-vampire carried a sword, drove a muscle car and killed vamps with martial arts. It became an instant classic and spawned a franchise. Snipes looked super cool with his black pleather outfits and a flat top so sharp you could cut yourself with it.

13-Regine (Julie Carmen)- Fright Night 2- Following up on a classic is never easy, but Fright Night 2 was one of those rare sequels that lives up to its predecessor. Julie Carmen plays Regine, a sexy ancient vampire who is the sister of the vampire (Chris Sarandon) from the first film and she wants revenge for his death. Regine was mysterious, sultry and predatory; the perfect vampire.

12-David ( Keifer Sutherland)- Lost Boys- With a cast filled with cool, young people, Keifer Sutherland’s David was a bad boy among bad boys. With his spiked mullet, beard stubble, and over coat he was pulling off a kind of cool that would make most people look silly.

                Whether Lost Boys was the best vampire film of the 80s is a matter of debate (Near Dark and Fright Night would be contenders) but it was without a doubt the most popular vampire movie of the decade. It was a minor cultural phenomenon and (along with the 2 Coreys) its blonde bad boy remains a fan favorite.

11-Dracula (Christopher Lee) - Horror of Dracula- Like Bela Lugosi, it might be a little hard for a modern audience to understand Christopher Lee’s sex appeal. Bela brought a chilling, almost clinical, calm to his character. Christopher Lee, on the other hand, gave the character an active vitality. His Count runs across the room, bursts through doors, and displays a powerful physical presence.

                In addition, Christopher Lee brought his voice, one of the great voices in all of film. Unfortunately, that was one trait that was largely ignored in the film’s many sequels as Dracula was almost mute. But in the first film, Horror of Dracula, we got the whole package.  This was Hammer’s first vampire film and ,along with Curse of Frankenstein, it laid the foundation for a minor film empire.

10- Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donahoe)-Lair of the White Worm- This film, loosely based on a novel by Bram Stoker, centers on a vampiric priestess in the English countryside. She masquerades as a beautiful aristocrat, but she also worships The White Worm, a kind of pagan god that lives beneath her estate.

                Many of Ken Russell’s films had a healthy dose of sexual perversity (see The Devils) and this film is no different. Donahoe is a vamp in both senses of the word. Of particular note is the alien, snake like appearance she takes on at times. While bizarre, it is undeniably sexy. She is a unique villain for a unique film.

9-Severein (Bill Paxton)- Near Dark- Bill Paxton is not a name that is usually associated with sexy. While his characters often become fan favorites, it was usually because of their sarcasm and wit. With this character, Paxton had the chance to play a real bad boy and he did it without reservation.

                Near Dark, along with Lost Boys, helped eschew the old vampire tropes of the previous decades and ushered in a new era of gritty, realistic vampires. Paxton’s vampire looks like a cowboy rocker and is played with the kind of over the top cool that the rest of us only dream of.

8-Dracula (Gary Oldman)- Bram Stoker’s Dracula-Francis Ford Coppolla’s stylish version of Dracula, which was the first big budget adaptation of the novel in over a decade , brought in a host of young, hot (and inexperienced) talent. Countering that were two veteran actors, Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman.

                Gary’s performance required him to change from decrepit old man, to furry beast to dapper gentleman and it is in that last role that he earned his place in the sexy vampire hall of fame. For six decades, every version of Dracula was just a different version of Bela Lugosi (black tux, black cape, swept back hair), but here was a visually distinct character that was instantly memorable. 30 years after the fact, some of the dialogue may seem a tad cheesy (“I’ve crossed oceans of time to be with you”), but in 1992, it made audiences melt.

7-Space Girl (Mathilda May)- Lifeforce- Based on the novel Space Vampires, this Tobe Hooper film is the story of a trio of vampires brought to Earth by doomed astronauts.  Mathilda May, as the queen of these vampires, is the ultimate succubus able to make men crumble. In a dose of nudity that you would never find in any mainstream movie today, she’s bare naked through much of the film.

                Lifeforce became a fan favorite and a cult classic for several reasons. It was directed by horror great Tobe Hooper and is one of the best movies by the now defunct Cannon films. But the centerpiece is Mathilda May’s otherworldly sexy vampire.

6-Selene (Kate Beckinsale)- Underworld- This film, which spawned a franchise, gave us a world taking place almost entirely in the shadows where werewolves and vampires are engaged in an endless war. Kate Beckinsale’s “Death Dealer” was sleek, sexy, armed to the teeth and ready for the club decked out in head to toe pleather.

                The film had its own aesthetic, which other films would try to copy, and Beckinsale’s character had an iconic look. Though she has since become identified with the character, prior to this role there was nothing in Beckingsale’s resume that suggested her as either a horror or an action star. So convincing was she, that the next year she followed this up with another action/ horror role as a vampire killer in Van Helsing.

5-Lucy Westerna (Sadie Frost)- Bram Stoker’s Dracula- Francis Ford Coppola’s version of the classic turned up the sexy with a cast of popular young 90s actor. Dracula, was sexy, Mina was sexy, the Brides were sexy but Sadie Frost stole all of her scenes with the sexiest Lucy ever to appear on screen.

                Though an important character in the novel, in the movies Lucy is often disposable, someone for Dracula to kill before he sets his sights on Mina. Sadie’s Lucy is sexy before she becomes a vampire but her transition turned her into a perfect image of Gothic loveliness thanks in part to a truly unique wedding dress costume and make up that gave her a cold porcelain look. In a movie that was filled with highly memorable imagery, Sadie Frost’s vampire is iconic.

4-Satanico Pandemonium (Salma Hayak)- From Dusk till Dawn- Selma Hayak would not normally be considered a scream queen and Robert Rodruigez is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of horror, but with her performance, Hayak created a character that lives on as a fan favorite, a quarter of a century later.

                Santanico Pandemonium (not to be confused with the nunploitation movie for which she was named) was exotic and mysterious and Hayak just dripped sexy. She wasn’t even in the film that long, but the images of her are forever burned into the collective consciousness of horror fans.

3-Dracula(Frank Langela) – Dracula (1979)- Bela Lugosi brought urbane sophistication to the Count and Christopher Lee gave the character an active vitality. With Frank Langella, the film makers made the count an explicitly romantic character. The movie was even marketed as a love story.

                With his wavy hair and shirt open half way down his chest, Langella looks like a character on the cover of a romance novel and his baritone voice helps sell the image. This particular version of Dracula is not one of the better known versions but it certainly foreshadowed the sexier versions of the count that would appear later.

2-Carmilla Karnstein ( Ingrid Pitt)- Vampire Lovers- Lesbian vampires. It seems like a sure fire concept but the trope remained remarkably unmined for the first 40 years of vampire cinema. Gloria Holden gave cinema its first lesbian vampire in Dracula’s Daughter but there was no sex and the sexuality was implied.

                Not so with Vampire Lovers. Hammer films, influenced by the sexual revolution, ramped up the eroticism around 1970 and Vampire Lovers was a perfect example of this. Ingrid Pitt plays Carmilla Karnstein, a vampire who has set her sights on a young debutante (Madeline Smith).  While the sex was definitely not implied, Ingrid Pitt brings more to the role than just beauty. She sells the character which is a combination of lonely outsider and cold predator.

                If you wanted to stretch the definition of vampire just a tad, Ingrid could have appeared on the list twice. The year after Hammer made Vampire Lovers they teamed up with Ingrid again to make Countess Dracula, Hammer’s version of the Elizabeth Bathory legend, with Ingrid as the blood bathing noblewoman. Whether it’s a vampire movie or not is up to you, but it’s a beautiful costume drama (with some hot naked Ingrid) and worth your time to find it.

1-Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon)- Fright Night- For 50 years vampire movies lived in the shadow of Bela Lugosi. The 1980s allowed the genre to change direction with a collection of vampires that were gritty, realistic and visually distinct from their Hungarian grandfather. While the vampires of the 80s were very cool, what most of them lacked was that sophisticated charm that Lugosi brought; the very thing that made Dracula a sexy character in the first place.

                Chris Sarandon’s Jerry Dandridge had the complete package. He was a modern vampire without any of the cliché that had hung over the genre while bringing the refined appeal of a Bond villain. Also, while not a sympathetic character, his vampire was charismatic and cool enough that you couldn’t help but like him, even while he was trying to murder a group of teenagers.

Still want more? Find out which adaptation of Dracula is the best!