2. Maybe our fascination with vampires started back when we were children. Count von Count was introduced on Sesame Street in the 1970’s. Modeled after Bela Lugosi’s interpretation of Count Dracula, Count von Count’s main purpose is educating children on simple mathematical facts-mainly counting. While he may appear to be harmless, the Count possesses a questionable laugh that sounds anything but.
7. A controversial film, written by Quentin Tarantino in 1996, From Dusk Till Dawn is about a team of bank robbing brothers who after fleeing the FBI, land at a strip club. When they learn the strippers turn out to be vampires, they bite the fugitives turning them into vampires as well. The film was banned from the Republic of Ireland in 1996 when it was released until 2000 when the ban was lifted.
8. Based on the novel by Anne Rice written in 1973. Interview with the Vampire, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt was released in 1994, Before the novel was published, Rice sold the rights to the book to Paramount Pictures, who did nothing with the contract for the ten years of their contract. Rice then moved the rights over to Warner Bros who purchased it for $500,000 and went forward with producing the film.
9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer started out as a film in 1992, but soon after turned into a franchise name. Buffy who led a human life by day and fought vampires at night, went from the big screen to the television show that ran from 1997-2003, books and comics, video games, and even board and card games.
10. Blade is a 1998 vampire action film starring Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff. The movie is loosely based on the published stories of the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. Blade grossed $70 million at the box office and $130 million worldwide. Following its success, the sequel Blade II was released in 2002 and Blade Trinity in 2004.
11. The Underworld series is a series of Romeo and Juliet-like vampire/werewolf films directed by Len Wiseman. The first film, Underworld, was released in 2003, and the second film, Underworld: Evolution, was released in 2006. A prequel, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was released on January 23rd, 2009.
12. True Blood, may be one of the most recent vampire tales next to Twilight. True Blood is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on the Sookie Stackhouse book seriesknown as The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. The show that first aired in 2008 is broadcasted on HBO and currently in its second season.
