Culture of Vampirism : Vol. 1: The First Vampires Were Females

Hot Vampires

In the 20th century, hot vampires were introduced to the public in the fictional form of movies and, later, television shows. Prior to then vampires were kept hidden in the pages of fictional books or in haunting ghost stories. However, motion pictures brought the supernatural being who loves to suck blood to life giving a long lasting image to the otherwise flat character. Fortunately for fans the vampires of the big screen were sexualized, and thus the concept of hot vampires was born.

During the 1970s films were given a more freeing role to include sexuality in movies. At the same time, vampires were tossed in the mix thank to the works of the Hammer Film Productions. Some of the most famous, albeit campy and dated, vampire films came out of the Hammer Film studios during this decade. Even more important, quite a few hot vampires were born.

Christopher Lee is well-known in the horror genre communities as the sexy and dangerous Count Dracula in seven of the vampire movies produced by Hammer Film: Dracula, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula, Scars of Dracula, Dracula AD 1972, and The Satanic Rites of Dracula.

The Hammer Film studio is also responsible for a trilogy of terror that is best known as the Karnstein Trilogy. Countess Mircalla Karnstein is the star of the hot vampires in this trio of films that are based loosely on the novella "Carmilla" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu written in 1872. The films include The Vampire Lovers, Lust for a Vampire, and Twins of Evil. The films include hot vampires portrayed by Ingrid Pitt, one of the starlets of the era who shot to international fame for her role as Carmilla in The Vampire Lovers.

The Lost Boys was a cult film based on vampires that predates the current vampire craze by twenty years. Starring Jason Patric as Michael and Kiefer Sutherland as David, this '80s film turned the teen heart throbs into two hot vampires. This film insured the reemergence of hot vampires in the 1990s as a result of the novel by Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire, which was released in 1973. The 1994 film adaptation titled Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles starred two of the hottest actors of the 20th century, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

Brad Pitt played Louis de Pointe du Lac, the protégé vampire of Lestat de Lioncourt, who was portrayed by Tom Cruise. Louis de Pointe du Lac shows how hot vampires can be as he bites the delicate child, Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, on the neck, thus transforming her into a vampire for all of eternity. The hot vampires sport long flowing locks of romantic curls, males included, and everyone is dressed in glamorous Victorian era-inspired Gothic clothing with ruffled collars and fitted smoking jackets. Talk about hot vampires!

Another sexy vampire from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Angel is played by hottie David Boreanaz. These televisions shows reached audiences left blood thirsty from the Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. However Angel filled the void left for hot vampires with no problems thanks to his masculine physic, and dark, sultry peepers. Also portrayed in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as Angel, James Marsters played another of the hot vampires as Spike, the bleach blonde Billy Idol look-alike. As a sex machine with a penchant for Buffy, Spike was hot to trot, and much loved by the vampire audience.

Gracing the screen as another of the hot vampires is the superhero Blade in Blade, Blade II, and Blade: Trinity. Played by movie star Wesley Snipes, this Marvel Comics character spoke to the hearts of fans who longed to see another handsome yet powerful vampire on the silver screen. An even more recent addition to the vampire genre filmology is the television series True Blood that shows on HBO. Written and directed by Alan Ball as an adaptation to Charlaine Harris' novel series The Southern Vampire Mysteries, True Blood is filled with hot vampires.

The smoldering Bill Compton played by Stephen Moyer does not misrepresent as the Southern gentleman who is turned into a blood sucking vampire. The vampire sheriff and mate to Sookie Stackhouse, Eric Northland as played by Alexander Skarsgard, may be cold hearted but fans find him one smoking hot vampire. Lady vampires that steal the show include the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne, as portrayed by the luscious Evan Rachel Wood.

The Vampire Diaries, which first aired in 2009, gives us even more reason to love hot vampires. This love saga features three hot vampires including brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore, and Elena Gilbert who is otherwise thought to be Katherine Pierce. Ian Somerhalder portrays Damon, while Paul Wesley is Stefan; Elena and Katherine are played by Nina Dobrev. These three hot vampires turn the heat up on the screen as they turn the traditional love story over on its neck.

Some of the most recent vampire converts will not be satisfied with a listing of hot vampires without the mention of their fair Edward Cullen from the Twilight series. Played by Robert Pattinson who made his international debut in The Harry Potter film The Goblet of Fire, Edward is a vampire with a sexy streak. As Bella Swan's love interest in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn: Part 1, and Breaking Dawn: Part 2. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen will certainly be ingrained in the souls of teens and adults alike for decades to come.

Hot vampires are a major attraction to fans interested in the vampire genre on screen. As fans watch their favorite vampire characters from fictional stories or from the imagination of directors, one of the major themes that have almost become a requirement is attractiveness. There is something about the mystic that requires the vampire to be sexy, perhaps because it makes it easier to watch an unyielding innocent person be bitten by the immortal vampire. Then again, let's face it; no one wants to watch an ugly vampire.