Best Vampire Films of 2009

Aug 23, 2010
Dawn Flint

Vampire - lori and the bell jar

A look at the top four vampire films of 2009, including New Moon and Rise of the Lycans.

Vampires have been featured in films for many years but recently, due to an increase in the number of young-adult movies centred on these blood sucking life forms, their popularity has soared. Many films have been made about them over the years and here is the top four vampire films of 2009 in detail.

New Moon

Released: November 20, 2009
Stars: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen and Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black.

New Moon is based on the Twilight books written by Stephanie Meyer and is the second in the series. It is a modern-day, action-packed love story based on the human / vampire romance of Bella and Edward. The first instalment, released the previous year, saw Bella meet and fall in love with Edward Cullen, a local vampire who lives with his family just outside Forks, the dreary town she lives in. It culminates in an attack on Bella from a rival gang of vampires.

The beginning of New Moon sees Bella recovering from the attack and preparing for her eighteenth birthday, a birthday she doesn’t want to happen as Edward was made immortal at seventeen years old. Despite her wishes, the Cullens throw a birthday party for her, but a paper cut almost leads to an assault on her by Jasper, Edward’s brother. Edward realises that he and his family are too dangerous for Bella to be around and he leaves Forks.

Deep in depression and despair, Bella seeks comfort in the arms of Jacob Black, a loyal and close friend. But soon he, too, becomes distant towards her and Bella eventually finds out that he is, in fact, a werewolf, an ancient old enemy if the vampires,

Bella is torn and has to choose between the two of them but, after Edward goes to Italy to be killed by the Volturi, leaders of the vampire, because he thought that Bella had killed herself, she realises it is him she loves and goes to save him.

While there, Alice, Edward’s sister, has a premonition that Bella will become one of them and Edward says he will turn her if she promises to marry him. But the fragile truce between the family of vampires and the family of werewolves is only held together by the condition that they won't attack each other while neither of them bites a human. Turning Bella is the only way Edward can save her life but does he love her enough to break the peace?

Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans

Released: January 23, 2009
Stars: Michael Sheen as Lucian, Bill Nighy as Viktor and Rhona Mitra as Sonja.

Rise of the Lycans is the third movie in the Underworld trilogy and is a prequel to the first two. Set in the Dark Ages, the Lycans are slaves of the vampires until Lucian is born. Lucian is different to the other Lycans and, although knowing that he should kills him straight away, Viktor lets him live.

But Lucian grows up to be strong and has the ability to return from his werewolf form to his human form, something his ancestors didn't and Viktor uses this to his advantage, creating an army of Lycans like Lucian to protect his castle and his family. This angers Lucian and he rallies the Lycans to fight against Viktor.

Also, helping him in his battle against the vampires and his struggle for the Lycans freedom, is Sonja, Viktor’s daughter but she is caught by her father and her punishment for her treachery is death. She is killed in front of Lucian, who is powerless to help the woman he loves and so begins the centuries old feud that rages between the vampires and the Lycans.

Cirque de Freak - The Vampire’s Assistant.

Released: October 23 2009
Stars: Chris Massoglia as Darren and John C Reilley as Larten Crepsley

Adapted from the novels by Darren Shan, The Vampire’s Assistant is a fantasy adventure about two teenage boys who stumble across a travelling freak show. The main character, Darren, sees a deadly spider performing and becomes obsessed with her. He steals the spider, not realising that she belongs to a vampire, who takes his revenge by turning Darren into a vampire and making him his assistant.

But this means that Darren has to leave his family, his friends and his boring existence behind and join the Cirque de Freak, a travelling sideshow filled with monstrous creatures of all kinds. As Darren resigns himself to his life in the dark world, he soon becomes caught up in a brewing war between two covens of vampires. Flexing his newly discovered powers he unknowingly breaks a two hundred year old truce between the vampires and their deadlier enemies. As war looms between the two foes, one boy's courage is humanities last hope.

Lesbian Vampire Killers

Released: March 20 2009
Stars: James Corden and Matthew Horne as Fletch and Jimmy

Two hapless young men, who are down on their luck, dumped and fired, decide to take a trip to a quaint welsh village. But an ancient curse means that the town’s women have all been enslaved as crazy lesbian vampires because it is thought that Jimmy is the long lost descendant of an ancient vampire slayer.

Being strangers, the two are sent by the men folk of the town as sacrifices to the vampires, but can they save the town from the female predators before they succumb to the charms of the ladies of the night?

These are just four of the many vampire films that were released in 2009, each incorporating different myths surrounding the world of vampires and many more are expected in 2010.

Sources

Dawn Flint - I am a divorced mother of three children and since I lost my job as an accountant at the beginning of the year I found I had lots of spare ...