Vampire Weekend

Try some bloodsucking tales that leave Twilight eclipsed

Even as you read this, millions of blood-thirsty Americans are descending upon theaters to hyperventilate over Twilight: Eclipse. We hope there are enough EMTs standing by.

If all the recent vampire hype has left you thirsting for further undead action, but you’ve already sucked the list of old standbys dry, may we recommend the following excellent under-the-radar vampire flicks and TV shows:

Near Dark Four years before directing Point Break and 20 before creating last year’s Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow wrote and directed this dark tale of traveling vampires.

Ultraviolet This X-Files-esque British TV series from the late-90s finds a secret paramilitary unit trying to unravel a worldwide vampire conspiracy. Bonus: It co-stars Idris Elba, better known to HBO devotees as The Wire’s Stringer Bell.

Cronos An early work from director Guillermo Del Toro—aka the guy who did Hell Boy and Pan’s Labyrinth and will no longer be making The Hobbit—which features an ancient device that imparts immortality… but unfortunately also makes you crave human blood.

Hellsing For anime vampires, you could go with the movie Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, or check out this series about an anti-undead fighting force descended from Abraham Van Helsing. They’re aided by an ancient, cowed vampire who might very well be Dracula. How very Edward of him.

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