Vampire Movies (Close-Ups)

Close-Ups #2

by Charles Bramesco

The indispensable, illustrated pocket guide to the world of vampire movies, from Nosferatu to A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night . See movies through a new lens with Close-Ups , a series of pocket guides from the award-winning film magazine Little White Lies . When F. W. Murnau brought Nosferatu to the screen in 1922 he ushered in the bloody reign of cinema’s most venerable villain – the vampire. Nocturnal, fanged and insatiable for human blood, the vampire has infected the public consciousness like no other movie monster. In this illustrated pocket guide, Charles Bramesco goes vampire hunting across a century of cinema, stalking around lonely Transylvanian castles, dusty New York apartments and rain-soaked Washington woods to discover why the vampire has become cinema’s most enduring villain.

Genres: Nonfiction, Vampires, Film, Art, Horror

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2018

About the author

Charles Bramesco is an author whose writing has been published in Vanity Fair, Newsweek, The Guardian, The Verve, New York Magazine, and others.
He is also a well known for TV and movie critic.

Reviews

[Annie Donette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE the film magazine Little White Lies so was excited to get my teeth into one of its “Close-up” pocket guides. Vampire Movies did not disappoint.

Its informative, newsy and sharp-as-a-fang chapters were easy to devour. Each was an essay in its own right (“The Feral Vampire”, “The Debonair Vanpire”, etc) and segued sumptuously onto the next. I read with surprise at how many vampire flicks I had actually seen (it’s not all Lugosi and Lee), and with interest at Bramesco’s shrewd analysis and witty explanation. I particularly liked the unpretentiousness of his writing and use of pop references (“baller”, “Seinfeld”, “living my best after-life”) while managing to retain integrity and authority. Of course I also ended up with a to-watch list longer than my arm, for which I am grateful.

As I reached the end, I was thirsty for a Conclusion chapter, longing to hear what Bramesco felt was in store for the subgenre’s future. Is it as immortal as its subject? Which corner of the film industry is next destined for a vampiric entrancement? And what new shape can we expect the vampire to shift into? Aside from this omission, Little White Lies’ Vampire Movies may have a niche market, but as a film nerd with a penchant for academic writing, I was seduced.

[Boo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light but fun look at various types of vampires in movies. Great but it did feel slight at times. what saves it is the layout and quirky illustrations which elevate the book completely.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Added a beautiful batch of new movies I wish to watch and a fresh take on the subject. Really enjoyed the descriptions of concept and genres of the films!

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, funny and full of reviews of different movies without revealing much.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

A review of various vampire genres.

I couldn't figure out who this book was aimed at - it didn't appear to be for film buffs.

Probably around 35,000 words - reading time around 2 hours.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bramesco started this book out with so much promise, but by the time I was a few chapters in, I realized that this was going to be far more than just a book about vampires. As we progress into the middle chapters, it becomes clear that the author is going to use this book as a perfect place for his political soapbox, and while I'm perfectly okay with people talking politics if they want to talk politics, I'm not looking for a speech on feminism in a book that heavily features Bela Lugosi and Count Orlok.

Also, too, I think you can sum up the entire thesis of this book with "Vampires are sex." And after a while, I was tired of hearing about sexual subtext. Sure, some vampires are meant to represent sexual themes--I'm not denying that, but after a while, it was dreadfully unimaginative. Oh, here's another vampire movie--bet you ten bucks it's about sex!

Still, the book was enjoyable, and I learned about a lot of vampire films. Fair warning, some of the movies get spoiled, so be prepared if you're going to read this.

[Zoltán Szabó · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might have started reading the volume with a bit too high expectations, since I would have expected significantly more detailed information from a comprehensive textbook on vampire films. However, if you’re just interested in the genre and want to enjoy a massive, fast-paced list of movies and series about movie vampires, it’s a very fun, accessible, and informative little book that provides plenty titles to check out after reading for days or even weeks.

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Kicsit talán túl nagy elvárásokkal kezdtem el olvasni a kötetet, egy átfogó, vámpírfilmekről szóló tanulmánykönyvtől ugyanis lényegesen bővebb és részletesebb információkat vártam volna. Ugyanakkor, ha valaki csak érdeklődik a műfaj iránt és szeretne egy masszív, itt-ott alig ismert filmeket és sorozatokat is felsorokaztató gyorstalpalóban részesülni a filmes vámpírok történelméről, azok számára egy nagyon szórakoztató, hozzáférhető és tartalmas kis könyv, mely bőségesen biztosít néznivalót az olvasását követő napokra, hetekre.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bramesco's a delightful writer: when he was talking about movies I'd seen, I got insights and was filled with a desire to see the movies again. When he was talking about movies I hadn't seen, the book was just as engaging — which is the trick. He turns the book's small size into an asset by hitting a series of archetypes and unpacking them with a close look at two or three movies rather than by trying (fruitlessly) to be exhaustive. Fun read.

[Book Grocer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase Vampire Movies here for just $10!

Charles Bramesco gets under the skin of vampire movies in number 2 of the Close-Ups series. Very informative and full of passion, this will have you adding titles to your must-watch list.

Elisa - The Book Grocer

[Tracey Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and entertainingly written exploration of vampire movies. My one caveat would be it makes some odd editorial choices re non-English language films: for instance, it includes Let the Right One In in its chapter on child vampires, but doesn't mention A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night in the chapter on female vampires, shunting that instead to its final compendium of 'top ten' foreign films, which feels like it ignores its place in the wider canon.

[James Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully informative and entertaining look at Vampires in film, the various archetypes their films have been sorted into, and the different takes were seen of them, for better or worse. A must read for anybody who enjoys seeing these bloodsuckers in films.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and interesting survey of the history and background of the vampire in movies over the last century.

[Lorna Redmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting way to recap, review and retell the history of vampires Myth and legend as told on screen. It delves into the various forms that vampires have taken throughout the decades