Near Dark(1987, Director: Kathryn Bigelow) Directed by the first woman to win an Oscar for Directing (The Hurt Locker,2008), her Vampires are in search of family and love and yet, reflect humanity’s deep-rooted propensity for extreme violence.Bram Stoker’s Dracula(1992, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Gary Oldman, Director: Francis FordCoppola) Most expensive vampire movie ever made. Very romantic version plus vampire walks in sunlight as in Stoker novel.Cronos(1993, Claudio Brook, Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Tamara Shanath, Director: Guillermo del Toro) One of the mostoriginal vampire films ever made, it was Mexican Guillermo del Toro's first feature film which won nine Ariel Awards inMexico and Critic's Prize at Cannes. In Hollywood, he directed the vampire-super heroBlade II(2002) written by David S.Goyer who also wrote screenplay for Christopher Nolan'sBatman Begins(2005) which not only uses “bat/vampire” but also“fallen angel/human” symbolism. Guillermo del Toro”sPan's Labyrinth(2006), a dark fantasy set in post-civil war Spain, wonthree Academy Awards: Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Foreign Language Film.Interview with the Vampire(1994, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Director: Neil Jordan) Based on Anne Rice’s work: a beautiful, youngvampire tells his epic story of love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger, thus establishing the “sensitive male vampire”.Shadow of the Vampire(2001, John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Director: E. Elias Merhige) Film about the making of the 1922German classic silent horror movie,Nosferatu-Eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu-A Symphony of Horror). The realproduction crew ofNosferatuhad to deal with strange happenings such as some crew members disappearing and dying.Let Me In(2010, Director: Matt Reeves) A modern psychological study of bullying and its effect on a young, isolated boy setagainst the imperialistic politics of the Reagan Era. Adapted from Lindquist’s novel,Let the Right One In(2004).Vampire Academy(2014): Directed by Mark Waters ofMean Girls(2004). This film was huge disaster!III) MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN, CYBORGS, ANDROIDS, KING KONG, MUMMY, FREAKS, ZOMBIES, etc.Recommended Readings:Uma Marson’sAKinky Hair Blues@(poem) andABrown Baby Blues@(poem).Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep(Del Rey/Random House, 1968).Brian Aldiss’sSuper Toys Last All Summer Long(short story).(Also aboutAI: )Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. NY: Norton Critical Edition, 1996 andThe Mortal Immortal (short story).Selection from Armand Marie Leroi’s Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body(Viking Penguin, 2003).Selection from Isaac Asimov’s short story collection Robot Visions. (ROC, 2004).Selection from C.C. O’Hearn’s Half and Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial and Bicultural(NY: Random, 1998).
