Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampire Movies
Edited by Vanessa Morgan
2019
Moonlight Creek Publishing
Reviewed by David Goudsward
This book is a collection of vampire movie essays, written by a diverse collection of contributors. As such, the tone and style vary from piece to piece. The focus is on how a particular contributor justifies their movie choice, aside from a few articles where it feels more like a review than an assessment, and the focus on what makes a particular film worth watching be it casting, scripting, cinematography, or just pure kitschy entertainment value (and yes, I’m looking at you, Santo vs. Las Mujeres Vampiro).
This collection is eclectic, ranging across 80 years of sanguinary cinema across the globe, from 1933 (The Vampire Bat) to 2014 (Angels of Darkness). And more than a fair share are obscure, partly due to their foreign release and some are familiar, but not necessarily remembered as a vampirocentric film. I do think the selection is a little weak in the distinctive Japanese and Filipino versions of vampire films, but Sven Daems does a nice overview of Filipino vampire films in his introductory notes to the American remake of Aswang: The Unearthing.
My only complaint is that there are films in this book that are neither offbeat nor underrated. Now admittedly, as a film ages, it gets forgotten, but the book is geared toward vampire movie fans, who most certainly know films such as Fright Night, The Lost Boys, From Dusk Till Dawn, or Salem’s Lot. Personally, I would have replaced those with selections such as Un vampiro a Miami, the Carlos Villarías version of Drácula, and The Last Sect. None-the-less, it is a remarkable collection that would be a valued addition to the shelves of anyone who likes their monsters undead and thirsty.
- Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampire Movies – Book Review - July 12, 2019
- The Ren Faire at the End of the World – Book Review - January 12, 2018
- Ghostly Tales – Book Review - December 21, 2017
- Death and Douglas – Book Review - September 12, 2017
- Northern Frights – Book Review - May 1, 2017
- Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History – Book Review - April 27, 2017
- SNAFU: Unnatural Selection, Edited by Amanda J. Spedding and Geoff Brown – Book Review - January 19, 2017
- Sweeney Todd – The String of Pearls: The Original Victorian Classic – Book Review - December 29, 2016
- Whispers by Kristin Dearborn – Book Review - December 21, 2016
- He Sees You When He’s Creepin’: Tales of Krampus – Book Review - December 15, 2016
I cruised by the site and was drawn in by this book. Intriguing. I have added this to my must-read list. I foresee adding some ‘new’ vampire movies to my must-watch list!