Innocent Blood (1992) – John Landis

Sooner or later a John Landis film had to pop up in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book. Despite the fact that the famed director wrote it, he would be remiss if he didn’t include his own films in this highly enjoyable book. Consequently I happily sank my fangs into this vampire tale that…

Van Helsing (2004) – Stephen Sommers

After his fairly positive success with two Mummy movies, and the cult favorite Deep Rising, Stephen Sommers looked to do an homage to the Universal Monsters and hopefully launch a new tentpole franchise with the Hugh Jackman led Van Helsing. This is the next recommendation from DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies by John Landis,…

Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) – Mel Brooks

It was going to happen sooner or later. I was going to come across the first of the parody/comedy films that sprang up around vampires as I continue to work my way through the highly enjoyable Monsters in the Movies written by John Landis, and released through DK Canada. So it’s time to let Mel…

The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960) – Renato Polselli

The next title I exhume from the grave for DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book by director John Landis is an Italian film that got chopped up by North American censors to remove any untoward imagery (like nudity) to make it suitable for what they saw as the viewing audience… the matinee crowd. A…

The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) – Roman Polanski

Originally known as Dance of the Vampire’s Roman Polanski’s horror comedy is the next film in the Vampire section of DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies, written by legendary director John Landis. With the snow covered Alps standing in for Transylvania, and some nicely designed gothic castle sets, Polanski plays with the cliches of the…

Kuroneko (1968) – Kaneto Shindo

While not necessarily a vampire movie, although there is a lot of neck-biting and blood, the Japanese horror film Kuroneko is a fantastic entry in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book. The story follows the fate of two women, Yone (Nobuko Otowa) and Shige (Kiwoko Taichi), who are set upon in their own home…

The Vault of Horror (1973) – Roy Ward Baker

Taking its cue from the EC and Horror comics of the 1950s, The Vault of Horror is an anthology film and is the next stop in John Landis’ Monsters in the Movies book, available now from DK Canada. While I’m still in the Vampire section of the book, this film only features one vampire tale,…

Atom Age Vampire (1960) -Anton Guilio Majano

Sometimes, bad is bad. And that’s exactly what I got into with this next title from DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book written by legendary director John Landis. As I continue to work my way through the Vampire section of the book, I knew they wouldn’t all be good, but this one was a…

Blood and Roses (1960) -Roger Vadim

John Landis’ Monsters in the Movies takes a more sensual turn as I return to the coffee table tome available now from DK Canada. Blood and Roses is a French film with a its own take on the vampire legend. Set on the estate of the Karnsteins, the tale follows a well to do family…