Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Vampire's Ghost (1945)

For a while now I've been kind of paying attention to vampire variations in popular culture. Most vamps these days have pretty much gone oatmeal. I mean, they're all just about the same and there's really nothing new (except for the sparkling).

Today I watched a movie from 1945 called The Vampire's Ghost. It had some interesting quirks that you don't usually see nowadays. It didn't have anyone who I had ever heard of starring in it. However, I do want to show you a picture of the guy who played the vampire. By the way, I don't know where "the vampire's ghost" came from. He was just a normal vampire. Anyway, here he is:



John Abbott. He does look kinda like he could be a vampire, doesn't he? Especially when he does his mind-control stuff and his eyes bulge out. Freaky.

So...vampire characteristics:

  • No reflection (can use mind power to shatter mirrors)
  • No fangs
  • Enjoys cigars
  • Can go outside in daylight but has to wear sunglasses
  • Was created by a curse (NOT by being bitten)
  • Lead bullets go right through him as if he isn't there
  • Severely injured by a spear point that had been dipped in molten silver*
  • Can mind-control people into not squealing on him
  • Appeared to fear the cross
  • Extended lifespan (400 years)
  • To create new vampire, had to use a special ritual involving an ancient forbidden temple, a symbol traced on his victim's forehead with earth from his original grave, and biting victim
  • Was healed by lying with his head on a small box containing earth from his original grave and being exposed to moonlight (not clear if both moonlight and box are essential, but it appeared so)
  • Killed by burning; also a large stone statue fell on him while he was burning

Not a bad movie, but at 55 minutes it seemed a little short and I think it could actually have used a little more thriller-related padding.

I liked it. 3 stars.

* Don't ask me how the African natives got a pot of molten silver to dip their spear points in. I never figured that one out.

2 comments:

  1. I'm not a huge vampire fan, but I did like to watch Forever Knight when it was on. I think you said you used to watch it, too.

    I remember in one episode a bad guy figured out the main character was a vampire and forced him into some kind of exchange where they had to meet during the day. There was a brief scene where the vampire cop pulls up to the building in his car, hops out, and runs to the building clutching a trench coat around him as best he can; and he's smoking the whole way. At the time, I thought, That was kinda cool.

    That was a good show. It only lasted a few seasons, but the writers wrapped it up nicely, by which I mean they gave the series an actual ending that actually ended the series. I totally enjoyed it.

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  2. Yeah, I liked that show. It sprung from a made-for-TV movie called "Nick Knight," starring Rick Springfield.

    I haven't seen it since it aired so many years ago, but Netflix has it!

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