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In the beginning, the basis of the original vampire movies was the love story but with our generation of audiences, producers focus on fear, blood and guts. On the celebration of Halloween I would like to present to you an overview of the best and worst vampire movies of all time. Photos and video below.

Nosferatu

Vampires are mythological creatures, famous for their need to feed on blood for survival. The first and most famous depiction of these creatures are in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, ‘Dracula.’ Here’s a little tidbit: Dracula actually originated from Southeast Europe and isn’t the only bloodsucking demon myth.

Anyway, filmmakers have been having a field day with their own interpretations of vampires; from rock stars in Queen of the Damned, next door neighbors in Fright Night, space creatures in Lifeforce, aristocrats in Interview with the Vampire and criminals in From Dusk Till Dawn. So we begin the list of the best and of the worst vampire movies ever made.

Best of the Best
“Bram Stoker’s Dracula” – Francis Ford Coppola’s (“The Godfather,” “Apocalypse Now”) film stars Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, Keanu Reeves, Anthony Hopkins and Winona Ryder. Basically, Dracula comes to England to seduce a visitor’s fiance and inflict havoc in the land. The film won three oscars, the cast was excellent but Keanu Reeves was nothing special. As usual.

“Blade II” – In Guillermo del Toro’s film, Wesley Snipes reprises his role as the part-human, part-vampire superhero based on the comic book character. What makes this one different from the rest is the style and choreographed fight scenes. Plus the way the victims are gobbled up is a bit gruesome. Pretty cool. In this film, Blade slays countless numbers of bad vampires in the search for his abducted mentor, Whistler.

“30 Days of Night” – Based on the novel, this one was creatively set in an isolated Alaskan town during the month long darkness! Why didn’t anyone think to make a scary movie there before?? Its genious, the residents that stay through the dark month are terrorized amd trapped because the vampires destroy any form of transportation, including killing the beautiful sled dogs. I didn’t like that part. Although, this film is my personal favorite because of the originality and the star, Josh Hartnett. He’s amazing in it. It’s a must see, the vampires are ruthless!

“Nosferatu” – This black and white, 1922 German film may be old but it was way ahead of its time. Creepy Count Orlok, with his bald head and long finger nails is famous for the shot of his shadow creeping up the stairs.

Worst of the Worst
“Dracula 3000” – Doesn’t the name say it all? So this one is a sci-fi horror flick except it’s not even scary…in any way…whatsoever. Its Dracula in outer space people. I’m not even going to bother with this one.

“Vampires: Los Muertos” – This one was so bad it went straight to DVD! This is the sequel to John Carpenter’s “Vampires” and it is bad which I feel really bad saying because Jon Bon Jovi is in it. Can you picture Bon Jovi as a vampire hunter though? The film is about a vampire hunter (Bon Jovi) and a priest (Cristián de la Fuente – I dont know who he is either) fighting a group of the walking dead in Mexico.

“Near Dark” – This on is on the list and I’ve never even heard of it! Apparently there was so much hype about this movie that people felt they needed to go see it. Well, boy were they sorry. The basis of the film is about a guy who reluctantly joins a travelling “family” of evil vampires, when the girl he’s trying to seduce end up being part of that group.

Access Hollywood also names “Vampire Dentist,” “Vampires on Bikini Beach” and “Vampire in Vegas” on the worst vampire movie list. I think this list is pretty on point…is it weird that I want to be a vampire? No comments on that please.

More photos and the trailer for Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” below.
Photos and Video

Here is the final international trailer for “Valkyrie,” starring Tom Cruise. The highly anticipated World War II historical thriller will be released in theaters December 26, 2008. See photos and the movie trailer here.

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Kevin Smith is known for writing, directing and producing some the classic comedies of the last 15 years. But after the release of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”, he moving on to a different genre. With the horror film “Red State” (some are also calling it political), Smith is making the jump from laughs to screams.

Kevin Smith

“Red State” centers on a group of teenagers who encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America. The four kids find themselves being stalked by a religious fanatic who might put Fred Phelps to shame. In the stalker’s relentless pursuit, there are screams and jumps and scary scenes uncharacteristic of Silent Bob. As Smith describes it,

It’s a bleak movie, it’s dark, everyone dies. It’s political and it deals with religious issues and domestic terrorism.

But the big question is, will “Red State ever be made? The script is written, but Kevin Smith cannot find anyone to bankroll the movie. But he’s not giving up,

“I don’t know, dude. Honestly, it’s been tough finding financing, and that was before the economic collapse in the last two or three weeks. It’s just not a very commercial flick, and I understand why people are like, ‘Do you have another comedy? Because I’ll do that.’ So I don’t know. [But] for some reason, that just makes me want to do it more. It makes me feel like I’m on the right track, if people are like, ‘I don’t know if I want to be involved in this.’ It makes you feel like it’s worth making.”

Most are comparing “Red State” to Smith’s earlier films just in terms of horror versus comedy. But not so for the writer. He says his first seven movies were simply movies, but “Red State” is film. The difference being its “got a lot on its mind.”

See more photos of Kevin Smith and an interview with Kevin Smith about “Red State” below.

Photos and Video

The latest in the “Transporter” franchise doesn’t release in theaters for another 3 weeks, but already fans are drooling over the preview. The “Transporter 3″ trailer gives us a taste of the action that awaits when Jason Statham picks up his latest package for delivery.

Jason Statham in “The Transporter”

The premise of the newest “Transporter” is similar to the first two, he’ll deliver anything, no questions asked. However, there’s a twist. As the tagline reads,

“This time, the rules are the same. Except one.”

The first two movies were fairly successful, and the hype has increased each time. “The Transporter” brought in almost $44 million worldwide in 2002, while “Transporter 2″ made over $85 million in 2005. This third installment is releasing Thanksgiving, which is one of the busiest days at the box office. Therefore, producers can likely expect even bigger profits this time around. Fans are already counting the days before they line up for the big action movie.

• the first transporter was realy good … i cant wait 4 the third

• I thought the first one was good, but the second was better. I’m ready for 3.

• movie is going to be freaking awesome but what the hell is he going to drive?

And is it just me, or does Jason Statham just get hotter with every “Transporter” film? He was not that ripped in the second one, and there’s several shirtless scenes to prove it.

See more photos of Jason Statham and the “Transporter 3″ trailer below.

Photos and Video

Friday is Halloween, and if you’re looking to get scared, you can still see “Saw V” in theaters. But there’s even more scream-filled movies coming out. “The Haunting of Molly Hartley” is one of the movies releasing Friday. If you’re looking for laughs, though, we’ve got that too with “Zack & Miri Make a Porno”.

Elizabeth Banks of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”

Zack & Miri Make a Porno

Kevin Smith is back, and he finally left Jay and Silent Bob behind. This time around, we have Seth Rogen, and the actress who has just absolutely blown up lately, Elizabeth Banks. “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” tells the story of two platonic friends who are hard up for cash, and think of a solution … make a porno. The water bill can be paid in only a few filmed sex scenes. But things start to get complicated when the once platonic relationship becomes a little less friendship and a little more romance. The movie scored huge at September’s Toronto Film Festival, which is making producers see dollar signs coming their way.

The Haunting of Molly Hartley

Molly Hartley appears to be like any other 18-year-old student struggling to find her way. But as in all scary movies, all is not what it seems. Rather, Molly Hartley is haunted. At first glance, she looks a little like Neve Campbell in “Scream”, but it’s a lot more frightening than that. When Molly was young, her parents sold her soul to the devil to save her life, and now that she’s 18, he’s coming to collect. You might not want to watch the trailer though, because some say it gives away the whole movie.

The Changeling

Angelina Jolie is switching gears from the hot action comedy flicks to a period drama. In “The Changeling”, she plays a single mother in the 1920s whose son goes missing. When the LAPD brings back a boy, she insists that he’s not her son. The world thinks she’s crazy, except for one man, a church man played by John Malkovich. With his help, she will take on the LAPD and hope to find her son. But is it me, or does Angelina just not sell the drama? Don’t get me wrong, I love her, but i did not love her performance in “A Mighty Heart”. However, it is Clint Eastwood, so we’ll have to see.

What Just Happened

Have you been missing your yearly dose of Robert De Niro? Well wait no longer. In “What Just Happened”, De Niro plays a Hollywood man who is struggling to balance two ex-wives and a new feature film. When Bruce Willis shows up and refuses to shave the beard, all hell breaks lose. From the sounds of it, you have a 50-50 shot of enjoying the movie. It seems some people think De Niro doesn’t bring it like he used to.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Photos and Video

Although both “Sex Drive” and “High School Musical 3″ involve high school seniors, that’s right about where the similarities end. “Sex Drive”’s tag line reads, “He’s leaving virgin territory”, while “High School Musical 3″ keeps it simple with “high school graduation”. One is a G-rated Disney film, the other is a R-rated teen sex comedy. One includes cheerful song and dance with an upbeat message, the other includes partial nudity. So how in the world would a movie theater, whose main job is to play the right movie at the right time, mix these two up?

High School Musical 3

Last Friday, in South Jordan, Utah, the Megaplex Theatre accidentally showed “Sex Drive” to an audience waiting to see “High School Musical 3″. Apparently the mishap occurred when managers moved “High School Musical 3″ to a larger theater to accommodate the crowd. Unfortunately, when the viewers switched theaters, the films stayed where they were. One mother says,

“I could not carry my little children out before they were exposed to extremely vulgar and sexually explicit material.”

A bonus to the story – this Megaplex Theatre is one of the 10 busiest theaters in the US as far as “High School Musical 3″ ticket sales go. Managers gave free movie and concession passes to the surprised moviegoers.

There’s one thing I don’t quite understand, though. The previews travel with the movie. In “High School Musical 3″, you’d probably see the preview for “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”, while in “Sex Drive” you’d probably see the preview for “Zack & Miri Make a Porno”. So tell me, moms and dads, why didn’t you leave when the “Zack & Miri” preview came on? Because that was your first clue that something was amiss. It’s similar to the time that I thought I was in the theater showing “40-Year-Old Virgin”, but the previews included one of the “Saw” movies and “The Hills Have Eyes”. Turns out I was about to watch “Four Brothers”.

See more photos of the “High School Musical 3″ crew and the blooper reel below.

Photos and Video

Marvel confirms that Robert Downey Jr. is set for two “Iron Man” sequels and “The Avengers,” reprising his role as billionaire Tony Sark/Iron Man. See photos and video of the Academy Award nominated actor who stars in these highly anticipated movies.

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The Jonas brothers have lead previous films to success on the Disney channel (think “Camp Rock”), and now they are set to try their magic on the big screen. Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas have been tapped to star in the Disney feature film “Walter the Farting Dog”. Even their younger brother Frankie will get in on the action this time.

The Jonas Brothers

“Walter the Farting Dog” is a screen adaption of the children’s books series by William Kotzwinkel and Glenn Murray. It will be a family film that tells the story of Walter, a fat dog with a gas problem, and the four brothers who are asked to take care of the dog for an aunt just before she dies. But while the three oldest are busy playing music, Frankie and Walter (who can’t smell the farts because of a sinus problem) will find adventures of their own.

The “Walter” books appear to be perfect for a whole series of films. Where there’s more than one book, there’s more than one movie, especially when the books are classics for kids. One reviewer says,

It is hilarious, completely outrageous, and just the kind of book that children will beg to have read to them over and over again.

See more photos of the Jonas Brothers a video of a reading of “Walter the Farting Dog” below.

Photos and Video

Meet Monica Palumbo, the reality television contestant turned actress making her debut appearance in the movie “Final Reckoning”. See her biography, photos and video here.

Monica Palumbo

Monica stars in the yet-to-be-released film “Final Reckoning”. This is her first acting role.

As a biography, Monica Palumbo was born in 1981 in Charlotte, North Carolina, so her age is approximately 27. She attended East Carolina University where she majored in musical theater. Monica is a former pageant contestant and television show host, and she’s looking to become an actress.

Monica competed in the 2001 Miss USA Pageant, and while she didn’t win the crown, she did bring home the prize for Miss Congeniality. She represented North Carolina in the pageant.

In 2003, Monica appeared on the reality television show “All American Girl”. During the show 45 girls competed to be named the All American Girl. She landed in the top six.

Palumbo can also be seen every Sunday during the Nascar races. She is Miss Sprint Cup, the girl who appears in Victory Lane next to the winner. Her job includes interviewing racers, event appearances, and promoting Sprint products. Also in the racing world, she has worked as the host of the television show “Three Wide Life”.

Now Monica Palumbo is set to get her big break with her role in the upcoming “Final Reckoning”. In the film, Monica plays Abby Dalton, a girl from the South whose parents are murdered by three brothers. After the brothers avoid conviction and come after Abby and her younger sister (played by Susannah Richardson), she must learn to defend herself, or, as the synopsis says, “perish in a final reckoning.” The movie is slated for a 2008 release, but the exact date is unavailable.

Monica’s favorite movie is “Legends of the Fall” and her favorite television show is “The First 48″. She lists her favorite book as “Eat, Pray, Love”, and says John Mayer is her most listened to artist on her iPod.

See more photos of Monica Palumbo and a video from the 2001 Miss USA Pageant below.

Photos and Video

Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood received the Director of the Year Award at the 12th Annual Hollywood Film Festival Awards Gala. Angelina Jolie, star of Eastwood’s new movie, “Changeling,” made a surprise appearance, presenting the award to Eastwood. See photos and a video.

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Now on the fifth installment, the “Saw” franchise has become the top grossing horror franchise of all time. That means that “Saw” has beat out “Halloween”, “Nightmare on Elm Street”, and “Friday the 13th”.

Tobin Bell is Jigsaw

Over the life of its five movies, the “Saw” franchise has grossed $316 million. So, “Saw” not only beat the competition, but it did so in almost half as many films. There were eight “Nightmare on Elm Street” movies, nine “Halloween”s, and eleven for “Friday the 13th”. “Saw” ended up edging out “Friday the 13th” by $1 million with it’s recent opening weekend success.

Of “Saw”’s success, Lionsgate President of Theatrical Films Tom Ortenberg says,

“The remarkable longevity of the Saw franchise is a testament to the creative skills of our Twisted Pictures partners and the tremendous talent and originality of the entire creative team. Every Saw film is as fresh, original and terrifying as the first. As a result, Jigsaw has become as much a part of Halloween as pumpkins and trick or treating and, based on the vitality of Saw 5, it is clear that there is plenty of blood left to give.”

This longevity means that even though “Friday the 13th” is set to release its twelfth feature film in February, when “Saw VI” makes its way to the big screen the numbers will bounce right back. And it will probably happen on Halloween 2009.

See more photos from “Saw” and the trailer for “Saw V” below.

Photos and Video

Cult classic “Boondock Saints” is coming back for another round of action. It is being reported that “Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day” began filming in Toronto this week. The premise of the sequel appears to be the same: fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus are set to take out crime.

Norman Reedus of “Boondock Saints”

The original movie centered on the MacManus twins, Irish brothers who are on a mission to rid the city of Boston of crime. It starts when they kill two members of the Russian mob, and they become vigilantes from that point on. They must battle the evil that runs the streets all while being pursued by the FBI.

“Boondock Saints” was only released in five theaters and made a paltry $30,000 in total domestic box office gross. However, once the film hit the rental shelves, it became a video phenomenon. Still, some insist that the movie is awful, and they point to the fact that the documentary of its making, “Overnight”, was more successful than the movie itself.

But the haters aren’t keeping filmmaker Troy Duffy down. He announced the “Boondock Saints 2″ project in March, and kept his promise. The boys of Boondock started filming this week, and they’re even keeping a video diary of the production. It is yet to be seen whether the film will get to enjoy a theatrical release the second time around.

See more photos of the “Boondock Saints” actors and a video from “Boondock Saints 2″ below.

Photos and Video

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Here is the first international teaser trailer for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” sixth movie in the Harry Potter series and based on J.K. Rowling’s novel of the same title. See photos and the trailer here.

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There are more movies coming out this week on rental. The DVDs releasing Tuesday seem to cater to the young female crowd; they include “Tinker Bell” and “Kit Kittredge – An American Girl”.

“Kit Kittredge – An American Girl” releases October 28 on DVD

Kit Kittredge – An American Girl

Abigail Breslin stars in “Kit Kittredge – An American Girl”, the film based on the children’s book series written by Ann Peacock. The movie takes place in Cincinnati during the Great Depression and tells the story of a 9-year-old girl trying to get her article published in The Cincinnati Register. The subjects of her story are the homeless people who live in her home as boarders while her father is away in Chicago looking for work. Along the way, Kit finds friendship and helps those struggling with the economic crisis.

Tinker Bell

Another Disney movie straight from the DVD vault, “Tinker Bell” tells the story of how everyone’s favorite Peter Pan pixie came to be. Tinker Bell is born into a world of fairies, who each have a job to do. Unfortunately for Tink, she doesn’t like the job she is given and must learn to embrace it to reach her destiny. This Disney film seems a little tamer than others, with no villains to be on the look out for.

Death Defying Acts

“Death Defying Acts” is Catherine Zeta-Jones’ latest movie and tells the story of the romance between famous magician Harry Houdini and a con woman. As the con woman attempts to con Harry out of his $10,000 reward he is offering to contact his dead mother, she begins to fall in love. Then it gets complicated. Reviews look about 50-50, with some calling it,

“a hugely enjoyable, impressively directed drama with superb performances and an emotionally engaging script,”

while others say,

“All in all, it�s a bit of a snore that falls back on romance when all else fails.”

See the trailers for the movies below.

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