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The Lost Boys
The Rule: Vampires hate garlic.
Little do they know that “garlic don't work, boys!”, as they later discover when they use it on the very-definitely-a-vampire Paul. Lucky they had that bathtub full of holy water...
Why? Imbuing the rockin’ ‘80s tunes with tension, this also sets up the film’s nifty final act twist.
Let the Right One In
The Rule: A vampire cannot enter a person’s home without an invitation.
In response, she enters anyway. But soon she begins to convulse. Then blood pricks from her eyes, nose, ears, scalp, streaking down her face...
Why? It’s a quiet, gory, shocking moment in a film packed with quiet, gory and shocking moments. Also, hella iconic.
Daybreakers
The Rule: Once turned, you’re a vampire for the rest of your unlife.
But when Ed stumbles on Willem Dafoe’s Elvis, he may have discovered a way of reverting a vampire back into being a sunlight-savouring, heart-thumping human...
Why? Sort of exploring centralised power in a very claret-soaked way, the reversion thing basically serves to uphold a bit of Christ-like imagery. Really, it's a load of guff.
30 Days of Night
The Rule: Ingesting vamp blood will turn you into a killer vampire.
Except, then he notices that people don’t become immediately evil once vamped. So he injects himself with vampire juice in order to match the physical prowess of his adversaries. Oh, and save his wife.
Why? Wrings tragedy out of the situation, and makes a martyr out of the Sheriff.
Cronos
The Rule: A vampire is created by being bitten by another vampire
Given the facade of a scarab, this golden instrument is actually a tomb for a deadly insect that turns people into vampires when it stabs them.
Why? Mechanics-obsessed Guillermo del Toro goes 20th century on vampirism, making for a cool twist.
Near Dark
The Rule: Vamps drink human blood.
So, in Kathryn Bigelow’s mostly under-stated (some would say under-rated) fangless fang flick, Caleb drinks the blood of his sire Mae for nourishment instead.
Why? It’s effectively a plot device to both illustrate how weak Michael is without blood, and to delay his first kill so that we’re never quite sure where his allegiances lie.
Cirque du Freak: The Vampires Assistant
The Rule: Vampires are immortal.
But the main break here is that they can die. Instead of unliving endlessly through the ages, a vampire merely has an extended lifespan.
Why? Because kids have to learn the cold, hard facts of life: death happens. Even if you’re a vampire.
