Vampires and the subject of vampirism in its various incarnations have played an important role in horror history since the Silent Era, and the power of bloodsuckers shows no sign of fizzling into the sunrise any time in the foreseeable future. While the horror genre has most certainly seen its share of B movies and requisite blood, guts, and gore, there are plenty of early classics that in their simplicity make vampires convincingly real and utterly frightening. In truth, many of the vampire films of the mid-twentieth century have withstood the test of time, with a host of additional films becoming cult classics many years later. Even more compelling are the vampires of the modern-era, where new breeds of bloodsuckers have emerged with stylish aplomb.

In perusing this two-part vampire filmography, you may be surprised by how many films exist and the wide range of storylines they follow, from those building off Bram Stoker's Dracula to artistic spin-offs, action-adventure extravaganzas, foreign interpretations, and even a few prized spoofs for good measure. It must be said that for the purposes of this book, we've chosen films that show the full range of creative efforts filmmakers have worked hard to present, from short silent films to formidable full-blown big-budget epics. No matter your vampiric cinematic preference, if you're a vampire lover, then all of these films are worth sinking your teeth into.

An important aspect of vampire films worth mentioning is that many films over the decades are equally well-known by several different titles. Oftentimes, this is attributed to their country of origin with later theatrical release around the world, but that isn't always the case. For this filmography, we've listed each film by its most commonly recognized title, its year, and the principle actors. In this chapter, we focus on films from the Silent Era through the 1960s, while in Chapter 17 we discuss films from the 1970s through the new millennium. That said, we now introduce you to the vampyr through the ages as seen through the eyes of filmmakers the world over.