Top 50 Vampires 2012

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14 Dracula (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992)

Previous position: 7 (-7)

Played by: Gary Oldman

Nobody had portrayed such a multi-faceted Dracula on screen before Gary Oldman. Playing the Count from decrepit old age to swoonsome youth, even the questionable make-up (does old Drac have to look like a Soho theatre queen?) can’t take it away from Oldman’s nuanced portrayal. It’s such a sizzlingly sinister and melancholic turn, that’s it’s just a shame the film itself is so bizarre.

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13 Drusilla (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel)

Previous position: 10 (-3)

When you’ve got needle-sharp, pithy writing married with a brilliantly original performance, you’ve always got fried gold. The Whedon team’s scripts and Juliet Landau’s woozily flirtatious take on the 150-plus year old vampire produced one of Buffy’s weirdest and wonderful characters.

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12 Lestat de Lioncourt (Interview With The Vampire)

Previous position: 8 (-4)

Played by: Tom Cruise

Always a vampire with charm, Lestat benefited from an outstanding performance by Cruise, who played the character with few of the less-redeeming traits implied by Louis’ recollection of him in the novel. Anne Rice (author of the original novel) famously condemned the casting of Cruise publicly, and frequently before the film was released, but then relented after seeing his work.

Lestat is the ultimate charmer. Suave, graceful and dangerous – everything a great vampire should be. Lestat made another appearance on film in the risible Queen Of The Damned (2002). This time played by Stuart Townsend (with song vocals by Jonathan Davis from Korn), Lestat is now a rock star. It made a sort of sense in the book. Not so much onscreen.

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