subject: Vampires, The Undead, And Halloween Costumes [print this page] When it comes to the horror genre for books, movies, films, costumes, there is one subgenre that stands above the rest. This is the subgenre of vampires. These horror genre favourites have been carried in works of literature even long before Bram Stokers famous Dracula became a hit. Their tales have been on the big screen since 1909, with Vampire of the Coast, the first accredited vampire movie.
Over one hundred years have passed since that first film, and the popularity of the vampire has not yet reached its end. It is almost as if it is immortal, much like the vampire itself. This popularity that has spanned over a century has seen the vampire change and adapt, with the famous Nosferatu portraying a garish and unattractive monster, in contrast to todays Twilight vampire, the kind that are impossibly beautiful and sparkle in the sunlight.
Whether the traditional vampire is something that people want to imitate, or the newer and more beautiful, fancy dress designers and retailers are lining their shelves in preparation of the October rush. Halloween is a time when everyone is in need of the best quality costume, so it is important that fancy dress retailers are prepared well in advance.
Because of the high demand for vampire costumes, it is important that fancy dress retailers have in their stocks a wide and unique variety for their customers to choose from. This is a way to create more business, and less likely to cause problems between consumer and business. There are many different fancy dress suppliers that stock a large range of fancy dress costumes.
The world of movies, and the world of vampires, has come a long way since Vampire of the Coast, and one of the most recent series of films, that has been particularly popular, and praised worldwide, is Underworld. This series sees a Death Dealer, Serena track through various perilous tasks in order to save the world. Or at least, the Underworld. There are four films so far in the Underworld series, and rumours of a fifth. So far first film has grossed $51,970,690 domestically, and $95,708,457 worldwide, where the final film made $25.3 million on its opening weekend alone. Underworld: Awakening is the first film in 2012 to pass the $100 million mark worldwide. It is also the highest-grossing film in the Underworld series, domestically and worldwide.
This shows just how popular the vampire craze still is, with just one series of films alone doing so well within the subgenre of vampires. This means that fancy dress for vampire costumes is just as popular, making them a universal choice between teenagers and adults alike. With more films being released about vampires, and some old classics and old comedies still around like Lesbian Vampire Killers or the ever famous Dracula, it is not hard to see how the popularity of the films links in to the demand for vampire costumes.
Many vampire costumes take inspiration from the films that came before them. Vampire costumes, or horror costumes, based on or inspired by the Underworld series are incredibly popular. They have a modern touch to the classic vampire, yet do not stray too far from the path. Due to the unique designs featured in Underworld also, it is easy to see where influences have been drawn when it comes to costumes, and this makes them a hit with vampire fans- whether they are aware of the Underworld series or not.
Other vampire costumes draw inspiration from other vampire films. Twilights popularity that has spanned since the first films release in November of 2008, has given way to a new breed of vampire costume. These costumes involve a more urban look, often a sparkling skin tone, and caramel coloured contact lenses. The eyes of the Cullens in both the book and the film franchise of Twilight are most noted for their eyes, and the changing of them between fed and hungry. This makes the Twilight vampires just as recognisable and as favoured as the Underworld vampires.
Most costumes designed draw their inspiration from somewhere. For example, a new line of steampunk costumes has been created. One of the branches from this is of Victorian vampires. This combines the classic vampire look, with the noted fashion movement of the steampunk genre, that made its first debut into the fashion world in the 1980s. 30 years on, its popularity increases and more people are delving in to the steampunk world.
