Paprika Roast Chicken over Mamaliga | Bram Stoker's Dracula

Welcome to the final installment of the All Vampire Book and a Movie Challenge for 2016. Our December challenge was what could probably be considered THE vampire story of vampire stories, Dracula. While there have been many retellings of Bram Stoker's tale, the movie we watched this month was the '92 Francis Ford Coppola version starring Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, and Winona Ryder.

The movie - Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992):

Oh, the movie...the dreaded movie. I'm just going to go ahead and say it—I hate this movie. I didn't like it the first time I saw it so many years ago, but decided to give it a chance after I'd finished the book. That just made me think even less of the over-sexed, over-boobed, bastardization of Bram Stoker's original work. I thought the acting was horrible (sorry Keanu, you're pretty and all, but) and the screenplay was so far off from the original story that I don't know how they could still get away with calling it "Bram Stoker's" Dracula.

Cranberry Cobbler | Frankenstein

It's time for the November edition of the All Vampire Book and a Movie Challenge. I'll admit that I was a bit thrown for a loop when I heard that this month's assignment was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I'll admit that while I know the basic story of Frankenstein (I mean, who doesn't), I'd never actually read the book or seen this movie adaptation. And the whole "vampire" portion had me stumped.

Chili Cheeseburgers | Fright Night meets 'Salem's Lot

Welcome to another round of the All Vampire Book and a Movie Challenge! Our assignments this month were Fright Night (the original) and 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. The connection between these two stories comes in the form of two young men who discover discover and try to fight the vampire(s) that is killing the people in their hometown. Coincidentally, both of their love interests are turned, though with different outcomes, and a once-empty house that is now occupied by a vampire.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar) | Let the Right One In

It's time for the August edition of the All Vampire Book and a Movie Challenge! This month's picks were Let the Right One In, a novel by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist and the Swedish movie adaptation by the same name (screenplay also written by the author). There was also an American remake of the book/film called Let Me In. Today I'm going to talk a little bit about all three.

I'd seen both movies, each when they first came out on dvd, but I only remembered bits and pieces. This was my first time reading the book. Also worth mentioning is that there have been a couple of stage adaptions of the book, as well as a comic book series, and a reported television adaptation.

Crawfish Calas w/ Green Garlic Mayonnaise | Interview with the Vampire

Welcome to another edition of the All Vampire Book and a Movie Challenge! Our pick for June was Interview with the Vampire the book by Anne Rice and movie adaption, its screenplay also written by Anne Rice. Before this month, I only remember watching the movie in its entirety once, probably 20-ish years ago, around when it was released. Over the years I've caught bits and pieces on tv every once in a while, but I knew it would be like seeing it for the first time when I sat down to watch it again. This was my first time reading the book (or any of Anne Rice's books, actually).

The Book (1976):

Divided into 4 parts, this story begins in modern day. Louis, a 200-year old vampire is about to tell his story to a reporter (referred to as "the boy" throughout the book). His vampire life began in 1791 in his hometown of New Orleans. A plantation owner who cares for his mother, sister, and younger brother, he becomes distraught after the death of that brother who he "believed to be a living saint". Feeling guilty over his death, he's lost the will to thrive, and his choices began to show that. He "lived like a man who wanted to die but had no courage to do it himself", passing out in cabarets, walking dark streets and alleys alone and wishing to be murdered until one night he was attacked by a vampire named Lestat.

Strawberry "Brown Bread" Scones | Jane Slayre meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Welcome to the May edition of the All Vampire Book and a Movie Club! Our host Kimberly from Coffee and Casseroles chose two great offerings this month that differ from previous months in that the movie is not an adaptation of, or based on, the book. Instead, there's a common theme that ties them together—both have a female fulfilling her destiny of being a slayer as the main character. The chosen book being Jane Slayre, a reimagining of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre by Sherri Browning Erwin. The chosen movie was the flick that led to the popular tv series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The movie (1992): Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Set in modern-day (modern for 1992) Southern California, Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is a seemingly shallow teenage cheerleader whose biggest worry is whether an outfit is currently in style. But at night, she dreams of past lives in which she hunts and kills vampires. As her peers begin to go missing and show up later, changed into vampires, her small world is opened up when she meets a strange man named Merrick (Donald Sutherland) who informs her of her birthright...her destiny.

Rock and Roll Sangria inspired by Vampire$

Here we are, the final Sunday of the month already, and that means it's time to share another all vampire book and a movie challenge post. Kimberly's April selections were Vampire$ by John Steakley (book) and John Carpenter's Vampires (movie). And once again, the movie, while based on a really good book, was crap. Talk about taking away every thing that made the story interesting and intriguing! The only thing that really stayed the same was the name of the main character, Jack Crow and the name of one of the priests, Adam. But the names were the only similarities, as the "character of each character" was not.

The book (1990):

Jack Crow is the leader of a Vatican-sanctioned team of vampire slayers. They are the only ones. The average person does not know about the existence of vampires...until it is too late. From the outside, this team of hardened men appear a motley crue of trouble makers. But when you get an insider's glimpse, you realize that they are a devoted bunch of smart, funny, rough-around-the-edges guys with the biggest hearts. But they're not only guys, because they also have a mama bear who takes care of not only the behind-the-scenes aspects of their team, but of the actual men themselves. They save the world over and over again, while losing those dearest to them.

Whisky Sour inspired by I Am Legend

It's time for another vampire book and a movie challenge, and this month Kimberly has chosen the book I Am Legend by Richard Matheson and the movie The Omega Man to discuss. Want to know the crazy thing? I didn't even realize that I Am Legend was about vampires. We own the newest movie interpretation (I Am Legend starring Will Smith), but for some reason...and I'm guessing it has a lot to do with the times...I equated it more with the zombie apocalypse. This is just one reason that I'm joining Kimberly on her venture—new perspective.

I also didn't realize that the movie was based on a book by the same name (apparently I was not paying attention to the credits) that was first published in 1954. There were actually two movies based on the book the pre-date the Will Smith version. The first being a 60's film starring Vincent Price called The Last Man on Earth (which I haven't seen yet) and the 70's film starring Charlton Heston called The Omega Man.

Corn Dodgers inspired by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

It's time for another vampire book and a movie challenge, and this month Kimberly has chosen Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for both the book and the movie to discuss. I'd already watched and forgotten the movie when it was first released on dvd. Apparently it wasn't that memorable. So, I figured I'd start from scratch—read the book and then watch the movie again.

What I didn't realize until I had the book in my hands is that it was written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who is also the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies...which I read last month and absolutely loved. That was a pleasant surprise. Here's the thing about Grahame-Smith—he's kind of a master at what he does. And whether this says something about the school systems (yes, more than one) that I grew up in or something about me, I'm going to go ahead and put it out there. I learned more about the history of Abraham Lincoln reading this book than I knew before I started it.

Life and Death + Twilight | Vampire Book and a Movie Challenge

I mentioned at the beginning of the year that I was going to be throwing a few bookish extras onto the blog from time to time this year. One of those extras is joining Kimberly at Coffee and Casseroles in her monthly (if I can muster) "Vampire Book and a Movie" challenge. As the name suggests, she'll be picking a book and movie that are vampire-themed and somehow connected to read, watch, and discuss. This inaugural month kicked off with Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (book) and Twilight (movie).

The reimagining comes in the form of opposite day. The vast majority of the characters from Twilight were turned into the opposite sex in this book - the main exceptions being Charlie and Renee.  Stephenie Meyer explains the "why" in her introduction to the story (which you should not skip since it lays the foundation for what you're about to read).