Vampire Secrets – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

vampiresecrets

Vampires arguably stand at the top of the monster trinity of Vampire-Werewolf-Zombie. Even though recent trends have swung more attention towards zombies, the vampire still manages to intrigue, horrify, and seduce. Powerfully sexual, and absolutely amoral, this monster represents the cold, calculating sociopath we fear lurks under the skin of everyone we pass by. However, as fascinating as its portrayals have been in books, movies, comics, even music, the history and folklore which created this specter are even more so.

The History Channels Vampire Secrets does a fine job of condensing several thousand years of folklore, history, and myth into a highly informative, fascinating look at this creature from the earliest tales to the mysterious vampire sub-culture which exists in most major cities. While it in no way is an exhaustive study, it does hit the key points and major figures in this myth.

If I had one complaint about this DVD, it would be that it is incredibly Eurocentric. I suppose that cant be avoided considering that the European traditions about vampires formed the basis of Bram Stokers Dracula, which even today serves as the vampire archetype for just about everybody. I would have liked to have seen how other cultures interpreted the vampire, but the show only makes casual references to these stories without going into too much detail.

What really interested me, though, was the last quarter of the show, which was devoted to “modern” vampires, like that poor, sick boy in Kentucky who played the RPG Vampire: The Masquerade. Gradually he formed a type of cult with his friends where he and they believed he was a real vampire, and then ended up killing his girlfriends father and mother. The show also explores the very real vampire subculture existing today where people surgically alter their canines to resemble fangs and actually drink each others blood. Whether or not this kind of lifestyle is healthy is up for debate and really beyond the purpose of this review, but the intricacies of their social setup and the various rules they have in place to govern behavior is fascinating (I really need to come up with a synonym for that word one of these days). That section of the program divided time between outlining some of the basic concepts they live by and the unsolved murder of a reporter who attempted to write story about them.


The show was presented in fullscreen with no aspect ratio specifications. The sound was in Dolby Digital stereo, and both the audio and the video were of good quality.


Theres quite a bit to like in this DVD, and if youre interested in vampires then Id definitely say check it out. That said, I wouldnt recommend buying this unless you find it cheap somewhere or just absolutely have to have it. Id say rent it and then decide. Recommended.

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A&E presents Vampire Secrets. Running time: 100 minutes. Rated NR. Released on DVD: March 17, 2009. Available at Amazon.