For this last FNV of Vampire Month I wanted to do something special.
Rarely does a movie come around that captures the feeling of the times quite like 1987's. My DM had moved to Chicago, I was in the middle of my world changing campaign that would later become part of The Dragon and The Phoenix and I was getting ready for college. I came up to visit and we went and saw this film. It was full of cool vampires, great music and fantastic ride of a movie. Yes it was taking advantage of the Anne Rice craze of the time, but it did more than that. It took the stock 80s teen movie and turned it into something else.
Given I was on the edge of my Ravenloft years this was the final push I needed.
The soundtrack to this movie fueled many nights of my early college days. To this day it still holds a special place in my heart. No one song is fantastic, but as a collective they are more than the sum of their parts.
The movie opens up with the Echo and the Bunnymen covering the Doors "People are Strange". I like this version and it is a worthy version, but you just can't beat the original in my mind.
Another song that helped make this soundtrack so iconic was Roger Daltery's cover of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". I have a confession. I don't care for Elton John much, but I have always liked this song. Hearing it sung by one of my favorite front men made it an entirely new song. Is it better than Elton's version? Probably not. But I can't hear this song and not flashback to a time between 1987 and 1991, holding a beer and watching the sun set.
"I Still Believe" by Tim Cappello is an interesting choice. I am not really a fan of the song per se, only the memories it brings up. Though it is also the only song where the performer appears in the movie. Tim Cappello was known at the time for being a really big and cut guy. So oil him up and stick him into the movie.
Looking back nearly 30 years later, "Cry Little Sister" is not a great song. It's even a touch melodramaic, overwrought and a little over produced. So the perfect theme for 1987.
I hope you enjoyed this!
I adore Roger Daltrey's version of Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me, I prefer it to Elton's, and also, since I heard if first, I suppose, I prefer Echo and The Bunnymen's People Are Strange. I also love Cry Little Sister and Lost in the Shadows, even if they are of their time ;P. In fact, I've just hit play on the album thanks to you arousing nostalgia in me - this album is special to me too.
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It was a very fun film, we loved it at the time :)
ReplyDelete@ Tim:
ReplyDeleteHow can you not mention "Good Times?" I really disliked INXS, but that was a great song!
Loved the film, loved the soundtrack...it carried me into high school and (along with the movie Near Dark) probably most propelled me into a decade or so of Vampire the Masquerade.
Never played Ravenloft.
I like Inxs, but I am not a fan of that song! "Devil Inside" is a better "vampire" song.
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