Are we over vampires yet?

Vampires have felt like such a ubiquitous thing in entertainment lately, possibly sparked by the Twilight mania. I never read the books and only saw the first movie so I never got into it. But I love myth and fables; even as a kid I went through a phase when I was obsessed with Greek mythology. So it's hard for me to resist a good vampire story.

I once heard that when it comes to monsters Frankenstein is about our fear of technology, Werewolves are about fear of our animal nature, and Vampires are about our fear of (or complex feelings about) sex. This makes sense to me. Vampires are inherently sexual. They are about body fluids and penetration and mouths and satiation. This may be one reason I personally prefer my vampires more R-rated than those in the Twilight saga, the grown-up versions seem more consistent to me. But I also understand why vampires are perfect for tweens. Adolescents are just starting to think about and get familiar with their sexual sides so it makes sense why they would relate to the vampire myth.

I recently saw the trailer for the newish film Only Lovers Left Alive and while part of me feels some vampire burn-out, I can't help but want to see this film. The fact that both of the main actors signed on makes me think the script must be very interesting. And even if it's not I'm sure I could be thoroughly entertained watching the talented Tom Hiddleston and the other-worldy Tilda Swinton be beautiful yet tortured lovers. And this definitely looks like a grown-up version of our favorite immortal menaces. Sadly though, I'll probably have to wait for it to be available on iTunes.