Vampires and silver bullets

[Klownzilla]

Blade and Blade II are the most current films to use the idea of silver bullets being effective against vampires, but it's not the first time. The earliest vampire movie I've seen to do this was House of Dark Shadows (1970). The police go on a hunt for Barnabas Collins and the Sheriff gives his deputies silver bullets. He says "They kill him, but you have to shoot him directly in the heart." Silver wasn't used for Barnabas, but one of the characters did kill a vampire with it. Does anyone know where this notion originated from? I've always found it interesting.

[pyscho dude]

I have no idea where it originated from but I haven't heard too much about vampires and silver bullets. It's mostly for werewolfs.

[EVILxxx]

apparantly silver kills "IT" as well. I have no idea what the correlation between silver and evil is though.

[deadeye]

It has nothing to do with an old premise of vampires and silver, but Dracula 2000 (a movie I wouldn't endorse as good) came up with an original idea as to why vampires wouldn't like silver. I'm not saying anymore, but if someone else wants to do a spoiler, help yourselves.

[ERIN_LoJ]

Not movies but I know the anita blake series has it where silver hurts vampires, causing them to healer slower

[martyds761]

Originally posted by ERIN_LoJ
Not movies but I know the anita blake series has it where silver hurts vampires, causing them to healer slower
True. Great author btw.

[the dead one]

If you look at the history of VAMPIRE films, the mythos has become so diluted. Mostly due to so many writers and filmmakers taking creative license with what works and what doesn’t. Silver bullets were strictly used to stop a werewolf!! Things like sunlight, a stake through the heart, holy water, crosses and garlic were used against vampires. However, look at what Ann rice did…Look at Carpenters Vampires! Things certainly have changed over the years.:(

[ERIN_LoJ]

Originally posted by martyds761
True. Great author btw.

Yes she is. The series is excellent and is actually my favorite of all time. That's not an easy list to get on either.

[Klownzilla]

Originally posted by deadeye
It has nothing to do with an old premise of vampires and silver, but Dracula 2000 (a movie I wouldn't endorse as good) came up with an original idea as to why vampires wouldn't like silver. I'm not saying anymore, but if someone else wants to do a spoiler, help yourselves.

I've seen parts of that movie before and remember the amount of religion involved in the backstory. Does the silver thing have something to do with Jesus?

[EVILxxx]

*Major Spoilers*




Dracula in D2000 was actually Judas. Because he betrayed Jesus for 30 silver pieces he was cursed by it.

[Juice]

The silver bullets originate from the old legends, like the stakes and the garlick.

Of course they're a little less old, since there weren't any bullets when the first vampire legends existed, but now they are official vampire killing material.

[Cronos]

i think all this silver bullet stuff relates back to religion, ive never heard of silver killing vampires though

[izombie]

Originally posted by ERIN_LoJ
Not movies but I know the anita blake series has it where silver hurts vampires, causing them to healer slower

That was also what Silver did in the book that John Carpenter based his movie Vampires off of.

[izombie]

doh...

[izombie]

Originally posted by Juice
The silver bullets originate from the old legends, like the stakes and the garlick.

Of course they're a little less old, since there weren't any bullets when the first vampire legends existed, but now they are official vampire killing material.

I think some of the old legends had silver daggers piercing the heart.

*********************** May Contian mild Spoliers ***********



I believe in the old Hammer film Captain Kronos:Vampire Hunter he used iron on the vampires in the village and made comment that different "metals" killed different vampires (This is entirely from memory so it may not be 100% accurate)

Brian Lumley's Vampires are highly alleric to silver and garlic but can only be killed by the stake, axe and fire.

[ERIN_LoJ]

Originally posted by izombie
That was also what Silver did in the book that John Carpenter based his movie Vampires off of.

Hm. In the book series there's "master" vampires too.

Vampires stories and evolutions can be tied together in so many ways

[Tagia_Romero]

Just an opinion of mine. Silver injuries depends on the breed. There are many sorts of vampiric lore out there. There is even a few writings of the vampire being COMPLETELY immortal, ergo meaning that it is impervious.