So you might be wondering how this particular Halloween-themed Throwback Thursday is "special." Well, I noticed that we missed doing a Throwback last Thursday. So I decided to make it a double theme/song post. And what better for this Halloween theme than the age old debate: Vampires Vs. Werewolves!
Before I begin, let me be clear on something: I may say "Vs." but there is no answer to this debate. A debate about which of these monsters is better is as pointless as Star Trek vs Star Wars, Marvel vs DC, Jack Nicholson "Joker" vs Heath Ledger "Joker," or even Bacon vs Cheese! There is no right or wrong answer. Each group has their merits and I fault no one on their preference. As far as my personal preference? Well, I can't eat, drink, or talk while wearing those damned vampire fangs... yet the Wolf Man mask(s) I wear each Halloween allows me to do just that. So there ya go. Anyways, on to the throwback:
VAMPIRES
Vampire lore has been around longer than probably any other monster stories. You know the routine with these guys: neither living nor dead, drinks blood to live, hates wooden stakes and sunlight(suck it TWILIGHT!), etc. These guys have basically dominated all forms of literature and media. Their popularity is so massive that the Vampire look is now a fashion trend!
In the hey day of this fashion trend during the late 90's, World Wrestling Entertainment had employed a wrestler to their roster by the name of Gangrel. While not the greatest wrestler in the ring, his in-ring persona was memorable. He was basically the walking portrait of the Vampire fashion trend: frilled dress shirt, goblet filled with blood, Gothic jewelery, a creepy entrance theme and custom-fit fangs(Yup, he wrestled while wearing fangs!). He was a HOT TOPIC employee's wet dream. Once again not, a great wrestler, but he had presence.
In 2000, the WWE(back then, the WWF) released an album, WWF AGGRESSION, of entrance themes of their top wrestlers as reinterpreted by some of the rap industry's hottest artist. One of the songs included on the album was a version of Gangrel's entrance theme, titled "I Won't Stop" and performed by rap artist C-Murder(Interesting tidbit: C-Murder is serving life in prison... for murder!). Check it out bellow.
WEREWOLVES
These beasts have been around nearly as long as the Vampire legend has. And, while they haven't grown popular enough to develop a fashion trend(unless you count the grooming habits of some people), these monsters have affected human nature on such a deep level that they have an actual medical affliction linked to them. Yup! Clinical Lycanthropy: a psychological syndrome where one believes one's self to be a werewolf(Try curing that with some silver!).
Perhaps one of the best werewolf movie to come out is John Landis' AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. It came out in the 80's around the same time as two other werewolf franchises: WOLFEN and THE HOWLING. Most seem to agree that AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON is the better of these movies. While I prefer THE HOWLING personally, the one thing I can say about AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON is that it has perhaps one of the best soundtracks in all of horror. Landis soundtrack was composed of songs that refer to the moon. Yet these were not songs that were dark or sinister. These were songs that were mostly positive and upbeat... yet they were played during some pretty intense scenes! As David makes his first painful, agonizing change into a wolf, the whole scene has "BLUE MOON" playing in the background. Now THAT'S CREEPY!!!
Perhaps my favorite from the soundtrack was Creedence Clearwater Revival's "BAD MOON RISING"
AND THE WINNER IS:
Friendship! Why not? If these two monsters could put aside their differences just imagine what would happen...
Oh yeah... I guess that answers that.
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