What’s up with vampires? Yes, they are apparently immortal.  And yes, they can be very intoxicating as well as ridiculously sexy for something that is thought to be thousands of years old.  But what is the real appeal of these monstrous, yet surprisingly charming and elegant beings?  What is our obsession with bloodsucking vampires anyway?  Here are a few reasons why we think vampires have their own fascinating terror-tory.

Vampires are oh so cool:  When you were a kid, you may have tied one of your mom’s towels around your neck in order to play “superhero” or perhaps even a “vampire” now and then.  A cape made you feel powerful and yes, it likely added to your cool quotient as well. Today’s vampire costumes are so much more realistic.   The old-fashioned traditional Vampire garb never seems to lose its appeal or fashion appropriateness, either; the Vampire himself is absolutely okay with his timeless, caped sense of style.

Vampires are simplistic:  No fancy gadgets, slick cars, complicated weaponry or fanfare of any kind is needed in this guy’s world.   The vampire’s appeal is in his simple, yet mesmerizingly deadly allure. Using his eloquent charm as his bait, the vampire so easily lures in his victims with little else ever being necessary.  The modus operandi of the vampire is simple, but oh so potent.

Vampires are a bit misunderstood:  We all can relate a little to the slightly withdrawn persona of the Vampire.  Many of us feel alienated, isolated, a bit different and lonely at various points in our lives.  The vampire, in his solitary existence, perhaps speaks out to parts of us that we ourselves can genuinely understand.  The Vampire has to survive on his own without a support group of friends, his self-reliance always being there to sustain him.

Vampires are powerful:  Not in an Incredible Hulk or superhero kind of way, mind you–but the vampire’s power is in his brains rather than in his brawn.  Living for thousands of years on a blood only diet has given him a certain degree of physical strength, but his ability to outwit humans and to be mentally strong is his absolute strong suit.  Vampires are known to be telepathic and to be somewhat telekinetic as well which also illustrates their ultimate mental prowess.

Vampires are the ultimate bad boys:  Women have been helplessly falling for bad boys for centuries and the Vampire has capitalized on this sexy and captivating dynamic, using it to his fullest advantage.  The vampire is suave, mysterious and debonair–yet at the same time he possesses deadly power and ultimate danger.  The vampire’s allure is undeniable and so very perilous–yet little can be done to stop his victims from falling down the slippery slope into his carefully crafted web– where of course, impending doom ultimately lies.

This summer brings with it a whole new onslaught of Vampire themed thrillers that are likely to lure, tantalize and mesmerize audiences everywhere.  Dark Shadows is the latest in a series of long awaited vampire themed movies and is sure to be a big hit amongst vampire loving fans.  Dark Shadows, directed by Tim Burton, is a dark comedy featuring the long imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp).  After being buried alive for nearly two centuries, Barnabas finds himself inadvertently freed into the modern world, smack in the year 1972.  His once grand estate has fallen into near ruin and his descendants have done little to fare much better for themselves.  It falls upon Barnabus now to assist his somewhat dysfunctional posterity who have found themselves in need of his very special form of protection.  Dark Shadows will be released in theaters May 11, 2012.