It is no longer October, but I obsess over horror year-round, so some of my top 5 lists will still feature spooky themes!

Vampires are my favorite fictional monsters. I do appreciate the sex appeal, obviously. Even without it, however, I’ve always preferred the tales that surround vampires over all other creatures that go bump in the night.

These are five of my favorite vampire films. Note that this only includes the non-animated (though I do love Hotel Transylvania). And as always, these are listed in no particular order.

1. Fright Night (1985)

Everything about this movie is great, even Amanda Bearse’s exaggerated transformation near the end. Chris Sarandon is extremely attractive as Jerry Dandridge, but the reason the character is so perfect is his cruelty and IDGAF attitude: he knows how to blend in with humanity and that makes him doubly dangerous.

P.S. – The scene with Jerry and Amy dancing at the club is my favorite part.

2. The Lost Boys (1987)

This iconic film had to be on the list, right? Along with a fantastic plot and an all-star cast, The Lost Boys also had an epic soundtrack. The movie has inspired the generations that followed, resulting in sequels, music videos in which famous scenes are recreated, and several covers of the theme song, Gerard McMahon’s “Cry Little Sister.”

3. Suck (2009)

What do you get when you combine musicians and vampires? A cheesy comedy that is nonetheless extremely watchable. I don’t think you can go wrong with rock stars who are bloodsuckers — with the exception of Queen of the Damned; they screwed that one up — and the addition of Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop make Suck a must-see!

4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

It’s been a while since I’ve watched this one, but I remember the entertainment value of putting a sassy Valley girl in charge of hunting vampires. I didn’t think the television series recaptured the original charm at all.

5. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Christopher Lee is the best Dracula. My mom taught me that at a very young age. I actually bought her a collection of Dracula films starring Lee last year for Christmas.