I am glad that you acknowledge and praise the novels. When the Blockbuster Buster did the review, he conpletely blew off the original books despite the facts the books contain a lot more interesting world building.
I understand why he did though. I think it was in the Mortal Instruments review that he said that while it's all well and good that the books are good, it's still not an excuse to be a shitty movie, especially since the whole point of a movie is to EXPAND your audience beyond the people who already know of and love the books. In this case, the fact that he missed the important world-building lore because it was expo-dumped in such a way that the people who didn't read the books completely missed it just highlighted how badly the movie did. Since the movie couldn't be it's own thing or stand on its own feet, the uninitiated regular joes that you want to turn into fans aren't going to care.
I think that Twilight did one of the greatest disservices to both vampires and young adult genre. Because of all the stigma it caused, each time I'm trying to tell my friends that a vampire or a young adult book or book series is pretty good (Vampire Academy, for example) they think I'm joking.
I know even as a book it was true, but i really enjoyed the book for what it was. I just wish the movie hadnt caught on at all. It was bad enough that it shouldnt have. And then True Blood spun into such a flat flanderized series...
I did read 2/3rds of vampire academy plus other vampire teen dramas. They were better than Twilight. Some included Crave by Melissa Darnell and Evernight by Claudia Gray
Personal peeve here: people who treat "sparkly vampires" as something ridiculous and girly. The idea of vampires with marble-like skin as a really cool and innovative one that wouldn't have got a fraction of the mockery it received if it had been in, say, an action series.
You are cognitively challenged if you think one movie can taint a whole genre. Also, your friends are not bright and easily manipulated if they turned down your suggestions b/c of Twilight.
I am a huge fan of the novels and I never truly thought about them as vampire novels. It was more or less like a teenage novel in high school and the characters just happen to be vampires.
review Vampire Knight. Another romantic drama series where humans and vampires go to school together in day classes for humans and night classes for the vampires.
I second this! It's an interesting take on the relationships between vampires, hunters, and humans. Edit: Although, the main character is the weakest character in the series lol
I have not seen this movie at all, but I like how often Lissa seems to carry her cat with her everywhere she goes in so many of the clips Maven shows us XD
I freaking love this film, but that may be because I'm pretty easy to please with adaptations. Mainly, if my favourite characters are accurate then I will forgive pretty much everything, and Rose and Christian were on point. (My friends who love Dimitri were... less happy). But maybe it's because anything looks better than the tragedy that was the Cirque du Freak adaptation. That would be a great episode to see one day. Anyway, I do wish this film had come out earlier (I genuinely think it would have done well enough to get a sequel if it had come out during the peak vampire craze). I really wanted to see Frostbite. Great analysis of what is a vampire!
I love the novels, but I also love this movie. They occupy different head spaces though. The movie feels so much like a movie that came out in 1995, and I *liked* that, but to do that it got the tone of the books completely off while also not appealing to the twihards or pottermores. Its a movie that is super fun and entertaining in isolation from other vampire media and its own source material, but falls flat amid its peers.
This movie was apparently so forgettable it wasn't until about 7 minutes in that I'd realized I'd seen a review of this movie before. And not just some RUclips rando either, one of the Maven's Channel Awesome colleagues (Blockbuster Buster). Before anyone says anything, I know reviewer dibs isn't a thing, that's not my point. I'm talking about how little an impression the movie (or rather clips and detailed summary of the plot of the movie) left with me.
Gotta say: The "Vampire-Academy"-review was one of those, in which the Blockbuster Buster REALLY annoyed me. I mean - really. His constant yelling of "shut up" and stuff like that made it impossible for me to enjoy his review - although I'm normally quite fond of his review-style.
I would love to see them do a full vampire Academy TV series where they actually take their time and develop the lore properly. The tv show based on mortal instruments is extremely successful, and so is the one based on the Golden compass. why is this you ask? (some could say more Magnus Bane 😍 is to blame for the mortal instruments success but I digress) these books have a lot of lore that takes time to unpack but when done properly is super cool and interesting! And if you slow it down and explain things the big emotional parts don’t just fly by you actually feel them because you are connected with the character and their world. (IE when Lisa’s parentage in the golden compass series happens you feel it because it’s more than a blink and you’ll miss it moment and she’s actually spent time with these characters before the truth is revealed while they are keeping this big secret)
This review inspired me to both read the first book and to watch the movie, which I've just finished. Here's the funny thing about YA novels: I never could have appreciated that book before I started working in education. The stupidity of teenagers feels so completely unbelievable until you witness it as an adult. It was a very fun book with some interesting ideas and it's own take on vampire lore. The whole Strigoi concept creates a lot of moral complexity and allows the story to include some "traditional" vampire moments while sort of justifying the use of "pacifist" vampires for their main vampire characters. And as Maven pointed out, these "good" vampires are not so great. They may be civilized, but their very biology is parasitic to humans, which adds even more moral depth, especially in the way it bleeds into their social structures. I don't know how well the novels will explore that depth, as I've only read the first one so far, but I'm definitely intrigued. For the movie: my takeaway is that there was so much wasted potential here, but I can see that the film was at least trying to do what the book did. They were just trying to fit in too much, but a truly good adaptation has to know what to change and leave out according to the strengths of medium. This movie could have been great if it was more focused. As it is, it was nice to see some of the scenes from the book play out in film, and there were a few scenes added to the film that would have gone great in the novel but were wasted on a movie that didn't know how to prioritize.
Having not read the novels, I watched the movie around a year ago when it came onto Netflixs and I found it both forgettable and confusing. I want to read the novels since I heard better review about those.
I love your outfit on this! And I have been waiting for this topic for a while. After the movie I was hesitant to read the books but if you say they are good then I check them out!
The truly scary part isn't how bad this movie is... But how it really WASN'T all that loyal to the book, but had enough key points that people are tricked into thinking it was. Like the Strigoi army at the end. "Oh that's setting up for the sequel!" THAT SHIT DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE *END* OF BOOK THREE. AND KARP HAD *NOTHING* TO DO WITH IT!!!!!!!!! REEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Really? And the whole vampires manipulating the fourth elements wasn't stupid enough in the books and in the movie? If I wanted something like that I would see The Last Airbender, not a stupid teenage drama.
If you didn't like either books or movie, why waste your time watching this video? Lol. Personally, I thought it was a wonderful take on the "vampire universe."
The only major successes to come out of the recent "Young Adult" film craze seems to be "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games". It just seems like one of the main problems these other franchises have is a smaller and less all consuming fanbase.
And the fact that the movie companies pick them up because they are the next Twilight/Hunger Games/Harry Potter... instead of... you know... Vampire Academy? Other book series?
If anyone's curious about what these Romanian terms originally meant: A strigoi is a corporeal undead vampire, a moroi is a vampiric ghost and/or energy vampire and a dhampir is a child of a human and vampire who can detect and kill vampires.
I would love to see you do a review of the whole book series (and the spin-off, which I related to more, though I get why people didn't like it as much). I really liked the books as a teen, and I didn't really get why I didn't like the movie, this helped me sort myself out. I think people mostly wanted the sequel just so they would cast Adrian, though I only started liking his character in the second series.
Thank you! So many people write off the books because of the movie but they are good, and I normally hate YA books like it! Also you didn't mention that the lead girl Rose was Turkish in the books, and this shitty movie whitewashed her. That's a big reason I hated it.
JustAPrayer Middle Eastern/Irish mix.... her mom is a ginger, just saying, only physical trait that she got from the father’s side was her hair as far as I remember from the books.
I think there is a rule "let the audience asking for more" and that's what it happen with vampires in 2005 - 2012 was a lot of movies inspire in vampires that it was just exhausting, nothing refreshing. If you have a good idea just give it time to develop the idea to become a good story.
I see some references to the anime 'Vampire Knight' a little bit. With the academy, the political structure, multiple species of vampire, different power control, and Yuki being a guardian. Except the Vampire Academy has no love triangle, I think. But there is still romance in there. Hopefully you can review that anime series one day, it's fun to watch :) I LOVE your reviews!! You always give me access to the latest vampire films I haven't watch yet. Your the BEST Maven ;)
Have you reviewed Forever Knight at any point? Or the TV movie it was based on: 'Nick Knight'? I can't seem to find a video for those in your archives, but that might be me just being blind. :)
In the last few years we did get a few gems of vampire movies; A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night came out at the same time as this film and it was in the past year that we got a tribute to Martin with The Transfiguration
Hello. I love you. In fact, forty years ago, I *was* you, except for no internet and a dearth of vampire flicks to review. You’re doing a way better job than I did, and I’m glad to meetcha.
I have a vampire movie podcast and we just watched this the other day. We had a lot of the same issues that you did! Someone recommended your video because I wanted to know more about the books. Maybe I'll pick them up this week!
I checked the compiled first 3 books out from the library about a year and a half ago and enjoyed the first few chapters of the first book, but it didn't keep my interest as it went on and I wound up not even finishing book 1. I didn't think it was bad, but just...not for me. The main character's voice felt too disingenuous, like the author was making fun of her much more than identifying with her in any way, so I couldn't get into it.
Would love to see you review the book the Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks. It's Australian, and the vampires are all sickly with very specific health problems
Speaking of Vampires on TV, I would love to see you do one on Being Human. Personally, I think you should do the original Brit version first and then the American version, as they diverge wildly :)
i may try the novels if i get desperate but i have come to hate Y.A novels. the concept of this preppy highschool for my favorite mystical creature just makes my feel like i drank some really bad blood and need to lie down. This is probable just personal preference but these "vampires" just feel defanged. gone is the balance between raw animal power and intellect. gone is the aristocratic "humans are cattle" mentality (while they outnumber you 100 to 1 and you still have to hide) gone is evreything i love about this creature. p.s why don't the humans acknowledge the MASSIVE ASS SCHOOL, i don't see illusion in that list of magic powers.
Yeah, I'm just completely burnt out with all these supernatural novels trying to be a sexy Harry Potter series - Vampire school, vampire hunter school, demon hunter school, werewolf school, succubus school...Ugh.
As someone who recently reread the first book, the relationship between moroi and human is still based on the regular vampire mindset, with the themes of drug abuse and sex. There is even a scene where one of the school bros was trying to pull one of the donors away to have sexual intercourse (which is treated like rape) when Rose tells him to stop.
Could you link me the imdb (or wikipedia) page of this "Gone". There is so much series and movies with the same or similar name, and you description intrigued me.
+Doodle Doodle Nope Your right, YA books with a vampire skin. while this is fine for many people i cant stand YA novels. there always in the first person. all the charters are less then 18 years old or act like teens when i think the ideal "hero age" for humans is like 24. the fact that FUCKING VAMPIRES are pacifists in this series makes me want to kill small bunny's. Its like saying you have a group of sharks that only take little bites off fish cause they dont want to hurt them. its the exact same problem i have with twilight, there "defanged" i don't feel scared of them. gone is the......."NOBLE PREDATOR" a lot of the new YA vamp novels try to humanize vampires when its the inhumanity that drew me to them in the first place
To be honest I just figured Vampire Academy was another cash in that came too late in the Vampire craze and didn’t feel like reading the books. Now though I may read them, since my best book friend has the first series :D
I remember avoiding this book and film at the time, I think I saw more promotional stuff of the film and was like is this vampires or?? So I guess it mixed the nuances of the book and like you say, direction that was invested emotionally. I will have to check out the book now though ;3; !
I wish I read the book instead of watching the movie, lol. My ex-GF suggested we watch it cause she knew of the book series and was told it was good, so she figured the movie would be. She was wrong, lol. I never could put a finger on what I didn't like other than it being flat and uninteresting. You really spelled it out well. Another decent YA vampire book series is 'The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod'. Its a bit on the younger end, but its cute and interesting enough about a vampire (well, kind of half-vampire) boy as he goes through high school and trying to handle regular life and the discoveries he uncovers about his vampire dad and vampire society. I read the first 3 books. And just in general - your set always look so comfy. Reminds me of friends' places I'd hang out with back in the day. I miss that.
I like the movie, because I’ve read the books and I could follow along, I also enjoyed that the main focus of the book/movie was on Lisa and Rose getting stronger to protect each other. As you said I’m 100% here for the critic on society. Funny you should mention the mortal instruments, the actor who plays Bad Boy Vamp is also in the tv show they did on those books (which is like a thousand times better than the movie).
You did it, you made the review! I feel so vindicated right now! lol I'm a VA book fan, but the movie was HORRID indeed, I was wondering what your opinion would be. So these were some very interesting and well spent almost 18 minutes, thank you!
Id say, not only harry potter. I dodnt read these but It seems like the inspiration could be generally "magical schools" stories Though maybe hp did it first, or maybe it was also inspired by sth earlier But obviously its this like story setting.
I didn't like the movie as a fan of the books. I liked it as a simple popcorn movie to watch with friends on a cozy night in. The few people I've watched it with found it fun, but it didn't do the novels justice.
freshman year the academy was balanced but then the fire students attacked and only valedictorian, must of four....or....five elements could restore order but when the academy needed him most he was expelled. my brother and I found a way to get him reinstated, and though he has a-lot of classes to make up I believe he can save the academy
I love the channel but i think the earlier videos where the reviews were intercut with the roommates where Elisa's obsession with vampires was juxtaposed with the others were more entertaining to me. Still good, but the early ones had that added element which I found fun and frosting on the cake. Why did the format change?
It sounds like the source material is pretty good, hopefully it gets a TV series. I feel like all books should probably opt for TV before movies. TV has come a long way and can become just as good if not better than films.
I feel like D&D explains pretty well why the Damphir guardians exist. Being a wizard is cool and all, but it doesn't stop someone putting an arrow in you or being fast or skilled enough to put a fist in your face. That goes double when in a modern setting where people can just shoot you. Having an army of superhumanly strong, fast, and durable people sort of writes itself. Especially when your enemy is a group of even stronger, faster, and durable people.
I rented this a few years ago when on vacation and found it to be a pretty fun movie. I think what you said about he dialogue is true. because I can't remember a single line of it even after watching your review.
This series would be farrr more suited to a TV series, but it really cannot under any circumstances become one of those obnoxious school dramas. It already has everything it needs to work amazingly as a tv series.
They already had the Vampires Diaries for that, but even Vampires Diaries changed his tune after the Twilight craze die down and people began to crave for the brutal and ruthless vampires of the past, that why they killed one of the main characters, and only the ruthless vampires remain, the veggie vampires was no more.
Keyser94 that's kind of what I'd steer vampire academy away from. Definitely didn't like anything about vampire diaries from the nibbles I've had of it.
Can you please do a review of the vampire movies "The Breed" (2001) and "Perfect Creature" (2007)? I don't know whether they are considered good or bad, but I enjoy them both for the ideas, some of the acting, and some of the visuals/atmosphere. I would like to know your point of view, I think it would be interesting. Thank you
I like the books. I like the movie, but it could have been so much better (Good casting choices, tho) I think a tv series would have been better than a movie
I came across the movie on cable and found it to be cheesy fun, not having read the series. The music is good, i like Zoey Deutsch and Danila Koslovsky is HOTTT. After this review, though, i think I’ll pick up the books.
Speaking of 2014 films - I feel like I should only ask this if I'm willing to subscribe to your Patreon, but have you considered watching "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night"? It seems to end up on every list of recommended vampire media I see, so I'm sort of surprised you haven't covered it already.
Fun fact, the guy playing Dimitri is Danila Kozlovsky, who is currently HUGE in his homeland of Russia, starring in like 80% of the country's biggest blockbusters. Like, the guy does spy dramas, sports movies, historical blockbusters and plays cheesy villains in experimental movies.
Honestly I feel if they re did vampire academy with a director that actually cared now it would probably do much better then previously I also think the fact that it was coming off the tail end of the last harry potter and twilight movies as well as the failures that were the second percy jackson and the mortal instruments city of bones may have attributed to its shortcomings with this being a mix of harry potter and twilight plus the previous adaptation failures I think despite the books large fanbase that Vampire academy was dead as soon as the first teaser trailer dropped everyone could tell the movie was soulless hell I went to see it in theaters the night it released and was severely disappointed at the wooden acting and some of the weirdest casting choices for some of the characters(mainly dimitri) the only two characters I feel were even close to their book characters were Rose and Christian. But I agree the movie had huge pacing issues also I was confused at Christian almost dying my mom(who got me into the books) nor I could remember that happening at all in the first book I wish we would have gotten the movies we deserved it possibly could have saved the fandom from dying. To this day when i mention the books to my friends they always look confused thank gods the Darkest Powers trilogy never got a movie I would hate to see the mess they would have made of that worlds plot and lore
According to IMDB there were 21 vampire movies released last year: www.imdb.com/search/keyword?keywords=vampire&sort=moviemeter,asc&mode=detail&page=1&title_type=movie&release_date=2017%2C2017&ref_=kw_ref_yr Not even including Underworld, cause it's actual premiere was still in 2016.
Sadly, the only one to be shown on the big screen (in America anyway) was Underworld, which hit theatres on January 6. Some of those titles are coming out this year, at least. I reviewed the Carmilla movie a couple months ago.
clarify please! In my understanding of vampire lore, dhampirs are despised. They are mistrusted by The mortals but seriously despised by vampires. you are right- this film has mutiple issues. In my understanding of vampire lore, dhampirs are used by vampires when necessary.
Thank you so much for this! I was looking for some way to introduce analysis through a Marxist lenses to a young class of popular fiction students and this book series my be just what I was looking for! I’d never read Vampire Academy as I assumed it was a Twilight cash in but now will give it a short!
2014 did suck but we did get What We Do in the Shadows...
I'd love to see you collaborate with The Dom on a vampire book-to-film adaptation. 😊
Hell yeah
That would be fantastic
A little bit late. But they have just done that!!!!! Basicaly....
@@benjaminmadrigalperez9010 What's the video called?
@@calebwheeler8143 Dom's "Interview With The Vampire" video, though she doesn't actually appear in it. She only helped him write it.
I am glad that you acknowledge and praise the novels. When the Blockbuster Buster did the review, he conpletely blew off the original books despite the facts the books contain a lot more interesting world building.
I understand why he did though. I think it was in the Mortal Instruments review that he said that while it's all well and good that the books are good, it's still not an excuse to be a shitty movie, especially since the whole point of a movie is to EXPAND your audience beyond the people who already know of and love the books.
In this case, the fact that he missed the important world-building lore because it was expo-dumped in such a way that the people who didn't read the books completely missed it just highlighted how badly the movie did.
Since the movie couldn't be it's own thing or stand on its own feet, the uninitiated regular joes that you want to turn into fans aren't going to care.
I think that Twilight did one of the greatest disservices to both vampires and young adult genre. Because of all the stigma it caused, each time I'm trying to tell my friends that a vampire or a young adult book or book series is pretty good (Vampire Academy, for example) they think I'm joking.
Maera Fey Same! I passed by Vampire Academy so many times because I assumed it was Twilight-y (also because the school was called St Vladimir’s)
I know even as a book it was true, but i really enjoyed the book for what it was. I just wish the movie hadnt caught on at all. It was bad enough that it shouldnt have. And then True Blood spun into such a flat flanderized series...
I did read 2/3rds of vampire academy plus other vampire teen dramas. They were better than Twilight. Some included Crave by Melissa Darnell and Evernight by Claudia Gray
Personal peeve here: people who treat "sparkly vampires" as something ridiculous and girly. The idea of vampires with marble-like skin as a really cool and innovative one that wouldn't have got a fraction of the mockery it received if it had been in, say, an action series.
You are cognitively challenged if you think one movie can taint a whole genre. Also, your friends are not bright and easily manipulated if they turned down your suggestions b/c of Twilight.
Ooo, this is prime pickings for Dom's Lost in Adaptation.
I am a huge fan of the novels and I never truly thought about them as vampire novels. It was more or less like a teenage novel in high school and the characters just happen to be vampires.
review Vampire Knight. Another romantic drama series where humans and vampires go to school together in day classes for humans and night classes for the vampires.
I second this! It's an interesting take on the relationships between vampires, hunters, and humans.
Edit: Although, the main character is the weakest character in the series lol
Nooooooooo Vampire Knight sucks!
isnt that the incest novel?
Bishop Gale yes
If you review it, review the manga, the anime is excruciatingly boring
I have not seen this movie at all, but I like how often Lissa seems to carry her cat with her everywhere she goes in so many of the clips Maven shows us XD
I freaking love this film, but that may be because I'm pretty easy to please with adaptations. Mainly, if my favourite characters are accurate then I will forgive pretty much everything, and Rose and Christian were on point. (My friends who love Dimitri were... less happy). But maybe it's because anything looks better than the tragedy that was the Cirque du Freak adaptation. That would be a great episode to see one day. Anyway, I do wish this film had come out earlier (I genuinely think it would have done well enough to get a sequel if it had come out during the peak vampire craze). I really wanted to see Frostbite. Great analysis of what is a vampire!
Hi! Thanks so much for this video. You perfectly express my thoughts. By the way, did you know they're making a vampire academy tv show?
I love the novels, but I also love this movie. They occupy different head spaces though.
The movie feels so much like a movie that came out in 1995, and I *liked* that, but to do that it got the tone of the books completely off while also not appealing to the twihards or pottermores. Its a movie that is super fun and entertaining in isolation from other vampire media and its own source material, but falls flat amid its peers.
This movie was apparently so forgettable it wasn't until about 7 minutes in that I'd realized I'd seen a review of this movie before. And not just some RUclips rando either, one of the Maven's Channel Awesome colleagues (Blockbuster Buster).
Before anyone says anything, I know reviewer dibs isn't a thing, that's not my point. I'm talking about how little an impression the movie (or rather clips and detailed summary of the plot of the movie) left with me.
Gotta say: The "Vampire-Academy"-review was one of those, in which the Blockbuster Buster REALLY annoyed me. I mean - really. His constant yelling of "shut up" and stuff like that made it impossible for me to enjoy his review - although I'm normally quite fond of his review-style.
Meh, after "Into the Woods" I just... could not anymore.
hey thats Ian from Shameless/Jereome from Gotham at 13.40! that dude is great actor!
I would love to see them do a full vampire Academy TV series where they actually take their time and develop the lore properly. The tv show based on mortal instruments is extremely successful, and so is the one based on the Golden compass. why is this you ask? (some could say more Magnus Bane 😍 is to blame for the mortal instruments success but I digress) these books have a lot of lore that takes time to unpack but when done properly is super cool and interesting! And if you slow it down and explain things the big emotional parts don’t just fly by you actually feel them because you are connected with the character and their world. (IE when Lisa’s parentage in the golden compass series happens you feel it because it’s more than a blink and you’ll miss it moment and she’s actually spent time with these characters before the truth is revealed while they are keeping this big secret)
This review inspired me to both read the first book and to watch the movie, which I've just finished.
Here's the funny thing about YA novels: I never could have appreciated that book before I started working in education. The stupidity of teenagers feels so completely unbelievable until you witness it as an adult. It was a very fun book with some interesting ideas and it's own take on vampire lore. The whole Strigoi concept creates a lot of moral complexity and allows the story to include some "traditional" vampire moments while sort of justifying the use of "pacifist" vampires for their main vampire characters. And as Maven pointed out, these "good" vampires are not so great. They may be civilized, but their very biology is parasitic to humans, which adds even more moral depth, especially in the way it bleeds into their social structures. I don't know how well the novels will explore that depth, as I've only read the first one so far, but I'm definitely intrigued.
For the movie: my takeaway is that there was so much wasted potential here, but I can see that the film was at least trying to do what the book did. They were just trying to fit in too much, but a truly good adaptation has to know what to change and leave out according to the strengths of medium. This movie could have been great if it was more focused. As it is, it was nice to see some of the scenes from the book play out in film, and there were a few scenes added to the film that would have gone great in the novel but were wasted on a movie that didn't know how to prioritize.
Please review the TV show Moonlight its one of my favorites and I would love to see what you think. Thanks
Your hair is gooooorgeous!!!!
.....still think Hellsing is most likely one of the best pieces of vampire book and film out there :/
You're not wrong
Having not read the novels, I watched the movie around a year ago when it came onto Netflixs and I found it both forgettable and confusing. I want to read the novels since I heard better review about those.
So the vampires went right back to Lord Byron- I mean Lord Ruthven. Psychopathic upper class psychic drainers.
I love your outfit on this! And I have been waiting for this topic for a while. After the movie I was hesitant to read the books but if you say they are good then I check them out!
How did you like them?
So... when will you be covering the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure vampires?
I asked that 3 times all ready
WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
That is a very long show
Not really, I mean vampires were only present in the first two parts of the series
aaa1e2r3 I thought they were also in the last one? (I haven’t seen all of it yet)
The truly scary part isn't how bad this movie is... But how it really WASN'T all that loyal to the book, but had enough key points that people are tricked into thinking it was. Like the Strigoi army at the end. "Oh that's setting up for the sequel!" THAT SHIT DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE *END* OF BOOK THREE. AND KARP HAD *NOTHING* TO DO WITH IT!!!!!!!!! REEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Really? And the whole vampires manipulating the fourth elements wasn't stupid enough in the books and in the movie? If I wanted something like that I would see The Last Airbender, not a stupid teenage drama.
If you didn't like either books or movie, why waste your time watching this video? Lol. Personally, I thought it was a wonderful take on the "vampire universe."
The only major successes to come out of the recent "Young Adult" film craze seems to be "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games". It just seems like one of the main problems these other franchises have is a smaller and less all consuming fanbase.
And the fact that the movie companies pick them up because they are the next Twilight/Hunger Games/Harry Potter... instead of... you know... Vampire Academy? Other book series?
I LOVED THE VA BOOKS SO MUCH WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND IM SO HAPPY YOU'RE REVIEWING THIS MEH/OKAY MOVIE
Campaign for a Vampire Academy Netflix series?
My favorite is when I check my subscriptions and both Maven and ToddintheShadows have new videos. ❤️
If anyone's curious about what these Romanian terms originally meant: A strigoi is a corporeal undead vampire, a moroi is a vampiric ghost and/or energy vampire and a dhampir is a child of a human and vampire who can detect and kill vampires.
I would love to see you do a review of the whole book series (and the spin-off, which I related to more, though I get why people didn't like it as much). I really liked the books as a teen, and I didn't really get why I didn't like the movie, this helped me sort myself out.
I think people mostly wanted the sequel just so they would cast Adrian, though I only started liking his character in the second series.
Thank you! So many people write off the books because of the movie but they are good, and I normally hate YA books like it! Also you didn't mention that the lead girl Rose was Turkish in the books, and this shitty movie whitewashed her. That's a big reason I hated it.
JustAPrayer Middle Eastern/Irish mix.... her mom is a ginger, just saying, only physical trait that she got from the father’s side was her hair as far as I remember from the books.
I think you're entitled to make the occasional mum joke Ms Maven.
Happy 2018 maven looking forward to more reviews
Is there a review for subspecies...? If is not, you should do one... Please!
I think there is a rule "let the audience asking for more" and that's what it happen with vampires in 2005 - 2012 was a lot of movies inspire in vampires that it was just exhausting, nothing refreshing. If you have a good idea just give it time to develop the idea to become a good story.
Wow there’s a surprisingly large amount of good actors doing background work in this
$254,000 raised by 4 backers.
Well, I guess somebody really liked the movie.
Neat review~
I didn’t realize that I was wanting this review.... but turns out that I did.
The critical eye put on it is beyond perfection.
I see some references to the anime 'Vampire Knight' a little bit. With the academy, the political structure, multiple species of vampire, different power control, and Yuki being a guardian. Except the Vampire Academy has no love triangle, I think. But there is still romance in there. Hopefully you can review that anime series one day, it's fun to watch :)
I LOVE your reviews!! You always give me access to the latest vampire films I haven't watch yet. Your the BEST Maven ;)
Have you reviewed Forever Knight at any point? Or the TV movie it was based on: 'Nick Knight'? I can't seem to find a video for those in your archives, but that might be me just being blind. :)
In the last few years we did get a few gems of vampire movies; A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night came out at the same time as this film and it was in the past year that we got a tribute to Martin with The Transfiguration
Mead is great. Her Succubus Blues series is amazing
When are you going to Review Young Dracula.
Gregg The Goth I was thinking about the same thing :)
Hello. I love you. In fact, forty years ago, I *was* you, except for no internet and a dearth of vampire flicks to review. You’re doing a way better job than I did, and I’m glad to meetcha.
This review almost made me want to check out the books..
The Most Ghoulish Beginning of the Year
*literally* *thunder sounds
I have a vampire movie podcast and we just watched this the other day. We had a lot of the same issues that you did! Someone recommended your video because I wanted to know more about the books. Maybe I'll pick them up this week!
I have a question. What are your thoughts on the Vampire Kisses series? Or the House of Night series? I'd love to hear your opinion on those two.
I checked the compiled first 3 books out from the library about a year and a half ago and enjoyed the first few chapters of the first book, but it didn't keep my interest as it went on and I wound up not even finishing book 1. I didn't think it was bad, but just...not for me. The main character's voice felt too disingenuous, like the author was making fun of her much more than identifying with her in any way, so I couldn't get into it.
Would love to see you review the book the Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks. It's Australian, and the vampires are all sickly with very specific health problems
I remember loving this book series. When I heard it was going to be a movie, I was super excited. Then... I watched the trailer.
I'm still waiting to see if "Department 19" will be optioned by a studio. I'm hoping for Netflix to grab
it.
Speaking of Vampires on TV, I would love to see you do one on Being Human. Personally, I think you should do the original Brit version first and then the American version, as they diverge wildly :)
The first episode of the American version is the only thing that is the same. Love the British version so much more
Screamed when the background music came on omg!
I hope one day maven covers the blood angles from war hammer 40k or the vampire counts from fantasy. I think she'd have fun with those vampires
Elisa, do a review of 'Subspecies'. Radu, the main evil vampire, how I would view a vampire, in a sense.
i may try the novels if i get desperate but i have come to hate Y.A novels. the concept of this preppy highschool for my favorite mystical creature just makes my feel like i drank some really bad blood and need to lie down.
This is probable just personal preference but these "vampires" just feel defanged. gone is the balance between raw animal power and intellect. gone is the aristocratic "humans are cattle" mentality (while they outnumber you 100 to 1 and you still have to hide) gone is evreything i love about this creature.
p.s why don't the humans acknowledge the MASSIVE ASS SCHOOL, i don't see illusion in that list of magic powers.
Yeah, I'm just completely burnt out with all these supernatural novels trying to be a sexy Harry Potter series - Vampire school, vampire hunter school, demon hunter school, werewolf school, succubus school...Ugh.
As someone who recently reread the first book, the relationship between moroi and human is still based on the regular vampire mindset, with the themes of drug abuse and sex. There is even a scene where one of the school bros was trying to pull one of the donors away to have sexual intercourse (which is treated like rape) when Rose tells him to stop.
Could you link me the imdb (or wikipedia) page of this "Gone". There is so much series and movies with the same or similar name, and you description intrigued me.
These are YA books before they are vampire books. I enjoy both, but I'm betting Vampire Academy won't be your cup of tea.
+Doodle Doodle Nope Your right, YA books with a vampire skin. while this is fine for many people i cant stand YA novels. there always in the first person. all the charters are less then 18 years old or act like teens when i think the ideal "hero age" for humans is like 24. the fact that FUCKING VAMPIRES are pacifists in this series makes me want to kill small bunny's. Its like saying you have a group of sharks that only take little bites off fish cause they dont want to hurt them. its the exact same problem i have with twilight, there "defanged" i don't feel scared of them. gone is the......."NOBLE PREDATOR"
a lot of the new YA vamp novels try to humanize vampires when its the inhumanity that drew me to them in the first place
I think vampire academy would work better as a Netflix series
To be honest I just figured Vampire Academy was another cash in that came too late in the Vampire craze and didn’t feel like reading the books. Now though I may read them, since my best book friend has the first series :D
I love that outfit so much! The red is amazing.
Thank you, Maven. You're awesome, too!
I remember avoiding this book and film at the time, I think I saw more promotional stuff of the film and was like is this vampires or?? So I guess it mixed the nuances of the book and like you say, direction that was invested emotionally. I will have to check out the book now though ;3; !
Vampire Academy always reminded me of Vampire Knight more than anything else.
I wish I read the book instead of watching the movie, lol. My ex-GF suggested we watch it cause she knew of the book series and was told it was good, so she figured the movie would be. She was wrong, lol. I never could put a finger on what I didn't like other than it being flat and uninteresting. You really spelled it out well.
Another decent YA vampire book series is 'The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod'. Its a bit on the younger end, but its cute and interesting enough about a vampire (well, kind of half-vampire) boy as he goes through high school and trying to handle regular life and the discoveries he uncovers about his vampire dad and vampire society. I read the first 3 books.
And just in general - your set always look so comfy. Reminds me of friends' places I'd hang out with back in the day. I miss that.
I liked the concept of blood drinking wizards, that's a strigoi vie, the creepier ones are strigoi mort
this movie became a guilty pleasure the day I saw it namely for the gal pal bond story that lead me to its books.
Loved the use of Bad Girls throughout the video. You always use really cool music.
It was the opening music on the movie (and it got people killed XD), so it made sense to use it, I guess :)
I like the movie, because I’ve read the books and I could follow along, I also enjoyed that the main focus of the book/movie was on Lisa and Rose getting stronger to protect each other. As you said I’m 100% here for the critic on society.
Funny you should mention the mortal instruments, the actor who plays Bad Boy Vamp is also in the tv show they did on those books (which is like a thousand times better than the movie).
You did it, you made the review! I feel so vindicated right now! lol I'm a VA book fan, but the movie was HORRID indeed, I was wondering what your opinion would be. So these were some very interesting and well spent almost 18 minutes, thank you!
Have you reviewed “Byzantium” from the UK 🇬🇧?
The movie was awful, but I was intrigued about the books. Since you think they aren’t awful, I might give them a chance.
Id say, not only harry potter. I dodnt read these but
It seems like the inspiration could be generally "magical schools" stories
Though maybe hp did it first, or maybe it was also inspired by sth earlier
But obviously its this like story setting.
I didn't like the movie as a fan of the books. I liked it as a simple popcorn movie to watch with friends on a cozy night in. The few people I've watched it with found it fun, but it didn't do the novels justice.
freshman year the academy was balanced but then the fire students attacked and only valedictorian, must of four....or....five elements could restore order but when the academy needed him most he was expelled. my brother and I found a way to get him reinstated, and though he has a-lot of classes to make up I believe he can save the academy
Happy New Year! I hope you have a good one as you're one of my favorite channels.
It's funny how you talk so much about Mean Girls in this video, considering I finally got to watch it for the first time 2 days ago xD
Great review! Totally love the costume. Love the Vampire teacher look
I love the channel but i think the earlier videos where the reviews were intercut with the roommates where Elisa's obsession with vampires was juxtaposed with the others were more entertaining to me. Still good, but the early ones had that added element which I found fun and frosting on the cake. Why did the format change?
It sounds like the source material is pretty good, hopefully it gets a TV series. I feel like all books should probably opt for TV before movies. TV has come a long way and can become just as good if not better than films.
Nope. Your hair looks better.
I feel like D&D explains pretty well why the Damphir guardians exist. Being a wizard is cool and all, but it doesn't stop someone putting an arrow in you or being fast or skilled enough to put a fist in your face. That goes double when in a modern setting where people can just shoot you. Having an army of superhumanly strong, fast, and durable people sort of writes itself. Especially when your enemy is a group of even stronger, faster, and durable people.
I'm literally listen to shadow kissed when this video came up! I love this series
Have you ever heard of, or will you ever tackle House of Night? Because I really want to know if you hate those books as much as I do!
I rented this a few years ago when on vacation and found it to be a pretty fun movie. I think what you said about he dialogue is true. because I can't remember a single line of it even after watching your review.
This series would be farrr more suited to a TV series, but it really cannot under any circumstances become one of those obnoxious school dramas. It already has everything it needs to work amazingly as a tv series.
They already had the Vampires Diaries for that, but even Vampires Diaries changed his tune after the Twilight craze die down and people began to crave for the brutal and ruthless vampires of the past, that why they killed one of the main characters, and only the ruthless vampires remain, the veggie vampires was no more.
Keyser94 that's kind of what I'd steer vampire academy away from. Definitely didn't like anything about vampire diaries from the nibbles I've had of it.
Can you please do a review of the vampire movies "The Breed" (2001) and "Perfect Creature" (2007)? I don't know whether they are considered good or bad, but I enjoy them both for the ideas, some of the acting, and some of the visuals/atmosphere. I would like to know your point of view, I think it would be interesting. Thank you
I like the books. I like the movie, but it could have been so much better (Good casting choices, tho)
I think a tv series would have been better than a movie
I came across the movie on cable and found it to be cheesy fun, not having read the series. The music is good, i like Zoey Deutsch and Danila Koslovsky is HOTTT.
After this review, though, i think I’ll pick up the books.
I completely agree!!! it should have been a tv series
Your hair looks amazing! . . . what were you talking about?
The Morganville Vampires novels are actually pretty good. You aught to check them out.
Have you read the Bloodlines series? I wish they'd make movies of those ugh.
Speaking of 2014 films - I feel like I should only ask this if I'm willing to subscribe to your Patreon, but have you considered watching "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night"? It seems to end up on every list of recommended vampire media I see, so I'm sort of surprised you haven't covered it already.
Fun fact, the guy playing Dimitri is Danila Kozlovsky, who is currently HUGE in his homeland of Russia, starring in like 80% of the country's biggest blockbusters.
Like, the guy does spy dramas, sports movies, historical blockbusters and plays cheesy villains in experimental movies.
Honestly I feel if they re did vampire academy with a director that actually cared now it would probably do much better then previously I also think the fact that it was coming off the tail end of the last harry potter and twilight movies as well as the failures that were the second percy jackson and the mortal instruments city of bones may have attributed to its shortcomings with this being a mix of harry potter and twilight plus the previous adaptation failures I think despite the books large fanbase that Vampire academy was dead as soon as the first teaser trailer dropped everyone could tell the movie was soulless hell I went to see it in theaters the night it released and was severely disappointed at the wooden acting and some of the weirdest casting choices for some of the characters(mainly dimitri) the only two characters I feel were even close to their book characters were Rose and Christian. But I agree the movie had huge pacing issues also I was confused at Christian almost dying my mom(who got me into the books) nor I could remember that happening at all in the first book I wish we would have gotten the movies we deserved it possibly could have saved the fandom from dying. To this day when i mention the books to my friends they always look confused thank gods the Darkest Powers trilogy never got a movie I would hate to see the mess they would have made of that worlds plot and lore
Bloodlines as a mini is awesome
What did you think of Chvrches' cover of Bela Lugosi's Dead?
Your hair, fabulous!! Are you ever going to review True Blood? I've heard you make many references to it but you've never done a review have you?
According to IMDB there were 21 vampire movies released last year: www.imdb.com/search/keyword?keywords=vampire&sort=moviemeter,asc&mode=detail&page=1&title_type=movie&release_date=2017%2C2017&ref_=kw_ref_yr
Not even including Underworld, cause it's actual premiere was still in 2016.
Sadly, the only one to be shown on the big screen (in America anyway) was Underworld, which hit theatres on January 6. Some of those titles are coming out this year, at least. I reviewed the Carmilla movie a couple months ago.
I suspect some others had a run at alternative theaters or horror/fantasy film festivals though.
Hey Maven have considered reviewing Kamen Rider Kiva? It’s a vampire themed superhero series
clarify please! In my understanding of vampire lore, dhampirs are despised. They are mistrusted by The mortals but seriously despised by vampires. you are right- this film has mutiple issues. In my understanding of vampire lore, dhampirs are used by vampires when necessary.
Thank you so much for this! I was looking for some way to introduce analysis through a Marxist lenses to a young class of popular fiction students and this book series my be just what I was looking for! I’d never read Vampire Academy as I assumed it was a Twilight cash in but now will give it a short!