''My Best Friend Is a Vampire'' (also known as ''I Was a Teenage Vampire'') is a 1987 American

comedy horror Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary genre, literary, television genre, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three ty ...

film directed by Jimmy Huston. The story revolves around a newly made

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

who is trying to live as a "good" vampire and not feed on humans. Meanwhile, his parents have noticed changes in their son's lifestyle, but are under the mistaken impression that he is a

closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

. Jeremy is played by

Robert Sean Leonard Robert Lawrence Leonard (born February 28, 1969), known by his stage name Robert Sean Leonard, is an American actor. He is best known for playing Dr. James Wilson in the television series ''House'' (2004–2012) and Neil Perry in the film ''Dea ...

with

René Auberjonois René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony Aw ...

as Jeremy's vampire guidance counselor and

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

as a vampire hunter. The film's themes include

prejudice Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that person's per ...

identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...

gender roles A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually cent ...

, and

adolescence Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...

Plot

Jeremy Capello (

) is a typical American teenager from

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, struggling with getting himself a girlfriend. Although he has caught the eye of his school's head cheerleader Candy (

LeeAnne Locken LeeAnne Locken is an American actress, philanthropist, television personality, model, and author. She first rose to prominence after winning the Miss Arizona USA 1989 pageant, and regularly appeared in the reality television series '' Big Rich ...

), he has his attention fixed on his classmate and band geek Darla Blake (

Cheryl Pollak Cheryl Pollak (born August 31, 1967) is an American actress, director and producer. Biography Pollak was born in Scottsdale, Arizona and grew up in Greenville, Texas. She graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1985. She got her start in the ...

), who in turn is unnerved by his constant staring at her. Recently, Jeremy has been having some weird

nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...

s about a strange woman trying to seduce him, and later he actually encounters that woman named Nora (

Cecilia Peck Cecilia Peck (born May 1, 1958) is an American film producer, director and actress. She is the only daughter of actor Gregory Peck and his second wife Veronique Passani. Career As an actress, Peck was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for '' ...

), who makes an obvious invitation to him, while delivering groceries. His skirt-chasing friend Ralph (Evan Mirand) convinces him to take up the opportunity for a first erotic experience. But the encounter goes badly: First the woman bites him in the neck, then two strangers burst into the house, forcing Jeremy to run for his life. (It's heavily implied Nora was hijacking his dreams to lure him in) The next morning, Jeremy looks pale and does not feel well, and he sees in his father's newspaper that Nora's house has mysteriously burned down. Also, throughout the day he notices a strange man observing him. This man pops into his bedroom the very next night, introduces himself as Modoc (

) and carefully attempts to relay to Jeremy that he is now a vampire (albeit a living one, not an

undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...

). Jeremy is initially highly skeptical, but a sudden aversion to

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

, an increasing sensitivity to sunlight and craving for blood slowly convince him otherwise. His new vampire "life-style" hampers his attempts to start a relationship with Darla, who has finally become interested in him; otherwise Jeremy begins to adapt to the minor impacts the change has brought to his life. Modoc even gives him a guide book and explains to him that vampires are just like any other

minority group The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...

that has been persecuted over the centuries. Slowly, Jeremy's parents (Kenneth Kimmins and

Fannie Flagg Fannie Flagg (born Patricia Neal; September 21, 1944) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is best known as a semi-regular panelist on the 1973–1982 versions of the game show ''Match Game'' and for the 1987 novel ''Fried Green Toma ...

) notice that their son is behaving "most peculiarly" and begin to suspect that he may be a

and that he is getting mixed up with bad company. To add to the ensuing confusion, the two men who had burst in on Jeremy's adventure are actually vampire hunters: Zealous professor Leopold McCarthy (

) is determined to stop a "vampire

armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...

" with the help of his feeble assistant Grimsdyke (

Paul Willson Paul Lee Willson (born December 25, 1945) is an American film, television and voice actor well known for many roles, including as Paul Krapence on '' Cheers''. He was born in Fairmont, Minnesota, the son of Doris Geraldine and Lee Wilford Willso ...

). They are in the process of tracking their newest victim, but due to a mix-up they believe that Ralph is the vampire. One night, when Jeremy finally begins to exploit his new capabilities and wins back Darla's trust, McCarthy and Grimstyke kidnap Ralph and intend to "free his soul" in a small chapel. Jeremy and Darla arrive in time to save him, but then Jeremy is recognized as a vampire, and only his new-found power of

hypnotism Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

and the timely arrival of Modoc and Nora, who has come back from the dead, manage to save the day. Since McCarthy remains unrelenting, Modoc's female consorts turn McCarthy into a vampire, making a friend out of an enemy. The film ends with the Capellos assuring Jeremy that they love him and to "Just be happy with who you are." Jeremy then introduces Darla to his delightfully surprised parents, while Ralph just shakes his head at the whole hubbub.

Cast

as Jeremy Capello *

as Darla Blake *

as Modoc * Evan Mirand as Ralph *

as Professor Leopold McCarthy *

as Grimsdyke *

as Mrs. Capello * Kenneth Kimmins as Mr. Capello *

as Nora *

Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actor and director. Known for her roles in comedic and dramatic films and television programs, she has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, includ ...

as Helen Blake (credited as Kathy D. Bates) * John Chappell as Buddy Blake * LeeAnne Locken as Candy Andrews (credited as Lee Anne Locken) * Michelle La Vigne as Flo * Harvey Christiansen as George * Erica Zeitlin as Gloria *

Amelia Kinkade Amelia Kinkade (born 1963) is an American actress, dancer, and author. She played Angela Franklin in the horror series Night of the Demons (film series), ''Night of the Demons'', and has written several books about human–animal communication. ...

as Brunette in Punk Bar (credited as Mimi Kincaide)

Production notes

The film was shot in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, and

LaPorte, Texas La Porte ( ) is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Bay Area of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 35,124. La Porte is the fourth-largest incorporated c ...

, and was initially announced under the title ''I Was a Teenage Vampire''.

Other titles

This movie was released under the title ''I Was a Teenage Vampire'' in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

References

External links