Losing blood is usually not the most appealing idea on the planet. Leeches and creepy nurses with syringes come to mind. If you’ve got to drop a quart or two, however, it may as well be at the hands -- or fangs -- of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. In “Interview With the Vampire,” neither vampirical tendencies nor bad dye jobs could dampen this pair’s sex appeal. (Francois Duhamel / For the Times)
By Jevon Phillips, Stephanie Lysaght, Denise Martin and Patrick Kevin Day
UNSEXY
Part of the appeal of vampirism is its promise of escape from the hum-drum drudgery of normal life; party all night, sleep all day -- that sort of thing. But what happens when that kind of becomes the rule, not the exception? That’s what you see in “Daybreakers,” which stars Ethan Hawke and Sam Neil as vampires in a world overtaken by vampirism. No, it’s not a lot of castles and coffins and flying bats. It’s mostly like our world, with commutes and annoying bosses and suburban houses. (Ben Rothstein / Associated Press)