Habit

In 1997, the movie Habit was released, written and directed and starred in by Larry Fessenden. This is an independent movie with no major stars. If you have to see one vampire movie, this is the one you cannot miss.

This movie is one of those simple movies that is gritty and realistic in such a way that it seems it could be real. The people in the movie are not overly attractive and the places are not overly lavish. The story is about Sam, a guy who is down on his luck: his girlfriend is separating from him, his father has just died, work is hectic. But he has some friends that are really close, and when two of his best friends host a Halloween party, he meets Anna. Anna becomes his companion and lover, but we soon learn (as does Sam) that she's really vampire slowly sucking him dry. The story builds to a confrontation between Sam and Anna which will lead you breathless.

The interesting thing about this movie is the slow introduction of the vampire traits. Immediately, we notice that Anna seems to appear and disappear out of thin air. She never eats or drinks either. We see her bite his lip at one point early on, but each encounter seems to be a little more intense. The introduction of the vampire traits are so subtle that they are hardly noticeable most of the time. And if you really look, you will references to classic vampire lore. Lenny is a reference to Lucy from Dracula. The old professor (I believe he was Mr. Lyons?) was like Van Helsing. Even the boat at the beginning and end was like the abandoned ship that arrives at port in Dracula. The most obscure vampire reference is the fact that vampires are entranced by knobby ornate lacy things, which is shown when Anna gets enthralled by Rae's grandmother's dress. Also, the old references of the crucifix, garlic, and being invited inside are all present. Either way, this movie is filled with vampire references that most won't catch, and even less will recognize.

I highly recommend this movie. For a vampire movie, it's not scary and not meant to be. It is basically a love story between a man and a succubus. I believe that like all vampire movies, this movie is a metaphor, and I believe the metaphor in this movie is about love. There is a great scene between Sam and Anna where they are talking about love, and he says that love always ends in pain, at least that his experience. And Anna tells him that men like to fall in love, but they don't like to stay in love. There is a lot of nudity and sex in this movie, which only points to two things: love and vulnerability. Both of which are portrayed perfectly. If you want to see the most realistic vampire movie ever made, check this one out.

ps - an interesting tidbit is that this is actually a remake. Larry Fessenden made Habit in 1980 for a film class, then remade it as an independent feature in 1997, and claims he isn't opposed to making it again.

Unfortunately, I can't find a trailer for you. You'll just have to find the movie!