Long before he took on the Taxman, Snipes was battling those other blood-suckers, vampires ... as a vampire. Well, half vampire, half human (see below). From director Stephen Norrington (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), the film was adapted from the Marvel comic series of the same name, which began in 1973 by Marv Wolfman. Snipes was originally in discussions to portray another early black comic superhero Black Panther in his own movie, but leapt at Blade when the Black Panther project fell through. The impressive Blade II (2002) and the underwhelming Blade: Trinity (2004) followed.

"... Blade's mother was attacked by a vampire while she was pregnant. She died, but he lived. Unfortunately, he'd undergone certain genetic changes. He can withstand garlic, silver, even sunlight. And he's got their strength. This time tomorrow, all those wounds of his will be healed. He still ages like a human, though. You see, vampires age slower than us. Unfortunately, he also inherited their thirst - The Whistler (Kris Kristofferson)