Monthly Archives: March 2017

Movie review: Dracula Untold (2014)

06 Monday Mar 2017

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OUR FINAL entry into the Dracula reboot section looking back at Universal Horror movies is the most recent.

In this instance, the idea was to go back and tell an origin story (Will they ever learn?) behind Cinema’s most infamous villain.

Unofficially, this film is part of the ‘new Universal Horror’ franchise, but not necessarily part of the merged universe at this stage.

Universal Pictures definitely want to go all out with the release of The Mummy starting Tom Cruise, which is set to land mid-way through the year.

And whether or not Dracula makes another appearance down the track Dracula Untold marks a turning point for the film production company that allows them to bring ‘their’ monsters to a new generation.

When the movie was first being tauted, Alex Proyas had been listed to direct with the title, Dracula: Year Zero, which I can only have been a cross between Batman Begins and The Crow.

That would have been an interesting premise.

As it stands though, the title changed and directorial duties fell to Gary Shore.

Yeah, we’ve never heard of him either, but he does share the birthplace of Dublin with the creator of Dracula, Bram Stoker, and he has since gone on to direct a short segment as part of the feature, Holidays.

Essentially we see Vlad, protect his lands from the Turkish Empire, only to need to defend his people once more when he refuses to give up his son and 1,000 other boys to said Empire.

It’s a moment that furies the Sultan, played by Dominic Cooper, who looks like he’s loving the opportunity to play the villain of the piece.

So, Vlad has to turn to a chance encounter, Charles Dance living in a mountain, who is evil incarnate and as we know it the true darkness, a vampire that would turn Vlad into the infamous Count Dracula that we know and love today.

If Vlad can resist the need to feed, he will return as normal within 3 days, but as we all know that won’t happen or the legend will never begin.

Tragedy will strike and it will involve his family, the only things that tie Vlad to this world.

The film is unequivocally carried by Luke Evans as Dracula with his charismatic charms and devotion to his family.

Plus he’s ripped as fuck, which helps.

There are some support roles that would suggest the casting agent spooled through the Game of thrones cast, with the likes of Charles Dance, Paul Kaye, and Art Parkinson all playing significant roles, but all of them can’t help to disguise the lack in plot and storyline, and the absence of depth in the characters.

It feels like a paint by numbers piece, but instead of paint, the filmmakers are using state of the art CGI for their palette.

It’s all style, no substance and one can only wonder what the movie would look like if Luke Evans weren’t there to push the momentum forward.

And with an open ending, Universal definitely had great plans for this franchise.

But with a poor critical reaction to the release, it doesn’t bode well, unless The Mummy can unravel all the criticism that came about and bring Dracula back from the dead.

I guess we’ll find out in June.

  • Paul Farrell

LINKS:
Dracula Movies on Hammer Horror Productions

 

Movie review: Dracula (1979)

04 Saturday Mar 2017

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IT WOULD BE forty-eight years before Universal would look to reboot the Dracula franchise for the silver screen. 

A lot had changed in the world since then and because of that we’re presented with a much more sexually charged Dracula.

A far cry from Bela Lugosi’s representation.

I’d never seen this version before writing this review and upon watching this version, I saw so many images that were reflected twenty years on with Bram Stoker’s Dracula directed by Francis Ford Coppola, including Gary Oldman’s hair.

But this was 1979 and Coppola’s version was not yet on his radar. 

He was knee deep in Apocalypse Now terrain at the time.

In this instance, directorial duties fell to British-American John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, Blue Thunder, WarGames, Short Circuit).

His leading man would be Frank Langella, (Skeletor folks!!) who seems to carry such sinister presence on screen, whether he is portraying Nixon, Boris Balkan, or in this case, Dracula himself.

There’s actually a lot like in this version of the Dracula story.

With the Tagline “A Love Story”, the focus on romance suited Langella’s dashing stature alongside Kate Nelligan as Lucy, (not Mina in a decision where these roles would be switched from the novel).

The film would dive straight into the action too, jumping straight on board the ship Demeter, as it crashes of the coast of Whitby.

There is a lot of focus on Dracula’s transformative states, be it wolf or bat, to great effect for its time.

There are great support roles too with Trevor Eve’s stoic Jonathan Harker, Lawrence Olivier’s restrained performance of Van Helsing, and the always brilliant, Donald Pleasence as Dr Seward.

Yes it does take liberties with some of the choices narratively speaking but it’s an enjoyable movie all the same that comes highly recommended from the Surgeons team.

  • Paul Farrell

LINKS:
Dracula Movies on Hammer Horror Productions

Movie review: Dracula (1931) Spanish version

04 Saturday Mar 2017

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IN MY IGNORANCE I completely dismissed this movie when I first saw it available as an extra on my DVD.

Basically because I decided to have my snob hat on and thought to myself, “What is the point of watching a movie that is a ‘carbon copy’ of the original?”

It was only when I started to pay more attention that I realised that this movie deserves a lot more recognition.

During the early days of sound in film, Hollywood studios would often film foreign language versions of the movie using the the same sets and costumes as the original version.

In this instance, the Spanish speaking cast and crew would film in the evenings once the English version had wrapped for the day.

But here’s the interesting part.

The crew was allowed to see the daily rushes from the English crew and therefore were able to learn and in some cases improve on the original, purely because they were free to experiment and try new ways to shoot the script.

In some cases, critics have praised the movie and proclaimed that technically speaking, it’s a far superior film.

There are some obvious differences that stand both movies apart.

While some of the shots are bold and adventurous for the time, particularly that of Dracula’s first appearance, coming out from behind a coffin surrounded by smoke simply adds to the mystery of his character.

In some cases though it does feel that some of the shots used are there just for the sake of being different and don’t add to the story.

Unfortunately, it does feel that Carlos Villarías (Dracula) and Eduardo Arozamena (Van Helsing) are lesser than there English counterparts.

Let’s face it, it’s hard to top Lugosi’s signature turn at the titular character.

But Pablo Alvarez Rubio cuts a fine turn as Renfield and gives Dwight Frye a run for his money. 

Choosing a more hysterical performance, his descent into madness is a joy to watch.

Likewise is Lupita Tovar, who could rival the likes of Hollywood’s greatest with her grace, beauty, and intelligence.

She steals most of the scenes that she is in and makes the desperation of her male co-stars to save her soul all the more plausible.

A must-see for fans of the genre.

  • Paul Farrell

LINKS:
Dracula Movies on Hammer Horror Productions

Movie review: Dracula (1931)

03 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in Universal Horror

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The thirties would prove to be a truly golden era for Universal Pictures opening the way for greatest horror monsters to grace the silver screen ranging from Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and The Mummy.

Leading the charge though, was one of THE most iconic characters, Count Dracula.

Based on the novel by Bram Stoker, the creature of the night, the nosferatu who oozes charm would need to have an enigmatic personality to portray him.

And Universal would find their man in Hungarian born Bela Lugosi, who made his name capturing the titular character on stage before winning the role for the film, despite not being the first choice.

Cinematic history would be made though the moment Lugosi saunters across the screen and speaks with his authentic Eastern European tones that sent women swooning.

But it wasn’t just Lugosi’s performance that would captivate and would path the way for Dracula to become a classic in its own right.

Almost stealing the limelight from Lugosi came through the guise of Dwight Frye’s maniacal portrayal of Renfield.

His haunting laugh sends chills to the bone and Frye injects enough erratic energy that it pushes the picture forward with adequate momentum and is a delightful contrast to Lugosi’s slow and decisive movements.

Combine that with Edward Van Sloan’s Van Helsing, a performance that set up a precedence for all those that would follow in his footsteps as Dracula’s key nemesis.

Above all of this though, credit should be bestowed upon the director, Tod Browning.

His career had been carved through his strong career, starting in the silent era back in 1917 with Jim Blumbo.

Browning would go on to form a formidable pairing with actor Lon Chaney in a total of 10 films together, including The Unholy Three, and the awesome movie, The Unknown, which also featured Joan Crawford.

Dracula wouldn’t even be Browning’s first foray into the vampire genre, directing London After Midnight four years prior.

He would also go on to direct cult favourite Freaks…“One of us. One of Us!” a year after Dracula was released.

Interestingly though, Browning’s detailed approach was strangely absent and rumours have circulated since that the production was often in disarray.

Browning even left much of the direction with cinematographer Karl Freund although he would never be officially credited for his involvement.

Despite this, the film was ultimately a success and would spawn a series of gothic horror movies that would stretch a further couple of decades and a further five more sequels.

  • Saul Muerte

LINKS:
Dracula Movies on Hammer Horror Productions