"I don t drink...wine."- The Dracula Thread

191012141536

Comments

  • edited November 2018 Posts: 17,757
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Denmark's Claes Bang is Count Dracula in the new BBC DRACULA series. He looks well cast, IMO.

    https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/claes-bang-dracula-bbc-netflix-sherlock-1203038682/

    Remember watching him in Broen a while back.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,136
    Anyone else here who considers Werner Herzog's NOSFERATU: PHANTOM DER NACHT (a.k.a. Nosferatu, the Vampyre) to be the best Dracula film? I love the Hammer films but this one's still my favourite:

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Just watched Blacula for the first time in decades on blu ray... wow, what a time capsule! The N-word used once, faggot multiple times... this was like a TV movie elevated ONLY by the commanding presence of actor William Marshall (Daystrom from the Trek episode "Ultimate Computer", and a stage Shakespearean trained actor much like Shatner). I'm instantly 13 again in the theatre, but with a 21st Century perspective.
  • Posts: 15,125
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Denmark's Claes Bang is Count Dracula in the new BBC DRACULA series. He looks well cast, IMO.

    https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/claes-bang-dracula-bbc-netflix-sherlock-1203038682/

    Better than most I'd say. But I'm worried about this new project.

    My dream would be Jason Isaacs in a faithful adaptation.
  • edited November 2018 Posts: 17,757
    Funny how some websites uses images of Bang laughing when writing about the project :))

    656claesbang.jpg Claes-Bang-speelt-Dracula-in-nieuwe-serie.jpeg

    Wonder if he could be a good casting as a Bond villain too, come to think of it.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited November 2018 Posts: 13,978
    It's tough to put them in order, but Noseraftu: Phantom Der Nacht, Dracula (1931) & Dan Curtis' Dracula, would make up my top three. Same goes for the Dracula actors.
  • Posts: 15,125
    Funny how some websites uses images of Bang laughing when writing about the project :))

    656claesbang.jpg Claes-Bang-speelt-Dracula-in-nieuwe-serie.jpeg

    Wonder if he could be a good casting as a Bond villain too, come to think of it.

    Could do. Let's see first how he turns out as Drac.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Anyone else here who considers Werner Herzog's NOSFERATU: PHANTOM DER NACHT (a.k.a. Nosferatu, the Vampyre) to be the best Dracula film? I love the Hammer films but this one's still my favourite:


    It s a good one, but I like the orignal even better.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    BRAM STOKER S DRACULA (1973) is a tv movie directed by Dan Curtis, and starring Jack Palance. Palance had worked with Curtis before, on THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE five years earlier. It was Palance s portrayal there that inspired Gene Colan s depiction of the Count.

    The premiere on this movie was intended to occur in late 1973, but the spot was taken by a speech by President Nixon concerning Vice President Agnew s resignation, so it was rescheduled for early 1974.

    Coppola used two elements from this tv production: That Dracula and Vlad the Impaler (the historical Dracula) was one and the same, as well as Mina being Dracula s long diseased wife reincarnated.

    Due to Coppola copyrighting the title BRAM STOKER S DRACULA in the early 90s, subsequent releases of the Palance version have been retitled DAN CURTIS DRACULA, or simply DRACULA.
    dan-curtis-macabre-collection-jack-palance.jpg
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,136
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Anyone else here who considers Werner Herzog's NOSFERATU: PHANTOM DER NACHT (a.k.a. Nosferatu, the Vampyre) to be the best Dracula film? I love the Hammer films but this one's still my favourite:


    It s a good one, but I like the orignal even better.

    I like the 1922 version as well but for me the 1979 film betters it slightly due to the music, the cinematography and its overall strangeness. All these elements contribute to a brilliantly eery atmosphere with Klaus Kinski, Bruno Ganz and Isabelle Adjani all giving suitably mysterious performances.

    My top three would also include Hammer’s Dracula (1958) and I’ll add Dracula A.D. 1972 for sheer entertainment value.
  • Posts: 15,125
    BRAM STOKER S DRACULA (1973) is a tv movie directed by Dan Curtis, and starring Jack Palance. Palance had worked with Curtis before, on THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE five years earlier. It was Palance s portrayal there that inspired Gene Colan s depiction of the Count.

    The premiere on this movie was intended to occur in late 1973, but the spot was taken by a speech by President Nixon concerning Vice President Agnew s resignation, so it was rescheduled for early 1974.

    Coppola used two elements from this tv production: That Dracula and Vlad the Impaler (the historical Dracula) was one and the same, as well as Mina being Dracula s long diseased wife reincarnated.

    Due to Coppola copyrighting the title BRAM STOKER S DRACULA in the early 90s, subsequent releases of the Palance version have been retitled DAN CURTIS DRACULA, or simply DRACULA.
    dan-curtis-macabre-collection-jack-palance.jpg

    Dracula and Vlad being one and the same person, or even Dracula being inspired by Vlad, is maybe the biggest literary misconception of the history of horror.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Ludovico wrote: »
    BRAM STOKER S DRACULA (1973) is a tv movie directed by Dan Curtis, and starring Jack Palance. Palance had worked with Curtis before, on THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE five years earlier. It was Palance s portrayal there that inspired Gene Colan s depiction of the Count.

    The premiere on this movie was intended to occur in late 1973, but the spot was taken by a speech by President Nixon concerning Vice President Agnew s resignation, so it was rescheduled for early 1974.

    Coppola used two elements from this tv production: That Dracula and Vlad the Impaler (the historical Dracula) was one and the same, as well as Mina being Dracula s long diseased wife reincarnated.

    Due to Coppola copyrighting the title BRAM STOKER S DRACULA in the early 90s, subsequent releases of the Palance version have been retitled DAN CURTIS DRACULA, or simply DRACULA.
    dan-curtis-macabre-collection-jack-palance.jpg

    Dracula and Vlad being one and the same person, or even Dracula being inspired by Vlad, is maybe the biggest literary misconception of the history of horror.

    I don t know. I think that honour goes to Frankenstein as the name of the monster.

    Palance was offered to return as Dracula several times over the next decade, but declined. A shame, he was a damn good Dracula.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    Ludovico wrote: »
    BRAM STOKER S DRACULA (1973) is a tv movie directed by Dan Curtis, and starring Jack Palance. Palance had worked with Curtis before, on THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE five years earlier. It was Palance s portrayal there that inspired Gene Colan s depiction of the Count.

    The premiere on this movie was intended to occur in late 1973, but the spot was taken by a speech by President Nixon concerning Vice President Agnew s resignation, so it was rescheduled for early 1974.

    Coppola used two elements from this tv production: That Dracula and Vlad the Impaler (the historical Dracula) was one and the same, as well as Mina being Dracula s long diseased wife reincarnated.

    Due to Coppola copyrighting the title BRAM STOKER S DRACULA in the early 90s, subsequent releases of the Palance version have been retitled DAN CURTIS DRACULA, or simply DRACULA.
    dan-curtis-macabre-collection-jack-palance.jpg

    Dracula and Vlad being one and the same person, or even Dracula being inspired by Vlad, is maybe the biggest literary misconception of the history of horror.

    Which I reckon is one of the reasons why some of those recent attempts to tell "the true story of Dracula" are simply horrendous.
  • Posts: 2,918
    In my experience, the "true" story behind any legend is usually a disappointment, as in the cases of Robin Hood, King Arthur, the Illiad, etc.
  • Posts: 15,125
    Revelator wrote: »
    In my experience, the "true" story behind any legend is usually a disappointment, as in the cases of Robin Hood, King Arthur, the Illiad, etc.

    At least the historicity of these characters are at best uncertain. Dracula has the same name as a historical character. Or the surname said true character had. Turns out it's pretty much all Bram Stoker knew about Vlad Tepes. Stoker didn't even know his true name was Vlad!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    ANDY WARHOL S DRACULA (1974) assumedly got the title because Warhol used to hang out with the filmmakers at parties, and came up with a few ideas. Later released as BLOOD FOR DRACULA. Written, produced and directed by Paul Morrissey, and starring Udo Kier as Count Dracula in 1920s Italy.

    A cut version was released in Italy in 1975 with the title DRACULA CERCA SANGUE DI VERGINE E...MORE DI SETE!!! (Dracula is searching for virgins blood and...he s dying of thirst!!!)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    Warhol's experimental Frankenstein and Dracula soft-core porn flicks are two films I can recommend. Not because they're good but because they are quite unique.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I haven t seen the Frankenstein film. Is it similar in style?
  • Posts: 16,169
    I haven t seen the Frankenstein film. Is it similar in style?

    It's a bit more outlandish in the gore department. Udo Kier, Arno Juerging and Joe Dallesandro are in both films. They wrapped FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN at lunchtime, the three actors got haircuts that hour and reported to the set for BLOOD FOR DRACULA immediately.
    I love both films. They're a bit odd and are an acquired taste, really. Very much a different take on those stories, yet to me, still feel classic. Perhaps it's the visual design?
    Udo Kier is great and apparently starved during filming to get the right effect for his Dracula.
    I think the Dracula film is the better of the two, but the Frankenstein movie is a lot of fun. Very over the top.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    I haven t seen the Frankenstein film. Is it similar in style?

    Oh yes, it is. It's almost the same film. I have watched both films a few times now and I keep having trouble telling them apart. It's more of the same. :)
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Yesterday I got to see THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES(1974) for the first time.
    LEGENDOT7GV-PHOTO-1-Article-Photos.jpg

    Directed by Roy Ward Baker, and featuring John Forbes-Robertson as Dracula and Shen Chan aka Chan Shen as his alter ego Kah, both dubbed by David de Keyser, who also provided the voice of Draco in OHMSS. Julie Ege, who played Scandinavian Girl in OHMSS also has a prominent role as a Scandinavian Baroness.

    Lee refused to return for this one, understandably as it must be the dumbest of them all. He played in another Hong Kong martial arts craze film instead that year-TMWTGG.

    Pre title sequence set in Transylvania in 1804 and the rest in China in 1904.

    In the Far East it was released under the title THE 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA and DRACULA AND THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES

    This did so poorly that the planned sequel KALI: THE DEVIL BRIDE OF DRACULA, to be shot in India, was cancelled.
    kali-devil-bride-of-dracula1.jpg
  • Posts: 16,169
    Yesterday I got to see THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES(1974) for the first time.
    LEGENDOT7GV-PHOTO-1-Article-Photos.jpg

    Directed by Roy Ward Baker, and featuring John Forbes-Robertson as Dracula and Shen Chan aka Chan Shen as his alter ego Kah, both dubbed by David de Keyser, who also provided the voice of Draco in OHMSS. Julie Ege, who played Scandinavian Girl in OHMSS also has a prominent role as a Scandinavian Baroness.

    Lee refused to return for this one, understandably as it must be the dumbest of them all. He played in another Hong Kong martial arts craze film instead that year-TMWTGG.

    Pre title sequence set in Transylvania in 1804 and the rest in China in 1904.

    In the Far East it was released under the title THE 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA and DRACULA AND THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES

    This did so poorly that the planned sequel KALI: THE DEVIL BRIDE OF DRACULA, to be shot in India, was cancelled.
    kali-devil-bride-of-dracula1.jpg

    Funny how there are two distinctly different cuts of LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES. It was completely re-edited for the U.S. and released as THE SEVEN BROTHER MEET DRACULA. I believe the U.S. version was about 20 minutes shorter and quite incoherent. The VHS edition from 1998 had both cuts. Wish I still had that.
  • edited December 2018 Posts: 5,994
    In the Far East it was released under the title THE 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA

    Wasn't it The Seven Brothers and their One Sister meet Dracula ? Anyway, stupid title either way. But still, great posters !

    But you see, even if Sir Christopher didn't play Dracula for Hammer, he wasn't really over with the character :

    media.jpg

    I must say that I never saw the movie, but I've read the novel, which wasn't bad at all. Which is normal, given that it was written by Patrick Cauvin, who at the time used his real name, Claude Klotz. The story in short : in the 17th century, a young woman entered the castle of Dracula. Instead of biting her... Well, let's say that nine months later, she gave birth to Valentin, before dying. Later, in the 20th century, both vampires had to flee Romania, and found refuge in Paris. But Valentin soon discovers that the life of a migrant worker is not fun and games. It could even be insufferable if he didn't fall in love qith a charming french girl. Along his misadventures, he'll discover that love renders him human. And his father ? At the end of the novel, we'll discover that he became an actor, playing the vampire for the silver screen (and one day, dying, burned by the morning sun, because he stayed too long with an aspiring actress who wanted a part in his next movie).

    The novel is in fact quite good. I don't know how faithfully the movie adapted it. It was directed by Édouard Molinaro, famous for his comedies, and featured Bernard Ménez as Valentin, and Marie-Hélène Breillat as the girl he falls in love with. The novel itself was published under two different titles : Paris Vampire, and, to capitalize on the movie (901 652 seats at the french box-office) Dracula Père et Fils.

    Next, I'll talk about Dracurella, who deserves a mention.
  • Posts: 16,169
    Gerard wrote: »
    In the Far East it was released under the title THE 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA

    Wasn't it The Seven Brothers and their One Sister meet Dracula ? Anyway, stupid title either way. But still, great posters !

    But you see, even if Sir Christopher didn't play Dracula for Hammer, he wasn't really over with the character :

    media.jpg

    I must say that I never saw the movie, but I've read the novel, which wasn't bad at all. Which is normal, given that it was written by Patrick Cauvin, who at the time used his real name, Claude Klotz. The story in short : in the 17th century, a young woman entered the castle of Dracula. Instead of biting her... Well, let's say that nine months later, she gave birth to Valentin, before dying. Later, in the 20th century, both vampires had to flee Romania, and found refuge in Paris. But Valentin soon discovers that the life of a migrant worker is not fun and games. It could even be insufferable if he didn't fall in love qith a charming french girl. Along his misadventures, he'll discover that love renders him human. And his father ? At the end of the novel, we'll discover that he became an actor, playing the vampire for the silver screen (and one day, dying, burned by the morning sun, because he stayed too long with an aspiring actress who wanted a part in his next movie).

    The novel is in fact quite good. I don't know how faithfully the movie adapted it. It was directed by Édouard Molinaro, famous for his comedies, and featured Bernard Ménez as Valentin, and Marie-Hélène Breillat as the girl he falls in love with. The novel itself was published under two different titles : Paris Vampire, and, to capitalize on the movie (901 652 seats at the french box-office) Dracula Père et Fils.

    Next, I'll talk about Dracurella, who deserves a mention.

    I believe it was promoted as THE SEVEN BROTHERS AND THEIR ONE SISTER MEET DRACULA, but on the screen it read THE 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA

    DRACULA FATHER AND SON
    is an oddity. Apparently in the original French dubs, Lee never felt he was actually playing Dracula. However when the film was dubbed for English speaking audiences it was turned into a Dracula film. His costuming is quite different to his Hammer Dracula movies.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Big Kung Fu fan here, so LOTSGV is a lot of stupid fun for me, Cushing is a BIG plus!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Gerard wrote: »
    In the Far East it was released under the title THE 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA

    Wasn't it The Seven Brothers and their One Sister meet Dracula ? Anyway, stupid title either way. But still, great posters !

    But you see, even if Sir Christopher didn't play Dracula for Hammer, he wasn't really over with the character :

    media.jpg

    I must say that I never saw the movie, but I've read the novel, which wasn't bad at all. Which is normal, given that it was written by Patrick Cauvin, who at the time used his real name, Claude Klotz. The story in short : in the 17th century, a young woman entered the castle of Dracula. Instead of biting her... Well, let's say that nine months later, she gave birth to Valentin, before dying. Later, in the 20th century, both vampires had to flee Romania, and found refuge in Paris. But Valentin soon discovers that the life of a migrant worker is not fun and games. It could even be insufferable if he didn't fall in love qith a charming french girl. Along his misadventures, he'll discover that love renders him human. And his father ? At the end of the novel, we'll discover that he became an actor, playing the vampire for the silver screen (and one day, dying, burned by the morning sun, because he stayed too long with an aspiring actress who wanted a part in his next movie).

    The novel is in fact quite good. I don't know how faithfully the movie adapted it. It was directed by Édouard Molinaro, famous for his comedies, and featured Bernard Ménez as Valentin, and Marie-Hélène Breillat as the girl he falls in love with. The novel itself was published under two different titles : Paris Vampire, and, to capitalize on the movie (901 652 seats at the french box-office) Dracula Père et Fils.

    Next, I'll talk about Dracurella, who deserves a mention.

    And two years prior to that, in 1974, came SON OF DRACULA directed by Freddie Francis, a musical comedy starring Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr. Ihaven t bothered watching it, but Dan Meaden plays Dracula-the father of Nilsson s character Count Downe.

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    1974 was quite the Dracula year. It also saw the release of VAMPIRA (aka OLD DRACULA in the US),directed by Clive Donner and starring David Niven as Dracula.
    Freddie Jones was in this as well as SON OF DRACULA and THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA.Nadim Sawallha who played Aziz Fekkesh in TSWLM has a part.
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQFXmKD6NFRWh02Lxh3R5RzaeaAx9QwUcqvg788geh5VFg0VVNA
  • Posts: 16,169
    I've never watched the Ringo SON OF DRACULA a.k.a COUNT DOWNE or whatever it was called. I'm not sure it's been made available for home video either on VHS, DVD or Blu-ray. Maybe it has? If I ever were to find it for a couple bucks, though I 'd pick it up.
    I believe Frampton is in it as well as Ringo.


    OLD DRACULA
    I saw on TV several times as a kid and always wished I were watching a real Dracula movie instead. I'd probably at least appreciate it more now, but I do remember it being pretty bad.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Son of Dracula is really hard to come by, but there is a poor quality upload available on Youtube.
  • Posts: 16,169
    Son of Dracula is really hard to come by, but there is a poor quality upload available on Youtube.

    Just found it. It actually has an interesting look to it. Ringo looks funny.
Sign In or Register to comment.