Re: World Dracula Day

On 5/27/2024 12:22 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:

anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:

May 26, in honor of the publication of the original novel.
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What will you watch to celebrate?
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I’ve got the Dan Curtis/Jack Palance version going right now with music
from dark shadows. It’s a pretty good and a pretty faithful adaptation.
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Available on the Peacock, it’s a good copy in 16:9 with the ads front
loaded so it runs uninterrupted.
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Next up, I found the excellent 1977 Louis Jourdon version on the gray.
>

 

Louis Jorudan played Dracula?!?  Why am I only just now hearing about this?

Asking the DVR to show me movies with Dracula in the title return 120 hits!
 I tried to watch the animated Batman and Dracula, but it was far too poorly
made.
 Same notation for the 1992 Coppola version.
I hadn’t suffered through it since opening night in the theater. I was
laughing at the massive ineptitude and cringing at the parent intentional
stupidity. What a terrible terrible movie at every level.
 

I saw this in the theater back in 92 and at the time thought to myself this is not a good movie.  But I was just a preteen and all the professional critics seemed to insist the movie was great.  So I figured what do I know, it must be good.  And over the years I've grown to not mind watching it.

 From the writing (“he went to face a hoard from which he might never
return!” Wait, what?) To the acting to the laughable costumes (red plastic
kabuki armor? Really?) To Mike Magnola’s idiot, giant penis castles.
 I remember being incensed at them, trying to sell it as a faithful version
and all the movie reviewers who are too stupid to read buying into it. Much
of it is stolen from the Jack Palance version and some from the Louis
Jordan version as well.
 

Never saw a Jack Palance version either.

The one thing all these films have in common is that they get the year it
takes place wrong.
 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein gave me both my black-and-white and
my Bela Lugosi as Dracula fixes.
 DRACULA, 2000
“The first Dracula movie of the 21st-century! The first Dracula movie of
the new millennium!“ Screamed the advertisements!
 

Shout Factory just released a new blu-ray with a 2K restoration of the print.  I haven't picked it up yet, but I plan on getting it in time for a Dracula movie marathon in the near future.

Idiots.
 I like this movie. And it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it in the correct
aspect ratio all the way through! They usually run just the titles
widescreen and then zoom in for the movie itself.
 And, Jennifer Esposito at her very hottest!
 The were an incredible number of mashup offered to me (Bonnie and Clyde
meet Dracula?) But none of them were free.
 

According to my great aunt either Clyde or I think members of Clyde's gang are distant relatives.  I saw a picture of him dressed like a gangster straight out of a Hollywood movie.  I really should read up on them at some point.