“The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” which spotlights the doomed ship in Bram Stoker’s oft-adapted 1897 novel, is the second Dracula film released in 2023 after “Renfield.” Both take generous liberties with the source material, which brings up the question: Out of the 200-some films about the famous Count, which ones are the most faithful?
Here’s our ranking of some of the most popular, and a few lesser-known, Dracula adaptations.
Universal
8. Renfield (2023)
Pretty much the only thing this horror comedy has in common with the novel is Nicholas Hoult as the bug-eating title character and a delightfully campy Nicolas Cage as his bloodthirsty boss. The movie brings them both into the 21st century, makes Renfield an ass-kicking hero and swaps out Lucy and Mina for Awkwafina’s incorruptible cop.
Miramax
7. Dracula 2000 (2000)
The film begins with a shot of the wrecked Demeter and footprints in the sand as Dracula heads to town.
Here’s our ranking of some of the most popular, and a few lesser-known, Dracula adaptations.
Universal
8. Renfield (2023)
Pretty much the only thing this horror comedy has in common with the novel is Nicholas Hoult as the bug-eating title character and a delightfully campy Nicolas Cage as his bloodthirsty boss. The movie brings them both into the 21st century, makes Renfield an ass-kicking hero and swaps out Lucy and Mina for Awkwafina’s incorruptible cop.
Miramax
7. Dracula 2000 (2000)
The film begins with a shot of the wrecked Demeter and footprints in the sand as Dracula heads to town.
- 8/12/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Walpurgisnacht, also known as Walpurgis Night or Hexennacht, is a pagan holiday celebrated on the night of April 30th. It is named after Saint Walpurga, an eighth-century nun who Christianized parts of Germany. However, the holiday has roots in pagan traditions that celebrate the coming of spring and the triumph of life over death. It is also associated with witchcraft and supernatural phenomena, making it a perfect occasion to indulge in some spine-chilling horror films.
So, grab some popcorn and get ready for a night of scares with these ten chilling recommendations for Walpurgisnacht.
1. Dracula (1931)
What better way to kick off Walpurgisnacht than with the most iconic vampire movie of all time? Dracula (1931) stars Bela Lugosi as the titular count who travels from Transylvania to England to spread his curse of the undead. The beginning of the film is actually set on Walpurgisnacht, as Renfield (Dwight Frye) arrives at Dracula...
So, grab some popcorn and get ready for a night of scares with these ten chilling recommendations for Walpurgisnacht.
1. Dracula (1931)
What better way to kick off Walpurgisnacht than with the most iconic vampire movie of all time? Dracula (1931) stars Bela Lugosi as the titular count who travels from Transylvania to England to spread his curse of the undead. The beginning of the film is actually set on Walpurgisnacht, as Renfield (Dwight Frye) arrives at Dracula...
- 4/30/2023
- by Kimberley Elizabeth
Stakes, silver-tipped canes, and torches are all dependable ways to kill off the classic Universal Monsters. But the one common, unifying monster-slayer they are all powerless against is poor box office. This was very clearly communicated by the failure of Renfield, Universal’s attempt at resurrecting Dracula and his title sidekick in a modern horror-comedy where Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) acted more like a supernatural superhero than the simpering, wild-eyed Dwight Frye of old.
Not even the Scenery-Chewer Supreme that is Nicolas Cage could save Renfield from a meager $8 million opening weekend haul that saw the movie have its lunch eaten by Russell Crowe in The Pope’s Exorcist. This isn’t the first attempt either in the last 10 or 20 years to drag the undead out of their graves: Van Helsing (2004), The Wolfman (2010), Dracula Untold (2014), and the disastrous The Mummy (2017) all climbed back into the Universal Monsters’ tombs as quickly as possible,...
Not even the Scenery-Chewer Supreme that is Nicolas Cage could save Renfield from a meager $8 million opening weekend haul that saw the movie have its lunch eaten by Russell Crowe in The Pope’s Exorcist. This isn’t the first attempt either in the last 10 or 20 years to drag the undead out of their graves: Van Helsing (2004), The Wolfman (2010), Dracula Untold (2014), and the disastrous The Mummy (2017) all climbed back into the Universal Monsters’ tombs as quickly as possible,...
- 4/24/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Chris McKay's new horror/comedy "Renfield" has a whimsical premise: it seems that when Count Dracula was vanquished at the end of Tod Browning's famed 1931 feature film "Dracula," he wasn't quite dead. His weaselly assistant Renfield, played in 1931 by the incomparable Dwight Frye, absconded with Dracula's remains and went into hiding. Renfield, now immortal and made powerful by eating bugs, stalked the night to find victims for his still-barely-alive vampire master. Dracula would drink blood, slowly grow back from the brink, and eventually be a whole monster once again. Once empowered, however, Dracula would go a little hog wild and being drinking the blood of nobles willy-nilly. This would inspire another round of attacks, Dracula would be vanquished once again, and the cycle would repeat.
"Renfield" catches up with Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) in the modern day while Dracula is in one of his recovery periods.
"Renfield" catches up with Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) in the modern day while Dracula is in one of his recovery periods.
- 4/22/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
With the release of Renfield, Nicolas Cage gets to fulfill one of his bucket list roles. He stated that the three roles he wanted to play eventually were Superman, Captain Nemo, and Dracula. He missed his chance for Superman but has at least knocked Dracula off his list. Now that the film has been released, we can see all the fun references to the Dracula lore. What Renfield Easter Eggs did you miss?
WArning!!!! There will be spoilers for Renfield ahead!
Dracula 1931 Footage
Director Chris McKay wanted to do everything he could to tie this film back to the original 1931 Dracula film starring Bela Lugosi. The font and style of the Renfield poster mimics that of the original poster. In the film, we see scenes from the original film recreated using the modern actors portraying the characters. Not only are the moments recreated, but the actors...
WArning!!!! There will be spoilers for Renfield ahead!
Dracula 1931 Footage
Director Chris McKay wanted to do everything he could to tie this film back to the original 1931 Dracula film starring Bela Lugosi. The font and style of the Renfield poster mimics that of the original poster. In the film, we see scenes from the original film recreated using the modern actors portraying the characters. Not only are the moments recreated, but the actors...
- 4/19/2023
- by Bryan Wolford
- JoBlo.com
Inevitable comparisons are going be made between Bela Lugosi's classic Universal monster in Tod Browning's 1931 "Dracula" and Nicolas Cage's homage to the character in the new action comedy "Renfield," especially when director Chris McKay refers to the film as a "quasi-sequel" to the original. McKay's version certainly takes liberties with the material, catching up with Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) 90 years after Browning's masterpiece. Renfield realizes he's been in an extremely lengthy toxic relationship with his master while he sits in on group therapy sessions looking for potential victims. The abuse that Renfield suffers dates all the way back to their original meeting, prompting McKay and writers Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ridley to return to the scene of the crime in the opening prologue for "Renfield."
McKay and his team came up with the idea to essentially replace Lugosi and the original actor to play Renfield, Dwight Frye, with...
McKay and his team came up with the idea to essentially replace Lugosi and the original actor to play Renfield, Dwight Frye, with...
- 4/14/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
When Nicolas Cage was cast as Dracula in "Renfield," it felt like the universe was finally giving something back to genre fans. The planets had aligned, and one of the most unique actors of his generation was getting the chance to sink his teeth into one of the most iconic horror roles in cinema history. In his review of the film, /Film's Chris Evangelista says that Cage delivers but the movie "can't come close to matching the actor's wacko energy."
Director Chris McKay's action comedy horror hybrid puts the dark lord's faithful, bug-eating servant, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), in the spotlight this time around to make a loose-fitting legacy sequel to Tod Browning's original 1931 masterpiece starring Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye. The characters of Dracula and Renfield are embedded in our pop culture lexicon and they've both appeared in countless versions of Bram Stoker's classic tale over the last century.
Director Chris McKay's action comedy horror hybrid puts the dark lord's faithful, bug-eating servant, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), in the spotlight this time around to make a loose-fitting legacy sequel to Tod Browning's original 1931 masterpiece starring Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye. The characters of Dracula and Renfield are embedded in our pop culture lexicon and they've both appeared in countless versions of Bram Stoker's classic tale over the last century.
- 4/14/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
Plot: Dracula’s long-suffering familiar Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult, has finally started to acknowledge the toxic relationship that he has been in for over a hundred years. One day he meets Traffic Officer Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina), who inspires him to finally stand up to the lord of the vampires, Dracula (Nicolas Cage).
Review: Renfield is director Chris McKay’s (The Tomorrow War) blatant love letter to Dracula, with it even going so far as to recreate parts of the Universal Monsters black and white classic. It’s pretty amusing seeing Cage dressed up like Bela Lugosi in the iconic 1931 black and white horror film, with Hoult channeling Dwight Frye.
The film is a black comedy but with a surprisingly strong message about abusive relationships. Hoult plays Renfield as the victim of the ultimate narcissist, Dracula. Sure, you have your classic Dracula lines like “Renfield, come to your dark lord...
Review: Renfield is director Chris McKay’s (The Tomorrow War) blatant love letter to Dracula, with it even going so far as to recreate parts of the Universal Monsters black and white classic. It’s pretty amusing seeing Cage dressed up like Bela Lugosi in the iconic 1931 black and white horror film, with Hoult channeling Dwight Frye.
The film is a black comedy but with a surprisingly strong message about abusive relationships. Hoult plays Renfield as the victim of the ultimate narcissist, Dracula. Sure, you have your classic Dracula lines like “Renfield, come to your dark lord...
- 4/14/2023
- by David Arroyo
- JoBlo.com
In “Renfield,” the title character, played by Nicholas Hoult, is desperate to end his centuries’ long codependent relationship with his master, the legendary vampire Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage). Director Chris McKay and writers Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ridley knew they needed to quickly establish the long history of Renfield and Dracula from the outset, and their method to do so led to one of the most delightfully entertaining and technically impressive openings in horror movie history — and they reached back into horror movie history to achieve it.
The prologue that begins “Renfield” takes us through the film’s core relationship by placing the actors in scenes from Tod Browning’s 1931 “Dracula,” the first of the classic Universal monster movies that inspired and influenced McKay.
The montage of classic moments in which Cage and Hoult take the place of Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye is both an affectionate tribute and an effective means of exposition,...
The prologue that begins “Renfield” takes us through the film’s core relationship by placing the actors in scenes from Tod Browning’s 1931 “Dracula,” the first of the classic Universal monster movies that inspired and influenced McKay.
The montage of classic moments in which Cage and Hoult take the place of Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye is both an affectionate tribute and an effective means of exposition,...
- 4/14/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
(from left) Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) and Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield, directed by Chris McKay. Courtesy of Universal
The horror comedy Renfield gives the Dracula story gets a modern twist by re-imagining the vampire’s servant Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult, as in a co-dependent relationship with his demanding boss/ master Dracula, played with scenery-chewing glee and comic menace by Nicolas Cage. A big part of the real fun of this very bloody horror comedy is in it fabulous recreations of Tod Browning’s classic 1931 Dracula with Bela Lugosi. Hoult does an impressive Dwight Frye as Renfield impression, including that crazy laugh, in these sequences (and occasionally throughout the movie). Nicolas Cage mimics the elegant Bela Lugosi in the recreations of Tod Browning’s classic but otherwise Cage’s Dracula is his own mix of monsters, drawing on more on Christopher Lee and others than Lugosi.
Actually, a lot of...
The horror comedy Renfield gives the Dracula story gets a modern twist by re-imagining the vampire’s servant Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult, as in a co-dependent relationship with his demanding boss/ master Dracula, played with scenery-chewing glee and comic menace by Nicolas Cage. A big part of the real fun of this very bloody horror comedy is in it fabulous recreations of Tod Browning’s classic 1931 Dracula with Bela Lugosi. Hoult does an impressive Dwight Frye as Renfield impression, including that crazy laugh, in these sequences (and occasionally throughout the movie). Nicolas Cage mimics the elegant Bela Lugosi in the recreations of Tod Browning’s classic but otherwise Cage’s Dracula is his own mix of monsters, drawing on more on Christopher Lee and others than Lugosi.
Actually, a lot of...
- 4/14/2023
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This article contains massive spoilers for "Renfield."Count Dracula is a character whose attributes vary over the decades of different adaptations on stage, page, and screen. Some versions of Dracula show him using fangs to drain his victims of blood while others do not. The Count may or may not be able to transform himself into various animals (ranging from a bat to a wolf), he may or may not possess extraordinary strength, he may or may not have a peculiar aversion to garlic, and so on.
Yet although only some versions of Dracula find him utilizing a faithful servant (aka a Familiar), one of the vampire's powers that has never left him is that of bringing ordinary humans under his thrall. Sometimes this power is akin to a combination of mentalism and charm, and sometimes it's full-on supernaturally-powered hypnosis, but Dracula is always able to bring those he wishes...
Yet although only some versions of Dracula find him utilizing a faithful servant (aka a Familiar), one of the vampire's powers that has never left him is that of bringing ordinary humans under his thrall. Sometimes this power is akin to a combination of mentalism and charm, and sometimes it's full-on supernaturally-powered hypnosis, but Dracula is always able to bring those he wishes...
- 4/13/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) in ‘Renfield’ (Photo © 2023 Universal Studios)
Renfield’s a fun, albeit lightweight, take on Dracula and his bug-eating minion, lifted by the entertaining performances of Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage. There are exploding heads, an ample smattering of blood, guts, and gore, and the creative use of disembodied arms as weapons. But for all its onscreen carnage, this R-rated horror comedy is really just a campy good time, forgettable yet enjoyable enough while it lasts.
It’s a no-brainer to cast Nicolas Cage as Dracula, and the Oscar-winning actor sinks his teeth into the role with a joyous, demented glee. Very seldom is Renfield’s Dracula viewed as an actual threat to humanity, despite the film’s simple plot which suggests Dracula is positioning himself as a god who desires to be worshipped by his food source.
The film sets up the relationship between...
Renfield’s a fun, albeit lightweight, take on Dracula and his bug-eating minion, lifted by the entertaining performances of Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage. There are exploding heads, an ample smattering of blood, guts, and gore, and the creative use of disembodied arms as weapons. But for all its onscreen carnage, this R-rated horror comedy is really just a campy good time, forgettable yet enjoyable enough while it lasts.
It’s a no-brainer to cast Nicolas Cage as Dracula, and the Oscar-winning actor sinks his teeth into the role with a joyous, demented glee. Very seldom is Renfield’s Dracula viewed as an actual threat to humanity, despite the film’s simple plot which suggests Dracula is positioning himself as a god who desires to be worshipped by his food source.
The film sets up the relationship between...
- 4/13/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Bram Stoker's 1897 novel "Dracula" is told in epistolary form, and begins with the character of Jonathan Harker trekking into the Carpathian Mountains to close a real estate deal with a mysterious, elusive Eastern European count. The Count, a small smiling bald man with a mustache, is none other than Dracula, an ancient vampire that feeds on human blood and is in league with Satan. Dracula signs the paperwork, locks Jonathan in his dilapidated castle with a trio of succubi, and takes a ship to England. Jonathan will eventually escape to Budapest, but Dracula is still at large, ready to infiltrate England.
Later in the novel, it will be revealed that Dracula has been psychically convening with a local mental patient named Renfield, currently locked up in a British asylum. Dracula will use Renfield to infiltrate homes and drink his victims' blood. Renfield's role in Stoker's novel is relatively small,...
Later in the novel, it will be revealed that Dracula has been psychically convening with a local mental patient named Renfield, currently locked up in a British asylum. Dracula will use Renfield to infiltrate homes and drink his victims' blood. Renfield's role in Stoker's novel is relatively small,...
- 4/13/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Nicolas Cage has never been better than he is in the pitch-black horror-comedy Vampire’s Kiss (1988), playing the role of a Manhattan yuppie convinced he’s been turned into an immortal bloodsucker. Cage acts in the film with feral sincerity, burrowing deep enough into the madness to find some childlike desire to be seen and loved. He also found the most unthinkable ways of delivering straightforward lines. “Am I getting through to you, Alva?”; “I never misfiled anything! Not once. Not one time!”. They’re inconsequential on paper, but by the sheer, weird force of how he said them, they’ve been immortalised in meme form.
Cage was born to play a vampire. Renfield, then, feels like the long-withheld fulfilment of a promise – the actor finally gets to play the biggest vampire of them all, Dracula. His performance is faultless. There’s an elegance in the Old World elongation of his...
Cage was born to play a vampire. Renfield, then, feels like the long-withheld fulfilment of a promise – the actor finally gets to play the biggest vampire of them all, Dracula. His performance is faultless. There’s an elegance in the Old World elongation of his...
- 4/13/2023
- by Clarisse Loughrey
- The Independent - Film
My first proper introduction to Dracula was the 1931 Tod Browning film starring Bela Lugosi. Released the same year as James Whale’s equally seminal Frankenstein, Lugosi’s Transylvanian count would shape the pop culture image of vampires in the century to come. Even so, according to conventional wisdom the movie aged far worse than ol’ flattop. And to be sure, Browning’s direction is largely static, the script stagey (with it being based on a play instead of the Bram Stoker novel), and all the best scenes occur inside of the first 20 minutes. But Lugosi? He remains forever, preternaturally magnetic.
Much of this common critique is true, but there is one other virtue to this Universal chiller that’s gone largely overlooked: R.M. Renfield. Created for the screen by character actor Dwight Frye, this previously minor subplot in Stoker’s book became the veritable protagonist—a poor, dim schmuck...
Much of this common critique is true, but there is one other virtue to this Universal chiller that’s gone largely overlooked: R.M. Renfield. Created for the screen by character actor Dwight Frye, this previously minor subplot in Stoker’s book became the veritable protagonist—a poor, dim schmuck...
- 4/13/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
The original 1931 Universal Monsters movie Dracula opens with an introduction to Renfield (Dwight Frye) as he travels to Transylvania to solidify business plans with Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), only to wind up his raving mad servant instead. Director Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War) and writer Ryan Ridley (“Rick and Morty”) seamlessly tie their modern reimagining of the characters to the original Universal classic before skipping ahead to the present day in horror-comedy Renfield. The leap simultaneously establishes the reverence for the horror classics as well as an anemic shorthand in the storytelling.
After the impressive introductory sequence that sees Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage composited into the 1931 film to explain their history together, we meet Renfield (Hoult) in the present as a long-suffering henchman to his narcissistic boss, Dracula (Cage). Despite an early attempt by vampire hunters to free Renfield from Dracula’s grip, Renfield remains a miserable yet loyal...
After the impressive introductory sequence that sees Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage composited into the 1931 film to explain their history together, we meet Renfield (Hoult) in the present as a long-suffering henchman to his narcissistic boss, Dracula (Cage). Despite an early attempt by vampire hunters to free Renfield from Dracula’s grip, Renfield remains a miserable yet loyal...
- 4/12/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
There have been so many variations and film versions of Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula, from 1926’s Nosferatu to Tod Browning’s 1931 Dracula to Francis Coppola’s well-regarded take with Gary Oldman to even comedic satires like Love at First Bite with George Hamilton taking on the role. Now in Universal’s latest effort to rescue its horror classics and make them new again, we have the perfectly cast Nicolas Cage as the Prince of Darkness. Even he has done an offshoot before, in 1988’s Vampire’s Kiss. However this time around the film is not centered on Dracula himself, but rather his beleaguered servant, henchman, whatever you choose to call him, Renfield, and it is another Nicholas, as in Hoult, who has the title role this time in Renfield. Cage’s part, though meaty, is actually supporting as the emphasis turns to the long-suffering assistant who was tasked with bringing...
- 4/12/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Historically, the character of Renfield is known for doting on Dracula. So it's only fitting that "Renfield," the new film by Chris McKay starring Nicholas Hoult as the titular servant and Nicolas Cage as the world's preeminent vampire, loves all things "Dracula."
Dracula is one of the most consistently popular fictional characters, turning up in numerous books, films, TV shows, and other media since his debut in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel. While "Renfield," being a Universal Picture, is most reverent toward the original cycle of Universal Horror films (of which Tod Browning's 1931 "Dracula" is often considered the start), there is obviously a wealth of other Draculas that followed.
"Renfield" is not only well aware of these progenitors but McKay, Hoult, and Cage were eager to pay homage to as many of them as possible within their movie. These tributes run the gamut from acting as creative inspiration for certain...
Dracula is one of the most consistently popular fictional characters, turning up in numerous books, films, TV shows, and other media since his debut in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel. While "Renfield," being a Universal Picture, is most reverent toward the original cycle of Universal Horror films (of which Tod Browning's 1931 "Dracula" is often considered the start), there is obviously a wealth of other Draculas that followed.
"Renfield" is not only well aware of these progenitors but McKay, Hoult, and Cage were eager to pay homage to as many of them as possible within their movie. These tributes run the gamut from acting as creative inspiration for certain...
- 4/11/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
It seemed great on paper. Nicolas Cage as Dracula? It’s a role he was born to play; it’s a wonder it hasn’t happened before now (sorry, Vampire’s Kiss doesn’t count).
Renfield, Dracula’s long-suffering servant — or in vampire parlance, “familiar” — plagued by co-dependency issues and seeking help in a support group? Sounds hilarious. An original story by Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead? I’m there.
So why does Renfield downplay those promising aspects and turn out to be such a bloody mess?
The film, stemming from Universal’s understandable continuing attempts to capitalize on its classic monsters IP, certainly starts out promisingly. Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult, provides background information about his relationship with the vampire in his life, illustrating his narration with nothing less than scenes from the 1931 classic Tod Browning film Dracula. Cage and Hoult are digitally inserted into the footage, replacing...
Renfield, Dracula’s long-suffering servant — or in vampire parlance, “familiar” — plagued by co-dependency issues and seeking help in a support group? Sounds hilarious. An original story by Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead? I’m there.
So why does Renfield downplay those promising aspects and turn out to be such a bloody mess?
The film, stemming from Universal’s understandable continuing attempts to capitalize on its classic monsters IP, certainly starts out promisingly. Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult, provides background information about his relationship with the vampire in his life, illustrating his narration with nothing less than scenes from the 1931 classic Tod Browning film Dracula. Cage and Hoult are digitally inserted into the footage, replacing...
- 4/11/2023
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With the exception of the Count himself, Renfield is the most dynamic character in the Dracula story. Originally conceived as a madman in Dr. Seward’s sanitarium with a mysterious connection to his vampire overlord, Renfield has evolved with the ever-extending mythos that has arisen around Stoker’s original creation.
Since the earliest Dracula films, the character has changed and deepened, become more and less integral to the story depending on the focus of the filmmakers, but has always been an opportunity for great character actors to let loose and give some of the most memorable performances in horror cinema.
This week, Renfield will finally get his moment at center stage, with Nicholas Hoult becoming the latest actor to bite into the role. In anticipation of his starring turn, here is a look at some of the very best depictions of everyone’s favorite fly-eating maniac.
Nosferatu (1922)
To avoid copyright...
Since the earliest Dracula films, the character has changed and deepened, become more and less integral to the story depending on the focus of the filmmakers, but has always been an opportunity for great character actors to let loose and give some of the most memorable performances in horror cinema.
This week, Renfield will finally get his moment at center stage, with Nicholas Hoult becoming the latest actor to bite into the role. In anticipation of his starring turn, here is a look at some of the very best depictions of everyone’s favorite fly-eating maniac.
Nosferatu (1922)
To avoid copyright...
- 4/11/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
In 2017 Universal debuted their ambitious plans for a series of reboots of their popular 1930s and 1940s horror films. Dubbed the Universal “Dark Universe,” it yielded only two features — 2017’s “The Mummy” with Tom Cruise and 2020’s “The Invisible Man” starring Elisabeth Moss — before being scrapped. And while director Chris McKay’s (“The Tomorrow War”) “Renfield” isn’t directly a Dark Universe project it gives audiences hope that maybe the concept might yield its own reanimation.
“Renfield” is the story of Robert Montagu Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), the codependent familiar of the best known vampire in the world, Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage). Renfield spends his days attending a support group for adults in toxic relationships, in the hopes that he can finally break free of Dracula, once and for all. But when Renfield gets caught in the middle of a war between a prominent New Orleans crime family and beat cop...
“Renfield” is the story of Robert Montagu Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), the codependent familiar of the best known vampire in the world, Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage). Renfield spends his days attending a support group for adults in toxic relationships, in the hopes that he can finally break free of Dracula, once and for all. But when Renfield gets caught in the middle of a war between a prominent New Orleans crime family and beat cop...
- 4/10/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Recently, JoBlo was invited to visit the set of Chris McKay’s Renfield, a action-comedy-horror reimagining of the classic master-servant relationship the title character has with the Prince of Darkness himself, Count Dracula (played by Nicolas Cage). While on set, a bunch of us got the chance to talk to Nicholas Hoult about playing the iconic character, working with Cage, and his own take on the classic Dracula mythos. Here’s a transcript of the group interview we got to participate in with Hoult!
So, it sounds like your character goes through quite a journey.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess. In this film, we pick up with Renfield. He’s kind of been working for Dracula for probably around 100 years, just under 100 years or so. So, the Renfield that we’ve seen in–you know, from Bram Stoker’s novels and from previous films, he’s kind of been living in...
So, it sounds like your character goes through quite a journey.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess. In this film, we pick up with Renfield. He’s kind of been working for Dracula for probably around 100 years, just under 100 years or so. So, the Renfield that we’ve seen in–you know, from Bram Stoker’s novels and from previous films, he’s kind of been living in...
- 3/21/2023
- by Jessica Dwyer
- JoBlo.com
Two things became apparent almost immediately upon arriving at the New Orleans set of Renfield: the Universal horror-comedy would take meticulous measures to pay tribute to cinema’s greatest vampire, and director Chris McKay wouldn’t hold back on the bloodletting for this contemporary take on classic characters.
Screenwriter Ryan Ridley (“Rick and Morty”), working from a story idea by Robert Kirkman (“The Walking Dead”), leaned into splatstick horror-comedy when penning the contemporary-based tale that sees Dracula’s lackey Renfield finally ready to break free from his toxic boss after centuries of servitude.
Ridley tells the select group of journalists on set that he drew from the splatstick greats. He explains, “The darker the violence, the funnier the comedy will be. My inspiration is Sam Raimi, early Peter Jackson, and Return of the Living Dead.”
Screenwriter Ryan Ridley on set of ‘Renfield.’ Photo Credit: Universal Pictures
Meanwhile, Renfield actor...
Screenwriter Ryan Ridley (“Rick and Morty”), working from a story idea by Robert Kirkman (“The Walking Dead”), leaned into splatstick horror-comedy when penning the contemporary-based tale that sees Dracula’s lackey Renfield finally ready to break free from his toxic boss after centuries of servitude.
Ridley tells the select group of journalists on set that he drew from the splatstick greats. He explains, “The darker the violence, the funnier the comedy will be. My inspiration is Sam Raimi, early Peter Jackson, and Return of the Living Dead.”
Screenwriter Ryan Ridley on set of ‘Renfield.’ Photo Credit: Universal Pictures
Meanwhile, Renfield actor...
- 3/21/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
In "Dracula," Bram Stoker's epistolary-style gothic horror novel, the titular Count is cold and menacing, devoid of the sensuality associated with vampirism. Despite the novel's depiction of the Count in a wholly unsavory manner, adaptations on the big screen have invariably imbued Dracula with some degree of eroticism. Be it Sir Christopher Lee's feral rendition in Hammer Horror films or Gary Oldman's lovesick re-interpretation in "Bram Stoker's Dracula," Dracula has always had a sensual edge.
However, it was Bela Lugosi's Dracula that helped cement the iconography of the world's most famous vampire as a suave seducer. The 1931 Universal film, "Dracula," saw Lugosi make the role his own by etching the blueprint of a monster who was equally terrifying and mesmerizing. Although "Nosferatu" is now regarded as an influential entry that shaped the vampire genre, this unauthorized adaptation had limited distribution at the time of its release.
However, it was Bela Lugosi's Dracula that helped cement the iconography of the world's most famous vampire as a suave seducer. The 1931 Universal film, "Dracula," saw Lugosi make the role his own by etching the blueprint of a monster who was equally terrifying and mesmerizing. Although "Nosferatu" is now regarded as an influential entry that shaped the vampire genre, this unauthorized adaptation had limited distribution at the time of its release.
- 1/14/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
It is difficult to imagine audiences ever found Dwight Frye scary in 1931, but they apparently did. With his high-strung voice and bug-eyed stare—all suggesting the countenance of someone who hasn’t slept in weeks yet feasts on coffee by the hour—Frye is unforgettable as R.M. Renfield, the doomed solicitor who foolishly traveled to Castle Dracula alone in the 1931 film version of Dracula. But scary? He was more a figure of tragedy… or from the right point of view, farce.
It would seem Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, and the entire team making this spring’s peculiar comedy-horror hybrid, Renfield, would agree. For the first time in cinematic history, the old fly-eater who was originally invented as a tragic, macabre side character in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel is the hero of his own story. It only took 126 years! Ahead of release, the film is receiving a lot of attention and anticipation for how Cage,...
It would seem Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, and the entire team making this spring’s peculiar comedy-horror hybrid, Renfield, would agree. For the first time in cinematic history, the old fly-eater who was originally invented as a tragic, macabre side character in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel is the hero of his own story. It only took 126 years! Ahead of release, the film is receiving a lot of attention and anticipation for how Cage,...
- 1/5/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel inspired this 1931 collaboration between James Whale and Boris Karloff, a gothic tour de force that changed the course of motion pictures. Colin Clive plays Henry Frankenstein, the over-zealous monster-maker, and Karloff is his tragic creation—manufactured from a dozen different body parts but with a lonely soul all his own. Mae Clarke is Frankenstein’s beleaguered bride and bent-backed Dwight Frye plays the doctor’s cruel assistant—he suffers a ghoulish if fitting fate. Jack Pierce designed Karloff’s legendary make-up.
The post Frankenstein appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Frankenstein appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 10/25/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
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Celebrate Nine Decades Of Your Favorite Monsters On 4K For The Very First Time In Collectible Packaging
Available On 4K, Blu-ray™ And Digital On October 5, 2021
From Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Synopsis: From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection showcases four of the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Wolf Man. Starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and Claude Rains in the roles that they made famous, these original films set the standard for a new horror genre with revolutionary makeup, mood-altering cinematography and groundbreaking special effects.
Classic Monster Films Included:
Dracula (90th Anniversary) Frankenstein (90th Anniversary) The Invisible Man The Wolf Man (80th Anniversary)
Hours Of Bonus Content, Including:
The Road to...
Celebrate Nine Decades Of Your Favorite Monsters On 4K For The Very First Time In Collectible Packaging
Available On 4K, Blu-ray™ And Digital On October 5, 2021
From Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Synopsis: From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection showcases four of the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Wolf Man. Starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and Claude Rains in the roles that they made famous, these original films set the standard for a new horror genre with revolutionary makeup, mood-altering cinematography and groundbreaking special effects.
Classic Monster Films Included:
Dracula (90th Anniversary) Frankenstein (90th Anniversary) The Invisible Man The Wolf Man (80th Anniversary)
Hours Of Bonus Content, Including:
The Road to...
- 10/21/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The grimacing Count, the inspired Dr. Frankenstein, the megalomanic Dr. Griffin and the unlucky Larry Talbot make the jump to 4K courtesy of Universal. We’ve seen what 4k Ultra-hd can do for new movies, and selected older features that can benefit from the quality boost if they’re remastered well. Uni monster fans are presently scrutinizing the web for expert opinions on this disc; CineSavant tries to explain what he sees as simply as possible: are the format versions different? Is the new one an improvement? We certainly have no doubts about the movies, which if anything look better than ever. Each Universal classic comes with acres of accumulated fine-quality extras.
Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection
4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray + Digital
Dracula, Drácula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
1931-1941 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 4 complete films / Street Date October 5, 2021 /
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler,...
Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection
4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray + Digital
Dracula, Drácula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
1931-1941 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 4 complete films / Street Date October 5, 2021 /
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler,...
- 10/12/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Swedish cult film streaming service Cultpix, which launched in April, continues to beef up its catalogue while expanding deals with distribution partners.
Company co-founders Rickard Gramfors and Patrick von Sychowski will be attending the Lumière Festival’s International Classic Film Market (Mfic) in Lyon, France, where they will be on the lookout for new acquisitions.
“This is the first time that either of us are attending and we are already in discussions via email with other market participants,” von Sychowski said. “We are hugely impressed by the caliber of companies attending Mfic and the rights libraries that they represent and we are confidant about making several deals there.”
Cultpix has increased its offering from an initial 400 titles when it went online to some 600 films and TV shows, adding an average of five to six new titles a week, von Sychowski said.
Specializing in classic genre and vintage cult films and TV shows,...
Company co-founders Rickard Gramfors and Patrick von Sychowski will be attending the Lumière Festival’s International Classic Film Market (Mfic) in Lyon, France, where they will be on the lookout for new acquisitions.
“This is the first time that either of us are attending and we are already in discussions via email with other market participants,” von Sychowski said. “We are hugely impressed by the caliber of companies attending Mfic and the rights libraries that they represent and we are confidant about making several deals there.”
Cultpix has increased its offering from an initial 400 titles when it went online to some 600 films and TV shows, adding an average of five to six new titles a week, von Sychowski said.
Specializing in classic genre and vintage cult films and TV shows,...
- 10/9/2021
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Nicholas Hoult is set to star in Universal’s “Renfield,” a monster movie centering on Dracula’s notorious lackey.
Chris McKay, the filmmaker behind “The Tomorrow War” and “The Lego Batman Movie,” is directing and producing “Renfield,” which serves as an origin story for Dracula’s unhinged henchman. Based on an original script by Robert Kirkman, the screenplay will be written by Ryan Ridley (“Rick and Morty”).
In Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror novel “Dracula,” R.M. Renfield was an inmate at a lunatic asylum. He was thought to be suffering from delusions that compelled him to eat live creatures in the hopes of obtaining immortality, until it’s later revealed that he’s under the influence of one Count Dracula. Though plot details for the upcoming movie have been kept under wraps, the vampire-adjacent tale is said to take place in the present day.
In prior onscreen adaptations of “Dracula,...
Chris McKay, the filmmaker behind “The Tomorrow War” and “The Lego Batman Movie,” is directing and producing “Renfield,” which serves as an origin story for Dracula’s unhinged henchman. Based on an original script by Robert Kirkman, the screenplay will be written by Ryan Ridley (“Rick and Morty”).
In Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror novel “Dracula,” R.M. Renfield was an inmate at a lunatic asylum. He was thought to be suffering from delusions that compelled him to eat live creatures in the hopes of obtaining immortality, until it’s later revealed that he’s under the influence of one Count Dracula. Though plot details for the upcoming movie have been kept under wraps, the vampire-adjacent tale is said to take place in the present day.
In prior onscreen adaptations of “Dracula,...
- 8/3/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
“The spider spinning his web for the unwary fly… The blood is the life, Mr. Renfield.”
Celebrate Nine Decades Of Your Favorite Monsters On 4K For The Very First Time In Collectible Packaging. Available On 4K, Blu-ray And Digital On October 5th
From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection showcases four of the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Wolf Man. Starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and Claude Rains in the roles that they made famous, these original films set the standard for a new horror genre with revolutionary makeup, mood-altering cinematography and groundbreaking special effects.
Classic Monster Films Included:
Dracula (90th Anniversary)Frankenstein (90th Anniversary)The Invisible ManThe Wolf Man (80th Anniversary)
Hours Of Bonus Content, Including:...
Celebrate Nine Decades Of Your Favorite Monsters On 4K For The Very First Time In Collectible Packaging. Available On 4K, Blu-ray And Digital On October 5th
From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection showcases four of the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Wolf Man. Starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and Claude Rains in the roles that they made famous, these original films set the standard for a new horror genre with revolutionary makeup, mood-altering cinematography and groundbreaking special effects.
Classic Monster Films Included:
Dracula (90th Anniversary)Frankenstein (90th Anniversary)The Invisible ManThe Wolf Man (80th Anniversary)
Hours Of Bonus Content, Including:...
- 8/3/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer, and actor Larry Fessenden chats with hosts Joe Dante & Josh Olson about some of his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Habit (1995)
Jakob’s Wife (2021)
Phantom Thread (2017)
The Last Winter (2006)
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
The Crawling Eye (1958)
The Reptile (1966)
Peeping Tom (1960)
Casablanca (1942)
Jaws (1975)
Man Of A Thousand Faces (1957)
Scarlet Street (1945)
Suspicion (1941)
Rope (1948)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Dracula (1931)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Mean Streets (1973)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Playtime (1973)
The Thing (1982)
The Howling (1981)
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
An American Werewolf In Paris (1997)
I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957)
Ginger Snaps (2001)
The Terminator (1984)
The Wolfman (2010)
Van Helsing (2004)
The Mummy (2017)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Invisible Man (2020)
Amazon Women On The Moon (1987)
Wendigo (2001)
Fargo (1996)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Seven (1995)
Man Bites Dog...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Habit (1995)
Jakob’s Wife (2021)
Phantom Thread (2017)
The Last Winter (2006)
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
The Crawling Eye (1958)
The Reptile (1966)
Peeping Tom (1960)
Casablanca (1942)
Jaws (1975)
Man Of A Thousand Faces (1957)
Scarlet Street (1945)
Suspicion (1941)
Rope (1948)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Dracula (1931)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Mean Streets (1973)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Playtime (1973)
The Thing (1982)
The Howling (1981)
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
An American Werewolf In Paris (1997)
I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957)
Ginger Snaps (2001)
The Terminator (1984)
The Wolfman (2010)
Van Helsing (2004)
The Mummy (2017)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Invisible Man (2020)
Amazon Women On The Moon (1987)
Wendigo (2001)
Fargo (1996)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Seven (1995)
Man Bites Dog...
- 4/27/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
This January, NBCUniversal is offering fans the chance to dive into some of Universal Pictures’ most gruesome classic films ever made on one of the world’s biggest horror YouTube channels, ‘Fear: The Home of Horror.’
Starting January 15th 2021 horror fans will have the opportunity to scare away the January blues and take a step back in time to watch an incredible array of classic re-mastered cult films for Free including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Wolf Man (1941), Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
Each film will premiere individually and be available to watch for seven days on the Fear: The Home of Horror YouTube channel. Additionally, during each film’s premiere week, fans will have the opportunity to add these films to their digital collection at a discounted price, allowing them to watch whenever they want, for as many times as they want!
Starting January 15th 2021 horror fans will have the opportunity to scare away the January blues and take a step back in time to watch an incredible array of classic re-mastered cult films for Free including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Wolf Man (1941), Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
Each film will premiere individually and be available to watch for seven days on the Fear: The Home of Horror YouTube channel. Additionally, during each film’s premiere week, fans will have the opportunity to add these films to their digital collection at a discounted price, allowing them to watch whenever they want, for as many times as they want!
- 1/6/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Early this year when it was reported that Leigh Whannell would direct The Invisible Man, it was also revealed that unique takes on other Universal Monsters were also being pitched. Since that time, it's been announced that Paul Feig will direct Dark Army for Universal, and now it's being reported that Dexter Fletcher will direct a movie about Dracula's servant for Universal.
Variety reports that Fletcher will helm Renfield, a movie about the character of the same name from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Fletcher will direct from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Rick and Morty), based on a pitch by Robert Kirkman.
Kirkman will produce the film alongside Skybound Entertainment’s David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst. Variety reveals that Renfield is expected to be set in modern times, with other plot details and a release date yet to be revealed.
In Stoker's classic 1897 novel, R.M. Renfield is...
Variety reports that Fletcher will helm Renfield, a movie about the character of the same name from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Fletcher will direct from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Rick and Morty), based on a pitch by Robert Kirkman.
Kirkman will produce the film alongside Skybound Entertainment’s David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst. Variety reveals that Renfield is expected to be set in modern times, with other plot details and a release date yet to be revealed.
In Stoker's classic 1897 novel, R.M. Renfield is...
- 11/21/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
David Crow Nov 20, 2019
Universal Pictures is reimagining Dracula again, this time from the point-of-view of R.M. Renfield, fly-eater extraordinaire!
There’ve been many attempts at telling Dracula’s story, his perspective, even his origin. But what, some might ask, of Renfield? What of the fly-eating lunatic who worships vampires and the blood of rats inside Dr. Seward’s asylum?! What about his side of things? Well, we’re about to find out what that might look like as Variety reports Universal Pictures is reimagining one of Dracula’s victims as the hero of his own story.
R.M. Renfield, who to many is still best remembered for Dwight Frye’s wicked laugh is the subject of a new treatment first pitched by Robert Kirkman. The Walking Dead comic series creator came up with a story which has since been written as a script by Rick and Morty’s Ryan Ridley.
Universal Pictures is reimagining Dracula again, this time from the point-of-view of R.M. Renfield, fly-eater extraordinaire!
There’ve been many attempts at telling Dracula’s story, his perspective, even his origin. But what, some might ask, of Renfield? What of the fly-eating lunatic who worships vampires and the blood of rats inside Dr. Seward’s asylum?! What about his side of things? Well, we’re about to find out what that might look like as Variety reports Universal Pictures is reimagining one of Dracula’s victims as the hero of his own story.
R.M. Renfield, who to many is still best remembered for Dwight Frye’s wicked laugh is the subject of a new treatment first pitched by Robert Kirkman. The Walking Dead comic series creator came up with a story which has since been written as a script by Rick and Morty’s Ryan Ridley.
- 11/20/2019
- Den of Geek
“Look! It’s moving. It’s alive. It’s alive… It’s alive, it’s moving, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, It’S Alive!”
The ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series continues at Webster University Thursday January 31st with a screening of the groundbreaking horror classic Frankenstein (1931) starring Boris Karloff. The screening will be at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts at 7:30. A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here. Look for more coverage of the ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.
Dr. Henry Frankenstein, played by Colin Clive, and his assistant Fritz, portrayed by Dwight Frye, stalk the graveyards at night. They dig up the fresh corpses of the recently deceased in order to fulfill a mad scientist’s dream. They seek to give life to a dead,...
The ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series continues at Webster University Thursday January 31st with a screening of the groundbreaking horror classic Frankenstein (1931) starring Boris Karloff. The screening will be at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts at 7:30. A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here. Look for more coverage of the ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.
Dr. Henry Frankenstein, played by Colin Clive, and his assistant Fritz, portrayed by Dwight Frye, stalk the graveyards at night. They dig up the fresh corpses of the recently deceased in order to fulfill a mad scientist’s dream. They seek to give life to a dead,...
- 1/27/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Rats. Rats. Rats! Thousands! Millions of them! All red blood! All these will I give you if you will obey me!”
Horror Film Historian David J. Skal will introduce a screening of Dracula (1931) at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood) January 24th as part of the ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series. Skal is an American cultural historian, critic, writer, and on-camera commentator known for his research and analysis of horror films and horror literature. After Dracula, Skal will screen his documentary The Road To Dracula. The program starts at 7:00. A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here. Look for more coverage of the ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.
First up is the original Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. Ladies fainted in their seats when Bela Lugosi rose from his coffin as a vampire in the 1927 Broadway stage...
Horror Film Historian David J. Skal will introduce a screening of Dracula (1931) at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood) January 24th as part of the ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series. Skal is an American cultural historian, critic, writer, and on-camera commentator known for his research and analysis of horror films and horror literature. After Dracula, Skal will screen his documentary The Road To Dracula. The program starts at 7:00. A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here. Look for more coverage of the ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.
First up is the original Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. Ladies fainted in their seats when Bela Lugosi rose from his coffin as a vampire in the 1927 Broadway stage...
- 1/17/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It's been said of L. Frank Baum, perhaps not quite fairly, that everything he ever did involving the fantasy kingdom of Oz was a huge success, and everything he did without it was a calamitous disaster. Certainly he made a bit of money late in life as the producer of Oz-themed silent movies, before he died and his son bankrupted the company, showing that only one Baum had the magic touch.The first Oz short of 1910, Dorothy and the Scarecrow in Oz is actually the closest, plot-wise, to the familiar 1939 version, and it has a cool cast, including nine-year-old Bebe Daniels as Dorothy and future director Norman Z. McLeod as the Scarecrow. But Baum really hit his stride as a mogul four years later, with the release of three feature films, in the year when features had only just started appearing in America. And His Majesty the Scarecrow of Oz,...
- 2/28/2018
- MUBI
When I started the Crypt of Curiosities, I did it with the explicit intention to introduce people to the weird, wild corners of genre cinema. Shaw Brothers’ Black Magic, Hammer mummies, hyper-violent anime, sadistic Spaghetti Westerns—it’s an exercise in peering into the odd expanses that deserve more attention. It’s about championing the under-championed.
So, admittedly, writing about one of the most recognizable, celebrated horror films ever made might seem a bit off. But there’s a catch. Because, like many films of its time, there were actually two versions of Dracula in 1931: Tod Browning’s iconic English-language one, and the much less beloved Spanish-language Drácula. While the former has gone on to become a classic, the latter has languished in relative obscurity, beloved by a small cult but otherwise alien to most viewers. So, I figured this would be a good opportunity to look at the two side by side,...
So, admittedly, writing about one of the most recognizable, celebrated horror films ever made might seem a bit off. But there’s a catch. Because, like many films of its time, there were actually two versions of Dracula in 1931: Tod Browning’s iconic English-language one, and the much less beloved Spanish-language Drácula. While the former has gone on to become a classic, the latter has languished in relative obscurity, beloved by a small cult but otherwise alien to most viewers. So, I figured this would be a good opportunity to look at the two side by side,...
- 1/12/2018
- by Perry Ruhland
- DailyDead
Over the years, there have been a variety of talented actors to portray the Joker in both live action and animation. And while there are those who’ve appreciated the performances brought to the table by the likes of Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Cameron Monaghan, many diehard fans actually favor Mark Hamill, who, believe it or not, has been attached to the character for about a quarter century now.
Having debuted in the early 1990’s on the hallowed Batman: The Animated Series, Hamill went on to voice the Clown Prince of Crime in various other projects, including Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, the awesome line of Arkham video games, and the animated adaptation of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s classic graphic novel, Batman: The Killing Joke.
Originally, Tim Curry had been cast as the Ace of Knaves for the Bruce Timm helmed show, though an unfortunate case...
Having debuted in the early 1990’s on the hallowed Batman: The Animated Series, Hamill went on to voice the Clown Prince of Crime in various other projects, including Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, the awesome line of Arkham video games, and the animated adaptation of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s classic graphic novel, Batman: The Killing Joke.
Originally, Tim Curry had been cast as the Ace of Knaves for the Bruce Timm helmed show, though an unfortunate case...
- 10/6/2017
- by Eric Joseph
- We Got This Covered
Another impressive horror restoration! Majestic Pictures pulls together a great cast, including Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill, for a smart gothic horror outing complete with squeaky bats, a flipped-out village idiot (Dwight Frye!), a crazed mad scientist (the worst kind) and a lynch mob with torches that have been hand-tinted in color. Melvyn Douglas is the debonair flatfoot assigned to solve a series of vampire killings.
The Vampire Bat
Blu-ray
The Film Detective
1933 / B&W with part-tinted scene / 1:37 Academy / 83 min. / Street Date April 25, 2017 / 19.99
Starring: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne, George E. Stone, Dwight Frye, Robert Frazer, Rita Carlyle, Lionel Belmore, William V. Mong, Stella Adams, Harrison Greene.
Cinematography: Ira H. Morgan
Film Editor: Otis Garrett
Written by Edward T. Lowe Jr.
Produced by Phil Goldstone
Directed by Frank Strayer
Hollywood horror was a hot trend in 1932: with the arrival of Frankenstein and Dracula the horror field boomed.
The Vampire Bat
Blu-ray
The Film Detective
1933 / B&W with part-tinted scene / 1:37 Academy / 83 min. / Street Date April 25, 2017 / 19.99
Starring: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne, George E. Stone, Dwight Frye, Robert Frazer, Rita Carlyle, Lionel Belmore, William V. Mong, Stella Adams, Harrison Greene.
Cinematography: Ira H. Morgan
Film Editor: Otis Garrett
Written by Edward T. Lowe Jr.
Produced by Phil Goldstone
Directed by Frank Strayer
Hollywood horror was a hot trend in 1932: with the arrival of Frankenstein and Dracula the horror field boomed.
- 4/1/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Jim Knipfel Oct 17, 2018
After all these years, Al Adamson’s cult classic Dracula vs. Frankenstein still doesn’t make a damn lick of sense!
Growing up in Wisconsin in the early '70s, I would get home from school, drop my bag, park myself in front of the TV and tune in The Early Show. Every weekday between three and five-thirty, a local station aired sometimes shockingly uncut films, and it was there my cinematic education began. I don’t know who was programming The Early Show, but I would like to shake his hand. The focus was decidedly on genre films,especially horror and recent drive-in hits. Along with scattered Westerns, war movies and mysteries, there were regular week-long Toho and Hammer fests, without a single stupid musical or romantic comedy tossed in to muck things up.
It was through The Early Show that I was introduced to Roger Corman,...
After all these years, Al Adamson’s cult classic Dracula vs. Frankenstein still doesn’t make a damn lick of sense!
Growing up in Wisconsin in the early '70s, I would get home from school, drop my bag, park myself in front of the TV and tune in The Early Show. Every weekday between three and five-thirty, a local station aired sometimes shockingly uncut films, and it was there my cinematic education began. I don’t know who was programming The Early Show, but I would like to shake his hand. The focus was decidedly on genre films,especially horror and recent drive-in hits. Along with scattered Westerns, war movies and mysteries, there were regular week-long Toho and Hammer fests, without a single stupid musical or romantic comedy tossed in to muck things up.
It was through The Early Show that I was introduced to Roger Corman,...
- 10/25/2016
- Den of Geek
Jim Knipfel Oct 17, 2018
After all these years, Al Adamson’s cult classic Dracula vs. Frankenstein still doesn’t make a damn lick of sense!
Growing up in Wisconsin in the early '70s, I would get home from school, drop my bag, park myself in front of the TV and tune in The Early Show. Every weekday between three and five-thirty, a local station aired sometimes shockingly uncut films, and it was there my cinematic education began. I don’t know who was programming The Early Show, but I would like to shake his hand. The focus was decidedly on genre films,especially horror and recent drive-in hits. Along with scattered Westerns, war movies and mysteries, there were regular week-long Toho and Hammer fests, without a single stupid musical or romantic comedy tossed in to muck things up.
It was through The Early Show that I was introduced to Roger Corman,...
After all these years, Al Adamson’s cult classic Dracula vs. Frankenstein still doesn’t make a damn lick of sense!
Growing up in Wisconsin in the early '70s, I would get home from school, drop my bag, park myself in front of the TV and tune in The Early Show. Every weekday between three and five-thirty, a local station aired sometimes shockingly uncut films, and it was there my cinematic education began. I don’t know who was programming The Early Show, but I would like to shake his hand. The focus was decidedly on genre films,especially horror and recent drive-in hits. Along with scattered Westerns, war movies and mysteries, there were regular week-long Toho and Hammer fests, without a single stupid musical or romantic comedy tossed in to muck things up.
It was through The Early Show that I was introduced to Roger Corman,...
- 10/25/2016
- Den of Geek
You have to give credit to Dwight Frye, the underappreciated character actor who created the role of the hunchback Fritz, who aided Colin Clive’s Victor Frankenstein in the 1931 Universal adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. In further Universal installments, the assistant was renamed Ygor and Frye was replaced with Bela Lugosi – but it is Frye’s portrayal that gave the world the stock character forever known to all as Igor.
In the re-envisioned world portrayed in Victor Frankenstein (James McAvoy), Igor is given an upgrade from simple lab assistant to brilliant physician and Frye has morphed into Daniel Radcliffe. Young Victor is actually still in med school as we meet out characters and it is Igor who proves to the brains behind the, ahem, operation.
Max Landis uses both Shelley’s novel and the Universal series of films as guideposts but charts a fresh, if not wholly original tale.
In the re-envisioned world portrayed in Victor Frankenstein (James McAvoy), Igor is given an upgrade from simple lab assistant to brilliant physician and Frye has morphed into Daniel Radcliffe. Young Victor is actually still in med school as we meet out characters and it is Igor who proves to the brains behind the, ahem, operation.
Max Landis uses both Shelley’s novel and the Universal series of films as guideposts but charts a fresh, if not wholly original tale.
- 3/17/2016
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe star in the latest clip from director Paul McGuigan’s Victor Frankenstein.
Radical scientist Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) and his equally brilliant protégé Igor Strausman (Radcliffe) share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor’s experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation.
Victor Frankenstein is a “Frankenstein” movie unlike any other. While inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic novel and the countless interpretations of that story, screenwriter Max Landis’ “regeneration” focuses on the relationship between Victor and his best friend and assistant Igor.
Did you know Igor was not a character in Mary Shelley’s book and that he didn’t appear in most of the subsequent film interpretations? Actor Dwight Frye’s hunchbacked lab assistant in...
Radical scientist Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) and his equally brilliant protégé Igor Strausman (Radcliffe) share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor’s experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation.
Victor Frankenstein is a “Frankenstein” movie unlike any other. While inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic novel and the countless interpretations of that story, screenwriter Max Landis’ “regeneration” focuses on the relationship between Victor and his best friend and assistant Igor.
Did you know Igor was not a character in Mary Shelley’s book and that he didn’t appear in most of the subsequent film interpretations? Actor Dwight Frye’s hunchbacked lab assistant in...
- 11/18/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Recently, ABC delivered the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Marvel's Agents Of Shield" episode 4 of season 3. The episode is entitled, "Devils You Know," and it turns out that we're going to see some very interesting stuff go down as a killer inhuman, causes the Shield crew to partner up with Rosalind and company to take it down, and more! In the new, 4th episode press release: S.H.I.E.L.D. Reluctantly Teams Up With Their Rivals As They Hunt For Inhumans, On "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D." On ABC. Press release number 2: Having reluctantly agreed to share information with Rosalind and the Atcu, Coulson and the team are going to go in search for the Inhuman who is killing off other Inhumans, and May will feel that Hunter's mission to take down Ward, is getting too personal. Guest stars feature: Blair Underwood as Andrew Garner,...
- 10/13/2015
- by Eric
- OnTheFlix
“Rats. Rats. Rats! Thousands! Millions of them! All red blood! All these will I give you if you will obey me!”
Dracula (1931) screens Thursday August 6th at 7:00pm at Schlafly Bottleworks
Ladies fainted in their seats when Bela Lugosi rose from his coffin as a vampire in the 1927 Broadway stage production of “Dracula” that preceded Tod Browning’s timeless 1931 film version that had an equally chilling effect on movie audiences. Playwright Hamilton Deane based his lean script on Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 novel, and introduced horror to talkies. Dwight Frye’s gonzo performance as Renfield, the hapless Brit accountant who first sets foot inside Dracula’s foreboding castle, set the film’s tone of ghoulish insanity. For the well-established lead, Bela Lugosi is positively blood-curdling as he stalks every scene. With his thick native Hungarian accent and dapper tuxedo and cape, Lugosi forever defined the title character. The way he looks,...
Dracula (1931) screens Thursday August 6th at 7:00pm at Schlafly Bottleworks
Ladies fainted in their seats when Bela Lugosi rose from his coffin as a vampire in the 1927 Broadway stage production of “Dracula” that preceded Tod Browning’s timeless 1931 film version that had an equally chilling effect on movie audiences. Playwright Hamilton Deane based his lean script on Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 novel, and introduced horror to talkies. Dwight Frye’s gonzo performance as Renfield, the hapless Brit accountant who first sets foot inside Dracula’s foreboding castle, set the film’s tone of ghoulish insanity. For the well-established lead, Bela Lugosi is positively blood-curdling as he stalks every scene. With his thick native Hungarian accent and dapper tuxedo and cape, Lugosi forever defined the title character. The way he looks,...
- 7/30/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Every year near Halloween, I find myself re-watching at least some of the classic Universal monster movies from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. This year, thanks to purchasing the Universal Classic Monsters 30-Film Collection, I’m pretty much revisiting all of them. Kicking off that list is Tod Browning’s timeless classic Dracula, which was the first Hollywood production of the character and also the risky endeavor Universal diving into the monster movie market. Of course, being more than 80 years old, there are no contemporary filmmaker commentaries available on this title. In the DVD box set, which packages together all the Legacy Collection discs, we are left with a commentary by film historian David J. Skal and the screenwriter from Dracula: Dead and Loving It. As much as I enjoy Mel Brooks’ works, I felt it was a better bet to go with the possibly drier but more insightful historian. This...
- 10/9/2014
- by Kevin Carr
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Ladies fainted in their seats when Bela Lugosi rose from his coffin as a vampire in the 1927 Broadway stage production of “Dracula” that preceded Tod Browning’s timeless 1931 film version that had an equally chilling effect on movie audiences. Playwright Hamilton Deane based his lean script on Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 novel, and introduced horror to talkies. Dwight Frye’s gonzo performance as Renfield, the hapless Brit accountant who first sets foot inside Dracula’s foreboding castle, set the film’s tone of ghoulish insanity. For the well-established lead, Bela Lugosi is positively blood-curdling as he stalks every scene. With his thick native Hungarian accent and dapper tuxedo and cape, Lugosi forever defined the title character. The way he looks, behaves and sounds is truly vampiric. Think of Lugosi saying, “The blood is the life.” Or, “I never drink … wine.” Or, “To die, to be really dead, that must be glorious.
- 12/30/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Sarah Dobbs Jun 21, 2017
As news arrives that Sherlock's creators are working on a Dracula adaptation, here are 10 screen versions of Bram Stoker's character...
Dracula is one of the classic monster stories. It’s the quintessential vampire tale; most of our ideas about what a vampire is, what a vampire does, and what a vampire can be killed by come from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel. And while elements of the story have been woven into countless other vampire-themed books, films, and TV shows, it’s Dracula that we keep coming back to, over and over. Sherlock creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are in talks about reviving the character once again for a BBC miniseries, but before that arrives, let’s take a look back at ten other versions of the world’s most famous vampire…
See related Kevin Feige on Black Panther, female superhero movie Thor: Ragnarok - Thor's roommate won't be in it Nosferatu (1922)
Who plays Dracula? Max Schreck.
What’s the story? It’s a pretty faithful, if pared down, version of the Dracula story: a clerk is sent out to meet a mysterious client in a spooky castle, realises he’s a monster, and tries to flee, only for his own wife to fall victim to the vampire’s spell. It’s silent, black and white, and gorgeous.
What makes it special? What’s kind of amazing about this film is that it almost didn’t survive. The production didn’t have the approval of Bram Stoker’s estate, and despite changing a few details – the vampire here is known as Count Orlok, not Dracula, and the other names and locations have also been altered – it’s close enough that when the Stokers sued, a court ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed.
Luckily for us, one survived. It’s incredibly creepy, all weird angles and lurking shadows, and Schrek plays the vampire as a proper monster. There’s nothing seductive about him, he’s just terrifying. Even now. Especially now, maybe, now that we’re jaded and cynical about special effects and CGI. Because this film looks scarier than anything created on a computer, and it’s all real.
Dracula (1931)
Who plays Dracula? Bela Lugosi.
What’s the story? Based on a popular stage adaptation of Dracula, this is another mostly faithful adaptation, though the characters have been shuffled a bit. Here, it’s Renfield, not Jonathan, who goes out to meet Dracula in his castle in Transylvania. Jonathan and Lucy get shunted off to the side of the story, with Mina taking centre stage, while Dr Seward, head of the lunatic asylum, is recast as her father. Lugosi is a much sexier Count than Schreck, and the subtext about Mina’s sexual awakening is, er, pretty much text here.
What makes it special? Oh, everything. It’s beautiful to look at, for one thing. It’s got a bit of a sense of humour, though not enough to stop it from being insanely creepy. Lugosi makes the role completely his own; when people think of Count Dracula, this is the version most of them imagine. Interestingly, this version also does a lot more with Renfield’s story than the original novel, and Dwight Frye is fantastic in that role. Even if you think you’ve seen too many Dracula parodies to enjoy Lugosi’s rendition of the Count, this film is worth watching for Dwight Frye alone.
Dracula (1958)
Who plays Dracula? Christopher Lee.
What’s the story? It’s Dracula, but slightly wonky. It starts with Jonathan Harker setting off to visit Castle Dracula – but this time, he knows what he’s in for, and is planning to kill the Count. He fails, leaving Van Helsing to take up the hunt. Most of the characters have been shuffled around: Jonathan is engaged to Lucy, who’s Arthur’s sister, and Arthur is married to Mina. It’s not obvious why that reshuffle had to happen, because it doesn’t make a huge amount of difference to how things play out. It’s still Mina who has to fight to extricate herself from Dracula’s clutches in the end.
What makes it special? Dracula was one of the first Hammer Horror films, and it was massively successful. It spawned eight sequels, including The Brides of Dracula, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and Taste The Blood of Dracula, and it basically shaped the horror genre for a good couple of decades. But what’s special about it today is the cast. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are always good value, and here, as the evil Count and the scholarly vampire hunter determined to kill him off, they’re brilliant.
Count von Count, Sesame Street (1972)
Who plays Dracula? Originally Jerry Nelson, and now Matt Vogel.
What’s the story? Okay, this is kind of a cheat. Count von Count isn’t actually called Dracula, but he’s so clearly modelled on Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of the great vampire that I couldn’t just leave him out. The character appears to be based on the idea that vampires are obsessed with counting – folklore from all over the world has it that if a vampire encounters a pile of rice or other grains, they won’t be able to do anything until they’ve counted it all. The Count loves to, er, count.
What makes it special? The fact that Sesame Street included a vampire character is kind of amazing, and the fact that he speaks in a parody of Lugosi’s accent, and wears that cape, well, it’s just sort of brilliant. The earliest incarnations of the Count were a bit spooky, but apparently kids found his maniacal laughing and tendency to zap people who interfered with his counting a bit scary, so he was made cuter and goofier. He’s basically the most adorable incarnation of Dracula you’ll ever find.
Blacula (1972)
Who plays Dracula? Charles Macaulay.
What’s the story? This film is about one of Dracula’s protégés, rather than Dracula himself. After an African prince approaches Dracula for help dealing with the slave trade, he gets bitten and sealed in a coffin for centuries. Popping out in the 1970s, Mamuwalde – dubbed “Blacula” by the Count – sets about trying to win the heart of a woman he believes to be the reincarnation of his dead wife.
What makes it special? Isn’t the idea of a blaxploitation take on Dracula special enough for you? William H. Marshall plays the first ever black vampire in this movie, and since there haven’t been all that many since, that’s still pretty notable. The fashion is glorious, and the music is wonderful too. The plot is, well, kind of flimsy, and pretty slow, and it actually verges on being kind of boring, but there’s something pretty cool about it nonetheless.
Blood for Dracula (1974)
Who plays Dracula? Udo Kier.
What’s the story? A sickly Dracula is starving to death due to the lack of available virgins in Romania, so he travels to Italy in search of a bride. Unfortunately, the family of impoverished aristocrats he ends up staying with employs a rather rapey handyman, and there may not be any virgins left for him.
What makes it special? Produced by Andy Warhol, this is definitely one of the strangest takes on the Dracula story. Many of the established tropes are present – Dracula doesn’t have a reflection, and can’t stand garlic - but rather than being powerful and seductive, Kier’s Count is almost pitiable. He spends much of the film in a wheelchair, which is an oddly creepy image, and he’s kind of… whiny. It’s hard to know where your sympathies should lie, and it’s fun to see a mother actively throwing her daughters at Dracula rather than trying to save them from him. The accents are occasionally baffling (especially Joe Dallesandro’s Brooklyn drawl) but maybe that’s all part of the joke.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Who plays Dracula? Gary Oldman.
What’s the story? Back in the fifteenth century, Dracula’s wife kills herself after being told her husband has been killed in battle. Knowing suicide is a sin, Dracula figures she’s damned, and turns against God himself, becoming a vampire. After skulking in his castle for centuries, he decides to move to London, where he meets Mina Harker – a woman who looks exactly like his dead wife. The rest of the Dracula story is intact, but with a side of overly dramatic tragic romance.
What makes it special? It’s one of the most faithful adaptations around, in terms of how much of the book it conveys to the screen. Characters are shown writing letters and diary entries, as per the book, and Lucy’s three suitors are all present and correct, which is rare.
Unfortunately, some of the performances are pretty terrible (Keanu Reeves is an easy target, but he’s truly awful here, and Cary Elwes is in full smirk mode). There are so many famous people crammed in that it gets distracting, and the set design is too stagey to be effective. But it gets points for keeping all the characters in their places.
‘Buffy vs Dracula’, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2000)
Who plays Dracula? Rudolf Martin.
What’s the story? To kick off the fifth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy went up against the most famous vampire of all time. Yup, they actually wrote Dracula into an episode of Buffy. There’s no real messing with the character, apart from dropping him into modern day California, and he uses pretty much all of his tricks: he turns into a bat, he dissolves into mist, he uses mind control to turn Xander into a slavering minion, and he seduces Sunnydale’s women, including Buffy herself.
What makes it special? There’s something about crossovers that’s always oddly irresistible. Fitting the Scooby Gang into the Dracula story is fun because of the cognitive dissonance it causes: they’re all-American teenagers, and he’s a character from a gothic Victorian novel, so there’s no reason they should ever encounter one another, and the fallout is genuinely funny. (Spike’s indignation is a particular highlight.) There’s also a serious side to the story, as Dracula tells Buffy she’s a creature of darkness, but that’s something that really developed over the rest of the series. This episode is mostly just fun.
Dracula 2000 (2000)
Who plays Dracula? Gerard Butler.
What’s the story? Despite Van Helsing’s best efforts, someone has let Dracula out of his prison, and he’s determined to track down the one woman who might be able to stand up to him. (Who just happens to be Van Helsing’s daughter.) Bringing Van Helsing and Dracula into a modern day setting requires a bit of sleight of hand, but it just about works, and the film has an ace up its sleeve: an explanation for Dracula’s true identity that finally explains why he’s so averse to silver and crucifixes.
What makes it special? It kind of shouldn’t be, because it’s so silly. It’s got that self-aware, slightly camp late-90s horror thing going on, and it’s never actually scary. But it is a lot of fun, with some sharp dialogue (“I don’t drink… coffee”) and loads of geek-friendly faces popping up, including Jonny Lee Miller, Nathan Fillion, and Jeri Ryan.
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Who plays Dracula? Dominic Purcell
What’s the story? Dracula, or “Drake”, is an ancient vampire summoned by modern day vampires looking for an upgrade. Blade has been killing off too many of them, and they want to walk in daylight, which apparently Drake’s blood will let them do. Drake is a bit of a rubbish Dracula, as they go; he’s just a really old vampire, and none of the usual Dracula plot elements are present.
What makes it special? Let’s be clear about this, Blade Trinity is a pretty terrible film. It has two redeeming features, though: Ryan Reynolds and Parker Posey are fantastic, and every scene they have together is wonderful; and it includes a scene in which Drake wanders into a vampire-themed shop and terrorises the snarky goth assistants. Those things just about make it worth watching, but for Dracula super-fans, it hasn’t got much to offer. Purcell’s Dracula is apparently meant to be charismatic, but he just comes off dull and thuggish.
Other notable onscreen Draculas: Countess Dracula (Ingrid Pitt stars as Elizabeth Bathory, so not really Dracula at all, except in the title); Count Duckula (an 80s cartoon about a vampiric duck); Count Dracula (a low budget horror from 1979, directed by Jess Franco and starring Christopher Lee despite not being part of Lee’s Hammer Dracula franchise); Dracula: Dead And Loving It (Mel Brooks’s daft spoof); Dracula Ad 1972 (a reteaming of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing that brings Dracula into the 70s); Dracula Sucks (a hardcore porn adaptation); and Dario Argento’s Dracula 3D (which isn’t out yet, and will almost certainly be terrible.)
This feature was originally posted in October 2013.
As news arrives that Sherlock's creators are working on a Dracula adaptation, here are 10 screen versions of Bram Stoker's character...
Dracula is one of the classic monster stories. It’s the quintessential vampire tale; most of our ideas about what a vampire is, what a vampire does, and what a vampire can be killed by come from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel. And while elements of the story have been woven into countless other vampire-themed books, films, and TV shows, it’s Dracula that we keep coming back to, over and over. Sherlock creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are in talks about reviving the character once again for a BBC miniseries, but before that arrives, let’s take a look back at ten other versions of the world’s most famous vampire…
See related Kevin Feige on Black Panther, female superhero movie Thor: Ragnarok - Thor's roommate won't be in it Nosferatu (1922)
Who plays Dracula? Max Schreck.
What’s the story? It’s a pretty faithful, if pared down, version of the Dracula story: a clerk is sent out to meet a mysterious client in a spooky castle, realises he’s a monster, and tries to flee, only for his own wife to fall victim to the vampire’s spell. It’s silent, black and white, and gorgeous.
What makes it special? What’s kind of amazing about this film is that it almost didn’t survive. The production didn’t have the approval of Bram Stoker’s estate, and despite changing a few details – the vampire here is known as Count Orlok, not Dracula, and the other names and locations have also been altered – it’s close enough that when the Stokers sued, a court ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed.
Luckily for us, one survived. It’s incredibly creepy, all weird angles and lurking shadows, and Schrek plays the vampire as a proper monster. There’s nothing seductive about him, he’s just terrifying. Even now. Especially now, maybe, now that we’re jaded and cynical about special effects and CGI. Because this film looks scarier than anything created on a computer, and it’s all real.
Dracula (1931)
Who plays Dracula? Bela Lugosi.
What’s the story? Based on a popular stage adaptation of Dracula, this is another mostly faithful adaptation, though the characters have been shuffled a bit. Here, it’s Renfield, not Jonathan, who goes out to meet Dracula in his castle in Transylvania. Jonathan and Lucy get shunted off to the side of the story, with Mina taking centre stage, while Dr Seward, head of the lunatic asylum, is recast as her father. Lugosi is a much sexier Count than Schreck, and the subtext about Mina’s sexual awakening is, er, pretty much text here.
What makes it special? Oh, everything. It’s beautiful to look at, for one thing. It’s got a bit of a sense of humour, though not enough to stop it from being insanely creepy. Lugosi makes the role completely his own; when people think of Count Dracula, this is the version most of them imagine. Interestingly, this version also does a lot more with Renfield’s story than the original novel, and Dwight Frye is fantastic in that role. Even if you think you’ve seen too many Dracula parodies to enjoy Lugosi’s rendition of the Count, this film is worth watching for Dwight Frye alone.
Dracula (1958)
Who plays Dracula? Christopher Lee.
What’s the story? It’s Dracula, but slightly wonky. It starts with Jonathan Harker setting off to visit Castle Dracula – but this time, he knows what he’s in for, and is planning to kill the Count. He fails, leaving Van Helsing to take up the hunt. Most of the characters have been shuffled around: Jonathan is engaged to Lucy, who’s Arthur’s sister, and Arthur is married to Mina. It’s not obvious why that reshuffle had to happen, because it doesn’t make a huge amount of difference to how things play out. It’s still Mina who has to fight to extricate herself from Dracula’s clutches in the end.
What makes it special? Dracula was one of the first Hammer Horror films, and it was massively successful. It spawned eight sequels, including The Brides of Dracula, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and Taste The Blood of Dracula, and it basically shaped the horror genre for a good couple of decades. But what’s special about it today is the cast. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are always good value, and here, as the evil Count and the scholarly vampire hunter determined to kill him off, they’re brilliant.
Count von Count, Sesame Street (1972)
Who plays Dracula? Originally Jerry Nelson, and now Matt Vogel.
What’s the story? Okay, this is kind of a cheat. Count von Count isn’t actually called Dracula, but he’s so clearly modelled on Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of the great vampire that I couldn’t just leave him out. The character appears to be based on the idea that vampires are obsessed with counting – folklore from all over the world has it that if a vampire encounters a pile of rice or other grains, they won’t be able to do anything until they’ve counted it all. The Count loves to, er, count.
What makes it special? The fact that Sesame Street included a vampire character is kind of amazing, and the fact that he speaks in a parody of Lugosi’s accent, and wears that cape, well, it’s just sort of brilliant. The earliest incarnations of the Count were a bit spooky, but apparently kids found his maniacal laughing and tendency to zap people who interfered with his counting a bit scary, so he was made cuter and goofier. He’s basically the most adorable incarnation of Dracula you’ll ever find.
Blacula (1972)
Who plays Dracula? Charles Macaulay.
What’s the story? This film is about one of Dracula’s protégés, rather than Dracula himself. After an African prince approaches Dracula for help dealing with the slave trade, he gets bitten and sealed in a coffin for centuries. Popping out in the 1970s, Mamuwalde – dubbed “Blacula” by the Count – sets about trying to win the heart of a woman he believes to be the reincarnation of his dead wife.
What makes it special? Isn’t the idea of a blaxploitation take on Dracula special enough for you? William H. Marshall plays the first ever black vampire in this movie, and since there haven’t been all that many since, that’s still pretty notable. The fashion is glorious, and the music is wonderful too. The plot is, well, kind of flimsy, and pretty slow, and it actually verges on being kind of boring, but there’s something pretty cool about it nonetheless.
Blood for Dracula (1974)
Who plays Dracula? Udo Kier.
What’s the story? A sickly Dracula is starving to death due to the lack of available virgins in Romania, so he travels to Italy in search of a bride. Unfortunately, the family of impoverished aristocrats he ends up staying with employs a rather rapey handyman, and there may not be any virgins left for him.
What makes it special? Produced by Andy Warhol, this is definitely one of the strangest takes on the Dracula story. Many of the established tropes are present – Dracula doesn’t have a reflection, and can’t stand garlic - but rather than being powerful and seductive, Kier’s Count is almost pitiable. He spends much of the film in a wheelchair, which is an oddly creepy image, and he’s kind of… whiny. It’s hard to know where your sympathies should lie, and it’s fun to see a mother actively throwing her daughters at Dracula rather than trying to save them from him. The accents are occasionally baffling (especially Joe Dallesandro’s Brooklyn drawl) but maybe that’s all part of the joke.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Who plays Dracula? Gary Oldman.
What’s the story? Back in the fifteenth century, Dracula’s wife kills herself after being told her husband has been killed in battle. Knowing suicide is a sin, Dracula figures she’s damned, and turns against God himself, becoming a vampire. After skulking in his castle for centuries, he decides to move to London, where he meets Mina Harker – a woman who looks exactly like his dead wife. The rest of the Dracula story is intact, but with a side of overly dramatic tragic romance.
What makes it special? It’s one of the most faithful adaptations around, in terms of how much of the book it conveys to the screen. Characters are shown writing letters and diary entries, as per the book, and Lucy’s three suitors are all present and correct, which is rare.
Unfortunately, some of the performances are pretty terrible (Keanu Reeves is an easy target, but he’s truly awful here, and Cary Elwes is in full smirk mode). There are so many famous people crammed in that it gets distracting, and the set design is too stagey to be effective. But it gets points for keeping all the characters in their places.
‘Buffy vs Dracula’, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2000)
Who plays Dracula? Rudolf Martin.
What’s the story? To kick off the fifth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy went up against the most famous vampire of all time. Yup, they actually wrote Dracula into an episode of Buffy. There’s no real messing with the character, apart from dropping him into modern day California, and he uses pretty much all of his tricks: he turns into a bat, he dissolves into mist, he uses mind control to turn Xander into a slavering minion, and he seduces Sunnydale’s women, including Buffy herself.
What makes it special? There’s something about crossovers that’s always oddly irresistible. Fitting the Scooby Gang into the Dracula story is fun because of the cognitive dissonance it causes: they’re all-American teenagers, and he’s a character from a gothic Victorian novel, so there’s no reason they should ever encounter one another, and the fallout is genuinely funny. (Spike’s indignation is a particular highlight.) There’s also a serious side to the story, as Dracula tells Buffy she’s a creature of darkness, but that’s something that really developed over the rest of the series. This episode is mostly just fun.
Dracula 2000 (2000)
Who plays Dracula? Gerard Butler.
What’s the story? Despite Van Helsing’s best efforts, someone has let Dracula out of his prison, and he’s determined to track down the one woman who might be able to stand up to him. (Who just happens to be Van Helsing’s daughter.) Bringing Van Helsing and Dracula into a modern day setting requires a bit of sleight of hand, but it just about works, and the film has an ace up its sleeve: an explanation for Dracula’s true identity that finally explains why he’s so averse to silver and crucifixes.
What makes it special? It kind of shouldn’t be, because it’s so silly. It’s got that self-aware, slightly camp late-90s horror thing going on, and it’s never actually scary. But it is a lot of fun, with some sharp dialogue (“I don’t drink… coffee”) and loads of geek-friendly faces popping up, including Jonny Lee Miller, Nathan Fillion, and Jeri Ryan.
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Who plays Dracula? Dominic Purcell
What’s the story? Dracula, or “Drake”, is an ancient vampire summoned by modern day vampires looking for an upgrade. Blade has been killing off too many of them, and they want to walk in daylight, which apparently Drake’s blood will let them do. Drake is a bit of a rubbish Dracula, as they go; he’s just a really old vampire, and none of the usual Dracula plot elements are present.
What makes it special? Let’s be clear about this, Blade Trinity is a pretty terrible film. It has two redeeming features, though: Ryan Reynolds and Parker Posey are fantastic, and every scene they have together is wonderful; and it includes a scene in which Drake wanders into a vampire-themed shop and terrorises the snarky goth assistants. Those things just about make it worth watching, but for Dracula super-fans, it hasn’t got much to offer. Purcell’s Dracula is apparently meant to be charismatic, but he just comes off dull and thuggish.
Other notable onscreen Draculas: Countess Dracula (Ingrid Pitt stars as Elizabeth Bathory, so not really Dracula at all, except in the title); Count Duckula (an 80s cartoon about a vampiric duck); Count Dracula (a low budget horror from 1979, directed by Jess Franco and starring Christopher Lee despite not being part of Lee’s Hammer Dracula franchise); Dracula: Dead And Loving It (Mel Brooks’s daft spoof); Dracula Ad 1972 (a reteaming of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing that brings Dracula into the 70s); Dracula Sucks (a hardcore porn adaptation); and Dario Argento’s Dracula 3D (which isn’t out yet, and will almost certainly be terrible.)
This feature was originally posted in October 2013.
- 8/19/2013
- Den of Geek
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