Francis Ford Coppola has a winner with his Brahm Stoker's Dracula. His cast selection and direction of top stars was perfect in every way. I have heard reviews that Keanu Reeves performance was rigid and uninspiring. I disagree. He was playing a British character after all. The story was rich with plot and substance. Details were paid to the distance traveled and time involved. The romance was just that. A love story for all time.
Gary Oldman has always impressed me with his versatility and this film did not disappoint. The transformations from old Dracula to young Dracula to horrible monster was impressive. Huge props go to the make up people on this film.
Anthony Hopkins plays Van Helsing as he has never been played before. It was refreshing. Of course, I think I've loved Anthony Hopkins ever since Silence of the Lambs.
Let us not forget the lovely brides of Dracula.
All of the actors did a wonderful job perfuming their parts. The storyline, the direction, the scenery, the script, everything moved this film a long. The two hours you spend watching this film are well spent indeed.
Lost Boys is definitly an 80's movie, but worth the watch all the same. A single mom and her two sons moves back home to live with her father. His choice of interior design is enough by it's self to give someone nightmares. Meanwhile, the kids head to the carnival beach town to mingle with the locals. The older boy is attracted to a young woman who hangs with the wrong crowd and ditches his younger brother which is a good thing in the long run.
Great quirky characters with Cory Haim as the younger brother and Corey Feldman as the vampire hunter wanna be who is ready to stake anyone. This is one of the first films I had seen Keither Sutherland in and I was not disappointed. I had always been a fan of his father, Donald Sutherland and I was glad to see the talent passed down. He made a wicked vampire and I wouldn't mind seeing either one of them in another vamp film.
I have to mention Edward Herman, Diane Wiest and most of all Barnard Hughes. They brought the real fun and scary to the film. Honorable mention of the beautiful dogs that were part of this film.
I like the twist of the film at the end and as is the norm, it wasn't really the end. There is a sequel and seeing what happens to the Frog brothers makes it worth watching, but for now, here's Lost Boys trailer.
Horror of Dracula is one of the first films that introduced me to the wonderful world of vampires. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat watching this as a little kid. My faith intensified with the knowledge that the crucifix would protect me from the evils that lurked in the night. Yet I was sympathetic to the poor lass who had the cross laid across her face which left her scarred. I cringed at the thought of it burning into her skin and it also created a little fear that it would also burn me should I turn evil. Enough about me.
The films is similar to that of Brahm Stroker with the characters mixed up, additions and deletions, and a mishmash of the story in general. There will be no confusion if you don't pay attention to the names and take it at face value. Christopher Lee plays Dracula and Peter Cushing is his nemesis Van Helsing. Harker is working with Van Helsing and has been hired by Dracula as a librarian. Harker already knows that Dracula is a vampire and his real intention for being there is to kill Dracula. He fails, but Van Helsing is there to put an end to Harker before he harms anyone.
Dracula, meanwhile, has headed off to visit Harker's fiancee Lucy who is living with Harker's brother and wife.
It is up to Van Helsing to convince them that they are in danger and Dracula must be destroyed, but first he must be found. Van Helsing knows he is near because of the death of Lucy. They don't know just how close Dracula really is.
In the end, Dracula must die as he always must die. Unlike today's films, Dracula doesn't immediately turn to ash or smoke. It is a long, torturous death, thanks to a little sunlight. Should I have warned ahead of time that this was a spoiler? Oops. To late now, but I don't think you were very surprised to hear that Dracula dies at the end.
Back in 1976, I tried to read Ann Rice's novel "Interview With A Vampire". It was one of the few books I did not finish reading. I was so bored. Then in 1994, the film was released starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. I didn't hold much hope for the film. Both men were big stars but I had never cared a whole lot for their previous films with the exception of Brad Pitt's roll in Thelma and Louise. It was a small part but yes haw! I had a pessimistic view of the casting of Tom Cruise for being a blonde is not his normal hair color and it was Tom Cruise. Even Ann Rice had her doubts.
I loved the movie. Not so much for Cruise and Pitt. They did their job well enough. What I loved about this film was the scenery and the props. I loved Kristen Dunst in her roll as Claudia. I thought her acting was supreme considering how young she was at the time. She brought out the frustrations of being trapped in the body of a child, never being able to grow and mature physically although her mind was constantly growing. Brad Pitt's character's anguish did appear whining. Really wouldn't miss him if he died, but Claudia's anguish came across and although she was a killer, I couldn't help but hope for her to find her happiness.
I did try again to read the book twenty years later. The book is always better than the film but I think this book makes the exception. Although I was older, more mature, and knew what the story was about, I still could not get into this book.
Nothing to do with vampires here, but I must say that my favorite books by Anne Rice are the Mayfair Witches trilogy. She writes about New Orleans in a way that makes you feel as if you have stepped into the pages and are actually there. I highly recommend those books.
I had no idea that they had made a sequel to 30 Days of Night. It was a surprise considering most everyone died and the town burnt to the ground, but the story didn't end. Stella wanted the people to know the truth and so she started touring the states and sharing her story about what happened to the people of Barlow.
The vampires are a little different in this film as they are cleaner and a bit more into conversation as they speak English. She enjoys her blood bath.
The key difference in the film is that Kiele Sanchez has replaced Melissa George in the part of Stella which I found to be an improvement.
Stella is touring the states to share the true story of what happened to the town of Barlow which attracts more vampires to her as well as a team of vampire hunters.
As far as sequels go, this wasn't bad at all. I could have done without the gratuitous sex scene. Stella discovers a secret about the vampires, but she obviously should have watched Pet Cemetery.
The first time I saw 30 Days of Night, I was bored beyond boredom. I realized later that my boredom was a self defense mechanism. Simply put, this movie actually terrified me. Most victims of vampires are given a respite from the attacks when daylight hits. Not in the small isolated town of Barlow up next to the Artic circle where the sun doesn't rise for thirty days. The deluge of vampires does not end and it's not just one or two vamps that have come to set siege on the town. They brought the whole clan.
What I didn't like (again, probably self defense cause the idea terrifies me) is that the vampires don't speak English (the horror of it!) I don't like the teeth. These vamps have a full mouth vice like razor sharp teeth. All the teeth are saw points. I really don't like the sloppy dirtiness of these vampires, but it is what it is and although the film is slow and tedious in parts, it is necessary for the true isolation to take effect. The hiding, the running, the finding survivors, seeing the slaughter and having to kill your own pulls at your soul.
I didn't like the film the first time I watched it. Yet, I still had to see it again. And again. And yet, again. Maybe it has to do with looking at a car wreck with the bloody injured and dead. You know you shouldn't look and yet you do all the same.
30 Days of Night is not on my top ten favorites, but it is in my library and will be watched again and again.
What more can I say than John Carpenter and James Wood? A great match between actor and director. A bit of profanity as well as nudity, but the naked gals are only during one party with the exception of Sheryl Lee and her scene was done tastefully.
Vampires is the story of a team of vampire hunters who find that they are the ones being hunted a little to late. The survivors are out for the head vampire with the help of one of the vampire's victims who now has a link to the vampire. The head vampire is now hunting a unique cross that will give him the ability to survive in the sunlight. Everyone on both teams run into a few obstacles.
This film is one of my top five favorites. Part of the reason is simply watching James Wood get his butt kicked more than once. I actually liked all of the characters in the film including Daniel Baldwin.
I loved Van Helsing from the start to the finish. It begins in black and white with Frankenstein bringing the monster to life and Dracula right there to take possession. Change to color and we meet Van Helsing who with his own burdens heads off to Transylvania to find and destroy Dracula. It was a fun watch with lots of action and never a dull moment. Dracula's brides were beautiful. The fantasy of their flowing gowns merging into their skin when they sprouted the demon wings and form was original and fun to watch.
The plot has a substantial story with humor, wit, and one liners. It also has a few sad moments. Enjoy.
From Dusk to Dawn, a vampire flick with George Clooney and Quentin Taratino, horrible to watch when it's been edited for television, but a fun violent flick on the DVD with lots of naked boobs for the breast folks out there.
An escaped convict and his brother have robbed a bank and are high tailing it to Mexico where they are to meet up with folks for a safe haven. They hijack a family in their RV and head to the titty bar which just happens to be the home of a gazillion vampires who feast on bikers and truckers.
Cheech Marin played multiple parts and was his normal comedic self. There is a lot of humor in this film, including that from Tom Savini, mixed in with the violence.
This may have been the first movie I saw Danny Trejo in. He was perfect for the part and makes a wicked vampire.
Salma Hayek's appearance is short lived but memorable to say the very least.
The movie isn't a scary one. You pretty much figure most everyone's gonna die. It's pretty much a monster fest with fighting, fighting, and then some more fighting. Each of the vamps look different. You gotta love the stripper vamp who in vampire form has her breasts at her belly button.
If you like a lot of nudity, profanity, and vampires on fire, you are sure to love From Dusk to Dawn. My favorite part was the end. Not because it was the end of the film, but because how they ended the film. No spoilers tonight kiddies.
Let the Right One In is much more than a vampire story. Our main character is Oskar, a young twelve year old of a single mom is bullied by his classmates. A new girl, Eli, moves next door to his apartment complex. The first thing she tells him is that they can't be friends, but they do become friends. Oskar teaches Eli morse code so they can communicate through the walls. Eli teaches him to be strong and to hit back at the bullies.
Oskar evenutally comes to the understanding that Eli is a vampire. She becomes his strongest ali and he beomes hers. Cats are not her Eli's friend.
This film is Swedish with subtitles. It runs slow but is not boring. I enjoyed this film. It includes all the elements of growing up. I can't help but wonder where Oskar and Eli might be today. (Yes, I know that they are fictional)
I feel as if I'm doing this bass ackward since I didn't watch the first or the second of the Dusk to Dawn trilogy. I've seen them both before but I really wanted to watch the third one for the review. This one is my favorite of the three films. It's the prequel set a hundred years ago in Mexico. The hangman is about ready to hang an outlaw, Johnny Madrid. Johnny escapes with the help of a stranger and grabs the hangman's daughter, Esmeralda, on his way out of town. The hangman does his job to hunt them both down.
Unlike the previous films, this one has more of a substantial plot to it. Esmeralda is innocent and beautiful andalthough Johnny is a cod blooded killer, he has feelings for her. He takes her to a brothel/hotel for food and shelter. Her abusive father is not far behind. Johnny does what he can to protect her, but he soon finds out that the hangman is the least of his problems.
I loved the tango dance scene between Orlando Jones and Rebecca Gayhart. The change in the color of the filming topped it off. I only wish the scene had been longer. They make a fine addition to the film as did Sonia Braga, the brothel's inn keeper.
Loved how the story developed . A definite vampire favorite for me and a plus to those who like westerns.
Now, it's off to prepare a wedding gift and then go to the wedding at Edward's Mansion. It's the first time I've been to a wedding there and I'm curious to see what all the hub bub is about the location. I'm sure it will be lovely and I'm thrilled that they are happily in-love. I hope the stress level is at an all time low and that they enjoy their wedding day as much as they should.
I suppose I should have blogged about Fright Night before hitting Fright Night 2 but I've already seen Fright Night in the last 120 days and wasn't in the mood to see it again quite yet.
Fright Night 2 picks up three years after Charlie has killed the next door vampire Jerry. He's been spending this time in therapy and has come to the realization that it was all a group self hypnosis dream. Jerry was nothing more than a serial rapist killer.
Charlie goes to see his fellow vampire killer, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall and while there sees what he thinks is a new vampire clan moving in across the street.
The new gang is more creepy than scary. To be honest, I never did figure out if Jon Gries character is a vampire or a werewolf. He keeps being told to bite the girl but he's to busy having fun. I think he's just looking for a good scratching behind the ears.
Meanwhile, Charlie's friend Richie is going to party with the vamps. Charlie is in total stalker and peeping Tom while he stands his girlfriend up at the concert. He drags Vincent to the party and they discover his friend is alive and well. These vamps are simply performing artists. All is well until he sees the news and that his friend Richie has been discovered dead.
Richie was played by Merritt Butrick. It has been so long since I had seen this actor. I couldn't remember from where. He had played the part David Marcus in the Star Trek movies. I haven't seen him in so long because he passed away in 1989. So sad. RIP
No vamp movie is complete without the all powerful familar. Why are so many of these creatures bug eaters? Granted, Renfield started off eating bugs but it was always his goal to become something much more and eventually he would eat bigger things, but these big galoots are quite happy to eat just bugs and then when they die, all those bugs just creep on out. A bit on the gorey grossy side.
It's not as good as the first Fright Night, but the story flows and it's not a complete waste of time. I'm just glad that they didn't make a part three.
I was eighteen years old when I read Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot. I had purchased it from a minuscule description in the book of the club deal. I was greatly disappointed when I discovered that this was not a book about witches. It was about vampires, stupid vampires. I was a bit over Dracula. The movies were ok, but I didn't want to read about it. I had bought the book, might as well read it.
Let's just say that the crucifixes came out and I really really didn't want to go out at night after reading the book. It petrified me.
The book was made into a made for television movie in 1979. This was the second vampire film to have ever seriously completely scare the dickens out of me. The crucifixes came out, the Bible came out, and I begged not to be left at home alone the 2nd night that part 2 was being shown.
Did I over react a little bit? Oh hell yeah! It was exquisite. Does the film still hold true to form? Do I still bring out the crucifixes? A little bit. I didn't actually put on the necklace, but I gave it a moment of pause to think about it.
The story of Salem's Lot is about a man who returns to a small town he lived in for a short while as a child. It isn't so much his story as it is about the town and the Marsten House. Bad things had happened at that house on more than one occasion. Someone new has moved into the house and bad things are starting to happen again.
The cast was well chosen. David Soul plays the part of Ben Mears, the writer. His low key style fit the character. We didn't have great beauties, just "real everyday" folks with the exception of James Mason. Oh my gosh! He was wonderful as Straker. He was so different from everyone else wearing his suit and his manner of speaking and when he revealed his brute strength, I just had to pause to scream!
What makes the film scary is the realness of it all. The normal everyday life, the normal reactions people would have. The denial, the feeling that something is wrong, how the tiredness and weakness could be due to the stress of loss and lack of sleep due to bad dreams (Lord knows I've been there).
What really really makes it scary, is the sounds. It doesn't have the kind of sounds of jumping out you in the dark when it's been quiet and then the volume cranks up a hundred decimals. No. It's the creaking sounds. The creaking of the lift. The creaking of the rocking chair. The creaking of the stairs and the scariest is the sound of the fingernails tapping and scratching on the glass windows.
The eyes of the vampire were creepy as heck. They were almost silver like.
I wanted to hide behind the couch when Mike came back as a vampire. He had been such a sweet man, but that sweetness was long gone.
Who knew sitting in a rocking chair could be so scary?
The only complaint I had about this film was the vampire Barlow. It really kicked me out of the flow of the story because in the book, Barlow is a handsome man, like all vampires. He's seductive and powerful. Barlow in the film is a freak of nature. Nothing seductive about him. I understand that it was King who had wanted Barlow to look as Nosferatu. It didn't work for me.
My advice to you, if you want to get the full scary effects of this film, is to sit down in a dark quiet room and let your self go with mood. Don't let the floating bodies and the fog make you think "Wow! How cheesey can it get?" Instead, imagine What if it really did happen like that?
The films is similar to that of Brahm Stroker with the characters mixed up, additions and deletions, and a mishmash of the story in general. There will be no confusion if you don't pay attention to the names and take it at face value. Christopher Lee plays Dracula and Peter Cushing is his nemesis Van Helsing. Harker is working with Van Helsing and has been hired by Dracula as a librarian. Harker already knows that Dracula is a vampire and his real intention for being there is to kill Dracula. He fails, but Van Helsing is there to put an end to Harker before he harms anyone.
Vampires is the story of a team of vampire hunters who find that they are the ones being hunted a little to late. The survivors are out for the head vampire with the help of one of the vampire's victims who now has a link to the vampire. The head vampire is now hunting a unique cross that will give him the ability to survive in the sunlight. Everyone on both teams run into a few obstacles.
I feel as if I'm doing this bass ackward since I didn't watch the first or the second of the Dusk to Dawn trilogy. I've seen them both before but I really wanted to watch the third one for the review. This one is my favorite of the three films. It's the prequel set a hundred years ago in Mexico. The hangman is about ready to hang an outlaw, Johnny Madrid. Johnny escapes with the help of a stranger and grabs the hangman's daughter, Esmeralda, on his way out of town. The hangman does his job to hunt them both down.
