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Subverting Expectations: Dracula

A thoughtful article from a kindred spirit over at bloody disgusting inspired me to share my responses. I will put all quotations from that article in, um, quotes, as one does, and then respond to them. All clear? Let’s do this. “DRACULA may be my favorite story ever told.” Ah, my brother! “There are sections…

Movie Review: UNDERWATER

2020 is off to a good start as far as movies are concerned. (Note: I avoided the critically panned THE GRUDGE remake.) UNDERWATER is relentless, nonstop tension from opening credits to closing, but it doesn’t suffer the same fate as most movies that rely on breakneck pacing in that it doesn’t shortchange the audience on…

THE CHOSEN Part One – THE FLOATING CRADLE Chapter 4

Outside of his love for the Torah and his time spent in the Synagogue, his concern for family and closest friends, Rabbi Jacob Weiss regarded fishing the single greatest passion in his life. Indeed, over the course of many years, he had come to regard the river as one of those friends, as a member…

The Frankenstein Name Game

It gets tiring, always having to correct yourself in order to *be* correct, by referring to the Monster created by Victor Frankenstein as “Frankenstein’s Monster” or just as “the Monster.” Frankenstein was the *scientist*, as every knowledgeable fan knows, not the Monster. I not infrequently refer to the Monster as “Frankenstein.” The Monster, in fact,…

Dracula, Gay or Not Gay—The Continuation

There are those who suspect that Bram Stoker was bisexual. Is that possible? Yes, quite. I personally suspect he was. Does that mean his novel DRACULA is loaded with between-the-lines hints that the character of Count Dracula is meant to represent the evil homosexual impulses that plagued the author? If one chooses to read it…

Dracula: Gay or Not Gay?

I almost titled this one another in the series of “Your Weekly Dose of Stupidity.” There are Internet bottom-feeders complaining at hints that Dracula, as portrayed by Claes Bang in the new BBC series, might be bisexual. That is to be expected. And there are sources rightly calling them out for their childish ramblings. Not…

Dracula’s Mustache

If you’ve read the book, as any self-respecting vampire fan has, then you know that the Dracula in that novel doesn’t look a whole lot like the Draculas of the movies. Gary Oldman was made to look like Vlad the Impaler, which I loved, and Christopher Lee sported the Vlad facial hair once or twice….

Dracula Goes Bang

As I sit typing these words, the new BBC miniseries DRACULA, starring Claes Bang as the Count, has completed its run and is currently available on Netflix. You may well have viewed it by now. I alas have not, and will not be able to do so until the series is released on DVD. It…

It’s Raining Holy Water

Cow Island—I’m loving that name!—a town some thirty miles south of Lafayette, Louisiana, got doused with holy water for Christmas. Yes, the entire town. A hundred gallons of holy water, blessed by Father Matthew Barzare of Saint Anne’s Church, were dropped from a cropduster over the community. The whole thing was spearheaded by missionary L’Eryn…

In Appreciation of BLADE

Last night I watched the special that aired on ABC celebrating the career of Stan “The Man” Lee. It was a loving tribute and did justice to the man who was, up until the time of his death, the world’s greatest living writer. (Don’t believe a “comic book” writer could be deserving of such an…

Flying Saucers Over Hollywood

Did Ed Wood fashion the flying saucer props used in his masterpiece PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE out of pie pans? According to some sources, yes. (I attempted this myself some time back, fashioning a flying saucer out of two Dollar Tree pie tins, and the results were quite satisfactory, achieving a makeshift flying saucer…

Lots and Lots of Claes Bang’s DRACULA

We now have a full-length trailer. I haven’t watched it yet. I’m going to do that right now. You want to join me? Click on the link. Give it a look. Then we can discuss it. Ready? Okay, see you back here in a couple of minutes. Ah, yeah. Nice. This one looks *damn* good….