Biting Critique: Vampire Lore as Vehicle For Social Commentary

With the 6th season of True Blood having just concluded, and with fans eager for new episodes, it’s fascinating to reflect on the bevy of issues the show has addressed over the course of its run, including: xenophobia; subjugated groups gaining tolerance in an increasingly permissive society; humanity’s constant struggle to reconcile animalistic urges with…

Lets Remake Mark of the Vampire

Hollywood loves remakes right now.  Never mind why. They do.  Given that, here is the first in a series of suggestions offered up into the aether.  I claim no credit.  Anyone who wants to use any of these ideas has my absolute, unfettered permission to do so with no requirements whatsoever. Mark of the Vampire…

The Man Who Was Dracula

Actually giving birth to legends about oneself is no small feat. Yet Bela Lugosi (1882-1956) managed it. Much of the stories told about him are wrong, which coincidentally gives him something in common with Vlad the Impaler — there’s a lot about him treated as gospel but which are either untrue or at least disputable.…

Film Flashback: Mark of the Vampire

Old school vampire movies should never be forgotten, so today we’re taking another trip to the past to check out one of these beloved classics. Today’s movie pick is “Mark of the Vampire,” a 1935 Tod Browning film staring the legendary Béla Lugosi, as well as Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan, Lionel Atwill and Jean Hersholt.…

The Best Known Dracula Movies

Bram Stoker’s influential novel, Dracula, has inspired a ton of movies… seriously, there are SO many Dracula movies. I mean, if you type “Dracula” into the IMDB search bar you get well over a hundred results. While I’m sure there are a bunch of real gems in those results, I’m going to stick with a…