Dracula, a movie monster
An exploration of one of the oldest (litterally) movie monsters and a comparison between the films
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- DirectorE. Elias MerhigeStarsJohn MalkovichWillem DafoeUdo KierThe filming of Nosferatu (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.This film is both a celebration of the vampire and of the vampire movie. Nosferatu/Max Schrek is a real monster discovered by Murnau in remote Czechoslovaquia. Nosferatu mentions that he was turned by a woman, so long ago he can't remember. He also comments on Bram Stoker's book and how sad it is that Dracula has no servants and is reduced to doing chores in his castle by himself like dressing the table.
- CreatorMark GatissSteven MoffatStarsClaes BangDolly WellsMorfydd ClarkIn 1897 Transylvania, the blood-drinking Count draws his plans against Victorian London.A good adaptation for modern palates. It introduces the fact that those who are bitten become undead: Harker and Lucy become zombies; It also gives Dracula the motive of getting an heir. It reconciles Dracula and Van Helsing and in a clever twist argues that his weaknesses are actually placebo.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsGary OldmanWinona RyderAnthony HopkinsThe centuries old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker's fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land.It blends artfully Dracula and Vlad Tepes. The movie leans heavily on Middle Age history and on Catholic symbolism. It openly uses the sexual undertones of the character to motivate his actions. It is certainly the movie with the most flair and cinematic ambition. It is the most masterful one.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingChristopher LeeMichael GoughWhen Jonathan Harker rouses the ire of Count Dracula for accepting a job at the vampire's castle under false pretenses, his friend Dr. Van Helsing pursues the predatory villain.It introduces that the vampire's kiss is highly addictive, like a drug. It remains more theatrical. It turns out it was Lee himself who introduced the underlying sexual nature of the vampire. It is very cheap and very simple but it's minimalism works in it's favour
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJack MacGowranRoman PolanskiAlfie BassA noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.Half-horror, half slapstick comedy. It focuses a bit more on the village underneath Dracula's castle. There is a terrific shot of the vampire flying down from the ceiling to grab Sharon Tate. A light-hearted take on mythos, and the most cartoonish.
- DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsMax SchreckAlexander GranachGustav von WangenheimVampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter's wife.Original and very classical at the same time. The first Dracula adaptation and they did not even have the rights. It is genuinely horrific, a good adaptation. It truly finds the essence of Dracula, which is: he is a monster. He is an otherworldly creature, made to haunt your mind and your soul. The shadow of the vampire climbing up the stairs is the best scene this genre has ever produced.
- DirectorJemaine ClementTaika WaititiStarsJemaine ClementTaika WaititiCori Gonzalez-MacuerViago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.If this list was made in to a movie. It is a clever deconstruction of the tropes and the codes of the vampire movie. There is no story, it is the adventures of room-mates in Wellington. It goes through a lot of gags asking what if vampires had to live in our modern society.
- DirectorStephen SommersStarsHugh JackmanKate BeckinsaleRichard RoxburghThe famed monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula, who is using Dr. Frankenstein's research and a werewolf for nefarious purposes.It is by no means a Dracula film like the previous ones, but the character is still the antagonist. It is a somewaht clever blend of Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf and other classic horror films. Unfortunately the action takes away from the finesse of the horror film.
- DirectorGary ShoreStarsLuke EvansDominic CooperSarah GadonAs his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom.This movie is a pure corporate product, formulaic and uninspired. It's Game of Thrones meets a comic book superhero origin story. To be clear: even at the time of it's release nobody had asked for this. It doesn't care for the lore nor the symbolism of the character. It is surface-level and as shallow as humanly possible. Two things notably stand out: replacing Dracula in the context of the Ottoman invasions, which is pretty much the context of the Vlad the Impaler, and Charles Dance as the true seminal vampire of this movie.
- DirectorTod BrowningKarl FreundStarsBela LugosiHelen ChandlerDavid MannersTransylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night.It is amazing how influential this one is. Almost every aspect of it, the setting, the costumes, the tone, certains gestures, has become a trope. Its power as a cult classic overshadows the book in such a way that it becomes the fundamental reference for pop-culture Dracula. Bela Lugosi in white tails is what people have in mind when they hear Dracula.