Dracula Untold (2014)

Copyright: Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures

We're finishing off Dracula Week with one of the most recent Dracula films to be released, Dracula Untold.  It goes back to Vlad's days and gives us an example of where he might have come from, as well as, originally, setting us up for the Universal Monsters Shared Universe.  But we'll get into that in a little bit.  For now, let's take a look at the film!

It starts off telling us about how Vlad was used as a royal hostage as a boy when the Turks had invaded his lands.  It flashes ahead to Vlad's adulthood, after his days as impaler.  He's now ruling Wallachia, at peace with the Turks and with a wife and son.  While he and his men are patrolling the river, they come across a Turkish helmet and fear it may mean a scouting party is preparing to invade.  Following the stream, Vlad and his soldiers come across Broken Tooth Mountain, where they're attacked by a strange creature faster and stronger than any human they'd encountered.  Vlad loses the two men who came with him, and barely escapes the cave with his life.

Later, the Turks arrive during an Easter feast, demanding their usual tribute... and, in addition, 1000 boys for the Sultan's Janissary troop.  When Vlad goes to the Sultan to request that he have mercy over the country, even offering himself instead, knowing that his skills would make him worth more than the 1000 requested, the Sultan turns him down, then asks for Vlad's son, in addition.  When the emissary arrives to take his son, however, Vlad kills him and the rest of the soldiers, then tells his men to hold up and protect the castle and his wife and son.  Vlad turns towards Broken Tooth Mountain with a plan...

The movie was definitely good, with a lot of action to it and amazing special effects.  Vlad transforming into a flock of bats was always fun to see, and how he used it to his advantage against the Turkish forces trying to kill him and his people was really cool.  A later scene where Vlad used a lightning storm as cover was really well-done, also, as was Vlad's vampire-vision, where he could see the flowing vessels under the skin.

Luke Evans plays Vlad, aka Dracula, in this film, and he plays the part well.  You can get the sense of frustration he gets having to hide his powers from his people.   He's also in the Hobbit trilogy, Fast & Furious 6 and 7, Clash of the Titans and in the upcoming live action Beauty and the Beast as Gaston.  Charles Dance plays the Master Vampire who Vlad has to approach to gain the ability to save his people.  He's been in a lot of movies, including Underworld: Awakening (and the upcoming Blood Wars entry into the franchise), Victor Frankenstein, and the much reviled Ghostbusters remake.  Art Parkinson played Ingeras, Vlad's son, and went on to co-star in San Andreas.

I really enjoyed this one, and give it a 5 out of 5.  It was originally intended to be the opening to the Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe, even having a few scenes added in that could have linked in with the upcoming films, but it looks like Universal's changing the start to be a new Mummy film starring Tom Cruise.  Looking forward to that one, but for now, as always, this is Red Hawk signing out!

Dracula 2000 (2000 film)

Copyright: Miramax and Dimension Films

Wes Craven tried his hand at bringing us a newer, more modern Dracula film in this entry.  It starred a pretty good cast of people that went on to bigger things, as well as a couple of well-established actors, as well.  It went on to spawn a couple sequels, as well, Dracula II: Ascension and Dracula III: Legacy, each with a different actor portraying the part.  But for now, let's talk about Dracula 2000!

The film opens on a shot of the Demeter, the ship that brought Dracula to England, then a shot of him embarking into London from the beach.  From here, it jumps ahead to the modern day, where Matthew, the grandson of Abraham Van Helsing, is perusing a recently acquired crossbow his assistant, Simon, has purchased for Van Helsing's antique dealership, Carfax Antiquities.  Meanwhile, a group of thieves trick their way into the building and find their way into a highly secured vault, looking for what they believe to be an enormous treasure and finding... a silver casket.  Reasoning that it's a bit of a mind game, they decide to take the casket, only for it to spring several traps which kill two of the thieves.  Hearing Van Helsing's approach, the remaining thieves spirit the casket away, leaving Matthew to find their destination.

I don't want to go too much further into the plot, because it would give away a few things that should remain surprises for people who haven't seen this one.  The film was good, though, pretty solid acting all around from everyone involved.  The sets and locations were great, as well.

Christopher Plummer portrays Van Helsing, the antiquities dealer who has to deal with a pending vampire threat.  He has had a very long, very amazing career, including movies like The Sound of Music, plus genre films like Starcrash (with Caroline Munro and Joe Spinell from The Last Horror Film) and Vampire in Venice.  Jonny Lee Miller played Simon, Van Helsing's assistant and apprentice.  He's currently playing Sherlock Holmes on the US series Elementary.  He also played Roger Collins in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows adaptation.  Gerard Butler plays Dracula in this film.  He's done extremely well for himself in acting since (this was one of his two breakout roles, the other was the title role in Atilla).  He was also in Tale of the Mummy, Reign of Fire, Phantom of the Opera and 300.

This was a pretty fun film.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  It's not quite up with the classics, but it does stand on its own as a good possible continuation of the original.  Next up, we'll be finishing Dracula Week with one of the most recent films, Dracula Untold, then we'll be taking a look at a few video games Dracula's appeared in.  Until then, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)

Copyright: Columbia Pictures

Today's entry in Dracula Week is a return to the original story, with a bit of a love story added on for good measure.  I always find it amazing how different the versions of the original story can be so different at times.  Bela Lugosi's film was different from Nosferatu.  Horror of Dracula took the story another direction, filling out the folklore even more, while the films with Frank Langella and Jack Palance playing the role added a bit more tragedy and romance to his backstory.  Each film builds on the back of those that came before it, taking what worked before and refining it, making it, in some cases, better.

With Bram Stoker's Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola took elements from the previous films, and the original book, blended them together, added some of his own inspirations and turned out a very interesting result, one I'm pleased to review for you.

The film starts off with a bit of history.  It shows Vlad the Impaler laying waste to the Muslim Turks that invaded his country in that time period.  It also shows his beloved, Elizabeta, getting news of his death and falling from a high tower to her death.  Upon his return, he's informed that, as she suicided, her soul's lost.  Vlad goes berserk, forsaking and renouncing God as he destroys everything in the chapel that he can.  Blood starts flowing from the stabbed cross and Vlad drinks from it.

From here, it follows much the same as the others.  We see Jonathan Harker, a realtor who replaces the recently mentally incapacitated Renfield, getting the assignment Renfield had, to finish the job of selling Carfax Abbey to Count Dracula.  Through the trip to Transylvania, we get Harker's journal entries (the film, much like the book, is told through journal entries and pieces of news).  On the ride to Borgo Pass, a fellow carriage rider gives Harker a crucifix to protect him.  When Dracula's coach arrives, the Coachman reaches down and lifts Harker up by the shoulder, setting him into the coach before driving off with him.

From here the film is close to the original, with the trip to the castle and the solicitor meeting with the Count.  Some interesting shots take place at the castle, with Dracula's shadow not quite matching Dracula's movements (a result of Dracula's own unnaturalness, along with a few other weird occurrences in the area).  Rather than falling under Dracula's spell as Renfield did, Harker is seemingly caught and captivated by Dracula's brides and forced to go along with Dracula's wishes.  Finally, the day comes where Dracula is set to head to his new home, leaving Harker with the brides.  He's seen Harker's fiancee's picture, and she looks remarkably like Elizabeta...

The film was amazing in its visuals and effects.  The makeup was excellent on Dracula, throughout all of the forms he takes.  The film was shot almost completely on sound stage, and with amazing attention to detail.  Many scenes were shot keeping in mind what sort of technology would be available in the time period, such as in the asylum scenes, or the nickelodeon.

The cast was, for the most part, excellently chosen.  A few people disliked Keanu Reeves's performance as Jonathan Harker, but I didn't really find any fault in it, personally (of course, I was in my teens when it first came out and never really thought much on different accents at the time).  Mr. Reeves was, of course, in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, the Matrix series, Johnny Mnemonic and The Watcher.  Gary Oldman portrayed Count Dracula this time around, and he did excellently.  The different looks he sports throughout the film are amazing, but it's the actor that makes the role, not the makeup, and he was really good.  Mr. Oldman has been in a ton of movies, including the Dark Knight Trilogy, The Professional, The Fifth Element, the Harry Potter series and Red Riding Hood.  Winona Ryder plays Mina Murray, Harker's fiancee who starts to come under the spell of Count Dracula.  She was also in Beetlejuice, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands and Alien: Resurrection.  Anthony Hopkins plays Professor Van Helsing, the eternal nemesis to Dracula.  He's had a very long and distinguished career, portraying Hannibal Lecter in the Silence of the Lambs trilogy (not the first Hannibal Lecter on screen, that honor goes to Brian Cox who played the role (as Hannibal Leckter) in the Red Dragon adaptation Manhunter), as well as playing in Thor, Meet Joe Black, Instinct and Fracture.

All in all, an excellent movie, one I give a 5 out of 5.  Next up, we'll be going a few more years forward to the year 2000.  Dracula 2000, that is!  (At least I'm not covering Dracula 3000, the much-reviled vampires in space film!)  Until next time, this is Red Hawk signing out!

Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972 film)

Copyright: Hammer Films and Columbia-Warner Bros.

A little late in getting this up, but better late than never, I always say!  For years, many have debated over who played the best Dracula.  Some say Bela Lugosi, some say Duncan Regehr of Monster Squad, and some say the man who starred in this film, Christopher Lee.  I originally thought of covering the original Christopher Lee Dracula film, Horror of Dracula (or just Dracula on its British release), but realized it would probably be another retelling of the original story, and I wanted to get a little more variety in my articles.

I can't remember if this was my first Christopher Lee Dracula film, or if I saw another before this one, but I know I saw this one years ago, possibly on one of the premium stations like Encore or Starz.  I do know that I enjoyed it, though I still hold Bela Lugosi as the better Dracula actor, myself.  But, before we get too into that, let's get into the summary!

The film begins with a carriage chase (I thought this was going to be different from the original film!) through Hyde Park, with Dracula fighting Van Helsing, his eternal arch nemesis, on top of it.  As the horses pulling the carriage pull away, due to the pin connecting them pulling free, Dracula throws Van Helsing off the roof, then ends up crashing with the carriage into a tree.  As Van Helsing looks on, Dracula stumbles from alongside the carriage with one of its broken wheels impaling him.  With a mild struggle, Van Helsing manages to drive it in the rest of the way, then succumbs to his own injuries as a man rides up to the scene and watches Dracula waste away to dust.  The new man takes Dracula's ring, and a vial of his ashes, and leaves the scene.

Fast forward a hundred years to contemporary (for 1972) London.  The majority of the film takes place here, as one young man seeks to revive Dracula, with Van Helsing's descendants seeking to stop him.  The film here is amazing to me, I love looking back into the past and seeing the fashions, hearing the music, all of that.  The film came out five years before I was born, so it's nice to connect with my decade.

I did enjoy the film.  Christopher Lee was great in the role, but his role in the film was a bit limited.  He is, of course, a highly respected actor, and rightly so.  Besides Dracula, he also was Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Saruman in the Middle Earth saga, and, in one of the first roles I remember seeing him in, Dr. Catheter in Gremlins 2: The New Batch.  He also had roles in quite a few Tim Burton films, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Dark Shadows.  Playing opposite Mr. Lee was Peter Cushing.  Cushing was another great actor, who played in Tales from the Crypt, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (with Christopher Lee again), and the original Star Wars.  Caroline Munro played Laura, one of the early victims of the film.  She's had a long acting career, including one film I covered on the original version of the site, The Last Horror Film (filmed during the Cannes Film Festival in France).  She was a Bond Girl (in The Spy Who Loved Me), and was also in an old favorite of mine, Slaughter High.

All in all, a pretty fun film, with a few surprises here and there.  I highly recommend a view, and give it a 4 out of 5.  Next up, we'll have something a little more recent, with Bram Stoker's Dracula, starring Gary Oldman as the eponymous count.  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Dracula (1931)

Copyright Universal Pictures

Starting off Dracula Week with a true horror classic, the original Dracula film from Universal Pictures.  While not the oldest film I've covered (that honor goes to Nosferatu, the silent adaptation of the same story, which I covered on this site's original incarnation), it is pretty old, yet remains one of my favorites.

A brief story before I go into my plot rundown.  When I was little, one of the local stations ran an all night marathon of five of the Universal monster films for Halloween: Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolf Man and The Invisible Man.  This was not only the first time I saw this film (and the others), but also the first time I ever got to stay up all night.  Well, almost all night... I sort of conked out at Invisible Man, waking up at one point to see a pair of pants chasing a screaming woman down the road.

The film opens on a carriage speeding through the Carpathian mountains, trying to make it to a village before sundown.  Among the passengers is one Mr. Renfield, a realtor who is looking to finalize a deal with the local Count Dracula.  At the village, upon hearing Renfield's destination, the locals try to dissuade him from his appointment at Borgo Pass, or at least delay his trip until the morning, but Renfield is adamant about keeping it.

After a rather eventful ride, Renfield finds himself in the mouldering courtyard of a seemingly wrecked castle in the mountains.  Meeting his host, the charismatic Count himself, Renfield's surprised at the dilapidated exterior, but then finds his own quarters to be warm and cozy.  In the course of the meeting with the Count, Renfield cuts his finger, causing the Count to slowly advance on him, staring at the blood on his hand, only to be repelled by a cross Renfield was given at the village.  Only partially rebuffed, Dracula sends his brides in to dispose of the cross, leaving the way clear for him to enthrall Renfield to his power.

I have always loved this movie.  While some of the special effects are a little strange nowadays, I'm sure that they would have been very effective when it first came to theaters.  One thing I came across when researching this movie was the fact that, whenever Dracula's on camera, especially the scenes with him using his powers to influence others, he never blinks once.  There were rumors that Hannibal Lecter did something similar in Silence of the Lambs (not true, he blinks a lot), it just adds that much more to the creepiness of the character.

Bela Lugosi plays the sinister Count Dracula.  This is the first of twice that he played the role, the other time being in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.  He went on to play many other vampire roles, and mad scientist types, as well, mostly getting typecast in those roles somewhat due to his natural accent.  Speaking of typecasting, Renfield was portrayed by Dwight Frye, who became known for his raving lunatic roles after this film.  Edward Van Sloan played Professor Van Helsing, Dracula's nemesis in the film.  He went on to also play in Frankenstein, The Mummy, and to reprise the Van Helsing role in Daughter of Dracula.

A true classic, and one of my all-time favorites, I don't hesitate to give this film a 5 out of 5.  Next time, I'll be bringing you a new Dracula film, from 40 or so years later.  Until then, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Mimic 3: Sentinel (2003 film)

Copyright Dimension Films

Second day of Happy Horrorween, and we finish off the Mimic-palooza with Mimic 3: Sentinel.  Sentinel ups the terror by giving us two Judas Breed bugs, but also restricts one of our main characters to mostly one room.  Yes, it's Rear Window with human-sized killer insects!

The film focuses on Marvin, a shut-in due to health problems lingering from when he was stricken with Strickler's, the disease that was first mentioned in the original film (the disease the Mimic bugs were created to wipe out).  He spends his days looking out his window, photographing the comings and goings of his neighbors, putting together a collage of the people across the way.  When a combination of factors leads Marvin to suspect the Garbageman, a new neighbor, of foul play, the truth he, his sister, Rosy and his new friend, Carmen, discover is much worse...

This film, while not quite up to par with the original, still delivers on some chills and suspense.  Like I said, it sort of goes off of the template of Rear Window, so it has a good set of bones to build off of. The addition of the Judas Breed adds some further suspense to the proceedings, plus the mystery of the Garbageman, as well.  The acting was good, with a couple of then well-known actors, and at least one more who went on to bigger things.

Playing Simone, Marvin's mother, was Amanda Plummer.  Ms. Plummer played Nettie Cobb in Needful Things, as well as having roles in a lot of other films, like Pulp Fiction, The Prophecy, Satan's Little Helper, and Vampire.  Lance Henriksen plays the Garbageman.  He has been in a lot of films, including the Pumpkinhead series, Terminator, the Alien series as Bishop, The Pit and the Pendulum from Full Moon... the list of films he's done goes on and on.  Rebecca Mader played Carmen, the girl Marvin's pining over in the apartment complex.  This was her first film, but she went on to play on Lost and No Ordinary Family, as well as portraying the Wicked Witch of the West in Once Upon a Time.

All in all, I'll give this film a 3 out of 5.  It wasn't really as good as the first two, but it was better than some others I've covered on here.  Tune in next time, when I'll be kicking off Dracula Week: a week of Dracula films from across the years, starting with 1931's Dracula with the late, great Bela Lugosi.  I think it'll be a pretty fun time.  Take care, everyone, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Mimic 2 (2001)

Copyright Dimension Films

Here we are, at the start of another Happy Horrorween, and I've brought you some more massive, man-impersonating bugs!  I promised this article the day after the last one... which was January 1st.  A little late, I know, but anyone who's seen this site knows that deadlines can sometimes get the best of me.  Nevertheless, I've got a great month planned out for you, so let's kick things off with Mimic 2!

This one shifts focus from Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino's character in the original) to Remy, her assistant, who is now a science teacher in an inner-city high school.  She's going to need all that scientific knowledge, as well as her experience as an entomologist, as a new member of the Judas Breed focuses in on her.

The film opens, much like the first, with another man running for his life from a cloaked figure.  Reaching the seeming safety of the streets, he's instead attacked and killed.  Later, when the police find him, he's been eviscerated and his face cut off.  The police identify the body and find a connection to Remy, who lives along in an apartment... an apartment where someone, or something, watches over her from outside the window.

This was an interesting one.  While overall, I don't feel it's better than the first, it does have its charms.  Instead of a whole colony of Judas Breed bugs, we largely have just one, and so far as I could tell, not a hint of CGI to it.  The effects worked well, too, and there were plenty of scares to be had.

The main woman, Remy, was played by Alix Koromzay, returning from the original.  When searching for other roles she's played on IMDb, I noticed that her character's name is spelled Remy for the first film, but Remi for the second one.  I went with the spelling from the first, since I figure that would probably override any script name changes.  She was also in 1997's Nightwatch, 1999's The Haunting, and Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (another series I'd like to eventually cover on this site).  Bruno Campos portrays Detective Klasky.  He doesn't have a lot of genre type titles in his resumé, but he was the voice for Prince Naveen in The Princess and the Frog, he had a role on an episode of Ghost Whisperer, and played Dr. Quentin Costa on Nip/Tuck.  Edward Albert played Darksuit, leader of the military unit sent to wipe out the Judas Breed threat.  A well-accomplished actor, he had a major role in the 1980s series Beauty and the Beast, played the Red Ranger's father on Power Rangers: Time Force, and 1982's The House Where Evil Dwells.

When this film came out, the critics weren't too kind to it.  Personally, I really enjoyed it.  I give this another 4 out of 5.  It stands alongside the original film really well.  Tomorrow, we'll see why the third film didn't, despite an excellent cast.  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!