Tonight I've been watching an old Hammer Horror movie, 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' with Christopher Lee (Saruman in LOTR) as Dracula, and Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars) as a descendent of vampire hunter Van Helsing. Also a young Joanna Lumley, who gets to wear a truly awful orange shirt and wrestle with female vampires.
So i've gotten to thinking about who is my favourite Dracula. as good as Lee is (he played the role in a number of Hammer flicks), i'm thinking Klaus Kinski in Herzog's Nosferatu if probably my favourite. Then there's Bela Lugosi of course. I think that wold be my favourite vampire movie, as well. Kinski makes Dracula a kind of sad pathetic creature who almost seems to long for death.
Originally posted by Blackamp Tonight I've been watching an old Hammer Horror movie, 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' with Christopher Lee (Saruman in LOTR) as Dracula, and Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars) as a descendent of vampire hunter Van Helsing. Also a young Joanna Lumley, who gets to wear a truly awful orange shirt and wrestle with female vampires.
So i've gotten ...[text shortened]... es Dracula a kind of sad pathetic creature who almost seems to long for death.
Anyone?
Not even close - David Bowie, Catherine Deneuve, and Susan Sarandon in "The Hunger"
Originally posted by Blackamp Tonight I've been watching an old Hammer Horror movie, 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' with Christopher Lee (Saruman in LOTR) as Dracula, and Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars) as a descendent of vampire hunter Van Helsing. Also a young Joanna Lumley, who gets to wear a truly awful orange shirt and wrestle with female vampires.
So i've gotten ...[text shortened]... es Dracula a kind of sad pathetic creature who almost seems to long for death.
Anyone?
Max Schreck played the Klinski role in the original silent version - brilliant in its time and still facinating now.
Well, Gary Oldman had a go at Dracula in the 1992 Francis Ford Copola version. Not sure it could be described as the best Dracula ever, but it might have been the most complex. Took my wife to see it just before we got married. My wife wanted to leave after 10 minutes, but I loved it from start to finish.
the thing i remember most about the Oldman/Coppola version is the scene where Dracula licks the razor that the protagonist cut himself with. yikes! the prologue was pretty cool, too.
still haven't seem the Murnau/Schreck. Herzog/Kinski obviously modelled Kinski's 'look' on Schreck, and Herzog was aiming at a 'remake' of Murnau's. well, one day...
Blade was cool. one of a new generation of vampire movies, in which the vampires seem pretty happy to be vampires, and have their little underground scene going. of course, Blade didn't want any part of that. i think the vampire mythos loses some of its depth and resonance without the self-hatred element. Blade has this though, he hates the latent vampire within him.
have never made it all the way through Interview with the Vampire. somehow i always get bored and switch off after about 30 mins. maybe it gets better after that, i dunno. i have a copy around here somewhere.
haven't made it all the way through The Hunger either, for different reasons. Something about Bowie's vampire just creeps me out totally. If i see acopy around though, i'll pick it up and try again.
Originally posted by Blackamp the thing i remember most about the Oldman/Coppola version is the scene where Dracula licks the razor that the protagonist cut himself with. yikes! the prologue was pretty cool, too.
still haven't seem the Murnau/Schreck. Herzog/Kinski obviously modelled Kinski's 'look' on Schreck, and Herzog was aiming at a 'remake' of Murnau's. well, one day...
Blad ...[text shortened]... t creeps me out totally. If i see acopy around though, i'll pick it up and try again.
If self loathing turns you on then you need to see Bowie. If happy to be evil spins your top then see the women of the piece. The Hunger has everything.
I can't recall the name of it but there was a really terrific movie in which the plot was the making of Nofseratu (sp?). It was crazy and scary. Came out 5-6 yrs ago or so.
Got it - Shadow of the Vampire starring John Malkovich and William Defoe.
Best Draculavampire movies/leads?
16 Jul '09 13:43
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