The Horror Of...Universal Monsters, Dracula (1931)

Dracula, when I was a kid still had a certain sway. Yes it was old, and a new era of slasher killers was coming into prominence, but those Universal Monsters couldn't be denied. The black and white, the misty streets and forest, the baying wolves, and the creatures walking out of the shadows seeking their prey.

They were also conveniently available for us to watch, or sneak a viewing of. I remember the first of my viewings of Dracula came late at night when I got up and turned on the old portable TV near my bedroom. It had a broken antenna on it, and the wiring to the back of the tv was not great, but if you fidgeted with it, you could break through the static and get some channels, and some UHF. (...I know most of you have no idea what I'm talking about. I clearly come from some dark age of entertainment.) And as I moved the lousy antenna a bit, the opening of Dracula came into focus. A carriage racing through mountains.

It was thanks to Shock Theater that we all had these movies ingrained in us at a young age. Creatures of the night. Cinematic terrors, that by my childhood became more agreeable for the whole family to enjoy. How horrible!


Now let's go back to where we left off, Universal had finally gained the rights to Dracula (They got the rights to the book and stage play for $40,000.), and Tod Browning had been brought on board to direct.

Tod Browning had a good career as a director: London After Midnight (which was sadly mostly lost -- But I plan to cover down the road.), Thirteenth Chair (his first talking movie, and his first time working with Bela Lugosi), Freaks, Mark of the Vampire (with Bela Lugosi again), The Unknown, The Unholy Three, The Blackbird, The Road to Mandalay. Several of his movies were made working with Lon Chaney. They were good friends.

Chaney was one of the leading men they wanted to have in the film. In fact, it's one of the reasons that Carl Laemmle, Sr. greenlit the movie. He expected they could get Chaney onboard at Universal. But that didn't happen, as he stayed at MGM. And he ended up remaking Browning's The Unholy Three without Browning. Shortly after, Chaney died.

The Horror Of...Halloween Night, Dracula: In The Company Of Monsters - An Introduction

It's a cold and rainy day, and sometimes you need more than a good film or show to bolster your Halloween and macabre sensibility. Sometimes, you just want a good read. A tome not so much of forgotten lore, but of enjoyable horror.

And if you need an interesting read, as you enter this new week, try one of the many tales of Dracula tales made into a comic. A mix of dark words, dark deeds, and striking imagery.

Dracula: In The Company Of Monsters.

Published by BOOM! Studios in 2011, this tale takes us into a strange twist in the unlife of Dracula. is he the most evil force to face? This story challenges that idea.

The Horror Of...Halloween Night, Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), In Short

It's Halloween, we are looking at Dracula. Do we need to say much else? Well, yes.

The stories of vampires, and the story of Dracula, prove to have many branches. We see vampires in general, and Dracula himself, in many ways. For Dracula we have the debonair count that so many think of. And then there's that creepy figure, the man who does not seem entirely human.

Nosferatu, a take on Dracula where his less than human characteristics of the books remain and are enhanced. This take started in the famous silent film of the 20's. Then it returned in a major way again in 1979 with...

Nosferatu the Vampyre.

The Horror Of...Halloween Night, The Halloween That Almost Wasn't

There are many specials that come out at Halloween. Or there were. We get some special episodes, and some oddities. But rarely do networks and actors put themselves out in often such an strange manner.

Consider the late 70's, 1979 to be exact. ABC gave us an odd little Halloween treat. The Halloween That Almost Wasn't. It's an odd collection of comedic and not so comedic actors in the role of various classic monsters. You may also know it by the name it picked up in 1992. The Night Dracula Saved the World. Yeah, the first title is more accurate, but the second one makes it clear that you're getting a dose of Dracula. With it's original title, maybe people thought they were seeing a Halloween version of the animated film Twas the Night Before Christmas. This is far goofier.

And that's apt, as the show was for years embraced by Disney and shown at Halloween.

Creeping Up On Halloween With Theatrical Dracula

If you are reading my blog you know that Dracula was quickly translated from book to stage. Bram Stoker than Hamilton Deane than John Balderston. Out of this we met Bela Lugosi.

The stage show has continued on since then, going from theater to theater. Many crews and actors have come to Seward's Sanitorium. And many Draculas have entered the scene.

With revivals in the 70's, helped by the artistic efforts of Edward Gorey, Dracula made a resurgence. And more actors of note played that role. Enjoy.

Frank Langella took on the role. And this lead to him starring in the 1979 Dracula.

The Horror Of...Universal Monsters, and the coming of Dracula

There has been a quite a gap in my coverage of Dracula in films, and Universal Movie monsters. So much so that I had not realized that the last of the cast of Dracula (1931) had passed last year. Carla Laemmle.

So as we delve back into the catacombs where Dracula lies, let's remember this woman with old ties to our classic horror.

Carla Laemmle was the niece of Universal Studios executive Carl Laemmle. She was lucky enough to get a role in Dracula, a speaking role even. That is a feat, if you consider how few speaking roles there are in the film, and that movies with talking in them were still rather new.

Speaking role in the movie, and great lighting. She must know someone.

More over, she gets the honor of being the first voice heard in a "supernatural thriller". She has a place in horror history. Mark her!

It's not her only tie to horror films. She also plays a small role in the early silent Phantom of the Opera. She's a dancer on stage.

People do like to know when actors overlap between different. Carla Laemmle is one of them. (And as we go through Universal Horror, we'll see some more of the cast of Dracula popping up in other later films.)

Now, let's get back to Dracula. If you have a desire to go back to some of the earlier pieces on Dracula and vampires, check here. And for a recap of Universal Horror.



I have previously touched on Dracula's early cinematic history, and Universal Studios acquiring the rights. But, before we delve into Dracula and it's making, let's look back at what made this film possible.

Creeping Up On Halloween With Universal Monsters

While many people and studios have had there impact on cinematic horror, Universal Studios has a long pedigree.

The 1930's began a line of films that help shape horror in many ways still. Black and white. Dark moors and forest. Angry villagers with their torches. "Good evening." "It's alive!" "Even a good man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when..."

Web Series to watch on Halloween

With Halloween here, you may need some viewing choices via your computer, or phone, or tablet.

Here are some web series that may prove a diversion amidst everything else you'll be dealing with today.

Plus there's an extra video at the end.


Carmilla
A missing roommate leads to a new one. And I think she might be a vampire.

Frankenstein, MD
Victoria takes bold strides into her destiny, and comes to regret it all.

Monster Management
It's time to rebrand your nightmares.

Spooked
Paranormal hunt, but with some humor.

And here's a video looking at the problems that come when you are a serial killer with a franchise to keep going.

Happy Halloween!

The Horror Of...Halloween Night, Carmilla (Web Series)

After posting on Frankenstein MD, I was a Tumblr post showing this:

Carmilla? There's a Carmilla web series?! Tell me more!

Or, show me.

Well, here's a trailer for the web series.

So it looks like they are playing some with story. In the past I have looked at this tale. So I understand the impulse to tweak it. A lot of the story is static (useful for a web series budget), but it's setting could use updating from the old castle where the young woman is living with her father.

A new roommate is an amusing way to introduce Carmilla. But it is clear they will be playing loosely with much of the story. Still it is fun to see how they call back to the original tale, and to other works of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. And it is clear they are approaching the story with a sense of humor.


Here's the YouTube playlist for the series. And the first four episodes.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Trailers in Short - Bit Of Horror With Your Coffee Edition

Time for some horror, right? Good. Plenty of horror movies are coming out, in the US and around the world. From Blood Glaciers to Camp Dread to Goal of the Dead to My Fair Zombie. 6 horror trailers to sate you for the day.

...I got to be honest. Maybe it's some of these movie trailers, or maybe it's me. But rewatching and looking at some of them, you can see why you'll likely never fear about some of them again. ...It is me, isn't it. Grump. Grump.

Penny Dreadful Review - Episode 2 - Seance

The next Penny Dreadful is hot off the presses. Have you got your penny?

Good. It's time for...

"Seance"


What Came Before? 

Well, it seems that our Dr. Frankenstein has been hard at work on his extra curricular activities. He's eager to pierce "the tissue that separates life and death." And it appears he's been inching closer and closer, until he's now finally succeeded.

"You know? Some nights it's like you're not even alive."

And there stands his creation. Bloody. Scared. Scarred. And, in need of answers.

"Daddy?I think I made a boom boom."

Penny Dreadful Review - Episode 1 - Night Work

Another horror series? A show that will make use of various Victorian and Gothic settings, characters, and ideas? A penny dreadful motif? ...You have my attention.

Of course, they are now getting to their...season finale? ...So I am a little behind. As I mentioned elsewhere, I've had some technical, among other, issues. Still, if you haven't heard about the show, or are undecided on watching it, enjoy.


In case you've never come across the term before, Penny Dreadfuls were beloved pastime of Victorian London society. A penny each issue, they were a cheap and popular periodical of the day. They covered various lurid tales. Monsters preying on the citizenry. Murderers brutally killing God fearing families. Dark tales of the criminal life in London, from the thieves to the opium dens. The more dark and terrible the story, the better, as that brings people back looking for more. I looked a little at this in reviewing the origins of Dracula, and the penny dreadful tale of Varney the Vampire.

Penny Dreadful examples - the super natural Spring Heeled Jack and
murderous Sweeney Todd

As a source, they are quite rich. They have given us, or made us of such notables as Varney the Vampire, Spring Heeled Jack, and Sweeney Todd. The output of the penny dreadfuls were wide reaching. A developed fictional world taking advantage of these ideas is bound to be horribly fantastic.

Also, Victorian horror as a whole is a heady source. The works of Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stephenson, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Oscar Wilde, and others...What a menagerie! Maybe we'll get a bit from Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle as well?

But will it be fully taken advantage of?


The series has been created by John Logan. That may be a good or bad thing depending on your mood. He's written Star Trek: Nemesis, The Time Machine (2002), and Skyfall. He's also written Gladiators, Sweeney Todd, and Rango. It all depends on your love and hate for these individual movies. I can't say I hate any of them. But I do note that he's written a take on Sweeney Todd, a story that came from the Penny Dreadfuls that inspire this show. It shows a previous interest in the topic.

From the look of the show, this seems to be a labor of love. He even preemptively constructed a show bible for the story and character. There is some passion here.

But to be honest, when I did first see his name tied to this project, I was paused. But, maybe we shouldn't be too quick to judge.


Let's see what Penny Dreadful does to entice us to buy into this first chapter of their lurid tale.

Dracula Rises from the News

It seems Dracula just can't keep out of the news. As good a time as any, I suppose.

For Sale By Owner, Crypt Newly Refurnished.

Dallas and John Heaton/Free Agents Limited/Corbis

Word is that Castle Dracula is for sale. It's a nice deal at around $80,000,000.

Granted, it's not the actual Castle Dracula, or rather we are talking about the very human Vlad Tepes. Also, it isn't the caste from which he ruled. Rather it's a castle where he was kept prisoner...allegedly.

Still, nice deal, especially as a surprise birthday present....Of course renovation and heating would kill you. So it'd actually be a horrible gift.


Dracula slept here, because this is where we buried him.

It also seems that they've found the final resting place of Drac...Vlad. It's in Naples at Santa Maria La Nova. Apparently the hypothesis is that while Vlad was imprisoned by the Turks, his daughter (a secret one) in Naples paid a ransom for his freedom. He then lived out his final years in Naples.

Trouble is, there's no actual evidence that this is true. Just speculation and interpretation. The historically accepted version of Vlad's fate is that he died fighting to retake his land of Wallachia.


This is all an issue with Dracula, or any notorious figure from history. So many tales emerge. So many claims. So many opportunities to make a tidy sum.

And Bran Castle is one of many spots in Romania that have become tourist spots. They've even tried and failed to get a Dracula Theme Park open. And now, Santa Maria in Naples is drawing in tourist.

It's enough to make Dracula roll over in his sarcophagus.

The Horror Of...Dracula Through the Ages - All of the Posts

"Hey! ...You aren't sleeping are you? I'm bored. Wanna
talk?"

With a finish to the extended cursory overview trek into Dracula and his progenitors...that's a lot of words...I thought it would be nice to put them altogether in one post.

"Well I thought it was a good idea!"

From legends to Penny Dreadfuls to novel to Bela.

"How are you getting 4G here?"

• From Folklore and History

• The Literature That Came Before

• Stoker's Tale

• Beyond Books

I won't be updating this for the movies as I look at various Dracula movies. Of course that's why there's the Dracula label. This is also part of the look at Universal Monsters overall, started here.

"Damn it! Get to my movie already!"

The Horror Of...Dracula through the Ages - Beyond Books

Stoker's Dracula novel had it's day in the light, but it did not cement Stoker's place among writer's of his day. People shifted to other stories soon enough. While much of the public moved on from Dracula, it did stick in some people's head. It latched on. Dracula would not rest.

Dracula did not make the Stoker's economically comfortable. They struggled. Late in life Stoker had to try for grants to support his family. It wouldn't be until after Bram Stoker's death that the Stoker family would see real returns from Dracula.

It would take a new medium. Theater.

Trilogy of Horror B-Days

As will happen in any attempt to group, this week has given us a trio of horror great birthdays. These three fellows spent decades scaring, thrilling, and amusing their fans.

From House of Long Shadows - Christopher Lee, Vincent Price, and Peter Cushing
-- And a John Carradine bonus!

The Horror Of...Dracula through the Ages - Stoker's Tale

Having enjoyed some folklore, having taken in some other literature, it's time for the main act.

It's time to get to the book most know. You know the book. Bram's Stoker most remembered tale.

Dracula (1931) Promo Photo

DRACULA

The Horror Of...Dracula through the Ages - The Literature That Came Before

From folklore and rumor, we go to the tale on the page.

Let's get into the literature that led into and inspired Dracula. After all, while Dracula inspired many, it was also born from earlier work.

Many of the works that helped cement the more modern view of the vampire, and formed the basis of Dracula, came early in the 19th century.

The Horror Of...Dracula through the Ages, From Folklore and History

In the dark, down through the ages, we have been stalked. From the shadows we can feel it, but never can we escape it. Our dreaded myths and legends will never let us be.

That which hunts us has gone by many names, and has had many forms. Folklore. Legend. Myth.

And among those mythic visions is the vampire. The creature of the night. The creature of the tomb. The creature of blood.

While we've grown comfortable with a particular vision of the vampire it hasn't always been limited by one set of rules. Different cultures have had their beasts. Beasts that feasted on blood. Beast that feast on flesh. Beast that won't stay put in their graves. Dracula may be synonymous with vampirism, but he isn't the Alpha or Omega.

Le Vampire Engraving - R. de
Moraine - 1864

The vampire has had it's forms and predilections. An amorphous form with tentacles. A hopping corpse that can go rabid. A ghoul. A ghost. Detachable parts. A creature that spreads sickness. A being that stalks up behind lords in their halls and bashes them over the back of the head, using a bucket to catch up all the best bits.

Another aspect often at debate is just who can become a vampire. Generally, it was the dead who would turn; unless we are talking of tales of naturally preternatural being. Sometimes a person who was wronged would not stay still in their grave; no peace found. Other times it was a vile criminal who Hell could not hold. As you can imagine the ideas intersected a great deal with the ideas of other beings, like ghosts.

That is just how folklore works. It changes, from person to person, from culture to culture, and age to age. Changing. Morphing. It finds it's new niche.

Transitioning from word of mouth the vampire became a useful force in written stories. They would appear in different forms from time to time in different cultures.

Let's get into the some tales that at least partly step out of folklore and into reality. Some historic events also marked future tales of vampires.

Penny Dreadful - New show, Victorian horror

Penny Dreadful is officially starting tonight on Showtime. A Victorian Horror Series that brings together a number of archetypes and characters of the era's horror, it offers what the potential to sate one's Sunday night horror needs.

It's already an overstuffed night, with Game of Thrones, Veep, Last Week Tonight, Mad Men, etc. So I thought I'd take a quick look at the show's opener to tempt anyone looking for something new.

Now to be clear, this is a Showtime show. So that means, blood, gore, and sex will be included. I know most of us assume any drama show that appears on Showtime or HBO will have this stuff, it is worth reminding people who are bothered by that.

So to begin, Josh Hartnett has the question to ask as Penny Dreadful starts.