Horror Movie Project

THE MEGA POWERS COLLIDE! Yes folks, Hammer Films from England has collided with Shaw Brothers Pictures in Singapore to create this awesome kung-fu/horror flick, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. I really didn't know what to think. Watching the movie, I didn't know what to think either. I do know that it looks badass and has a really high quality feel. This is an actual Dracula movie too, so it follows in continuity (in a way) with the other Hammer Horror Dracula pictures. It is the only one to do that without having Dracula in the title.  Dracula has been awakened to aid in resurrecting seven ancient and vicious vampires in China. It just so happens that Professor Van Helsing is teaching classes in the area. He and a band of mercenaries go on a quest to stop the evil vampire lord, his six swordsmen vampire subjects and hordes of zombies with a thirst for blood.  It's an adventure with action and horror. And I am really not complaining. I am a fan of P

This is a fuller and richer telling of the Nosferatu tale using the original Bram Stoker characters. Klaus Kinski does a wonderful job as Dracula, but the film compliments his performance almost too much. There was a mystery about Max Schreck that really made his performance. Something that couldn't be eclipsed or duplicated. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic film that has been on the playlist of many film students and cinema-lovers.  Following in the footsteps of Browning's  Dracula and F.W. Murnau's  Nosferatu before it, Werner Herzog's Nosferatu takes the source material loosely, but nearly completely. Dracula is interested in a home in Varna and has sent for an agent to go over properties with him. Jonathan Harker from Varna itself answers and, against the warning of just about everyone, takes a trip to Dracula's estate. This is where Dracula sees the lovely Lucy. Dracula leaves Harker as a prisoner in his home while he travels to Varna for Luc

Trying to ride the popularity train of Tod Browning's 1931 film Dracula, Dracula's Daughter falls flat on its face. This movie is boring, dull and has nothing going for it. The stars of the movie include: Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Chruchill, and Edward Von Sloan returning from Dracula to portray the character Van Helsing. The only passable actor would have to be Gloria Holden who plays Dracula's Daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska.  This movie is canon to the original, set only moments after the first film ends. We see Van Helsing dealing with the police for driving a stake through the heart of a man known as Count Dracula. The police have no idea that he was a vampire and they think the entire idea is ludicrous; meanwhile Countess Marya Zaleska comes to London to destroy her fathers body and do what vampires do best.  There are a ton of things that bother me about this flim. One being that the movie is set in London and none of the actors have British a

Christopher Lee, much like Bela Lugosi, was born to play these roles. His name will no doubt go down in horror movie history right next to Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Lionel Atwill. Thanks mostly in part to the roles that he got during the heyday of Hammer films from Britain. This unique take on Dracula was really interesting. Hammer took the usual Dracula storyline thus-far and updated it a bit. Peter Crushing, Christopher Lee, and Michael Gough do a fantastic job of delivering a masterful performance. All of this cements this film as one of the greatest Dracula movies ever made and it makes for quite a contender against Bela Lugosi's original.  Jonathan Harker visits Castle Dracula under a ruse to check the Counts accounts while actually plotting to bring the dark lord to death. During his visit he creeps around the castle grounds hunting out the sleeping place of the notorious vampire. However, Dracula as always gets the jump, turning Harker into a vampire

Blacula is a exploitation film from the early seventies that cashed in on the horror genre. Like many other grindhouse movies of that era, the movie is made on a hairline budget. Several scenes swap continuity for sound effects and action. For example, there is a fight around a table with a candelabra on it. The fight overtakes the table and the candles go flying. However, the fight continues and the candles are back in the holder. Nothing huge. Just fun to poke at when your watching it with my eyes. William Marshall does a fantastic job of playing Prince Mamawalde, a thousands year old African Prince that was turned into a Blacula after being double crossed by the actual Dracula. Now, awake in seventies Los Angeles, Blacula is out to find his beautiful Nubian Queen. However, he must quench his thirst. A thirst for blood. A doctor has his suspicions after finding a couple of bodies with vampire bites on their necks and he starts to investigate. The plot seems simple enough. Noth

The original English language Dracula from 1931 stars Bela Lugosi and gained all of the favor after it's release. The film has become iconic in horror movies and is an undeniable classic among film fans. The movie elevated Universal Pictures to the franchise name for Horror. It also elevated Carl Laemmle to production greatness. However, the Dracula that everyone knows and loves was filmed right alongside a Spanish language version with an entirely different cast. This Dracula from a parallel dimension was directed by George Melford and starred Carlos Villarías. In many ways it is superior to the English version. Let me give you a little background: When the original Dracula (the English version) was being filmed the studio decided that it would be a great idea to film a second version with an all Spanish speaking cast. The English version went on to get all of the fame, money, and girls. The Spanish version was left by the wayside, but upon viewing with scholars eyes,

Dracula is the cornerstone of Horror. The most successful Vampire movie of all time. Bela Lugosi will always be associated with his role of the bloodsucking noble. This was released before Frankenstein and did quite successful. It began the Universal Horror brand that has lasted for decades. It is such a classic and well done film. Directed by Tod Browning, this spectacular piece is incredibly creative. Of course it takes liberties with the Bram Stoker novel, it's hardly surprising with a Hollywood Blockbuster like this one.  This film is so iconic and unique. It was made right along side a Spanish language counterpart, that is just as interesting as this one. The cast and crew is spectacular. Like I said above, Tod Browning and Bela Lugosi. However, we have Dwight Frye, Edward Von Sloan, and Helen Chandler as Mina. The acting is tight and keeps you entertained the entire time.  The story is about Dracula reigning his horror on England. He creepily stalks around sets.

Murnau's Nosferatu is one of the most iconic silent films of all time. The scene of Count Orlock drinking the blood of some victim and then looking out at the audience is burned into my mind. That is literally the picture that pops in my head when someone says Nosferatu. Which doesn't happen as much as you think it would. Its really not talked about in normal cinema conversation. Even when vampires are brought up. It should. It really should be talked about. This movie has seen so many re-releases that it is hard NOT to see. Its really hard to find an unaltered copy of this film as it has been in the Public Domain now for some time. The movie is yet another German Expressionist film showcasing art above all. Wonderful set design and beautiful acting bring this movie full circle. This leading vampire is one of the best to be put to celluloid. Max Schreck is right on par with his blood sucking peers, the other top vampires being Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee. He mi

How is it that I have gone all of this time never seeing this movie? How is this possible? This is one of the best adaptations of book, Dracula, by Bram Stoker. At least that I have ever seen, yet I feel conflicted because this movie paints Dracula as a sympathetic romantic and that's not how I see him or how he is supposed to be. Like I said though this has to be one of the best interpretations of the book and one of the most graphic. I really enjoyed the movies special effects, in fact I was blown away by them. Dracula's shadow and transformation scenes were really on point for 1992. Credit also goes to the all star cast that puts on a stellar performance here, including Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Tom Waits. Any movie with Tom Waits in it that I have seen so far has not been all that bad, Coffee & Cigarettes, Domino, and now Dracula, Pretty decent. If your not familiar with the story I will give you the skinny of it. Vlad the Impaler, or Dra