Topic: Favorite Vampire Movies

[Ratty]

Is this the same Max Schreck, murdering business tycoon from Batman Returns??

That character was named after the actor who played Count Orlok (Dracula with his name changed in a fruitless attempt to avoid a lawsuit from Bram Stoker's widow) in the first screen adaptation of Dracula. 1922's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

I remember watching Salem's Lot (1979). Good lord. 100 minutes of some boring drama / thriller ending with around 15 minutes of actual vampires. I suppose it makes sense for a story based on a Stephan King book, that are all about suspense. I guess I was just too used to horror film who throw the scares at you instead of building suspense. Anyway, the suspense is too long.

Abraham Lincoln vampire hunter is surprisingly entertaining, even though they really skip character development, i.e. how Abe actually BECAME a politician. But since it's an action film it's okay. 

I've read a few books by Stephen King and he strikes me as someone who really got famous and has such a following because he had the right ideas (especially Carrie) at the right time. And they could be adapted into movies pretty well. But for the most part I think his work is extremely overrated, Salem's Lot isn't an exception.

Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was ok but pretty forgettable I thought. The idea probably seemed more novel to those who hadn't seen/heard of Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter which, yes, is a film that actually exists.

[Lelygax]

Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was ok but pretty forgettable I thought. The idea probably seemed more novel to those who hadn't seen/heard of Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter which, yes, is a film that actually exists.

LOL, theres a promo poster of it?

[Abnormal Freak]

That character was named after the actor who played Count Orlok (Dracula with his name changed in a fruitless attempt to avoid a lawsuit from Bram Stoker's widow) in the first screen adaptation of Dracula. 1922's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

Fruitless indeed. I believe she took legal action and had all copies of the film destroyed anyway.

Thankfully a few good reels were found and Kino did an amazing restoration some years ago. They're set to bring it to Blu-ray soon, and theirs is still the most complete version, I think. Should they give the option for original text cards and a soundtrack that's top notch, it'll be perfect.

But, I'm glad he's Count Orlok. His appearance is certainly different from how Universal imagined Dracula. In my opinion, Orlok/Nosferatu is his own vampire.

And it gave us Olrox, after all.

[Ratty]

LOL, theres a promo poster of it?

It's an ultra low budget parody of 70s exploitation movies from 2001.

[Lelygax]

Hahahahahaha Im saving this image right now, otherwise any of my friends would take me seriously when I says "anyone watched Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter?" hahaha. Thanks, I need to see it sometime.

Also, about Nosferatu, someone know where I can see it online?
edit: wow, I only needed to type Nosferatu on youtube and a bunch of videos popped.

Please Ab and Ratty, you two can say if this version is really complete? Im watching it now:

Nosferatu - Uma Sinfonia do Horror (1922) - Legendado - Filme Completo

Haha, cool part at 11:15 "The evil spirits become all-powerful after dark".

[Ratty]

Hahahahahaha Im saving this image right now, otherwise any of my friends would take me seriously when I says "anyone watched Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter?" hahaha. Thanks, I need to see it sometime.

Also, about Nosferatu, someone know where I can see it online?
edit: wow, I only needed to type Nosferatu on youtube and a bunch of videos popped.

Please Ab and Ratty, you two can say if this version is really complete? Im watching it now:

Haha, cool part at 11:15 "The evil spirits become all-powerful after dark".

Yeah that's pretty complete for a public domain copy, the restored Kino version is about 15 minutes longer. But with silent films it can be kinda hard to tell exactly what that means, since sometimes different versions will be slowed down or sped up, or spend more or less time on the dialog cards to create running time differences.

Fruitless indeed. I believe she took legal action and had all copies of the film destroyed anyway.

Thankfully a few good reels were found and Kino did an amazing restoration some years ago. They're set to bring it to Blu-ray soon, and theirs is still the most complete version, I think. Should they give the option for original text cards and a soundtrack that's top notch, it'll be perfect.

But, I'm glad he's Count Orlok. His appearance is certainly different from how Universal imagined Dracula. In my opinion, Orlok/Nosferatu is his own vampire.

And it gave us Olrox, after all.

Yes I'm also rather fond of thinking of Count Orlok as his own entity. Though Nosferatu probably is my favorite version of the original Dracula story because of the make-up, the eerie feel and the fact it doesn't have any of that Dracula-as-tragic-lover nonsense. While in the Hammer films Drac more often comes across like a rabid animal than a true monster to me.
I love Lugosi but I find the 31 version a little dull after they leave the Castle up until the climax. If only they could have had Lugosi, Dwight Fry and Edward Van Sloan in the simultaneously produced Spanish version. It's shot a lot better and has the beautiful Lupita Tovar as Eva (Mina).

[Lelygax]

Thanks, I stopped watching it for do some things but I'll continue it now.

[son_the_vampire]

I see not one mention to Blacula. Lol seriously tho I love the underworld movies.

[Ratty]

I see not one mention to Blacula. Lol seriously tho I love the underworld movies.

It's been many years since I saw it but Blacula is definitely well made for a blacksploitation movie. However you'll be shocked by how many times they could say "fag" in a PG movie in the 70s (then again, they were able to get even more homophobic dialog in The Monster Squad over a decade later, and in kid's dialog then no less) since Blacula is brought to America by a couple of stereotypically flaming interior decorators, and he then preys on the gay community. Not kidding. I guess they thought he'd be more sympathetic if he targeted gays. Oh he's also the victim of racism from Dracula. Not seen the sequel though it looks to be pretty amusing.

Only seen the first Underworld, felt pretty meh about it because at the time (now to but especially then) I strongly disliked CGI werewolves compared to practical effects. Might be more appreciative of it as a mindless popcorn movie these days. Been meaning to rewatch Van Helsing (which I loathed upon first viewing) for similar reasons. Though actually the werewolf design in that was one of the few things I did enjoy about it even at the time.

[son_the_vampire]

Yea I feel u about the Whole underworld cheese ball CGI. Like wannabe gore almost but it's kinda funny IMO. Plus i have a crush on Kate Beckinsale because of these movies. U should see these werewolf hybrids now lol.
Thanks for that bit about Blacula. I always felt it was subjective to that era (70's) but hadn't really noticed much of the underlying message. (Haven't seen it in years)

It's been many years since I saw it but Blacula is definitely well made for a blacksploitation movie. However you'll be shocked by how many times they could say "fag" in a PG movie in the 70s (then again, they were able to get even more homophobic dialog in The Monster Squad over a decade later, and in kid's dialog then no less) since Blacula is brought to America by a couple of stereotypically flaming interior decorators, and he then preys on the gay community. Not kidding. I guess they thought he'd be more sympathetic if he targeted gays. Oh he's also the victim of racism from Dracula. Not seen the sequel though it looks to be pretty amusing.

Only seen the first Underworld, felt pretty meh about it because at the time (now to but especially then) I strongly disliked CGI werewolves compared to practical effects. Might be more appreciative of it as a mindless popcorn movie these days. Been meaning to rewatch Van Helsing (which I loathed upon first viewing) for similar reasons. Though actually the werewolf design in that was one of the few things I did enjoy about it even at the time.

[Lelygax]

Blacula? It is a black Dracula?

[Ratty]

Blacula? It is a black Dracula?

Yep. Pretty much, "Blacula- Dracula's soul brotha. Deadlier even than he!" as the film's trailer put it. Even though that makes little sense outside the context of their both being vampires, considering he and Dracula would be bitter enemies based on the character's backstory wherein Dracula makes him a vampire then seals him in a coffin to lay in eternal hunger while his wife dies of thirst/starvation on the outside. It's a very corny movie but pretty well executed all things considered. Worth a watch.

I can't speak for the many imitators it spawned though. Like "Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde" and of course "Blackenstein", and the disappointingly not-"black"-titled Exorcist take-off "Abby". As well as some of my favorite fake movies mentioned on the Simpsons "Blacula meets Black Dracula" and "The Blunchblack of Blotre Blame"

[Lelygax]

LOL, if they did it now, a large amount of people would consider it racist. (Im not one of them, unless they do derogatory thing on these movies)

[Mooning Freddy]

I remember I watched a (bad) movie with Eddie Murphy playing a black Dracula, thinking that was Blacula, but it seems Blacula is much older, and the movie I watched was called "Vampire in Brooklyn" - 1995.

While we're on the subject, I remember my TV company decided once to air a couple of old SNL episodes from the 70's. Don't know why they did it, but let me tell you this, the humor was utter S**t. I'm not saying SNL is the funniest show today, but back then... Hell, I'll be damned if half of the jokes weren't based solely on stereotypical ignorance of black characters.

[Ratty]

Haven't seen Vampire in Brooklyn since I was a kid but even then I thought it was kind of dumb, what with the rotting zombie sidekick/"comic relief". Wonder if that bit was "inspired" by American Werewolf in London?

LOL, if they did it now, a large amount of people would consider it racist. (Im not one of them, unless they do derogatory thing on these movies)

Yeah it was part of a sub-genre of exploitation films called blaxsploitation that was popular in the 1970s. Such films are known for being stereotypical and even negative in their depictions of African Americans. But they found an audience because non-whites were, and honestly still are, underrepresented and marketed to by mainstream American cinema. While they were often ham-fisted many of these films deal with issues faced by African Americans at the time. Urban decay and the rise of gangs, drugs and violence. However Blacula was a fairly early movie in the genre and, as I recall, portrays black Americans and their culture in a mostly positive to neutral light. Some other well known examples of the genre are the two Shaft films, Foxy Brown and Super Fly.