Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Dracula-thon (Part 2)


And now, the Universal films..

Dracula (1931)


The film-

The Lugosi one, or, sometimes just "the Lugosi", or even just "Lugosi".

This is the one every one thinks of, even if they've never actually seen it.
All the parodies are based on it, the cartoon caricatures of the character, this is Dracula for most of the..well...species.

Aaand, it's a actually good 'un.
For an old black & white, it's got some eerie moments.
...got some cheesey ones too...but overall, cool flick.

The guts of the novel are there, stuff is omitted, rather than liberties taken, which is way more than can be said for other re-interpretations.

Yeah, I like this one.
Recommended.
TCM or somebody usually plays it at least once come Halloween time.

The history-

Faint memories of seeing this on cable since I was a kid.
This, and the sequels/spoofs, of course.

Think I've always had a thing for the monsters....
Even had the action figures of 'em from the 80's..*Googles*...shit, here they are!! 


Anyhoo...it was quite a few years until Drac made a comeback, there were "sequels", but they didn't actually have Dracula in 'em...then, finally, came....


House of Frankenstein (1944)


The film-

The first big all-star monster mash!
Mmm, not the first crossover, that was "Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman", but...no Dracula see, so...
Don't worry, I'll get to it.

Definitely the first "monster rally".

Anyway, this does actually pick up from Frankie meets Wolfie.

John Carradine is Dracula, and...he actually looks more like he's supposed to in the novel.
Good job there, actually.

Glenn Strange is The Frankenstein Monster, even though Karloff is in the flick as another character.
I dunno what was up with that.

BUT, Lon Cheny Jr. always stayed Wolfman for this series.
So, that was something.

Fun flick, what I can remember of it, anyway..see history.

History-

I haven't seen this since I was little, the memories are faded, I gotta see this, and a bunch of the others again.

Also...man, what I wouldn't give for a full out "monster rally", of the modern guys I grew up with.
The Freddys, the Pinheads, all of those.
Then, the slashers vs the classics.
Then, the puppetoon version.
I want it all!!

Why not?
Look at the 40's, they used to give it all to ya!
Now, you get little Dixie cups of horror, it's pathetic.


House of Dracula (1945)


The film-

All the characters are back, picking right up from the last one, everyone's in the same roles, 'cept Karloff isn't back.

Here, "The Mad Doctor", becomes a sort of Mr Hyde, so, you have a Jekyll/Hyde on top of everyone else.

Gawd, I gotta watch these...*Googles*
HOH! SQEEEE!! Youtube has 'em!
Well, I know what IIII'm watching!


Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein (1948)


The film-

Ostensibly follows the two "house..", flicks, but, the continuity is a little sloppy...
It can be forgiven, I suppose.

But, Lon Cheny Jr. is still Wolfman, Glenn Strange is still The Monster, aaaand, Lugosi returns at last, as Dracula!
YAY!!

The history-

Gawd, I remember when all of these were on rotation on TV.
Now, not so much.

Come on, TV, be fun again!
Enough with this "Honey Boo Boo", horseshit.

Also,...man, I miss this phase in the sequel cycle.
I said it before, in regard to "Three Stooges Meet Hercules", but, how fun would that be?
Pinhead vs. Eddy Murphy?
Dr. Heiter vs. Will Ferrell?
It'd be a blast, and you fucking well know it.


Dracula (1979)


The film-

The Langella one.
Yeah, just "the Langella one", I don't know if it's earned just "Langella", like Lugosi earned "Lugosi".
It might get there though, we'll see.

This one is pretty good, but it took some liberties with continuity, and character names.

The history-

Hmm..y'know, only seen bits and pieces of this one.
I gotta see it all the way through.

Skeletor as Dracula, how could that not kick ass?

Ope, Youtube's got it, on the list it goes....
I'll update in comments my further thoughts on this one.

Okay, this next one's not from Universal, but it's about the Universal monster era..in a sense...


Ed Wood (1994)


Yep, again.

It just turned 18 this year, and, here's my review again.

Man, you know, I bet a generation know Bela Lugosi more from this, than Dracula.
That's...actually kind of a shame...but...it is a great friggin' Bela...I don't know how to feel....


So, that's Universal, up next, Hammer.

10 comments:

Hyla Tracy II said...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! :D

I had those!

I had some of those Universal Monster figures!

Holy shit! Which ones did you have?

Diacanu said...


*Smiles* all of 'em.

Of the pre-glow-in-the-dark set.

Never grabbed the glowey ones.

Hyla Tracy II said...

GRAR! Razzafrazza . . .

I know I had Dracula, and Creature From the Black Lagoon--personal favorite, that one--but I can't remember what others I had, if any. Possibly Frankenstein's Monster. Not Wolf Man, I don't think. Maybe the Mummy? Maybe.

Somehow, I lost them (even the Creature). :(

Hyla Tracy II said...

Mine were also the proper non-glowy series, BTW. :)

Diacanu said...


Finally watching Langella Dracula.

Ah, now THAT'S more like it!

THAT'S what my mental-Dracula from reading the book looks like.

The story details are all scrambled around from the novel, but, nothing tops this (remake wise) for performance, and atmosphere.

Everything Dracula past '79, throw it in the garbage dump.

Already seeing a lot of shots the Coppola, and Fright Night stole.

The latter can be forgiven, because it's good.

Diacanu said...


John Williams music, Donald Pleasence as Van Helsing...how did I miss out on this?

Hyla Tracy II said...

Oh, shit, yeah--the Langella Dracula plays all kinds of hell with the story, but . . . that really only serves to make the story it's own instead of just a re-do of the old Lugosi version.

And WOW, Frank's frigging hypnotic stare man! Beat's Lugosi's flat out. A pair of magnetic black pools absorbing your soul! Seriously. I . . . I would probably let Langella Drac have his way with me.

There. I said it.

Hyla Tracy II said...

[I got no idea why I apostrophed "Beats" . . . it was those EYES man! They MADE me do it!!]

Diacanu said...


Frustrated with the image resolution of this Youtube version, I sought out the DVD.

Well...goddammit, apparently, the director Lucas-ed it.
He muted the colors to almost black & white to meet his "original vision".
How that phrase makes me facepalm now.

And, you canNOT get the original rich color version.

Diacanu said...


Langella's eyes still zap you even through Youtube though....

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