Dracula: Dead and Loving It

This morning I watched Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). I'm sure this isn't something new to most, and in fact I think I saw it myself once a long time ago, but I didn't remember anything about it except the part where Harker says, "But Lucy...I'm British!"

Was this the only movie that Mel Brooks and Leslie Nielsen made together? It's the only one I know of. Just wondering.

It didn't do well as far as making money goes, but I really enjoyed it. 4 stars.

Of course this is a send-up of classic vampire movies regarding Count Dracula himself. That skinny little guy who played Renfield was also great. I've seen him numerous times and I think this was his best performance ever.

This movie had sort of a kitchen sink approach to vampire characteristics.*

• Flight in human form: yes, or at least sort of a controlled glide.
• Shape change: yes, bat only, but keeps (miniaturized) human head. Can fly in bat form.
• Appearance: attractive/normal. Looks strange with high Oldman-style hairdo but then reveals that the apparent hairdo is actually a hat.
• Mind control: yes, limited. Has trouble separately controlling two people in the same room.
• Fangs: retractable.
• Fears/repelled by: garlic, cross.
• Killed by: stake (Lucy), sunlight (Dracula).
• Increased strength.
• Enters house without being invited.
• Sleeps in a coffin.
• Creates new vampire by killing (drinking blood to the death), but not all kills result in new vampire.

A halfway-decent knowledge of previous vampire movies help improve the humor; some jokes are related to more general vampire lore. Also, I was surprised by a brief appearance at the beginning by Avery Schreiber, who I best remember as Mister Evil from The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine.

I also started re-watching a movie that I watched a few weeks ago and didn't mention in much detail so I could make notes on it. I'll get to that one again soon.

*I kept jotting down notes in a little notebook. My wife says, "What are you doing?" I answer, "Taking notes." Wife: "..." I guess that's just another odd little quirk of mine she's gotten used to.

The Vampire's Ghost (1945)

For a while now I've been kind of paying attention to vampire variations in popular culture. Most vamps these days have pretty much gone oatmeal. I mean, they're all just about the same and there's really nothing new (except for the sparkling).

Today I watched a movie from 1945 called The Vampire's Ghost. It had some interesting quirks that you don't usually see nowadays. It didn't have anyone who I had ever heard of starring in it. However, I do want to show you a picture of the guy who played the vampire. By the way, I don't know where "the vampire's ghost" came from. He was just a normal vampire. Anyway, here he is:

John Abbott. He does look kinda like he could be a vampire, doesn't he? Especially when he does his mind-control stuff and his eyes bulge out. Freaky.

So...vampire characteristics:

• No reflection (can use mind power to shatter mirrors)
• No fangs
• Enjoys cigars
• Can go outside in daylight but has to wear sunglasses
• Was created by a curse (NOT by being bitten)
• Lead bullets go right through him as if he isn't there
• Severely injured by a spear point that had been dipped in molten silver*
• Can mind-control people into not squealing on him
• Appeared to fear the cross
• Extended lifespan (400 years)
• To create new vampire, had to use a special ritual involving an ancient forbidden temple, a symbol traced on his victim's forehead with earth from his original grave, and biting victim
• Was healed by lying with his head on a small box containing earth from his original grave and being exposed to moonlight (not clear if both moonlight and box are essential, but it appeared so)
• Killed by burning; also a large stone statue fell on him while he was burning

Not a bad movie, but at 55 minutes it seemed a little short and I think it could actually have used a little more thriller-related padding.

I liked it. 3 stars.

* Don't ask me how the African natives got a pot of molten silver to dip their spear points in. I never figured that one out.