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.