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Count Dracula – BBC Mini-Series – Rating 3.5 out of 5

“For those familiar with Bram Stoker’s novel, this adaptation follows the book quite closely in most respects. Jonathan Harker visits the Count in Transylvania to help him with preparations to move to England. Harker becomes Dracula’s prisoner and discovers Dracula’s true nature. After Dracula makes his way to England, Harker becomes involved in an effort to track down and destroy the Count, eventually chasing the vampire back to his castle.”

A remake of the old classic that is indeed much longer than the original (150 minutes) and stays with the low budget end of movie making. I hadn’t heard of this version before, but it was just released on DVD recently so I had to check it out. There are more editions of Dracula out there than you can plunge a stake into, but this one is worth looking into.

There is a lot more revealed in this version of Dracula. First off though, you have to put aside some of the 70’s elements that go into this movie. Some of the hair and speech is a little off, and some of the editing looks a little off (scenes look like they were re-shot and stitched together even though the lighting isn’t the same), but overall this is a decent rework of the story. Delving much more into the story of Dracula we see Mr. Harker fall victim to Dracula, but we see more of what happens and how he tries to make his escape, how he writes the letters at the behest of Dracula and how Dracula uses his wives to seduce him.

We also see more of why Dracula has to move away from Transylvania, he’s drained the herd. He’s taken so much from the village that there is nothing for him to survive on and he is off to England for a more fertile hunting ground.

I like this version because of the low budget quality, it works with the story and tries to build the characters. There weren’t many special effects for the time and the movie is the better for it.

We see more in the way of tracking down Dracula and dealing with him and more story is revealed. Definitely worth watching to get a better rendition of this often told tale. Special effects nuts and gore fans won’t like this on, but those who want a good story will find plenty here to like.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Van Helsing – Rating 1 out of 5
• Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Rating 2 out of 5
• Dracula – The book is nothing like any of the movies
• Penny Dreadful a new series from Showtime
• Dracula Season 1
• Dracula for Free
• Reincarnation – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For
• Imprint – Masters of Horror – Rating 2 out of 5
• Paranormal Activity – Movie Review
• Penny Dreadful Season Finale

Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Rating 2 out of 5

Another tragic rip off and sad remake of the classic Dracula. What the movie lacks in plot and substance it makes up for in blood and lust. The cast is comical in their roles and each seems completely out of their element. Reeves is boring as Harker, Rider is bland and boring as Mina, and Hopkins makes his role far too comical and eccentric (not in a good way) to be suspenseful.

I couldn’t get into this movie at all. It held no suspense, no thrills, was predictable at every turn and ultimately turned into a haphazard mess by the time it was over. There are some moments of excitement but the rest of the film is so devoid of life it makes this movie hard to watch.

There is no mood or atmosphere. There is no belief in the power Dracula has over people – I’m Dracula dammit! I’ll do what I want!

I thought the acting was terrible; it lacks suspense, mood or atmosphere. It’s in my collection as one of many Dracula remakes, but that’s where it will stay.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Dead Silence – Rating 3 out of 5
• Van Helsing – Rating 1 out of 5
• The Grudge – Rating 2 out of 5
• Flatliners – Rating 4 out of 5
• The Ring – Rating 3 out of 5
• The Grudge 2 – Rating 1 out of 5
• Count Dracula – BBC Mini-Series – Rating 3.5 out of 5
• When a Stranger Calls – Rating 2.5 out of 5
• Paranormal Activity 2 – Do we really have to do this?
• Cabin in the Woods

After watching all the Ghost Hunters episodes I decided to check out White Noise which is a movie based on the EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) – a way to record voices from the beyond the grave.

Micheal Keaton stars as the successful architect who loses his novelist wife in a random car accident. A mysterious man pays him a visit and claims he has messages from Anna in the Afterlife. Rivers (Keaton) breaks down and decides to hear what the crazy guy has to say. He hears a brief snippet of a static laden recording which is apparently his wife. He of course is immediately drawn in and wants to hear more.

He obsessively sets up recorders and televisions tuned to static in hopes of hearing her. Everything else falls to the wayside, including his son who stops coming to visit. After listening to and watching dozens of hours of audio and video, Rivers begins to get fragments of messages about evil deeds being done in the local area. Anna is trying to warn him so he can save these people. These visions allow him to save a baby trapped in a car and Rivers is convinced his wife is trying to help him.

Keaton pulls off the role of the depressed and desperate father and we are drawn to him (even after he blatantly ignores his son) because he shows the hurt of losing his wife. However, the plot is confusing and jumpy with far too many holes to keep it working smoothly. It’s haphazard and in plenty of places just doesn’t make any sense.

The beginning of the movie has lots of atmosphere as we hear whispers and see faint figures on tape. Is it a blur or is it someone? Was that a desperate cry for help? Rivers gets drawn in nicely, but once we’re there the movie falls apart as a supernatural detective wannabe flick.

Some say the ending is clever and different. Some say the ending is chaotic and confusing. To me it was a hodgepodge of images slapped together to try and be dramatic but comes of flat and without much meaning.

There is a lot of potential in this movie with lots of mood and the EVP angle was interesting, but by the time we got to the end I was ready for this movie to be over.

Other Articles of Interest:

• The Grudge 2 – Rating 1 out of 5
• Thr3e – Rating 3 out of 5
• An American Haunting – Rating 2 out of 5
• Saw II
• The Black Cat – Rating 3.5 out of 5
• Dreams in the Witch House – Masters of Horror – Rating 3 out of 5
• Exorcist II – Heretic – Ranking 3 out of 5
• Paranormal Activity – Movie Review
• Imprint – Masters of Horror – Rating 2 out of 5
• The Number 23 – Rating 2.3 out of 5