Dracula October Movie #1 (Movie 86)

Dracula(1931)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021814/?ref_=sr_6

This years October horror movie session gets started off with one of the most famous in the genre.  It has Bela Lugosi in his most famous role and a seriously creepy movie poster.  Last October was started off with Hellraiser, which was good, but I doubt it will be Dracula good.

The opening scene shows six people traveling in a carriage.  I can’t tell what the first lady is saying because the sound quality on the movie sucks but the next guy then informs everyone that they have to be in before midnight because tonight is the night of evil.  The sound sucks too because it’s old so there will be a kind of static behind it.  Also it’s 1931 so the movie is in black and white but you of course already put that together.

The carriage is received in town by a bunch of stoked villagers who seem happy that everyone has arrived safe.  At least that’s what I assume because they’re all speaking Romanian.  A suited up American businessman tells the driver to leave his bags on the carriage because he has to go further but the drivers says the equivalent to “oh hell no” in Romanian.  A random guy asks the businessman why does it have to be tonight and he responds that he has to meet some dude named Count Dracula at midnight.  Oh boy.  Everyone starts making crosses on their body and telling him not to go.  The villager goes on to say the rumor is Dracula and his three ladies are vampires.  The businessman tells them that there’s no way and is given a little cross before he leaves.

A hand slowly reaching out of a coffin is what greets us in the next scene.  It is easily the best one yet.  The camera slowly pans in on wide-eyed Count Dracula (Cracula) as he watches his three ladies slowly walk towards him out from their coffins.  Count Dracula (CD) picks up the business dude and they head off to the castle.  Anything that happens to the guy is his own fault.  Who is agreeing to midnight meetings out in the country?  He peeks out the window and sees a bat flying between the horses and no driver.  Zoinks.

 If Dracula had to pick one I bet he'd go with wife #2

He enters the castle and it looks wonderfully creepy.  Dracula slowly descends the stairs and greets him with the movies most famous lines.  “I am Dracula” and “listen to them, children of the night.  What music they make.”  I just looked it up because I thought what a great line the screenwriter added but it’s just from the book.  So well delivered by Lugosi though.  Dracula then walks up the stairs through the cobwebs, which is an awesome effect for so long ago.

 Bummer.  Dracula has 3 wives and they all must be lazy

They chat in the room and I learned that the business guys name is Renfield, which is much easier to type.  Dracula has a ship that’s going to take him to England the next day and he’s taking three “boxes” with him.  In the midst of doing paperwork with Renfield, the human gets a paper cut and the blood draws in Dracula.  Just when it seems like the vampire is going to make a move, the cross that was given to Renfield falls out of his sleeve and sends the vampire away.   It’s a little thing but its super cool.

Dracula leaves the room, Renfield passes out from the roofie he probably just drank with is wine and the three wives walk into the room in the next scene.  A bat flies by the window and then suddenly Dracula walks in from it and ushers the three ladies back with his hand like a Jedi mind trick.  He bends down to do some sucking and the screen fades to black.

 These are not the wives you are looking for

Aboard the Vesta bound for England is the text that pops up over the picture of a ship battling a storm in the ocean next scene.  A crazy looking Renfield wakes up Dracula and starts calling him master.  Also the ship still has its sails up in a bad storm, which I thought was a nono.  They arrive to the dock and the police or someone notices that all of the crew are dead.  Suddenly they hear a super creepy giggling noise, pull up the hatch and see a terrifying Renfield smiling and staring straight up at them.  They all think he is mad and use terms like “raving maniac”.  Part of the reason they think he is crazy is because he is said to eat flies, rats and other small things to get their blood.

Hey guys!  You have got to come down and check out my rat situation!

Dracula drinks a flower girls blood then brainwashes an usher at a concert to tell someone that they have a telephone call.  I suppose that is not enough because he then starts stalking this chick Mina he met at the concert.  When she lies down to go to sleep, Dracula in bat form flies in her room and does the blood-sucking thing again.

 

 Can i help you?  No thanks I'm just looking.

Scientists and doctors study the dead female bodies that are rolling in and eventually professor Van Helsing discovers that they are dealing with a vampire.  Randomly Mina shows back up next and tells the doctors and Van Helsing that her encounter with Dracula all seems like it was a dream.  With perfect timing, Dracula then walks into the room and something else cool happens.  Mina’s fiancé opens up a mirrored cigar box, which the camera zooms in on and looks at the room’s reflection.  Dracula missing from it because he is a vampire and V.H notices it.  I guess Van Helsing is kind of a dick because he then makes Dracula look at the mirror, which makes him freak out and leave.  Dracula doesn’t just leave though; he turns into a wolf outside and runs across the lawn.

 Now when I open this box I want you to do your girliest punching pose ok?

SPOILERS

The next 15 minutes is full of drama about Mina and how she can never love again because she’s undead.  V.H says the only way to save her is to find a sleeping Dracula and stake him through his heart, which is what happens. 

 

 Hey I found where i left my keys!

THE END

Favorite Scene: The scene on the stairs in the beginning.  Pretty sure it’s a favorite of everyone

Memorable Lines: Said most already.  “Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.”

“For one who has not lived even a single lifetime, you're a wise man, Van Helsing.”

“Expert” Ratings

*This is where I disagree with professional reviewers

Stefan Berger Steffanson says “There is a reason why Bela ended up in Ed Wood movies”.  There is now a reason why I don’t like you.

David Nusair says “...it's clear that the movie simply doesn't hold up terribly well all these years later.” …its clear you suck at this

Rating: 9 Snickers.  Although this movie isn’t scary, it’s still really good.  Remember when I watched Lincoln and it felt like DDL really was Lincoln?  The same thing can be said here.  I felt like I was really watching Dracula.  The movie does have its cheesy moments like bats obviously being dangled by a string attached to a pole some dude shakes but remember it’s 1931 and they haven’t been able to over CGI it up yet.  Also the sets look amazing especially the castle in the beginning.

Alternate Ending *more spoilers*

You never actually see Dracula get stabbed, only hear it and Mina is freed.  He is too smart to just leave himself unguarded like that and is ready for Van Helsing.  Sure enough V.H strolls in and Dracula is fake sleeping.  He’s doing a snore and everything.  V.H bends over and Dracula pops up, killing him.  Evil wins and the horror movie lives on.

What I would do if I was the main character: Maybe invest in a high-yielding CD account.  I do have the time.

What happens in the sequel: A few have popped up lately and been not very good.  Dracula 2000 was awful and Van Helsing was ok to watch but wasn’t a good movie.  There’s the 90’s version that was pretty good but a little too much Keanu.  Herzog’s Nosferatu is supposed to be the best Dracula adaptation after this one and I might end up watching it this month.

30 to go.