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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2020 10:02:01 GMT -5
The newest adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel is here at long last and I have to say that Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat (of Doctor Who and Sherlock fame) does not disappoint. Any who know me know that I have a love the horror genre as a whole and Dracula in particular is by far a favorite of mine. I've seen countless adaptations and while this may be one of the looser ones it keeps all of the eeriness of the original and the new twists all beautiful additions.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Jan 5, 2020 10:15:00 GMT -5
I only watched about 20 minutes of it, but I thought it was appallingly bad. Really cringeworthy, wooden acting from the guy playing Dracula and the scripting was the worst kind of sub-Dr. Who rubbish...so no surprise to find it was written by Moffat, who I consider a terrible hack. I can only conclude that this was produced for people who don't know the book.
From what I've seen online and in reviews, most felt it started out strong but the viewing figures here in the UK fell away massively with episode 2 and the third and final episode was apparently a complete mess.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2020 11:05:41 GMT -5
Oh man, see I thought Claes Bang was amazing as Dracula; the charm, wit and humor he brought to the role were fantastic. I way say the third episode wasn't nearly as good as the first two, but man those first two were fantastic so it evens out in the end.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Jan 5, 2020 12:42:37 GMT -5
Well, I did only watch 20 minutes of it, so take my feelings with a little bit of a pinch of salt, but for me the lead actor's portrayal of the big D was by far the most off putting thing about the show.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2020 13:18:53 GMT -5
Well, I did only watch 20 minutes of it, so take my feelings with a little bit of a pinch of salt, but for me the lead actor's portrayal of the big D was by far the most off putting thing about the show. Tastes vary of course, and he did get better as he grew younger however one thing I just can't get is this: why didn't this come out in October? Is this like the UK's version of the old network television "sweeps week"? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2020 14:25:41 GMT -5
Are you talking about this available on BBC Channel?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2020 15:02:52 GMT -5
First two episodes were very strong and atmospheric. Although we know the story a thousand times over, it was eerily effective.
The third episode, while entertaining, was a bit "Eastenders" in parts. Dracula would not have been out of place in a nightclub in Albert Square during some scenes. And although I think the ending tried to make a profound point, the finale felt just a little bit like glorified fan fiction. Hell, when I was writing things as a kid, I was forever putting the likes of Dracula in New York or something like that.
It's hard to resent the series due to the strong first two episodes and a third episode that was fun in a popcorn kind of way. It left me with mixed feelings, though.
And to stick with the British soap references (sorry to those in the US), while I did like the charming performance by the actor who played Dracula, the count came across a bit "Marcus Tandy from Eldorado" at times.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2020 15:31:03 GMT -5
Are you talking about this available on BBC Channel? Yeah, or Netflix in the US and Canada |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2020 15:32:59 GMT -5
First two episodes were very strong and atmospheric. Although we know the story a thousand times over, it was eerily effective. The third episode, while entertaining, was a bit "Eastenders" in parts. Dracula would not have been out of place in a nightclub in Albert Square during some scenes. And although I think the ending tried to make a profound point, the finale felt just a little bit like glorified fan fiction. Hell, when I was writing things as a kid, I was forever putting the likes of Dracula in New York or something like that. It's hard to resent the series due to the strong first two episodes and a third episode that was fun in a popcorn kind of way. It left me with mixed feelings, though. And to stick with the British soap references (sorry to those in the US), while I did like the charming performance by the actor who played Dracula, the count came across a bit "Marcus Tandy from Eldorado" at times. Yeah and although the scene with Lucy as a vampire was pretty great, and I liked Dracula getting out of custody by a lawyer he retained a hundred years ago the third episode was definitely a come down. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2020 15:42:33 GMT -5
The third episode did seem "fannish". As if Moffat and Gatiss just threw a lot at the wall to see what stuck. Like the time you're a kid writing fiction at school - and while busy developing one plot, you just forget it and go on to another one.
I do feel Claes Bang and Dolly Walker rose above the worst excesses of the script/production.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2020 15:55:23 GMT -5
Incidentally, if you want to see Dracula at his silliest, see 1971's Dracula vs Frankenstein. I own it on Region 1 DVD.
Dracula is in California because, erm, I don't know. He digs up the body of Frankenstein's Monster in California. The body of Frankenstein's Monster is buried in California because, erm, I don't know. They then meet with a descendant of Doctor Frankenstein, all part of some plot to rule the world - from California.
Harmless, entertaining fun. But absurd. I believe the director, Al Adamson, cast his stockbroker as Dracula!
In the funniest scene in the movie, a sheriff and his deputy come across Frankenstein's Monster, who has kidnapped a woman. The sheriff and his deputy fire all their bullets at the Monster. Which fails. So what do they do? Back off and call for help? Call a SWAT team? Erm, no, the sheriff runs to the Monster and tries to hit him with the gun. Which fails.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Jan 5, 2020 16:06:39 GMT -5
Well, I did only watch 20 minutes of it, so take my feelings with a little bit of a pinch of salt, but for me the lead actor's portrayal of the big D was by far the most off putting thing about the show. Tastes vary of course, and he did get better as he grew younger however one thing I just can't get is this: why didn't this come out in October? Is this like the UK's version of the old network television "sweeps week"? It's a good question. This would've seemed like a better bet for Halloween TV. And to stick with the British soap references (sorry to those in the US), while I did like the charming performance by the actor who played Dracula, the count came across a bit "Marcus Tandy from Eldorado" at times. Ha ha...now that is an abscure British soaps reference. I'd lay money down that I'm the only other member of the Classic Comics Forum who understands it. Thing is though, you're absolutely right. Though I would've never phrased it like that, one of the things I disliked about the lead actor's portrayal of Dracula was that he absolutely was "a bit Marcus Tandy from Eldorado".  |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 5, 2020 19:20:21 GMT -5
Tastes vary of course, and he did get better as he grew younger however one thing I just can't get is this: why didn't this come out in October? Is this like the UK's version of the old network television "sweeps week"? It's a good question. This would've seemed like a better bet for Halloween TV. And to stick with the British soap references (sorry to those in the US), while I did like the charming performance by the actor who played Dracula, the count came across a bit "Marcus Tandy from Eldorado" at times. Ha ha...now that is an abscure British soaps reference. I'd lay money down that I'm the only other member of the Classic Comics Forum who understands it. Thing is though, you're absolutely right. Though I would've never phrased it like that, one of the things I disliked about the lead actor's portrayal of Dracula was that he absolutely was "a bit Marcus Tandy from Eldorado". It's a puzzlement, especially as aside from Dracula's transformation from wolf to man(which was one of the coolest takes on that I've ever seen) the effects were almost all traditional physical make up effects so post production shouldn't have been the cause for the latter date. |
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Post by Calidore on Jan 5, 2020 22:59:09 GMT -5
Incidentally, if you want to see Dracula at his silliest, see 1971's Dracula vs Frankenstein. I own it on Region 1 DVD. I'll see your movie and raise you Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. |
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Post by berkley on Jan 5, 2020 23:10:17 GMT -5
I'll give it a chance, eventually. It just so happens that I have been planning to re-read Stoker's novel sometime soon and quite likely I'll be in the mood for more Dracula after that. There are still quite a few well-known film and tv versions I haven't seen, for example the tv one with Jack Palance and the movie with Frank Langella.
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