DVD Doppelgängers: Dracula Season 1 vs. Blacula

Wow, did you know there was a Dracula TV series on NBC last year? I surely didn't! Boy, do I feel out of the loop. I suppose that's to be expected when you stop watching live TV, as I have. 

I definitely need to hire an intern here at Bob Canada's BlogWorld to help me keep up on current pop culture. Someone to watch all this crap so I don't have to.

Anyway, I noticed something as I was gazing at the DVD cover of Dracula Season 1 (the one and only season, apparently). Something besides the horrible kerning that makes the title look like the old "Dr. Acula" joke. There was something familiar about the cover image. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on...

Oh yeah. Now I remember. Looks like whoever designed the Dracula cover was a fan of the 1970s blaxploitation classic Blacula (Really, spellcheck? You don't flag "blaxploitation?").

Deadly vampire poised for attack on the left side? Check. Hapless female victim baring her supple, sensuous throat on the right? Big check. Mist-shrouded castle set against a gloomy sky in the background? Double check. If this cover wasn't "inspired" by Blacula, then I'll eat my hat.

By the way, most people dismiss Blacula as a piece of substandard drive-in movie trash. They are wrong. Blacula is a film classic!

The movie is greatly enhanced by the presence of William Marshall, who plays the title character. Marshall definitely elevates the material, and brings to it a much-needed touch of class. He gives the character, which could have been just a one-note joke, a quiet and powerful dignity. At 6' 5" he was an imposing figure with a deep, rich and powerful voice.

Believe it or not, Marshall was a classically trained stage actor who appeared in many Shakespearean plays. He was also an opera singer (!). 

TV viewers will most likely remember him as Dr. Richard Daystrom in The Ultimate Computer episode of the original Star Trek series. He was also the King Of Cartoons on Pee-wee's Playhouse in the 1990s. "Let the cartooooooons begin!"

Monster Fashion

I've watched a lot of horror and sci-fi movies over the years, I've come to the conclusion that the majority of monsters are actually quite snappy dressers! Sure they may be bloodthirsty supernatural killers, but they know how to rampage the countryside in style!

Take the Frankenstein Monster for instance. Not every stitched-together reanimated corpse goes around wearing a tasteful black blazer and simple t-shirt. Tres chic!

One small complaint-- he could use a bit of help with his sleeve length. Fire that tailor!

Dracula's no slouch in the fashion department either. His choice of a simple tuxedo and cape is both elegant and timeless.

He won't have to worry about stains either, because as the Count himself says, he never drinks wine!

Even the Wolfman has an eye for fashion, as he wanders the foggy moors in a crisp buttoned shirt and a nicely pressed pair of slacks. 

You might even say he's putting on the dog!

And let's not forget the Mummy! Although most of the time you'll find him dressed in rags (literally!) he can really clean up his act when he wants to pass as human. Just look at his stylish desert robe and cane, topped off by a dashing fez. 

I'd say Im-Ho-Tep is in step when it comes to fashion!

It should come as no surprise that the Phantom Of The Opera would have a refined fashion sense. Here he is dressed in a posh tuxedo accented with a luxurious opera cape.

With an ensemble like that he'll have no need to hide behind a mask!

Here's irony for you! Who'd ever have thought that the Invisible Man would have such dashing taste in clothing? Here we see him wearing a stunning ascot and smoking jacket number!

No sense trying to hide yourself, Dr. Griffin! We see you have a sense of style!

Even aliens are getting in on the act! Witness the Metaluna Mutant here, in his simple but stunning pair of slacks! 

I hope his sense of fashion doesn't give him a big head!

Even the offspring of famous monsters have style. Introducing Dracula's Daughter, wearing a breathtaking black (natch!) number with a plunging neckline (again, natch!).

Teen monsters can be chic too! Witness here teen vampire Nancy Perkins from Blood Of Dracula. Note her simple yet elegant sweater, accessorized perfectly by her scarf. I'll bet she spent hours getting that scarf to look like she tossed it nonchalantly over her shoulder!

Speaking of teens, don't forget the Wolfman from I Was A Teenage Werewolf! Not every lycanthrope can make a high school letter jacket look good, but this one can!

You get an "F," Mr. Wolfman. For Fashion!

Alternate versions of monsters can be stylish as well, as proven here by the Christopher Lee Frankenstein's Monster and his simple but stylish black pea coat.

The Christopher Lee Dracula also sported elegant taste, seen here with his stunning crimson-lined cape.

And don't forget this alternate Wolfman from Curse Of The Werewolf! Just look at the style oozing from his puffy shirt, waist sash and riding boots! Is that the Wolfman or Zorro?

Down boy! The "cat walk" is just an expression!

Even obscure monsters can have style! The Hideous Sun Demon here takes the time to dress in a nice white shirt before he disembowels his victims. You're a shining beacon of fashion, sir!

What's this? Why it's an Alligator Person, who knows the importance of a good pair of slacks when stalking a victim. I wonder if alligator shoes would be going too far?

Yes, remember folks, if these monsters can dress fashionably, then you have no excuse for wearing your pajama bottoms, slippers and bathrobe to the grocery store! See you on the runway!

Happy Birthday, Christopher Lee!

May 27 was the birthday of one of my favorite actors, Sir Christopher Lee. He turned 90 years old this year and is still going strong.

Lee's career has spanned decades, and he's starred in 275 films since 1946, making him the Guinness World Record holder for most film acting roles!

He's played everything from the monsters to Sherlock Holmes to Bond villain. He was of course Saruman in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and his Count Dooku, silly name aside, was one of the few highlights of the Star Wars prequels.

His most famous and iconic role is no doubt Hammer Studio's Count Dracula, which he played eight times. In Dracula: Prince of Darkness, he reportedly thought the dialogue was so bad that he refused to speak it on camera, instead spending the entire film hissing and glaring (to great effect, I might add).

Lee wanted to quit the Dracula films after the second one, but according to him the producers "emotionally blackmailed" him, telling him how many people would be put out of work if he didn't agree to star in the films. He would eventually relent and show up each time. His blackmailing was our gain, I suppose.

I can't think of any other actor who's played three of my all time favorite iconic movie monsters. If only he could have squeezed a werewolf and a gill man in there while he was with Hammer... (Note: I'm aware that he was in the werewolf film The Howling II, but that was far from an iconic role).

Lee is also a war hero, speaks eight different languages and is an accomplished singer. Geez, I feel productive if I do the dishes AND take out the trash all in the same day.

When Peter Jackson began filming The Hobbit this year, Lee desperately wanted to reprise his role of Saruman in the two films, but didn't think he could make the long and arduous flight to New Zealand at his age (as someone who spent 27 hours in a plane getting to China, I can sympathize). Peter Jackson apparently wanted him in the film just as badly, so he took a film crew to England and shot all of Lee's scenes there! Cool!

He's also the only Lord of the Rings cast member who actually met J.R.R. Toklein, was on Wing's Band On The Run album cover, and even hosted Saturday Night Live!

I'm worn out just reading his bio! And I haven't even mentioned that he's a British Knight, is descended from Italian nobility and has been married to a model since 1961. Here's to another 90 years!

Crosses Don't Bother Jewish Dracula

 

Today's Tip: When choosing supernatural defenses, know the religion of the vampire you may encounter.

This is a vector drawing, drawn all in InDesign.

 

Here's the original sketch. As you can see, Jewish Dracula didn't change much at in in the final, but I reworked the victim quite a bit.