Introduction
The film history isn't as old as literary history, but the vampire movie is as old as the medium itself. It began in the Silent Films Era, and is still being made into movies today. Same goes for television. In fact, horror films have a rich history featuring a wide range of tales that prey upon the innate human curiosities. Let's begin by looking at some of the Draculas over the years, as it is probably the most famous vampire role casted. So compare picking your favorite Dracula to picking your favorite James Bond character.
Movies
The first vampire movie was actually a 1896 short film, not about Dracula. By short, I mean the movie was roughly two minutes long. The film was called Le manoir de diable, or The Devil's Castle or Manor of the Devil. It starred a bat turning into Mephistopheles.
Dracula in the movies
The first vampire movie was actually a 1896 short film, not about Dracula. By short, I mean the movie was roughly two minutes long. The film was called Le manoir de diable, or The Devil's Castle or Manor of the Devil. It starred a bat turning into Mephistopheles.
Dracula in the movies
Max Schreck
One of the most well-known vampire movies in history is also one of the few silent films to survive the inevitable ravages of time. This movie was released in Germany in 1922 and is called Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror. Now a days, to cult classic fans, it is simply known as Nosferatu. Directed by Friedrich W Murnau, it is considered an expressionist film (which means the director was given to overuse special effects.) This film was an unauthorized version of Dracula, with names and places altered- especially moving the castle from Transylvannia to Bremen, Germany. Clearly, it wasn't altered enough, as the widow of Bram Stoker went into a legal battle in order to have the movie destroyed. She succeed, and apparently all copies and negatives were destroyed. Not all really were though, as the movie was released in America in 1929- with the original character's names, and it is still around today.
Noseratu comes from nosufuratu, which is slavic in origin. This word comes from the Greek word nosophoros, which means "plague carrier." Nosferatu began to be a word for vampires after an 1888 travelogue containing Transylvannia folklore (The Land Beyond the Forest.)
So who played the Dracula of this film? Well, it was German actor Max Schreck. (Schreck, by the way, means fright.) However, he is not the suave debonair Dracula. He's Dracula (or Count Orlock) stayed true to the vampire folklore. The Count has "an almost ratlike appearance, with long clawlike fingers, a bald head, hollowed face, pointed ears, [and] exceptionally long rodent-type fangs." Nosferatu will always remain a classic, especially since the cast decided to opt against sets and shoot on location both outdoors and indoors.
Noseratu comes from nosufuratu, which is slavic in origin. This word comes from the Greek word nosophoros, which means "plague carrier." Nosferatu began to be a word for vampires after an 1888 travelogue containing Transylvannia folklore (The Land Beyond the Forest.)
So who played the Dracula of this film? Well, it was German actor Max Schreck. (Schreck, by the way, means fright.) However, he is not the suave debonair Dracula. He's Dracula (or Count Orlock) stayed true to the vampire folklore. The Count has "an almost ratlike appearance, with long clawlike fingers, a bald head, hollowed face, pointed ears, [and] exceptionally long rodent-type fangs." Nosferatu will always remain a classic, especially since the cast decided to opt against sets and shoot on location both outdoors and indoors.
Bela Lugosi
The next time Dracula was played and not on the stage was in 1931, which some people consider to be the greatest Dracula of al time. The star, Bela Lugosi, played the first official version of the novel. This vesion is actually based more on the stage production of Dracula which was written by Hamilton Dean. It was a low budget film, but went on to be Universal Pictures' highest-grossing film of 1931. If you remember from last class, Lugosi had already played the park of Dracula on stage on Broadway.
His transformation into Dracula set the tone for all to come. This was a tone of a preternatural being who could roam among us with few distinctions that would undermine his humanity. Many of the famous Dracula lines appeared in this version and were mimicked or alteraed in future films. To add to the film's creepiness, it was released Valentine's Day weekend on a Friday the thirteenth. Rumor had it that women were fainting in the theatre aisles and that men were running from the building in terror! Bela Lugosi was actually buried in his Dracula costume.
His transformation into Dracula set the tone for all to come. This was a tone of a preternatural being who could roam among us with few distinctions that would undermine his humanity. Many of the famous Dracula lines appeared in this version and were mimicked or alteraed in future films. To add to the film's creepiness, it was released Valentine's Day weekend on a Friday the thirteenth. Rumor had it that women were fainting in the theatre aisles and that men were running from the building in terror! Bela Lugosi was actually buried in his Dracula costume.
Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee is seriously credited in over 260 films. Seventeen of those movies, he played Dracula. He has also played Frankenstein, the Mummy, Sherlock Holmes, and so many other parts. Maybe you recognize him as Saruman from Lord of the Rings?
Of the seventeen times he played Dracula, seven of which were for Hammer Films, a popular horror company during the 1960s-1970s. What makes Lee one of the most popular cinematic bloodsucker in history is the traits he brought to the character.
Christopher Lee stands at 6 foot 5 (roughly 2 meters), has a dark and exotically handsome physique, has a trademark intensity, all of which give him the freedom to build his Dracula character into one of the best Draculas to date.
Just a quick note, no one can mention Christopher Lee without mentioning his on screen counterpart, Peter Cushing. He is Christopher Lee's Van Helsing. In the horror world, you cannot have one without the other. Peter made you feel safe and protected.
Of the seventeen times he played Dracula, seven of which were for Hammer Films, a popular horror company during the 1960s-1970s. What makes Lee one of the most popular cinematic bloodsucker in history is the traits he brought to the character.
Christopher Lee stands at 6 foot 5 (roughly 2 meters), has a dark and exotically handsome physique, has a trademark intensity, all of which give him the freedom to build his Dracula character into one of the best Draculas to date.
Just a quick note, no one can mention Christopher Lee without mentioning his on screen counterpart, Peter Cushing. He is Christopher Lee's Van Helsing. In the horror world, you cannot have one without the other. Peter made you feel safe and protected.
Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman (who, if you are sitting there wondering how you know his name, he played Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films) is an awesome Dracula because he portrays Dracula with so much more emotion than anyone would expect. He played Dracula in Francis For Coppola's 1992 version of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The movie itself, which plays off the legend of Vlad the Impaler. is visually pleasing and has an excellent cast. (Except Winona Ryder. I am so not a fan of her.) Gary Oldman makes a wonderful Dracula in his shifts from deranged old vampire to a handsome young Prince Vlad, and then to various incarnations of wolf and bat, etc. What makes it even better, is that Coppola decided to not use CGI technology. He uses all these old school camera tricks that are just amazing.
Oldman does well to show the core existence of the ultimate nightcrawler with an accelerated sense of intense charm and intelligence. He wasn't the first choice to be Dracula, Viggo Mortensen, Gabriel Byrne, Antonio Banderas, Andy Garcia are a few who auditioned. We are kind of thankful Oldman won.
Oldman does well to show the core existence of the ultimate nightcrawler with an accelerated sense of intense charm and intelligence. He wasn't the first choice to be Dracula, Viggo Mortensen, Gabriel Byrne, Antonio Banderas, Andy Garcia are a few who auditioned. We are kind of thankful Oldman won.
Frank Langella
Frank Langella starred in the 1979 version of Dracula. Langella's role is the epitome of charm, seduction, and demonic manipulation. This Dracula is based on the stage play more than the book. It's kind of more comedic in it's attempts to revive Lugosi, but with a decidely modern edge just for the ladies. Really, he attempts to keep the female audience members in a hypnotic swoon.
John Carradine
John Carradine is one of the most prolific actors, and played Dracula numerous times- both on the screen and on the stage. He has played him so many times, second only to Christopher Lee. He is known mostly for his Dracula in the 1940s House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula. Of all the Draculas to come across the screen, Carradine is definitely the creepiest. He also played the first to play Dracula on television.
Richard Roxburgh
Roxburgh appeared as Dracula in the second-grossing vampire film of all time: the 2004 film Van Helsing, which starred Hugh Jackman as Van Helsing. Though the movie is a bit silly and definitely action filled, Roxburgh fights for his immortality rather well. Some would argue he is one of the best Dracula's we have seen in recent years. He is quite frightening in his lack of emotions and his ability to be utterly manipulative. The film also has a wicked vampire bat versus werewolf scene in the climax ending.
Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler takes on the role of Dracula in Wes Craven's Dracula 2000. In this film, Dracula goes neck to neck with both Van Helsing and his daughter Mary.
What makes Craven's movie different from the other vampire movies is that he chose to link his vampire to a biblical source- Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. Some people like it, some people don't as much. It may be one of the better vampire films of the modern era.
What makes Craven's movie different from the other vampire movies is that he chose to link his vampire to a biblical source- Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. Some people like it, some people don't as much. It may be one of the better vampire films of the modern era.
Other Famous Vampires in Films
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is kind of hard to place. See, Dafoe doesn't exactly play Dracula, he instead plays Max Schreck in the film Shadow of the Vampire which was released in 2000. Before you scroll back up trying to figure out where you heard the name, Max Schreck played the first unofficial Dracula.
Shadow of the Vampire is the story of the making of the 1922 movie Nosferatu. It tells how the creator of Nosferatu was so obsessed with finding his perfect vampire and how it leads to the ominous conclusion that perhaps Schreck is so perfect of a vampire because he was perhaps a vampire himself. Willem Dafoe received an Oscar nodd for his role.
Shadow of the Vampire is the story of the making of the 1922 movie Nosferatu. It tells how the creator of Nosferatu was so obsessed with finding his perfect vampire and how it leads to the ominous conclusion that perhaps Schreck is so perfect of a vampire because he was perhaps a vampire himself. Willem Dafoe received an Oscar nodd for his role.
Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt
After Anne Rice published Interview with the Vampire, the fans could not wait until the movie was released. Fortunately, in 1994, the long-awaited adaptation was produced. It's a beautifully done period production, but people either hate it or love it.
It ranks third among the all-time grossing vampire films, remaining quite true to the novel, and it is proficient in relaying the eternal drama of the charming, complex, and magnetic Louis (Brad Pitt...the one on the right) and Lestat (Tom Cruise, the one on the left.)
Note: Lestat was also played by Stuart Townsend in another Anne Rice adaptation in 2002
It ranks third among the all-time grossing vampire films, remaining quite true to the novel, and it is proficient in relaying the eternal drama of the charming, complex, and magnetic Louis (Brad Pitt...the one on the right) and Lestat (Tom Cruise, the one on the left.)
Note: Lestat was also played by Stuart Townsend in another Anne Rice adaptation in 2002
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes plays a half-human, half-bloodsucker as he was born to a mother who was bitten by a vampire just prior to his birth. He uses his skills to not be a vampire, but to be a vampire hunter instead. Blade is different from most vampires, as he has no aversion to sunlight (he's a daywalker) and has relatively few entrapments suffered by the typical vampires. The trilogy of movies ultimately epitomizes the reluctant vampire to the extreme. Blade doesn't feed on humans or animals.
William Marshall
However, around thirty years before Wesley Snipes was playing Blade, William Marshall was playing Prince Mamuwalde, a man who made the mistake of asking Dracula during the late 1700s about banishing slave trade. Next thing Mamuwalde knows he is waking up in 1972 as Blacula. It's definitely a campy kind of film, but he is played with dignity, panache and a rugged charm. It even had a sequel the next year.
Catherine Deneuve
It would be wrong to not mention the female vampire movies. Thought there are many, most are really not appropriate for this class. Which is saying a lot, for some of the movies we have mentioned. One female vampire, however, was Miriam Blaylock from The Hunger who was played by Catherine Deneuve in 1983. The film was criticized a bit for its focus on visual appeal, but there is little to hate about Deneuve's icy vampiric portrayal. She is classy but terrifying with a je ne sais quoi kind of attitude.
Kate Beckinsale
As the years have gone by, women have gone from being oppressive and damsel-in-distress-like to being tough, strong, unbeatable women. Kate Beckinsale is no different as she plays Selene in the Underworld trilogy. She was originally cast as Dracula's midnight snake and object of his obsession, she totally brings the new-age GIRL POWER. She gets right in the middle of the vampire versus lycans (werewolves) war. Which, the lycans in the movie are pretty awesome to look at.
A Few Other Movies Worth Mentioning...
Deafula
Deafula broke into new barriers when it was released in 1975. It was written directed, and starred Peter Wolkf Wechsberg, who is also deaf. It is the first ever feature film conveyed entirely in sign language. The main character is a theology student who slowly becomes a vampire realizing that in his youth he was bitten by the real bloodsucker.
I Am Legend
Based loosely on the novel by Richard Matheson, which was written in 1954 with the same name. It had been tried several times, and the third time was definitely the charm. Will Smith starred as Robert Neville in the 2007 version which didn't stay all too true to the original novel. However, for those who haven't read the book (recently) you will enjoy the story.
PLEASE NOTE: These are no where NEAR a large percentage of the vampire movies that have been released since the small French film. Feel free to browse through other movies when you are at a movie rental store. Next month: We move from the big screen, to the.... relatively smaller screen in your own living room. Please do not get mad at me if you favorite vampire movie is not on the list. I had about 10 more to add, but I have no idea where I have put the list. But if you ever want more vampire movie recommendations, you do know where to find me. :)