A Century of Movies
Johnny and Chris alternate between reviewing movies pre 1980 and post 1980.
A Century of Movies
Dracula - 1931
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All the way back to 1931 to the horror movie that started them all. How does it hold up after almost a hundred years? We discuss.
And we are recording. Hello, this is Johnny Cardinelli, along with my co-host, Chris Weivel.
SPEAKER_01What's going on, bro?
SPEAKER_02Welcome to Ascentria. Hey, how are you doing, brother? Wanted to welcome everybody to Accenture Movies podcasts, where I stuck Chris, who does not like black and white movies, watching an old black and white movie, 1931 Dracula. So tell me, because this, even though it's black and white, you're not a big fan of the old old, this is one of those movies. I'm curious, had you seen it before Halloween or as a kid or anything?
SPEAKER_01I I mean, I'm sure I have at some point. Um I don't I didn't remember it. The only things that were familiar were some of like the famous clips, you know, but like in terms of the actual like seeing it wire to wire up, it was like it was like watching it for the first time.
SPEAKER_02Okay, that's kind of what I was actually kind of hoping because that now I'm interested to hear your take on the movie.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. And uh, had you seen it before?
SPEAKER_02I I was kind of like you, I knew the clips, but I watched it probably five years ago because you know I've been going through this old movie phase for a while, so I go, I gotta see every classic I can. I watched it and then I probably watched it again maybe last year. Uh not like intensely, I think it was just on the background. I was checking it out while I was doing other stuff, and then of course I watched it again just uh yesterday for the pod. So I've seen so you I know what's going on in the movie for the last five years, but like you up before that, I was like, I don't know if I've ever actually sat and watched this before.
SPEAKER_01Right, okay, cool. Because I do have a I do have a couple of questions maybe you can help me out with as we get through it here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. Uh so anyhow, what about uh what up what about your overall take? Did you did you were you like I don't know, surprised? Were you shocked at just how I don't know old school it was or yeah, I mean I I really did enjoy it.
SPEAKER_01Um it was um the it again it's the acting for me that's just so like what is going on here, but um I I did really enjoy it. It was uh it was cool, and I was looking up some um because like part of I think like how I'm gonna view this is how did the audience react when it came out, you know, like it's almost a hundred years old now. Like, of course, it's not technically gonna hold up, I don't think, but some of the the stuff I was finding online, like audiences were losing their mind when this came out. Um yeah, they banned kids from going to see it. Uh, it was like it seemed to be, you know, people like love or hate. Some people were calling to pull it from theaters, and I was like, oh damn, that's uh that's pretty impactful.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, it it it the thing with watching these movies, it is nice to try to put yourself in the perspective of going to see this in a theater. Yeah, and from and for me, I was also because you know, I'm from Ohio, you're from Pittsburgh. I imagine you're a little kid going to see this. You've you know, you're not you're not somebody who's been to New York or Los Angeles or Hollywood, and you've never you've you've never heard an accent like that. Yeah, you know, you never even heard a non an only accent you've ever heard are people around your your neighborhood, you know, just a lovely Pittsburgh accent was the only one. Or Cleveland, yeah. I I was just picturing even that must have been kind of fascinating for younger kids to hear like uh his uh you know Hungarian, you know, overly probably overly dramatic accent. Uh uh what must have been kind of fascinating. Um, the acting, yeah. I mean, yeah, it was very it was like filming a stage play. Now, of course, Bella Legosi played him um in the stage production, so it and and uh Todd Browning, the director. Uh did you read up anything about Todd Browning?
SPEAKER_01I did not get to Todd Browning. I honestly I have like I was going through the whole IMDB, and with the exception of Bella Legosi, had never heard of anybody um besides Bram Stoker, obviously. Um, but I was like, man, I this is too far back. I was I'm not gonna know any of these people. I uh you know, so I didn't get a deep dive on all of it.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, I I just looked up Todd Browning because you've probably heard of the movie Freaks, even if you never saw it, right?
SPEAKER_00Yep, yep, yep.
SPEAKER_02That that was his other big, big um movie. He did a lot of the reason, uh again reading up on this, the reason that some of this seemed very like stagey and theatrically is because he came from a silent film background, right? He was a he was a he was mostly a silent film uh director. So the acting is very silent film y, you know, right? Which in some weird way for me, I kind of like it because you're like you're going, okay, let's just go back to 1931 before everything was polished and acting was perfect, and and it was and there's just that I don't know something about the corniness of it all.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I I wanted to look into some things uh uh in a little more detail. I just I just ran out of time, but like it sometimes feels like a play, it sometimes feels like a silent film. So I'm just curious like where in um like the evolution of film like this came out, like where did it land? Because it seemed like it was kind of a hodgepodge of a couple different things, you know what I mean? Like, well, I imagine it was probably pretty um advanced for when it came out. I mean, they were doing tracking shots, uh, which I thought was incredible, um, but there was like no close-ups, you know, like everything is just like one camera. Um, and I also noticed a lot of the dialogue, the people talking have their face turned away from the camera, and it's just like you can hear a lot of the audio. So I was just very curious why they did it that way. Um, just hadn't really seen anything like that.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that interesting because that that's stuff that I kind of I did I did pick up on the tracking shot. There was a couple really cool shots, yeah. I was like, Oh, that's impressive. Also, they say that Todd Browning, the director, I think it was uh Helen, uh the actress who plays Mina. I think she said, I think she said that he kind of just tuned out and he wasn't really super involved in and the uh I think the cinematographer sort of stepped into did a lot of the directing. They said it was kind of like a the set wasn't real organized, and which was unlike I guess how he usually was, but I think Browning was going through some I don't know, uh some issues or something like that, but he wasn't totally into this movie, yeah. So and so and so there it there is it is kind of an odd, there's just an odd feel about something. I don't know. I hardly even explain what would, but it seems so certain things just seem not very well thought out. But yeah, I would agree towards the second half.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I figured you would have a better feel for that because you watch a lot more of these movies, and I was kind of like, is this dude? Is this like a period of just how all the movies were in the 30s? I you know, I haven't seen enough of them to really have a feel for it.
SPEAKER_02There is definitely the acting is definitely melodramatic in the 30s, uh, but but it seemed big because this is Dracula and because it's Bella Lugosi, it definitely it's definitely amped up more than usual, right? Uh, you know, some of those long stares where he's just staring.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, oh incredible.
SPEAKER_02Okay, we got the picture.
SPEAKER_01Can we get a cut here? Can we get a cut? Um dude, I think that was the same look I had on my face when I heard the Steelers were hiring Mike McCarthy. I had that same exact look.
SPEAKER_02Like, how about how about when the Browns announced Deshaun Watson as QB1? No exactly a look, dude. I was like, stab me with stab me with a stake right now. Yeah, uh, yeah, what was he gonna say? Um 1931. Yeah, uh Belly Lugosi, just before we get on with the the cast, like you said, I mean, even me, he was the only one I knew. Um Lugosi, he got real, he got typecasts after this, obviously. And then he he he was offered to play Frankenstein, the monster, and he turned it down because there's he didn't have any dialogue, and he thought that was beneath that that thought that was beneath him. And then what happens? Uh, you know, um, what's his face goes on to uh why am I spacing out his name? Boris Karloff goes on to have a monster, excuse the term, career. You know what I mean? A long, long, dignified career. Uh, you know, it's interesting, Bella Legosi. I heard a little interview with his son, Bella Legosi Jr., from I believe Bella's fourth wife. He became an attorney and a very prominent attorney. And at one point, at one point, he saw Universal using uh advertising for a Dracula movie or something, like maybe a theme parker, and they were using his father's uh likeness. Now his father had passed away at this point, so he took Universal to court. Said you can't just use his likeness without paying you know the estate, and it was a big thing, and he won. And he had and at some point they they they created a whole new law for that. At some point, Bella Lugosi Jr. represented the three Soges and Boris Karloff to sue to get their rights, so they had rights to their likenesses, and it became yeah, very big deal. Uh, his son is as an attorney. And in the interview, he goes, they go, Did you ever want to be an actor? He goes, How can I be an actor when I'm Bella Legosi Jr.?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02He goes, That's you're stuck there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, that's hilarious. Um, but yeah, Bella Legosi typecast, but I mean he's got some pretty like white zombie. Well, I I know that was a big deal when it came out, never saw it. Um, I'm assuming all, but every one of these Night of Terror, Whispering Shadow, Island of Lost Souls, Death Kiss, you know, like you can tell he was the horror guy through all of uh the 30s, um, a good chunk of the 40s, and then he wrapped his career up. I didn't realize this with Plan Nine from Outer Space, which is widely considered to be one of the worst movies of all time.
SPEAKER_02So that that Ed Wood, uh the crazy cult filmmaker, he he was a huge Bella Legosi fan. Bella Legosi at this stage of the game with this would be in the 50s, he was really down on his luck. He was poor, you know, he was drug, he was drug riddled for a lot of his life. Um, and uh, you know, because of being type guys, like like you know, he was into the movies, but a lot of times he didn't have big parts, and then this parts got kept getting smaller. And I was thinking, imagine today how much money he could make just going to conventions.
SPEAKER_00Oh, right, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Just making appearances, he would be loaded. This poor guy, but anyhow, Ed would Ed Wood sort of took, I don't want to say pity on him, but kind of took pity on him and gave him, you know, tried to rejuvenate his career to some degree, even though he didn't really have much money. I've never seen the movie Ed Wood with uh Johnny Depp. Um, but I heard I heard it's a great movie. But uh Legosi, the family, they were not happy the way Bella Legosi was portrayed in that movie. But I haven't seen it yet, but I I'm going to see it at some point.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, I saw it a long time ago uh when it came out. I remember it being really good, very different, kind of quirky. Uh, Johnny Depp and Ed Wood together. It's gonna be quirky for sure. Um really good.
SPEAKER_02And what's his name? Won an Oscar. I can't remember his name now, but I think he won the Oscar for playing Bella Legosi. If I'm not I can't remember his name now. Uh really good actor.
SPEAKER_01Oh, Martin Landau.
SPEAKER_02Martin Landau, yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01Interesting. Okay. Um cool.
SPEAKER_02So it's the the cast, I guess. You know, the other people in the cast, they're like again, not a lot of people know them. Helen Chambers, she played Mina. She had kind of a weird, weird career. I thought she was, you know, a little theatrical, but I thought she was great in this. Um, yeah, she ended up having kind of a you know, she was a short career, shorter than you would have thought. She uh I guess she had an alcohol problem and kind of led to bad things, and then she got caught in a her apartment somewhere in Hollywood. She fell asleep smoking and caught fire and she burned herself. I mean, yeah, that's some tough stuff. Uh, David Manners played John Harker. He was also in the mummy, which I also just watched. Um, he he you know, he's got the thankless role of just being the guy who's going, hey, you know, yeah. And then I thought I thought I thought Dwight Fry was again, it's 1931 and it's kooky, crazy, but I thought he was great as Redfield.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, yes, way over the top. I'm sure it's normal for the time. I enjoyed it though, and I was thinking about it. His performance probably scared people as much as Bell Lagosi's because he was so they probably hadn't seen a lot of that type of stuff. Absolutely. He just went for big air the whole time. Um, and I yeah, I thought it was uh I thought it was really good for sure.
SPEAKER_02The scene that I remember is when they're when they look down on the boat and he's looking up and he's like, yeah, oh that's a great scene, just a great scene.
SPEAKER_01Yep, yep. Yeah, there's a there's definitely a few for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh, so the opening credits with the music. By the way, I don't know if you if it's ever donut while you're watching, no score.
SPEAKER_01It all yeah, that's in my notes too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, okay, yeah. Uh the music at the beginning, I believe it's um Tchaikovsky, I can't remember which one, the last one or something like that there. Uh, and then I like the the matte painting shot, you know, with the painted background. That's kind of I like that kind of stuff. It's kind of just you know reminds you there now, ooh, 1931. Right, and then uh, you know, Renfield, he's going into town. All the locals are like, No, yeah, he's like, he's like, What's the big deal?
SPEAKER_01Right out of the gate, yeah, right out of the gate. They're like, Are you out of your mind? And he's like, Grab my luggage.
SPEAKER_02Okay, here we go. All right, yeah, he's not gonna listen to the locals whatsoever. He knows what's best.
SPEAKER_01He's gotta make a deal. He's he's a lawyer, right?
SPEAKER_02Or a real I couldn't sub, I wasn't sure either how to be yeah, yeah, okay, fair. Just just not listening to the locals at all.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I love that. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And then uh let's see. Oh, and then the the the Renfield Count Dracula, and they're like, Countracula, vampires and his wives, and they kind of spell it all out. Vampires and his wives, wolves and bats, lead conf, you know what I mean. They kind of they kind of spell out the story for us right there, right off the bat. I mean, they they get right into this. Is a short movie, so they gotta get right, and again, this is based off the play, not the actual Bram Stoker book, right? Right, very, very simplified, um you know, a lot very simplified, and in my opinion, way probably way oversimplified, uh, but we'll get to that a little later. Um and then Brent feels like, oh, that's all superstition. So then she gives him the cross, yeah uh, which is nice. And then what do you think when we finally get inside the castle? Oh, wait, before we do that, yep. Oh no, then they cut to inside the castle, and there's armadillos and bugs coming out. You know what it's showing is things awakening at night, you know?
SPEAKER_01Yep, yep, yep. I thought that was all super cool. This is my question, though. Was it Dracula that went to pick him up, or was it a different was it a driver? I couldn't tell the difference.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, because he's got that thing on that. It took me a second, too. That is Belugosi, it's Dracula, yeah, because then he looks out and it's the bat, right?
SPEAKER_01Okay, that's what I thought, but I was like, Did I miss something? Uh, so that was one of my questions was like, Oh, he rolled to pick him up himself. I thought that was great, but um dude, Dracula's castle, super cool. Like the scent. Oh my god, I was like, I want my my uh sports bar to look like this. I mean, it was just really, really cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I was too, I was super impressed when that first scene when you're inside there, but that had to be scary to kids, just like oh my gosh, yeah, yeah, like the catacombs and that crazy stairway with no railing that just goes all the way down.
SPEAKER_01I was like, Oh my god, yeah, it was uh very, very cool for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, the massiveness of it. I'd love to have been, I wish they would have kept that intact and and made that like a tourist uh yeah, you know, or something like that, just to see how they did it all because it's just it was so so huge, it just yeah, it was just gorgeous, yeah. Uh, but yeah, then then Bella just well, well, going back to when he picks Bella Legosi picks Renfield up. I just thought it was funny again, 1931. We have to we don't have to keep pre pre whatever preambling this or whatever. Yeah, when he looks out and it's the bat, yeah. You know, why why why'd you switch into a bat here? It's completely unnecessary, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Just to show that you can, just or that might have been like high special effects back then. I don't know, like were they showing off? I was I didn't get it either, but I was like, all right, sure.
SPEAKER_02Okay, yeah. I was I was thinking they're probably letting us know that he's capable of turning into a bat, right? Because they use it later in the movie, you know. Uh but I mean you can you can almost see the string, bro. Just going up and down. Uh that was that was a high level, yeah. Um, just a couple years later, we get King Kong.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, then um the stair. Oh yeah, then the driver, but oh the bell of the guys, and then uh why are why are we meeting? Why are they meeting at midnight? He's a bat. Why? Oh, yeah, he's a bat. I say driver. There they say driver, then there is no driver, and he doesn't really get concerned about this, right? Where's my luggage?
SPEAKER_01Like, here's my off. Like, okay.
SPEAKER_02Oh, then finally he gets there and the door opens with that creek. That is the creek of all creeks. Yeah, I'm watching that going. I wonder if that established the creek trope for like horror movies. Yeah, that was the first time that was ever utilized in such a manner. Uh because that was that creek, man. That was that went on for a while. That was major, uh, that was a major creek. I was impressed. So we get inside the castle. Dracula, what'd you think when Dracula comes walking down and finally speaks?
SPEAKER_01It was great. I thought it was very, very cool. Um, that was awesome. And then he uh one of the clips uh that I've seen, I've I've heard it samples in songs. Um, when he's walking Renfield up the stairs and you hear like the howling outside, and he's like, creatures of the night. You know, it's like, oh my god, I've heard oh I've heard all this, I've seen all this. Oh, this is what it's from. Oh, okay. So I thought it was really cool, actually.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, to see it in the movie, what music they make. So over the top, man.
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh. I thought he was great, though. I gotta say, I thought Bella Lugosi was phenomenal, uh, overall.
SPEAKER_02Hey, if if uh you really think about it, it might be the most iconic movie portrayal of all time. Because whenever you go, whenever you go Dracula, you immediately think Bella Lugosi, how many times has Dracula been portrayed? I mean, what other I it might if you just go Dracula, Bella Lugosi's you know, persona, and it's been mimicked by by Sesame Street, you know, the count, right? Yeah, it might be the most iconic literally portrayal of any character in the history of Chobis.
SPEAKER_01You know, yeah. I mean, that's they definitely got an argument for sure. Um that's a good point.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it I mean, it it's it's hard to believe 1931, and it's just literally he established it from here on out, and everything else, you know, obviously different ones, but kind of like that's what it's been. Uh, and then they then they have the cobwebs, the fake that the fakest spider I've ever seen. Oh yeah, uh, and then he's got food and wine from where does he get food? Would he order in?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he gornashed it to the uh to the catacombs, like just sitting there in the dust. I also love that wall of cobwebs was so gnarly. I mean, in thick, and he the Renfro's just oh yeah, whatever, just get this out of here. I gotta go close a deal. Like, okay, like just nope, not thinking anything's off or weird or anything.
SPEAKER_02Literally, dude, exactly. Anything for to close the sale.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I get it. I appreciated that.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna say I would think you would, yeah. Yeah, uh, the lease, the stare, we will be leaving too. Then he goes, We will be leaving tomorrow. It's like, okay, bro. All down going for it.
SPEAKER_01I love it.
SPEAKER_02I I was reading that on set when they were filming that he Bella Legosi, he was polite. He'd say good morning and say goodnight, but during the day, he was just that character. He was he was Dracula all day, and and they they they said I think it was I can't remember who it was, maybe Browning or somebody said there they weren't sure if that was if he was acting or if that's kind of who he really is, like this kind of this kind of kooky guy, you know. Yeah, but but he was man, he was into it 100. And I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And then he picks the finger, yeah. And then you know, I just that always cracks me up because like he gets so he goes after. The finger, like you've never seen blood before, you're this, you know.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, it's because they need blood, so I think he was like drawn to it. Like his reaction is like, you know, they suck blood and do all that stuff. So I thought I took that as like it was like an urge, all like an impulse kind of um, they drew it to him, and then like the little cruise the crucifix comes back, falls down, and dude, that this ate uh the giant swing back. Yeah, oh my gosh, so awesome! That was great. Um, he also has a great line. They there's a couple times they did a great job of like uh kind of explaining what's going on, but he what right when he pricks his finger, he goes, blood is life, Mr. Renfield. Right, and it's like oh okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. So I just thought that was cool too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and like you said, the fact that Renfield is completely oblivious to anything being weird about any of this. And it by the way, it's it's after midnight, it's like one in the morning when he's doing this. Yeah, uh Redfield's like, okay, where's the papers? Oh, got some food. Okay, yeah, and it was here actually when I just noticed honestly the silence that the absolutely no soundtrack. And I know I think it was for budgetary stuff, and also just back in the day, it was harder to, you know, but I think budget played a big role. Some people think it was it worked because of all the silent. I think it would have benefited from having a little bit of an eerie soundtrack, some kind of sound, yeah. And I and I believe in 1998 they commissioned some composer to do sound for the whole movie, and they released it with a soundtrack, which I have not seen, but I've heard it's really good.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I would actually love to see that because I dug, I dug how quiet it was, but it also was like it just felt so odd because there was just dead space, you know, and it just kind of obviously we're not used to that type of stuff. Movies now, it's bang, bang, bang, all this craziness. But uh, I I liked it, but I would love to see it with with a a score for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I agree. I you're right. There's two if it had a score, I'd like to see it silent, if it you know, just to see it a different way. But there was a few times where I just kind of noticed the silence a little bit more than I probably wanted to.
SPEAKER_01I would love it if uh if Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross did the soundtrack and then just did I love to see that version of it, just blow it out, exactly.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Uh and then the wives look on as Renfield sees a bat, falls over the the wives. I mean, I know they were probably a big deal in the a bigger big character in the uh book, but I mean they're almost pretty much pointless in the movie, you know. They're great, great visual, them slowly walking when they're white gods, but but I was like, Oh, they're we never see them again, you know. So I I I thought he was gonna take them to London with him, but you you guys stay here, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Hang back, watch the castle. I'll be back.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh, it's kind of like I don't I didn't really understand the point of them in the movie, but it was a cool scene, either way. Uh, and then Dracula stores him away, and then I guess that's when he bites Renfield, and now Renfield has become Renfield after this. Well, I just didn't call it the ghost president, but now he's crazy, he's he's officially crazy from here on out.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so this is another thing I wanted to ask you because I thought maybe the wine was actually blood, because he's like, Oh, it's very sweet, and I thought maybe that's what transformed him with the the three women going in there with him or whatever. But because then they're on the boat, they're on the ship, and he's just completely night night, he's just completely gone. So I wasn't sure if he bit him on the boat or the the wine did it. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I missed it if if they said that I I think and I'm um I didn't notice this first time, but watching it a second time, Dracula. When the the girls are descending on Renfield because he's passed out, yeah. He shoot he shusses them away as he goes down. I think he bit Renfield.
SPEAKER_00Oh, gotcha. Okay, that makes sense.
SPEAKER_02And that's what changed him. Uh right right there. I think that's what they're implying. Um yeah, it's funny. I didn't think about that either. What is the wine? Is it son of you know something in it, bloodish or something? Yeah, I didn't even that never even crossed my mind. It could have something to do with it. I'm not really sure. And then I mean, yeah, they're on the ship, they're on the ship.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. Boy, that's the Vesta.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. The minute did you what did you think of that whole scene?
SPEAKER_01I mean, they really, really went for it. I mean, that thing was, I mean, it was like sideways at times going through the water. Um, it was cool though. Um, and probably pretty difficult to shoot back then. I'm not sure. Obviously, I'm assuming it's models and you know, all the the little tricks they had back then, but um, I thought it was cool. And like that's how you had to travel back then, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02Like, exactly, right?
SPEAKER_01Like, I gotta get on this ship. Like, is this thing made of wood? Like, oh my god, what are we doing here?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I the the the scene of the guys on the boat with the water, that was actually taken from a sh silent film. So if you walk, that's why it's sped up a little bit, it's a little too fast. Yeah, then you you then they cut to the miniature of the boat, which was a cool shot because it's kind of like the far foggy distance, but that boat literally is sideways.
SPEAKER_00It's crazy.
SPEAKER_02I was yeah, yeah, and and then and then and then when they cut to Dracula, he's barely faced, he's just standing there calling.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he's just like what he's not shaking or anything like that. There's got his sea legs, yeah. I was like, come on.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, oh my god, hilarious. Um, and now he's called Renfield is now calling him master, of course. So now we know it is things, things things have changed, and um I I get lives, not human ones. I'll be loyal. So now we know he's gonna eat, you know, whatever he's gonna eat. I think he's like in the he's in the trial stage where if he does his job, then he'll become a full vampire. I that's that's what it seems like, you know, because he progresses, he progresses throughout the the film here. But uh but Jack stands completely, and then he gets put in the sanitarium. Drack is in town walking with a top hat. This had to be like an homage, or this mean this just has Jack the Ripper written all over it, yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, one of my favorite uh lines in it's like in this part when they go to the opera, I believe, or the show, whatever the play, whatever that was at the theater. Yeah, he kind of he meets Lucy, um, and uh he says something uh uh about like, oh, death is uh uh lucky, you're you're lucky to be dead or something. And they're like, What are you talking about? And he's like, There are far worse things awaiting man than death. Who is this guy?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, nobody's phased by this guy, like, hey, he's interesting, yeah. Uh like oh before before he gets here, he goes into that to that checker girl and he goes, and after you deliver the message, you will remember nothing. I now say it's like yeah, now he so now he has the force as well. Yeah, he can just do whatever he can just do whatever he wants.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's some of the vampire mythology, like especially over the years. Like, some of them can fly, turn into a bat, turn into a wolf, mind control, some can walk in the daylight, like they've really like gone a lot of different directions. But yeah, he he had a lot of uh powers, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I guess in the book, uh, kind of like the movie Nosferatu, he was a he was an ugly, you know, beast of a kind of a thing, and then uh they made him into this romantic lead in the movie, this you know, like romantic, dignified English gent. If you well, not English gent, but you know, I mean like a obviously like a count. Right uh, and he meets the he meets the Redfield's doctor, meets the daughter. I wrote down that line by the way, or the the line before that he goes, To die to be really dead, that must be glorious.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's what it was. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's like they're like, Oh, anyway, well, back to the play. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Okay, oh, and then the two girls are back in their home, and I thought this was actually really cool. The one is doing a Bella Legosi impression.
SPEAKER_01Did you notice that? No, I didn't quite pick up on that.
SPEAKER_02She she she was they were make sort of making fun of his accent. I mean, but like uh like imitating his accent. Oh, she I think it was Mina to the other girl going, Death is well, you know. I mean, and I thought that was you remember now? Yeah, I do, yeah, yeah. She thought that was really, really cool. That they were uh that they were mimicking his accent, so that even we know that they know that it's kind of an interesting, you know, kooky accent.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, cool. Yeah, I missed that part for sure. Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh and then all of a sudden, one of them's sleeping, and all there's the bat outside, the bat on the string, and then suddenly we cut to her, we cut back, and Dracula's there. And then uh then we cut to the thing, and that's the thing, they don't really, you know, they kind of imply that he's going, they never show the bite marks, you never see a drip of blood, which I thought kind of a missed opportunity, you know.
SPEAKER_01I I imagine that has has to do with like uh just the times, you know, like they probably just didn't show a lot of stuff like that. I'm guessing. Um yeah, probably not. I can't imagine. I can't imagine they would have not, you know, if that was like an okay thing to do, like you would think that would have been way more prevalent. I would imagine that was probably pretty pretty over the top back then. But I could be wrong, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02I remember watching it going, I after the word trick, I can't believe I didn't once not only that, but I didn't want not once did he have fangs, even right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, which really surprised me.
SPEAKER_02Me too, because I always I sort of always remember you know this. Uh yeah, oh he didn't have fangs once in this entire movie. I was surprised by that. I somehow I think I forgot it. Uh but then then the only thing we know is is the the doctor says the same two marks, she's dead, the same two marks, and then uh and then we go to the sanitarium. That's where I think they had that nice tracking shot. Do you remember that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yep, yep, yep, yeah. That they had a couple that I thought were very slick, especially for back then. But yeah, the tracking in, I was like, oh damn, okay.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, track it this and then track it back this way. I thought that was really I thought that was a very modern looking shot.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, me too. That's what I mean. That must have been, or maybe not. I I'm assuming that was pretty cutting edge for back then. Uh, because it definitely stood out, especially with all the stillness in the movie. Any any motion was like, oh damn, that was that was pretty slick. So yeah, the asylum, the sanitarium was creepy and weird, you know. That was great.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, something about sanitariums to silence back then, it's just so yeah crazy real. It feels real, you know. The lab coats, the whiteness, the marble. I don't know what it is. There's something about us is very real.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they're doing electro shock therapy. No, they have no idea what they're doing, just hooking people up the batteries, shocking them.
SPEAKER_02Like exactly, man, not modern at all. That's why so much, that's why I find it so much creepier, those old ones. Yep, and then and then Renfield wants his spider now. He's upgraded to spiders, you know. He's and then we get that guy Martin with the crazy accent. That's comic relief out of nowhere, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh I yeah, dude. His whole his whole like approach, I thought was just just insane, dude. Yeah, his accent, he's I'm like, is he cracking jokes? Like is yeah, is he the comic relief? I was very confused, but uh I enjoyed it. What was his name again? Martin. Martin, that's right, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I it was always like my cracky. I think it was the most he he comes on after a while. We realize he's the most inept person in the history of the world, by the way. Oh, I guess Renfield just escapes whenever he wants to, no big deal. Yep, yeah, and he wants more, he wants more than flies now. He wants spiders. Van Helsing, finally we see Van Helsing. Van Van Helsing, dude. This is the quintessential Van Helsing. He establishes as much as Bella Legosi establishes Dracula. This guy establishes Van Helsing. Yeah, he was incredible. What was his name again? Uh Edward Van Sloan. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I mean, how could you not have that name playing Van Helsing in this movie? Right.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And he looks like an Edward Van Sloan.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, yeah. No, I thought this dude was awesome. Um, with you know, him and Bella. I thought he like went toe to toe with Legosi in this one. Um, yeah, I thought he was great. He had the little he had the little glasses and just wasn't taking any shit. I got uh I got a note in here too about him coming up later.
SPEAKER_02So okay, cool. Yeah, it things I like when he when he finally appears, it things changed, it got better.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I you know, yeah, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_02Uh and then Renfield wants to get away, so he keeps teetering, he's trying to stay loyal, but he wants you out. He, you know, he can't figure out what's going on, and then all of a sudden you hear the wolf in the distance, and Renfield's like, Yes, master, you know, yeah. So um, and then now we got uh Mina sleeping, and there's the bat. Unfortunately, we never get to see the transformation, they just cut to the bed, then cut back, and Dracula's there. I mean, I it would have been obviously tough back then, but it would have been nice to see some kind of attempt.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like a cloud of smoke or something. I don't, I mean, I don't know what they were doing. Yeah, something would have been that would have really been crazy.
SPEAKER_02I I feel like it had to be budget, budget, you know. Uh this thing actually came in under budget when they made it, so you know, they were very uh conscientious of that, obviously. And it was kind of a big deal because they had never released a feature-length uh talkie horror. So this was kind of a big uh you know, risk, I guess, for universal became a big hit, obviously. But you know, they weren't sure, so I'm sure the budget wasn't, I'm sure they were really tight with the budget.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's that's good to know, too, because I was I was curious where this was like in terms of original horror movies. Like I knew it was very early on.
SPEAKER_02Um except for silent ones. Um I'm trying to forget which ones I'm thinking about, but this was the first talkie. This was it, this is this established in the horror genre. Wow, okay, and and the whole universal horror thing, the wolf man, the mommy that followed Frankenstein, all because of this. Priest, all that yeah, yeah, this the success of this. So now he's now he's bitten Mina. She thinks it's a dream, but Van Helsing is he's suspicious. Good old Van Helsing. Yeah, and she yeah, she just she describes it. Two red eyes, white face came down on the out of the mist. I had when I when she said there's two red eyes in this whole thing, I immediately thought Rosemary's baby. Do you remember that movie? That scene when she was.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but I know you're yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's they I go, Oh, I wonder if they kind of you know what I mean. That just reminded me of that. Yeah, CS2 arcs. What could have caused it? Oh, and they're like, What could have caused it? All of a sudden, you hear count Dracula. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you get that?
SPEAKER_01Okay, yep, yep, yep. I thought that was very slick, too. I was like, dude, okay, that was pretty good.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that was really cool. I thought that was a really cool part right there. Yeah, would you so what'd you think about this whole scene when Dracula finally and Van Helsing in the same room?
SPEAKER_01So, um, well, one of the things I loved uh was everyone they're looking, they got like the magnifying glass at the fangs and everything, and they can't figure it out. And Van Helsing just super cool. He's like, Oh, we're dealing with the undead, it's Nasferatu. It's like all matter of fact, and they're like, Wait, what? Like, what are you talking about? And he's like, No, that's what it is, trust me, I got it. Like, I was like, This is a bad dude right here. Like, he just knew, didn't care, was like, Yeah, whatever.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh, he's you know, he's he's not ruffled at all. He he you know, oh yeah. It I guess in the play, you know, because they he spots him in the mirror, you know, with the with a cigar case. Did you remember that when he sees he's looking at the cigar case and he sees that he doesn't appear in the mirror, right? I guess in the play it was a full-length mirror, they switched it for the movie. I thought that was great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I did too. Yeah, and that's when he knows like who he is for sure. Yeah, because there was already did it already happen where he opens the thing and it's the mirror and he he slaps it away.
SPEAKER_02That he first sees him in the mirror, and then he then he confronts everybody's gone, so it's just the two of them, yeah. So then he confronts, then he reconf no, it wasn't somebody else was there, I think. Yeah, somebody else was there. Maybe it was uh Martin, not Martin, but uh the the boyfriend, and that's when he slaps it away, you know. Overly dramatic, of course. I do not I don't like mirrors, you know. Okay, all right, yeah, and nobody else wants to believe Van Helsing. Okay, I dislike mirrors, so you slap it away, you know. If you freak out about it, yeah, yeah, and then Drack leaves all of a sudden there's a wolf. Oh, there's a wolf out there, so he doesn't want us to follow him, you know. Yeah, uh, and no one believes Van Helsing. Redfield appears out of nowhere again, watching him, you know, he's trying to warn them. Yeah, Dra Drack appears as a bat. I I just go through the the timeline because honestly, at this point here, it's just we kind of just motor through to the end. Yeah, it's just a series like uh walking over here, walking over here, uh, you know. But be able to thought, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there was the one scene, um, it's somewhere in this in this part of the movie where and it's like the iconic uh where he's in his in his catacomb cave, whatever, uh, and he stands up and the camera like pans up to him at you like right as he stands, and it's just it's so good. For me, it was the whole the shot of the whole movie, uh, and it's the one that I've seen the most in other things. So, again, it was another cool moment along with Creatures of the Night, you know, where I was like, Oh, damn, this is oh, that's literally where they got this from. I thought it was awesome.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, those famous scenes of them just going right in on him and that stare, the way the way he's lit his eyes and stuff like that. They did do some did do some great jobs with that. I mean, after this, the whole story is just Renfield escaped. Oh my golly, he's gone again. Yeah, that comes up, and then and then Mina, hey, you know, the wolf's bane, and and uh and Van Helsing tells the maid, watch over her. Why why aren't you watching over her? You know, it's just it's like puts the wolf's bane, why not put a giant cross on her necklace instead of just wolf's bane?
SPEAKER_01You know, it's like it's just so they're so inept that it's just it and like I forgot about wolf's bane, like the like the most recent generations know garlic, so I like that was actually cool. I was like, oh shit, I kind of forgot, or what is wolf's bane? Like, is that still a thing? I don't know. I thought that was a a cool little touch, too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I like to do I I too, I I you're right. I thought garlic was always the thing, too. I didn't and there there is the one there is the one scene where where um the cool probably one of the coolest scenes is when Dracula tries to uses crawl and tries to take over Van Helsing's mind, yeah, and then he goes and he goes, more wolf's bane, and he pulls out any and he pulls out a cross and he goes, Yeah, it's like okay, if the cross works better, why even bother with Wolf Bane? That's what I keep saying. Just put a bunch of crosses everywhere, yeah. You know, like I love Van Helsing, but he was a little, you know, I mean, well go. Yeah, he's a little in a inept, and then she stares at uh then Mina. Now he you know, he keeps trying to get Mina out, and and then also she's out, she's out of the porch, you know, just kicking back. Then all of a sudden the the bat appears and she's talking to the bat, and John doesn't know what's going on. So what did you say? I didn't say anything, and you can never you can never see me again. She just like what?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, John is out of control too. That I mean, what is going on with John? He's like, what does he say to her? He's like, uh he said, he's like, I'm taking you to London. He's like, I'm taking you to London to save you. I'll be in the car and or something. And he just walks off and just leaves her here. And I'm like, Well, who the hell is this guy? Like, yeah, a little.
SPEAKER_02I know his his his role was kind of thankless, but he is talking about just the biggest numbskull. Yeah, completely unaware that she's like, you know, she's staring at him in weird ways. He doesn't notice that, and she's on phase, she speaks to the bat. I will. He she tries to bite him, he's clueless. They're they're all crazy. Sometimes I have uh oh and oh, then they all I don't know. Then Martin's out there talking to the nurse. She goes, They're all crazy. Sometimes I have my doubts about you. It's okay, still more jokes, Martin.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I know I did. I have that written down too. That was the other one. Um man. Oh great, they're all crazy except me and you, and sometimes I have doubts about you.
SPEAKER_02Right, exactly. Nice, nice, Martin. Martin on point.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh, and then opens the then now Dracula just keeps coming back. Uh, where's Van Helsing? And then back to Renfield. Now he's back at the Abbey, you know, just rolls in. Drac and Mina walk Drac and Mina. Drac calls Mina out, she goes out, the big cloak around. They go to the Abbey, and then uh the what's it? Van Helsing and what's his name? They follow them to the Abbey because they see Renfield, then he kills Renfield thinking he's he snitched on him, yeah, and then and then he carries Mina off, and all of a sudden he's asleep in the coffin.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I was like, Oh, I guess it was daylight, like that. Must have been at the end of the night, and it was coming up right now.
SPEAKER_02He's being chased, but also, well, guys, yeah, just lays down perfectly in the coffin, and that's it.
SPEAKER_01And then and then we don't even see the sound, we just hear the uh uh another thing that I yeah, I noticed and was kind of bummed about. Um, but I get it, you know, who knows why. Uh but one of my favorite parts was Van Helsing. Like, he knows who he's dealing with, he was the only one that believed he was a vampire. He knows he's a vampire, he knows how crazy this dude is, you know, like supernatural, and he still says to him, like, I'm gonna drive a stake through your heart and tear down your castle stone by stone. And I was like, damn, hell yeah! Like, very, very cool. Um yeah, it was one of my favorite parts of the movie.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he he was at this point here for the last 10-15 minutes, it was so, and again, it's 31, and I know that, but this is where I really think I really wish they would have dug deeper into the actual book because he was just so uh corny, you know, that the Dracula just keeps appearing, and now he's not appearing, Runfield just keeps appearing as needed for the script, just as we all know what's gonna happen. They go there and he just goes to sleep and they kill him, and there's no real kind of no real drama, right? You know, and then Nina's Nina's okay, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then they just what John just walks her up the stairs, fade out.
SPEAKER_02I was like, okay, yeah, it was kind of yeah, it seemed like a very anti built up this all these characters and and the heaviness would track gula, and then he just dies like that, and you're like, ah, it's over. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01What is it 70 minutes long? It's like 77 minutes or something.
SPEAKER_02I know, which I actually appreciated, but oh but because of that, they just kind of just had to rifle through so much, you know. Yeah, that that it just became it just got so silly with you know, watch you know, watch Mina put Wolfbane around her, and then they just the maid takes it off. Now she's out, now she's out on the porch just hanging out and nobody cares. And I it was just you know how she keeps escaping everybody's, you know. Anyhow, we all we we got it, but what was your overall take on the movie, though? Now, all things considered, kind of a thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, overall, it's so iconic. I'm so glad I watched it. Um, I thought it was, I mean, I I honestly I thought it was very, very good. It's just it's hard to like put yourself back a hundred years and be like, well, what would I have thought back then if I saw this for the first time? Um, but overall, I love Van Helsing, obviously, Belvagosi. You're right, maybe the most iconic uh portrayal uh in film. Um, you know, so I I really enjoyed it overall. Um, you know, there was parts where I was like story-wise, like we were talking about it's like, wait, what? Like, that's why I was like, I got some questions because I was like, Wait, what the hell happened? What the did we just skip something? Like, okay. Uh, but overall, I thought it was really good, man. Good call. It was a cool one. Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I it's one of those ones where I I probably will never watch it again because I've seen it three times now, but it is one of those ones that, but like you said, having seen known the clips, known the voice, known all the you know, somewhat story behind it. It was and and and you know, and the sets, just seeing the sets and stuff that it was fun to watch for all of that.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. I was also thinking this would be an awesome movie to have on, like around Halloween. You have some friends over, just have it on mute in the background, and just like just the visuals of it. I thought was uh would be like you know, like those old black and white horror movies. I was like, dude, I would totally have this on if I have friends over around Halloween. Uh on mute because it like there was some very cool visuals, especially for a hundred years ago, you know. Cool stuff, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I I think the age actually adds to that, just uh like you said, the the black and white of it of it all, you know. Yeah, it's just it's just you know on film and all that stuff. I yeah, yeah, it's not I think it's 92 on Rotten Tomatoes. So I mean it is like it is iconic. It's Roger Evert on his, you know, when he did his re-evaluation, he gave it four out of four stars. So I mean it is it's that it's that legendary, um all things considered, but you know, you also have to go with some the plot got a little just kind of hack me towards the end as they were just seemed like racing just to get to be done, yeah.
SPEAKER_01You've set all this up, and then they're like, All right, just wrap it up, just kill him in his slip.
SPEAKER_02That's seriously, man.
SPEAKER_01But how many movies were they cranking out a year back then? I mean, there were there's movies just just coming out like they're shooting movies in like two weeks, they're putting out like a hundred movies at a time back then, so who knows? Yeah, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_02And then you know, it it it did really well in the theater. Yep. Um I looked up how much a a a Bram Stoker, I've never read the book. I I probably would should at some point. Uh, I just want to see how much a first edition Dracula book would go for. I've just googled it. I thought way up there, uh they said a signed copy, which there are not many left, uh like hundred thousand bucks. I would have thought like a million, maybe even more right, right. I was I was surprised. First edition Dracula signed by Bram Stoker. Well, like they say between like 50,000 and 100,000, depending on condition and a lot sort of thing. Like, wow, I would have thought a bit more.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, oh um, speaking of that, right by your place. Have you been to um Mystery Peer Books? It's right by Book Soup, like literally right around the corner from you. No, um, I um I've been there, I used to go there quite a bit. It's only first edition books. This is really yeah, this is assuming it's still there. I haven't been there in years, obviously. Only first edition. Uh it's like a museum, but you can actually buy stuff. Like they were there, they or I was there, they had a first edition catcher in the rye, you know. Like they like and they go way, way, way back. You know, you can find almost anything there.
SPEAKER_02But um, sounds cool as hell, actually.
SPEAKER_01It's very, very cool, and um, but yeah, so you could go in there and uh and check stuff out. But I wonder if they that's something that they might have there. They had multiple, multiple books for 150k, 300k. I'm like, dude, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I don't know if that's still there. I'll have to take a walk out. I have been to big book soup. I used to go there a long time ago. I haven't been in a long time, but uh, I'm surprised it's still open, to be honest with you. I'm surprised they could still afford that rent up there.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god, yeah. Yeah, mystery peer books. It's it's right by book soup, it's like right literally right by your house.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, I'll have to take a walk up there and see it. Check it out.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's awesome. Um, what uh well, what are you uh what are you going for? Anything else you want to add, or you good? You guys think we covered it all?
SPEAKER_02I think we covered it all. Uh I if I have to give it a letter grade, uh because it's iconic, and just everything I just said about the plot and everything, just forget about that. I've got I have to honor, I've got to give this just because of the uh the iconic nature of it all, I'm giving it an A. I was gonna go A plus, but I'm gonna give it an A.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean I was gonna go A minus again, just for the iconic everything, but when you said when you told me it's the first talkie horror movie of all time, I mean I didn't know that. That is absolutely incredible, so I gotta give it an A too. Um fair enough, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean, it's the wave man, yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's a hundred years old. It's I mean, it's just set, uh yeah, it's yeah, you can't yeah, you can't disrespect it like that.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. Uh okay, so uh your call for our next month's movie.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I don't for some I'm such an idiot. For some reason, I didn't realize I had access to the 80s movies. I thought that was you, and I was waiting for you to pick an 80s movie, and then I realized I was like, that's on me. So I've been neglecting the 80s. We're gonna go to the 1980s, and we are gonna go from watching a movie about one iconic monster with questionable acting to another iconic monster with questionable acting.
SPEAKER_02We are gonna do Predator, Predator, okay, yeah, yeah. That'll be a great rewatch for me. It's been a long time, dude.
SPEAKER_01I don't even remember the last time I saw it. It has been so long, yeah. Um, but one I small, yeah, multiple, multiple times as a kid, obviously. But I I don't even 15, maybe 20 years probably since I've seen it. It's been a long long time.
SPEAKER_02Pride for me too, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, all right.
SPEAKER_02That's a good that is good. So, all right. Well, unless you got anything else you want to add, that's a wrap for us. Please too, uh, subscribe, like, uh to uh Century and Movies Podcast, and we will see you guys next month.
SPEAKER_03Peace out, yeah, later.