Black Sheep (2006)

"Black Sheep" is one of the most original, comic/horror hybrids I've ever seen. In the same style as the other famous New Zealand horror flick "Dead Alive", "Black Sheep" fully embraces the absurd and doesn't shy away from intense gore or violence. It should be noted that Weta Workshop created all of the special effects for the film, the same company that Peter Jackson uses for films. The characters are likable, the story is kept simple and easy to follow, and hilarious action is non-stop.


Henry lives on a sheep farm in New Zealand. One day his older brother Angus kills Henry's prize sheep and uses it as a prop to scare his little brother. Right after Angus plays his cruel joke, the brothers find out that their father had died in an accident. This leaves Henry traumatized and he leaves the farm. 15 years later Henry returns to the farm to officially sell his half to his brother, but even after all the years, Henry is still terrified of sheep. And during that time, Angus had begun conducting genetic experiments on the farm's sheep. Henry's fear of sheep is justified when the animals become blood thirsty and try to kill him and the others on the farm, including two environmental activists that are trying to find out the farm's secrets. Grant, one of the environmentalists is bit by one of the test subjects and begins to turn into a sheep-man hybrid. The other environmentalist, a girl named Experience, is saved and joins Henry and his farm hand Trucker. Together they try to figure out what is wrong with the sheep while trying to stay alive. Matters are only made worse after Angus is bit and he holds a business presentation where the guests are attacked and "killed" by a huge flock if infected sheep. At the end, it's a showdown between brother versus sheep-monster brother as the fate of the farm hangs in the balance.

Angus and his prize sheep

Experience and Henry surrounded by blood thirsty sheep

Author's Note - Creature Features

Monsters used to be the mainstay of the horror world back in the 1950's and 1960's before they slowly began giving up the spot light to crazed killers and endless horde of zombie movies. This week I'll be reviewing some films that focus on genetic experiments gone astray, natural phenomenon, and tales from our past.

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

The 2006 remake of Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes" was set in motion by Craven himself after he saw how commercially successful the reboots of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Amityville Horror" were. The updated version is clearly more violent, gory, has a larger mutant family, is set at a quicker pace to keep the action going. What I liked best about the cast was that the actors looked their ages unlike the 70's version where the teens do not look like teens at all (it's how they did things back then). The mutant family actually look like possible mutants instead of just being extras from the "Road Warrior".


"The Hills Have Eyes" is a simple story about a family that is on a cross country road trip who, after following the advice of a local gas station attendant, become trapped within a former nuclear test site. With their vehicle badly damaged, the family is left vulnerable to the murderous blood lust of a family of mutants.

My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)

"My Bloody Valentine 3D" is a remake of the low budget, 1981 Canadian film "My Bloody Valentine". The film is vastly superior to the original and yet has it's own faults. This version is more intense, more violent, and simply has a better story line; it has the same basic premise as the original but the plot points are clearer and the pacing is stronger. Of course one of the most noticeable differences are the action shots that were used to take full advantage of the 3D properties that the film had, when shown in the movie theater. Now, on a basic TV, the sequences look a little silly and hammy. But that's alright, it's still a mildly fun slasher flick all the same.


In a small town, six miners become trapped deep underground during a cave in. By the time the rescue crew is able to get to the men, six days later, five of the men are dead and one is comatose. Harry Warden, the survivor, is taken to the local hospital but after he arrives is when the rescue team realizes that the five men who died were actually killed by a pickaxe.

Exactly a year later, Harry awakens form his coma and kills the entire hospital staff and disappears. Meanwhile, a party is taking place at the former mine (WHY???), where Axel, his girlfriend Irene, Sarah, and her boyfriend Tom are having fun. Tom is the mine owner's son and is believed to be responsible for the cave-in the year before because he forgot to release the built up methane gas. While in the mine, Harry appears in his miners suit and has his pickaxe in hand. Harry attacks Tom and hits him in the shoulder as the other three run to their truck, believing that Tom is dead. Tom runs deeper into the mine to hide from Harry. As Harry is about to kill Tom, the town's sheriff arrives and shoots Harry. Tom quickly leaves town and life goes on.

Ten years later, Tom returns to sell the mine. His father is dead and he wants nothing to do with the family business, despite the pleas from the locals. While in town, Tom learns that Axel is now the sheriff and is now married to Sarah, and that Axel's ex-girlfriend is now the town's whore. Unknown to most, Axel is having an affair with Megan, one of Sarah's employees. Megan happily tells Axel that she's pregnant with his child, which places him in a unwanted situation. That night, Irene is having sex with a truck driver who later tells her that he filmed the two together. Irene becomes furious and follows the man to his truck, completely naked. While they are fighting, the trucker is impaled by a pickaxe and a man who looks just like Harry begins killing various townspeople. Who it is, no one knows....until it's too late.

The Haunting (1999)

Like many movies, there are some which seem like a good idea while in production but once they are completed and seen, the entire project looks and feels horrible any way you try top spin it, and the 1999 remake of "The Haunting" is a perfect example of this. This is one terrible movie! The script is horendous and boring, and the over use of CGI for every little effect numbs and belittles any possiblity of this film being an effective ghost story. The casting choices were poorly made as well; Lilly Taylor is clearly not strong enough of a performer to carry the burden as the main character, both Catherine Zeta Jones and Owen Wilson belong in either comedic or dramatic roles, and Liam Neeson does the best he can with what the script gives him. And you know something is wrong when there are so many repeated shots in between scenes showing the outside of the mansion where the story takes place in; this was done purely as a filler and to lengthen the film. Please see the original or read the book that this story is inspired by if you are moved to.


Eleanor is a meek woman who has spent the last eleven years caring for her unhealthy mother. After her mother passes away, she develops a serve case of insomnia and answers an ad in a paper for a study to find a cure. In reality, Dr. David Marrow has selected three test subjects to study the psychological effects of fear. The three test subjects and the Dr. are locked inside an old manor called Hill House. Eleanor believes that she is seeing ghosts and is learning the true nature and history of the house while the others come to believe that she's going crazy. Only when the house begins to turn on them do they realize that Eleanor is right and that she is a direct descendant of the original owners....

They're all so young!

Fright Night (2011)

One of my favorite remakes of recent memory is the 2011 production of "Fright Night". While I appreciate the original 1985 version, I find the remake to be a superior movie. The teens characters look more like teenagers, the dialogue and reactions between characters are played realistically and less comical, and the special effects are pretty top notch. The pacing is more comfortable in the remake and the overall story is sharper and streamlined. Finally, I love that the movie is now set in Las Vegas, a perfect place for a vampire to hunt his prey.

From the leads to the supporting cast, everyone gives a stellar performance. Anton Yelchin shines as Charley, a former geek turned popular high school kid who comes to believe that his neighbor is a vampire. He plays this role very seriously, a perfect anchor that allows some of the other characters to have their comedic moments. Imogen Poots, who shared the screen with Anton in “ “plays Amy, Charley’s girlfriend and Toni Collette plays Charley’s mom Jane.

Colin Ferrel is confident, sexy, and completely predatory as the new neighborhood vampire, Jerry. His presence, which a good vampire needs, commands the screen whenever he appears. I really enjoyed this kind of portrayal of a vampire and is reminiscent of those from “30 Days of Night”.  Finally, taking the place of Roddy McDowall from the original is David Tennat, fresh from his time from “Dr. Who”. Like Mr. McDowall, Tennat’s performance adds a level of dark comedy to the film. David Tennant does a wonderful job of making the role of Peter Vincent, Vampire Hunter, his own. In this version, he is a stage magician with his own show at the Hard Rock Café Hotel. 

Charley comes to suspect that his new neighbor might be a vampire after Ed, his former best friend, points out to Charley that several students have gone missing recently. After trying to prove his point, Evil Ed is tracked down by the vampire in question, Jerry, who turns Ed into one of his vampire minions. Charley explores Jerry's house and discovers a girl that Jerry had brought home one night is tied up in a secret room. Charley is able to get her outside but she burns to dust when the daylight touches her skin. Charley then turns to a famed Vegas act featuring a self claimed Vampire Killer, the magician Peter Vincent. Peter dismisses Charley after he asks for help. The next night Jerry attacks Charley's house, and Charley, his mom, and his girlfriend Amy barely escape the assault. While asking Peter for help again, Charley, Peter, and Amy are attacked by Ed and Jerry. Ed is killed off but Jerry takes advantage when Charley and Amy are separated, biting her and turning her into a vampire. Peter finally agrees to help and the two take a brave, final stand as they take on Jerry in his own house.

Psycho (1998)

If there was ever a film that was never needed to be made, then the 1998 remake of "Pyscho" is the ultimate example of that. It is almost an exact frame by frame remake of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film which merely uses a different cast and appears in color. Even the music from the original movie is reused. The new cast, with Vince Vaughn in the role of Norman Bates, just doesn't deliver or exceed the performances from the first movie. If anything, both Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche fall vastly short from the stellar performances of Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh. The script doesn't sound real and comes across as hokey in this day and age, especially during the last scene where they psychologist is explaining Norman's mental state. The film was both a commercial and critical bomb. Just watch the original!

The Wolfman (2010)

The 2010 remake of "The Wolfman" will not be remembered as fondly as the original. It may not contain the awkward forwardness of Don Chaney Jr's character towards the the women in the film, it may use state-of-the-art special effects and make-up (which won an Academy Award), and it may indeed star the usually amazing Anthony Hopkins, but somehow this film still comes up short. Benicio del Toro does look a bit like Don Chaney Jr in this film but I don't think that he was a good fit for the role. It's difficult to care for his character or for the other characters that directly interact with him. Anthony Hopkins doesn't fully own his character in the same way that he owned Van Helsing in "Bram Stoker's Dracula". And Emily Blunt's role just feels too forced, not by anything that she does herself, but just by being there for no other reason than as a story device. The ending is different and somewhat satisfying but it isn't enough to save the movie. The strongest part of this production is the performance delivered by Hugo Weaving, which really doesn't come as much of a surprise; it's a shame that he enters the film so far into it. An uncredited and brief appearance by Max von Sydow is a pleasant surprise.

The world renown Shakespearean actor Lawrence Talbot returns to his childhood home of Blackmoor, England after he receives news that his brother has been violently killed. Lawrence has an uneasy reunion with his father, Sir John Talbot, who still resides at his grade estate with his assistant Singh and his brother's grieving fiancee Gwen Conliffe. Being back at his old home causes Lawrence emotional distress, including dreaming flashbacks of his mother's suicide and his former mental issues. Lawrence tries to find out what happened to his brother on his own and while visiting a gypsy camp near-by, he is attacked and mauled by a wolf-like beast. With Gwen's help, Lawrence is nursed back to health incredibly fast which makes the locals very uneasy. When Inspector Aberline arrives in town to investigate a recent string of murders, he comes to suspect the odd acting Lawrence. Unfortunately the timing is right for Lawrence to change in to the Wolf, and discovering that his father is one and has locked himself away, Lawrence falls under the power of the beast and goes out into the night to kill. The next morning, Aberline arrests Lawrence and brings him back to London where he is admitted to the haunting asylum that he spent his childhood after his mother died. With vengeance in his heart and a hatred for his father, will Lawrence be able to control the Beast within when the full moon rises once more?

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

The 2004 remake of the classic "Dawn of the Dead" was Zack Snyder's smashing debut as a director and was a critical success. The two films have several glaring differences and because of this, they both stand out as exceptional films in their own ways. The beginning of the remake begins calmly and shifts into a non-stop adrenaline rush at a drop of a dime, showing how quickly the zombie apocalypse can spread through a typical suburban neighborhood. The remake has a larger cast which provides additional victims for the zombies throughout the film. The remake does not have a nomadic bike gang that raids the mall, instead it chooses to show the survivors making a break to a possibly even more secure location. And the zombies run, fast! Some die hard fans hate any film that features zombies running but I don't mind; if they can show vampires walking in the sun then movies can have zombies that run if they want to.

Ana is having a bad day. Her husband is bitten by the adorable neighbor girl who has all of a sudden become ravenous, and then her husband starts acting the same way, slobbering and clawing at Ana with a crazed look in his eyes. She makes it outside and sees that the entire neighbor is under siege as neighbor attacks neighbor with violent abandon. It's a zombie apocalypse and Ana is standing right in the middle of it all!

After driving away, crashing, and then being saved by a police officer, Ana and a group of other survivors hide themselves from the chaos inside the local super mall....only to be taken prisoner by the three security guards who work there. They manage to escape and turn the tables on the guards, then slowly fortify the mall and clear it of any excess zombies. More survivors come, a few of them turn and are killed in due process, and Kenneth the cop befriends a sharp shooting survivor trapped across the street. The survivors comes to realize that the mall will become there tomb if they don't act, so they modify two utility vehicles and try to make it to a boat in the harbor, with plans to sail away to a nice secluded island, where there surely aren't any zombies....

Author's Note - Release the Remakes!

Another week about remakes. Some of these films are being reviewed without the original being discussed first.

Byzantium (2012)

"Byzantium" is another supernatural tale by director Neil Jordan. His first film that dealt with the supernatural was "The Company of Wolves" which was essential a few short stories connected by an over arching narrative. His second work is the renown "Interview With the Vampire" which followed, more or less, the story represented in the novel by the same name; this was a straight forward narrative about the past. His third visit to the supernatural is the 2012 movie "Byzantium", a film that is unable to find it's pacing and shifts from present to past to present again without any real rhyme or reason. It's the easiest film to follow and the scenes that take place in the present feel like that there are various scenes that are missing.

One other note - the film doesn't follow the typical vampire mythology. In this film, the vampires are able to walk around daylight and have rosy complexions. This isn't a deal breaker because such films like "The Moth Diaries" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula" also have their vampires walking around in the sun.


Eleanor and her mother Clara are vampires from the days of the Napoleonic Wars. One half of the movie shows what theirs lives were like before and after becoming vampires while the other half shows them dealing with the events in the present. After killing another vampire and setting their apartment on fire, the two are force to flee and end up settling in a seaside town. They move into an old hotel that Clara turns into a brothel (she was a prostitute herself when she was mortal). Eleanor attracts the attention of a young college age kid named Frank. She tries to keep him at arm length but his persistence eventually wins her over. Soon the past comes to haunt both Eleanor and Clara when the other vampires finally hunt them down with the intention of destroying the two once and for all.

Clara

Eleanor

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

And another take on the famed story of Dracula, "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is the vampire film that follows the novel the most. I have yet to see any filmed version of Dracula where the old Dracula is walking around with a long white mustache like he does in the book. Besides this oversight, and a few additions made by Coppola, this version most resembles the novel about the vampire and his adventures in London. The casting choices are all over the place for this film with some poor choices (Keanu Reeves?) to proper (Carly Elwes and Tom Waits) to outstanding (Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins). The musical score is one to remember as well and it's not like don't have much choice as it's still used in other movies' previews still to this day.


There's no need for a synopsis, you know what the story is about by now! But I will go over some of the small details that were added for the film

1. The opening where Dracula goes off to fight the Turks and his wife kills herself when she hears that he has been killed in battle. Upon his return and finding her dead body, he curses God and stabs the stone statue, drinking it's blood. Not in the book but it's a super cool scene.

2. It's revealed that Renfield was originally working as the solicitor for Dracula before going crazy. In the book when never hear of any past dealings with the Count.

3. The entire section where Dracula meets Mina in London and takes her to the cinema, where they encounter the white wolf. This is added to make the this version more of a love story.

There are other minor bits missing from the novel but this version is the truest that I've seen and is still fun to watch twenty two years later!

Låt den rätte komma in (2008)

"Låt den rätte komma in" aka "Let the Right One In" is a hauntingly beautiful vampire film set in Sweden. The two main characters are children and the actors playing them deliver such strong performances that are rarely seen in actors so young in this genre. The movie might feel slow but it unravels and reveals itself perfectly with each passing scene. And again, I love that fact that it takes place in a town that is covered in snow.

Oskar is twelve year old boy who is picked on daily by three other boys. At night, Oskar imagines that he is able to stand up to them and fights back with an actual hunting knife that he hides under his bed. One night, a man and his "daughter" move into the apartment next to Oskar and his mother. A few nights later, Oskar is outside imagining that a tree is Conny, the leader of the bullies, and begins stabbing the tree with his knife when all of a sudden a girl asks him what's going on. Oskar turns around and meets Eli, a twelve year old looking girl standing on the jungle gym. At first she is distant but over time she accepts Oskar's advances of friendship. The two become close and eventually start going steady, even after Eli tells Oskar that she's not "a girl".

Eli is actually a vampire and her "father", Hakan, is her current care taker, trying to collect enough blood for Eli to consume. His first attempt is interrupted by a couple of girls walking their dog. A second attempt is also ruined, but Hakan pours acid over his face so the authorities can not identify him and find Eli. Because of Hakan's plunders, Eli is forced to hunt for blood herself, killing a drunken local. This encounter then sets in motion more victims as Eli is forced to feed and protect herself. Even after Oskar finds out the truth that Eli is a vampire, their friendship and emotions for each other only grow.But when Eli is forced to flee after her apartment is broken into and she kills her assailant, Oskar is left alone to deal with the bullies that he thought he had scared away. But Eli could never truly leave and shows the bullies what it's like to pick on weaker, defenseless creatures.

The Moth Diaries (2011)

"The Moth Diaries" isn't a standard vampire story by any means and some may even argue that isn't one at all. The film takes the vampire concept in a different direction than usual, where the vampire in question walks around daylight and sips tea and instead of blood, she drains her victim's soul. There is even a subtle nod to Bram Stoker's version by having the vampire's victim share the same name as Dracula's first British victim, Lucy. It also deals with the pain of having a loved one commit suicide and trying to heal and move on. "The Moth Diaries" is a dark, fresh, and very engaging film about the supernatural.


Sixteen year old Rebecca is sent to a private all girls school after her well known poet father commits suicide and her mother is unable to care for her. The movie begins at the start of Rebecca's third year at the school, where she is delighted to see her best friend Lucy again. Lucy was the first girl that befriended Rebecca and the two became very close. A few days after the school year begins, Rebecca is introduced to the mysterious new student Ernessa. Lucy becomes a quick friend to Ernessa, slowly shunning Rebecca more and more. Rebecca comes to suspect that Ernessa might be a vampire after being introduced to the novel "Carmilla" in one of her classes; it doesn't help that the other students also notice that she never eats. And then, one by one, Rebecca's other friend's are forced from the school, or worse, are killed, after Rebecca begins to seek out the truth about Ernessa. Did Rebecca really see Ernessa walk along the edge of the balcony and through a glass window? Why isn't Lucy eating anymore as her energy slowly slips away? And Why does Ernessa keep talking to Rebecca about her father's suicide and how she and Rebecca are so much alike?

Rebecca

Rebecca and Lucy sharing a moment

Ernessa and the rain of blood

Ernessa, the new girl

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

"Interview with the Vampire" is the well known film adaptation of the novel written by Anne Rice. The film was directed by Neil Jordan (who also directed  "In the Company of Wolves") and stars Tom Cruise and a young Brad Pitt as the vampires that the story revolves around. The casting of Cruise as the vampire Lestat brought attention to the film before it's release, with a good deal of commotion coming from Anne Rice herself. Although after viewing the film, Rice was sold and satisfied with Cruise's performance. The movie itself is beautiful to watch and is full of time period sets of New Orleans and and Paris. I have never read the book so I am unable to make any comparisons between the two works.

"Interview" is about the retelling of the life and after-life of the vampire Louis to a reporter in a hotel room one night. Louis describes how his mortal life fell apart in 1791, Louisiana when his wife and child died, and how he lost all will to live and wanted to die. His wish for death was answered by the vampire Lestat, who at the last moment offered Louis the choice for eternal life, the "choice that I was never given" as Lestat is fond of saying. Lestat joins Louis at his plantation and begins introducing Louis to the lifestyle of a vampire. Louis finds that he's stronger, his senses are clearer, and that he has to live off of blood. He refuses to feast off of people, deciding to stick to small animals as much as he can. Louis is disappointed but knows that his young friend will eventually come around. When Louis finally breaks, he takes a small child whose family has died of a plague. Lestat is delighted and turns the child into a vampire as a kind of gift to Louis. Now the little Claudia joins the two and they form a small, odd little family. But Claudia is devious and convinces Louis to help her kill Lestat. The two turn on their "creator" and then travel the world to find others like them. What they find isn't exactly what they were hoping for....

The Hunger (1983)

"The Hunger" is a sexy, smooth vampire film staring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon. At it's core, the film is about addiction and making the choice to live with that addiction or not. Unfortunately the ending ruins this concept but that's what happens when the "Power's that Be" want to rewrite the script. The movie is beautifully filmed in gorgeous settings and dark night clubs, paired with the perfect score of haunting 80's rock and classical musical movements. This movie should be considered a must see for vampire and horror fans who appreciate the 1980's and dark sensual films.


Miriam and John are vampires stalking the nights in New York City. Miriam is the master, forever young and beautiful, while John was once mortal, being turned into a vampire and marrying Miriam in 18th century France. While Miriam remains immortal and untouched, John begins to suddenly age rapidily one day.He seeks the professional help from Dr. Sarah Roberts, an expert in the aging process of primates. She thinks that John is just a hypochonraic at first but comes to realize that there's something more to the story when she sees that he's aged decades while he sat in her waiting room throughout the day. He leaves in disgust and goes to his home that he shares with Miriam. He loses control and kills and drinks the blood of young Alice, a violin student that he is teaching, hoping that her blood will slow the aging. It doesn't and when Miriam comes home and finds John and what he's done, she carries him up to the attic where there are multiple coffins laying about the room. She reveals that John will live forever in a state of eternal living death and she asks the others in the coffins to "take care of him tonight". The coffins are filled with her past lovers and Miriam is distraught that Alice is dead because she was being groomed to be her next lover. Sarah, feeling guilty and curious about John, goes to visit the apartment and meets Miriam. There is an instant chemistry between the two and Miriam decides that Sarah will be her next campanion. But will Sarah want the lifestyle of a vampire and the dire cost of eternal life, and does she have the will to resist and ancient and immortal vampire?

John and Miriam

Sarah in a bloodlust

Miriam tells John the truth

Betrayal and heartache

Dracula (1979)

The 1979 version of “Dracula” is considered by many to be the first sexy version of the classic tale. This might be true but this version is also one of the most incorrect, off base versions I have ever seen. The script is inspired by a play about “Dracula” and gives the novel a mere secondary nod as a source material. This movie is a flagrant example of Hollywood being lazy, not bothering to read the book, and making up what they think the story is; it’s as if the writer saw the movie as a child and then tried to recall it thirty years later without any notes. The names of the characters are there, at least the first names, but the relationships are all wrong. On the plus side the film is very stylish and full of action. There are scenes that are full of candles, streams of flowing smoke, Frank Langella wearing a cape, and actors fully committed to the script; if only the script writers were had been committed after writing this!

The film begins with action as the ship that is carrying Count Dracula and his numerous boxes of dirt is losing control during a violent storm. The crew is trying to throw the crate that Dracula is in overboard, but a monster breaks out and kills the crew and the captain. The ship then crashes into the banks near Dr. Seward’s asylum, where Dr. Seward and his daughter Lucy (??) are trying to calm the inmates. Lucy’s friend Mina Van Helsing (??) escapes the house and runs out into the storm, going all of the way down to the beach and into a cave where she finds and rescues the Count. The next day, Jonathan Harker drives up to the wreck and tries to see if Dracula survived. He is told that the Count is alive and is at his new home in Carfax Abby. Harker then orders Renfield to move the unbroken boxes to the Abby. While doing so, Renfield is attacked by the Count after he turns into a bat.

Does your head hurt yet?

That night, the Count goes to Dr. Seward’s home to dine with the Dr. and his daughter, Jonathan, and Mina, who is now looking awfully pale. During dinner, Mina has a panic attack and the Count hypnotizes her to calm down. And then he dances with Lucy who is now obviously swooned by the guest. Later, Harker asks Lucy about her feelings for the Count and she assures him that he is the only man for her. Meanwhile, the Count climbs down the side of the manor and enters Mina’s room, where she happily exposes her neck. In the morning, with Lucy and her father there, Mina begins to choke and dies. The Dr. thinks nothing of the bite marks on Mina’s neck since it’s been a long time since he practiced real medicine. Meanwhile, Renfield wakes up from his attack and agrees to work for Dracula after he develops a taste for insects. Harker visits the Count at the Abby later that night to finish the sale of the Abby. As Harker is driving home he is attacked by Renfield, who is begging for help to be saved. Renfield is admitted to Seward’s asylum.

41 minutes into the film…

Lucy is overcome with grief after attending Mina’s funeral as Harker leaves for a work trip. Dr. Seward then tells his daughter that Proffesor Van Helsing is coming to town and that he is going to meet him at the train station. Meanwhile, Lucy goes to the Abby under the pretense that Jonathan and her father would be there. Back at the asylum, Mina attacks and kills a baby and jumps out a window. Van Helsing and Seward are left trying to figure out what’s going on. Meanwhile Dracula is busy seducing Lucy, who seems more into him than he is into her.

I’ll let you watch the rest of the movie to find out what happens. This isn’t the story that you thought you knew….

Best WTF moment - Dr. Seward seems to always be eating, even at the most inappropriate times. 

Second WTF moment - Why Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasence ever agreed to be in this film?!?!

Author's Note - Vampires and Feelings

Vampires are all over the spectrum these days. Some are monstrous and violent, some are just hideous looking and are dejected, and some are just quick to grab a sword and kill a werewolf as they are ready to make sweet sweet love to a mortal. They have proven to be the most versatile of all of the different kinds of monsters in the horror genre, so much so that it's often times to label them as monsters anymore. So many films have them as the stars rather than the villain. This week I'm going to focus on the vampires that are willing and able to take a little time to talk, find love, or just a friend.

From Hell (2001)

"From Hell" is a horror film that makes it's own guesses as to who Jack the Ripper might have been. Adapted from the graphic novel written by Alan Moore and directed by the Hughes Brothers, "From Hell" stars Johnny Depp as Inspector Abberline, a brilliant but moody man who uses his slight psychic visions to help him solve cases. The role was a perfect fit for Depp, an actor who started out in a horror film ("A Nightmare on Elm Street" and who has since revisited the genre from time to time. Ian Holm ("Alien") is another great fit, portraying Sir William Gull, a retired surgeon who worked directly for the Queen and her family. The odd choice in casting is Heather Graham as Mary Kelly. one of the five prostitutes who become the focus and victims of the famed Ripper; she is an odd choice only because she never really looks the part. She is able to keep an accent throughout the film and has her own sense of presence when sharing the screen with Depp, but the way that her face and her clothes never look as dirty or worn down as the others becomes annoying after you notice it.


Inspector Frederick Abberline is rudely awoken one day in an opium den by morning by his friend Sergeant Peter Goldy, who needs his help in solving a gruesome murder of a prostitute in the Whitechapel District. It appears that the body was stabbed, gutted, and had an organ removed. Abberline realizes that the murder has to be someone educated and trained in surgical techniques considering how the murder and removal of the organ was completed. Soon another prostitute is killed in a similar fashion as well as having a different organ carefully removed in the dead and dark of night. Abberline finds the remaining prostitutes that had been friends and worked together. With the help of Mary Kelly, Abberline eventually discovers that they may be involved with a plot conducted by the Royal family, or those loyal to it, to cover up a scandal and to take revenge upon those who have "wronged" them. When Abberline begins to fall in love with Mary Kelly, he begins to take the case very seriously, ignoring the direct requests of his superior to leave the case and forget all the he has already seen. But of course that's not going to happen....

The Riverman (2004)

"The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt the For the Green River Killer" is a made for TV film about the interviews between Robert Keppel and Ted Bundy as they discussed the Green River Killer. Bundy contacted Keppel after he learned about the Green River Killer, claiming that he may have some insight behind what kind of person the Green River Killer could be. Bruce Greenwood and Cary Elwes provide great performances as Kepple and Bundy. The interviews that take place right before Bundy's execution are truly powerful as the movie dives into Bundy's conscious. The film is clearly more of a crime drama than a horror film but it goes to show that what people are really capable of is just as frightening as what we can make up.

In the Light of the Moon aka Ed Gein (2000)

"In the Light of the Moon" is a biopic of the crimes committed by Ed Gein. Ed Gein, for those who don't know, is the person who inspired the characters Norman Bates from "Psycho", Leatherface from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and Buffalo Bill in "The Silence of the Lambs". Ed barely qualifies as a serial killer since he only killed two victims but he did earn a great deal of infamy after digging up nine graves and robbing the corpses, who reportedly looked similar to his deceased mother. With the dead bodies as well as his victims, the police found various body parts around Ed Gein's house, some which had been turned in to bowls, lamp shades, a drum, and even a partial suit made of skin. He was later diagnosed with having a long standing schizophrenic condition and was sentenced to life in jail due to insanity.

"In the Light of the Moon" follows the Ed Gein, showing flashbacks of his troubled and difficult youth and his overbearing mother Augusta, as well as showing Ed dealing with the townsfolk that he interacted with before he began killing. It is quickly established that the adult Ed is seen as odd but harmless, unknown to anyone that he has been going into local graveyards and grave robbing. His awkwardness peaks when he honestly asks if anyone has ever thought about having a sex change operation while having a drink at the local bar. Since this is during the late 1940's, such questions are not asked or discussed. Ed soon begins having hallucinations of his deceased mother who orders him to go and kill the owner of the bar, Mary Hogan , for being vile and foul mouthed. Ed does what he is told and shoots her as she is locking up for work one night. He takes her back to his house where he ties her up and until she finally dies. During the weeks and months after Mary's disappearance, Ed begins to tell people why the police never found her, it's because she was locked up in his house. The townsfolk think he's just joking (because he's seen as being that odd) and no one takes him seriously. A hallucination of his mother soon orders him to kill the grocery owner, Collette Marshall, which he does, taking her back to his place and hanging her upside down and gutting her like a deer. It's when Collette goes missing that Ed is discovered as being the killer of both woman. He's taken into police custody and lives out his final days in a mental institution.

Ed wearing his skin suit, made up from the skin of the bodies his stole form the grave and Mary Hogan

Ed Gein, simple country boy

Mary Hogan, shot and tied up in Ed's house