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31 Nights of Horror. Night 17: Dracula

October 21, 2012 by robertforto Leave a Comment

English: Bela Lugosi as Dracula, anonymous pho... — English: Bela Lugosi as Dracula, anonymous photograph from 1931, Universal Studios (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The original Dracula (1931) has probably spawned more re-makes and sequels than any other movie in American film history. It has set the bar for the blood lusting lady’s man that wears a cape and sports a widow’s peak.

Bella Lugosi nailed it with superb acting even if it looks cheesy by today’s standards. The use of light brings on the scares instead of CGI effects that today’s youth come to expect.

In this film you find out all the vampire myths including: the stake, the lack of reflection in the mirror, sleeping during daylight and in a coffin in dirt he brought from his homeland, and on and on…

As I have said previously, I am a sucker for the the classic Universal Monster movies and Dracula does not disappoint.

What is your favorite scary movie?

31 Nights of Horror. Night 10: The Fields

October 15, 2012 by robertforto Leave a Comment

There are movies that you watch that are just so terrible that you just want it to end. I remember when I was very young my dad took me to see the movie, The Deep at the theater. It was so bad that my dad was pacing the aisles before it was halfway over.

The Fields (2011) was one such film. It was terrible. I rented this movie on a day that Redbox was giving away a free rental for the company’s 10th birthday. I thought cool, I will run over the kiosk and find something new that might fit well into the 31 Nights of Horror theme for this year. Boy was I wrong!

By halfway though I was under the blanket in my Lay-Z-Boy fast asleep and Michele and Nicole were commenting on their dislike of the movie.

I thought it had promise when I read the preview. It said it was based on true events and it did have Tara Reid, Hollywood’s ultimate party girl and famous for her sophomoric movie roles like Van Wilder and American Pie. It you are a guy you know who Tara Reid is. Don’t you…

Anyway, the fields will not show up next year on the 31 Nights of Horror list and I dare to say I will never watch it again. As far as I am concerned it fell off the deep end…

What is your favorite scary movie?

31 Nights of Horror. Night 9. Dracula

October 10, 2012 by robertforto 1 Comment

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Cover of "Bram Stoker's Dracula [Blu-ray]...

In Francis Ford Coppola’s version of the classic tale of a blood lusting vampire, Dracula (1992), he takes a unique spin on the franchise that has been scaring us at the theater since the early 1920s with Nosferatu.

In Dracula, Coppola tries his best to make a masterpiece that closely follow’s Bram Stoker’s original story about a man gone mad when his beloved fiancee comits suicide while he is off to war. The story takes the viewer on a journey through time in which Dracula seeks out his maiden in a very gory and sometimes very naked wandering through Victoria-era London.

While this version of Dracula is a bit more of romantic story than most, it is done masterfully. Coppola used very little special effects in the film and relied heavily on camera angles and old-school camera trickery.

This is a must have for anyone that loves, not only horror but film in general.

What is your favorite scary movie?

31 Nights of Horror. Night 2: Carnival of Souls

October 3, 2012 by robertforto Leave a Comment

Tonight’s film is one that I have nevere seen before. It was part of a box set that I picked up a Best Buy for about 10 bucks. 10 bucks for 10 movies isn’t bad. Is it?

It is Carnival of Souls (1962). It is a cheesy take on the zombie genre about a woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival after a traumatic car accident.

It is full of cliches, bad dialogue, terrible zombie make-up and even awkward hand holding.

Thought it was pretty bad, Michele and I enjoyed it and even laughed a time or two.

What is your favorite scary movie?

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