October Movie: Jesús Franco's Count Dracula (1970)

After my most recent delve into Dracula I figure I should go with the master.

So we have Christopher Lee (natch) playing the Count as if he were Vlad Dracula and he cuts a pretty imposing figure too.  The movie is mostly the same sort of fare. But there are a lot of treats in this. Not only is Jesús Franco directing it but we also get Klaus Kinski as Renfield and Soledad Miranda as Lucy.  Both would later go on to star in other vampire movies; Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) and Vampyros Lesbos (1971) respectively.

What this movie lacks in budget and gore it more than makes up for in atmosphere. This movie just oozes it. It is not a great film, but it is more faithful to the original story than Argento's. Plus there is no suggestion that Mina is nothing more to Dracula than a tasty snack.

In the end though I could not help but really enjoy this one.  Plus I love the huge Dracula 'stash on Christopher Lee.  I had this old copy of Dracula that had a picture of the Count when Harker first meets him, he had a long white moustache and the image stuck with me.

Tally: Watched 8,  New 7

What are you watching?

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October Movie: Dario Argento's Dracula 3D (2012)

Wow.  Where to start with this one?
Ok for starters I was very excited to be getting a new version of Dracula for the screen. I was cautiously optimistic, Argento is a "name" and there was a chance it could be done right.
Also I had heard it was a homage to the Hammer Horror films of the 50s and 60s.

Well...it is a very pretty movie.  The HD is nice.

It IS a love note to the Hammer Horror. The visuals for that are down.  But that is where it ends really.
Ok what is bad? Well pretty much everything else.
Asia Argento can't act, at all.  Unax Ugalde makes wish for the nuanced and subtle performances of Keanu Reeves as Johnathon Harker. And Rutger Hauer (Van Helsing). Well Rutger has to eat too.
I will give Thomas Kretschmann (Dracula) credit though, he seems like a good actor. Interesting enough he is set to play Van Helsing on the new Dracula TV Series.

Again, we get the whole "immortal beloved" plot line; that is the idea that Mina (sometimes Lucy) is one of Dracula's past lovers. Sometimes it works, but most time I don't buy it.

Damn. I would have loved to have a good new Dracula remake.

Oh. So yeah. Pretty crappy movie really.

ETA: I am watching Jesús Franco's Count Dracula (1970) now.  I'll review that one soon too.

Tally: Watched 7,  New 6

What are you watching?

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I like my Latte with extra TK

New viral video out for Carrie.



If the new movie is half as fun as this then we could have a treat after all.

Pathfinder Witch

Gearing up for a Pathfinder game where I am playing a Witch.  Really looking forward to it.  For this game the group is pulling from the Pathfinder SRD. It's a great resource and full of all the Pathfinder material you need to play.  I have been spending some quality time with it lately.

   

Plus I have been working on this recently, http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2q5wq?Misfit-Studios-The-Ultimate-Witch-Warlock
Though I am not ready for a big announcement yet.

Here are some links of various Pathfinder Witch posts I have made on my blog and some OGC from the Pathfinder SRD.

Pathfinder SRD

• Witch
• Patrons
• Familiars
• Spells
• Hexes
• Archetypes
• Prestige Classes
• Master of Storms
• Tattooed Mystic
• Winter Witch

Alternate 3rd party classes and Prestige Classes

• Hedge Witch 
• Witch Hunter
• Hellenic Sorcess
• Child of Bast
• Jinx

My Posts On Witches and Pathfinder

• 4e vs. Pathfinder vs. OSR
• Witch Books, the d20 Years
• Witch Books, Pathfinder
• Pathfinder Witch
• Prestige Class: Queen of Witches
• Prestige Class: Witch Priestess
• Witch Guardians
• Prestige Class: Tempestarii
• Prestige Class: Imbolc Mage

Tags

• Witch
• Pathfinder
• 3.x
• OGL

October Movie: Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Needed a bit of palette cleanser.  Silence of the Lambs is a fantastic movie. It was one of those movies that stuck with me for years. I remember running out to buy the book soon after and then I went an read everything by John Douglas, the FBI profiler the was one of the influences on the book.
Without Silence we would not have had the TV shows "The Profiler" or "The Blacklist" and to some extent "The X-Files".

The great thing about re-watching this one is once again seeing how good of an actress Jodie Foster really is. Not to mention how great Anthony Hopkins is.  Plus you have to love a movie that gives Roger Corman a cameo role.

Tally: Watched 6,  New 5

What are you watching?

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October Movie: Daughter of Dracula (1972)

Also known as La fille de Dracula this is one of the movies I bought back in the summer just for this. Plus Halloween would not be complete in my mind without one (or more) Jesús Franco movie.
I picked this one up last year with the intent to watch it for the last Challenge but I ended up traveling for work and I discovered that my work computer did not have the codecs installed to allow me to play DVDs.  Grumble....

So like all of Franco's work from around this time this one has a surreal feel to it. That and a lot of girl on girl vampire action.   No to mention a beach, a nightclub and lots 70s sex. The movie is a Franco play-by-numbers.

There is a subset of the Dracula myths in movies that often deal with his family.  The Subspieces movies touch on this, Dracula's Daughter from 1936 deals with this and many more.  There is also influences of Carmillia here, no surprise, and even some similarities

I liked the movie to be honest. You have to go into a Franco movie with some expectations. I would have liked a slightly different ending, but hey expectations right.

Tally: Watched 5,  New 5

What are you watching?

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Games Plus Haul 2013

Here is this year's haul.

Lots of board games that the boys wanted.  A replacement Victoriana 1st ed. A Doctor Who game I have never seen and another copy of Dungeon (I am a collector).

Tower of the Wizard King is new to me.  The bags are tiles of monsters for D&D 3.x or 4.

More later.  Getting ready to play Vampire Hunter now.