Day twenty-nine of thirty-one days of horror!
Every generation demands its Dracula, so this year I celebrate FRANCIS
COPPOLA’S BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, the Dracula that – like Kurt Cobain –
spoke for mine. Now, you’ve seen this and likely have an opinion; it’s
the kind of movie horror fans either love or hate. Is Keanu Reeves
terrible in the film? Yes, he is! But having now read Bram Stoker’s
original novel, I see that the character of Johnathan Harker is pretty
much a charisma vacuum, so in that sense Reeves gets it right.
Winona Ryder doesn’t fare much better as Mina, but the real stars here
are Gary Oldman’s multi-faceted and over-the-top portrayal of the
Transylvanian count, Roman (Son of Francis) Coppola’s spooky and
innovative in-camera effects, the lush costume/production design and
Wojcieck Kilar’s unforgettable score. Also it’s got naked Monica
Bellucci as a super-sexy Dracula bride, so I mean, c’mon. With so many
things going right you can forgive the casting missteps, overcooked love
story and occasional lapses into cheesy melodrama; the truth is that
every cinematic version of the Dracula story has its problems. But
there’s no denying that this one is unbeatable in the eye-candy
department and at the very least makes for great background wallpaper at
any Halloween house party.
