MA. SUSANA ISLA-ARCANDR. VICTOR VALBUENASN147023COMM210

BITE!THE EVOLUTION OF DRACULA AND OTHER CINEMATIC VAMPIRES

"Well, you asked if the sun hurt me, and it doesn't. But I can;t go out in the sunlight - at least not where anyone can see..." Edward Cullen, Twilight

The Silver Screen Vampire

Vampire films have been a fixture in cinemas since the age of silent movies and have strongly influenced our own interpretations of the vampire in popular culture. To date, the most popular vampire in the movies is Count Dracula, which apart from being based in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, was also loosely based on the story of Count Vlad Drakul.

A great number of movies have been filmed for decades depicting the evil count, some are even considered as the greatest depiction of vampires on films. There are over 200 representations of the vampire, making him the most frequently portrayed character in horror films. (Miller, F. 2009 The celluloid vampire. Retrieved from http://www.vampirefilmfestival.com/Vampire_Film_History)

Over the years, the character of a vampire, even Dracula for that matter, has evolved, adapting to changes in the times as well as in the demands of the audience. While vampire movies before where targeting mature and adult audiences, they have now arrived at an age when such films are accepted, in fact, craved for by a younger audience. Why? Because it stirs the imagination of viewers as to the veracity of the facts about vampires and the wonder of its mystery as immortal (and how is it so?).

Studies have been conducted and even a careful study of Stoker's novel disproved a lot of myths which were formerly believed by so many.

Fangs, Capes And All

Are Vampires Real?

This is the perennial question everyone poses for every vampire novel written and every vampire movie made. And if it is indeed true, what are they like? How are they made? How do they look? How do we kill them? Are they really immortals? Are they shape-shifters? Why do they say that vampires make the most exciting love-making there is with a virgin?

Those were, indeed, the motivating factors (questions) audiences love to subscribe to vampire movies and films.

Studies have proven, however, that our common knowledge about vampires is untrue, or maybe partially untrue. An example of which is that people think that vampires are really photosensitive and are afraid of the sun because they will perish under direct hit. Here's what studies say:

Porphyria appears to be the prior missing tie in the myth of vampires blistering and burning in the sunlight. The bodies of those with Porphyria lack the function of being able to effectively repair their skin cells from UV ray damage. (Retrieved from: 8 Vampire Myths Explained. http://listverse.com/2010/09/30/8-vampire-myths-explained)

As in any story handed from generation to generation, facts are changed, even twisted, to suit the atmosphere that the storyteller wishes to achieve. Some may consider the story preposterous that in order for the storyteller to catch the attention of the audience, he has to create a new drama for vampires. REINVENT him, titillate the imagination of the audience so that they will stop and listen, and even be attentive to every detail the storyteller wishes to convey. Eventually his story becomes gossip and of course, becomes other people's story, due to the impact of memory recall the story has inculcated. Hence, the goal is achieved.

Oftentimes, we see that vampires are afraid of the sunlight, they burn and explode. Also, they really suck blood out of their victims to survive, some even tell us that they should be from babies or virgins, uncorrupted blood, they say. Further, they can change into a bat and lurk over their target victims before attack. To cap it all, a wooden stake right through the heart kills them instantly. True?

Let us see if these things we hear and know about vampires are facts or fiction as we walk through Dracula's and other cinematic vampires' evolution through these years.

The Vampire Red Carpet

"You think of me as a...living stone - hard and cold. That's true. We are set the way we are, and it is very rare for us to experience a real change. When that happens, as when Bella entered my life, it is a permanent change. There's no going back..." Edward Cullen, Eclipse

Although the earliest cinematic vampire was in 1913's The Vampire based on Rudyard Kipling's poem of the same title composed in 1897, the genuine supernatural vampire portrayal was in 1922's Nosferatu which was an unlicensed version of Stoker's novel. It was based so closely on the novel that Bram Stoker's estate sued, won and ordered every copy destroyed. Its central character was Count Orlok played by MAX SCHRECK. With his tall stature and gaunt physique, Schreck amplified his already unsettling appearance with long nails, makeup and fake ears to become one of the screen's terrifying monsters. (Retrieved from: http://www.vampirefilmfestival.com/Vampire_Film_History)

Classic treatment of the vampire legend truly began in Dracula, released by Universal Studios in 1931. This was originally a launch for Lon Chaney but because of his death, it passed onto BELA LUGOSI who had already portrayed the Count onstage. The chaotic production became an international hit. Lugosi's Dracula was far from previous vampire portrayals. The Hungarian actor's portrayal was handsome, mysterious and alluring, it was at once so sexy and so haunting that audiences gasped when he first opened his mouth to speak. His depiction of Dracula as at once dangerous and mysteriously sexy continues to shape the way vampires looked - brushed-up waxed hair, black tuxedo with matching black cape which had played on to transform vampires into bats, following the myth associating vampires with these winged animals. It was a surprise, though, that Lugosi never bared his fangs to his audience. People will always remember his immortal line - I am Dracula. (Retrieved from Top 10 On-screen Vampires on February 8, 2011. The Unapologetic Geek http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)

By the 1940s, vampire themes have gained a following in cinema. After Lugosi came, John Carradine, an American actor who people thought was a poor second to Lugosi. He had to create the evil count for his own persona. Known for his deep baritone voice, he patterned his brand of Dracula after Stoker's novel, trying to bring in the long hair and moustache. Universal, which was producing his movie, did not like the long hair but the moustache was retained. He still had Lugosi's tuxedo and cape ensemble plus the big hat and cane to complete a menacing Prince of Darkness character. (BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires in 1920s-present. Retrieved from imdb.com)

production. He was technically the first onscreen vampire to show his fangs and drip blood after sucking on his victims. His Dracula never uttered any single dialogue and just hissed his way through his end in every film. He said the dialogue prepared for him was too mediocre that he refused to utter any of it while the screenwriter would negate this, saying there never was really any dialogue meant for his character. His Dracula reigned until mid-1970s.In the 1950s, the king of Dracula movies emerged in the person of CHRISTOPHER LEE. He has earned the title King of Dracula films for starring in eleven (11) films of the evil count. Surprisingly, though, this was involuntary and the films were all done through emotional blackmail. It was a difficult role to fulfill that everytime he was offered by Hammer Films to star in a new Dracula film, he would beg off, only to be seduced into doing it again for fear of having his friends on the set lose their jobs in the

(Retrieved from Top 10 On-screen Vampires on February 8, 2011. The Unapologetic Geek http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)

Sometime in the 1960s, BORIS KARLOFF joined Lee in his Dracula portrayals. With heavy eyebrows, deep smooth lispy voice, he was able to pull off portraying the evil count. Though always compared with his friend-rival Lugosi, his edge was knowing the language. Lugosi, being Hungarian, always had a different accent to the dialogues he spoke. Karloff remained to be one of the icons in the horror genre, having played Frankestein like second skin(BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires in 1920s-present. Retrieved from www.imdb.com)

During the retro era (70s), the vampire story never exited the silver screen, and this time, invading television. Even with Lee lording over the Dracula stream, a lot of actors emerged in the 70s to try their luck and provide their own touch to the character. One of them is CESARE DANOVA. His aristocratic Italian features earned him a role in Season 3 of Night Gallery on TV. He easily played the role of the evil count. Still he looked the same as the older vampires Lugosi, Lee and Karloff(BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires in 1920s-present. Retrieved from www.imdb.com)

Another actor who emerged is African-American actor, WILLIAM MARSHALL, whose performance is so good that one forgets the BLACULA's sloppy production. Although Christopher Lee is an obvious inspiration, especially when Blacula claims his victims, it is Marshall's stylish touch that makes it all work; he even re-invents the part, because Blacula was originally written as a dimwit. Resplendent in evening suit and cape, he plays the role with total conviction, his classical training and booming voice projected to maximum effect in a performance that is powerful and dignified throughout. (BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires in 1920s-present. Retrieved from www.imdb.com)

One more for the 70s is LOUIS JOURDAN who played a vampire on TV via Count Dracula. The first actor to play the ultimate vampire, Count Dracula, Louis Jourdan is one of those actors who worked hard his entire life and never quite got the recognition he deserved. Most audiences know him as the villain in Octopussy or Swamp Thing, but those roles hardly do his talents justice. In Count Dracula, a surprisingly faithful and psychedelic 1977 adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, Jourdan highlights the immortal Transylvanian's mesmerizing qualities. Jourdan's Dracula is a grinning, silver-tongued demon who drips with sex appeal. He is confident to the very end and secure in his superiority over mere mortals, you not only believe him, but you want to believe him. (BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires in 1920s-present. Retrieved from www.imdb.com)

The punk era (1980s) did not escape the "vampire attack" with the emergence of younger actors portraying the fanged villain. This time, vampires appear re-dressed for success in luring their victims, looking convenient in their common clothes, clothes which are similar to those worn by mortals. In the Lost Boys, KIEFER SUTHERLAND played the part so well watching it makes one wary of similar looking kids in the neighborhood. A definitive eighties vampire flick, The Lost Boys made the fictional city of Santa Carla, murder capital of the world a place one would not want to be left behind in. The story goes as two teenage boys discovered a gang of young vampires seemingly run Sutherland who plays this vampire with unbridled relish as a teenage reject giving the middle finger to the world. His seduction of the elder brother, Michael, is one of the most memorable scenes in the entire canon of vampire cinema, as he uses mind games and vampire powers to trick Michael into becoming one of his brood. David, as played by Kiefer in this film, is so terrifying and memorable because Kiefer humanizes his character as a partier and a rebel who delights in his own bad behavior in real life. In other words, David is such a great vampire because Kiefer imbued him with large aspects of himself. (The Unapologetic Geek February 8, 2011. Top 10 On-screen Vampires Retrieved from http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)

The 90s saw a lot of vampire flicks, this time showing the "reluctant vampires" or the immense drive of these vampires to show that they were just victims and that they should be pitied and helped. The vampires in this decade showed they had no choice but to succumb to the disease that is vampirism.

"Everyone knows the phenomenon of trying to hold your breath underwater - how at first it's alright and you can handle it, and then as it gets closer and closer to the time when you must breathe, how urgent the need becomes, the lust and the hunger to breathe. And then the panic sets in when you begin to think that you won't be able to breathe - and finally, when you take in air and the anxiety subsides . . . that's what it's like to be a vampire and need blood..." Francis Ford Coppola, Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Film & The Legend

For his 1992 adaptation, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola cast a relatively obscure actor named GARY OLDMAN to play the title character. It would prove to be Oldman's breakout performance and the jumpstart of a wildly successful film career that continues to this day. Oldman did the virtually impossible by borrowing from both the original novel and the various iconic performances of the past while simultaneously crafting a version of Dracula that had never been seen before. Oldman slips into Dracula's various incarnations with ease, from the ridiculously old nobleman that keeps Jonathan Harker in his castle to the young, seductive foreigner who captures the eye of Mina Harker. He is able to do this because his Dracula is a fully fleshed-out, three dimensional character with deep strains of humanity that have all been twisted into something terrible. In modern interpretations of Dracula, more actors borrow from Oldman's performance than any other, and that's a high compliment considering the wide range of past performances to choose from. . (The Unapologetic Geek February 8, 2011. Top 10 On-screen Vampires Retrieved from http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)

Another memorable 80s vampire is good ol' Jerry Maguire, TOM CRUISE. While the major portion of Tom Cruise's acting portfolio is made up of snarky but charming pretty boys, he does occasionally get the chance to prove his worth as an actor. Granted, before Interview with the Vampire, few people took him seriously. It was so seemingly outrageous at the time to think he could bring nuance and skill to a performance that Anne Rice herself came out and denounced the adaptation of her own novel before the film even entered principal photography, all because Cruise was cast as the story's charismatic antagonist, Lestat. Indeed, Tom Cruise is one of the last people you imagine if you read Rice's loving descriptions of him before seeing the film. Cruise, however, nailed the role and did such an amazing job that Anne Rice put a personal apology in front of the film for its first home video and DVD releases, not to mention the full page ad she bought in the New York Times the day the movie hit theaters. Cruise deserves to be on this list, not just for making a believer out of Anne Rice but also for the way he delivers some of the best and most quotable gothic dialogue of any vampire flick. . (The Unapologetic Geek February 8, 2011. Top 10 On-screen Vampires Retrieved from http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)

The 90s also saw the "reluctant vampires" who try so hard to become humans or human-like. Half-vampire half-mortal Blade saw a whole new look for the character in the person of WESLEY SNIPES. The vigilante vampire became the protector of mortals while trying his best not to turn into the monster that he is. He injects himself with an antidote which prevents him for preying and seeking human blood contradicting his nemesis Deacon Frost (STEPHEN DORFF) who wanted to rule over vampire world. Blade is into the Matrix bandwagon, clad in all black leather outfit with all-powerful weapons hanging all over yet retaining the black cape descriptive of any vampire monster. (BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires in 1920s-present. Retrieved from www.imdb.com)

The start of the 2000s welcomed the KATE BECKINSALE as the black latex/leather-dressed vampire in The Underworld series. She got into good shape for the role, preparing well to somersault, jump and wedge swords into Lycan and vampire bodies, including that of Bill Nighy who also gave a stellar performance in the film series. (The Unapologetic Geek February 8, 2011. Top 10 On-screen Vampires Retrieved from http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)

The new century also saw the transformation of vampires, well, in terms of appearance, into looks specifically for mortals. The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer saw Edward Cullen played by ROBERT PATTINSON appears as a suave sparkling college student in Forks falling in love with a mortal. He looked ordinarily extraordinary, wearing the usual clothes worn by any mortal students - jeans, shirts and leather boots and the like. Any unsuspecting human would think him just one of the campus heartthrob, except that he sparkles like diamonds under the sun. (BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires in 1920s-present. Retrieved from www.imdb.com)

Likewise, in the hit HBO TV Series, True Blood based on Charlaine Harris' book series, Bill Compton and Eric Northam, wear just about anything the average human from Louisiana wears. The characters, played by STEPHEN MOYER and ALEXANDER SKARSGARD respectively, are seen as normal human beings where everything from the underworld thrive. Except in scenes showing their origin, they most of the time appear ordinary. Gone are the days when vampires look quite different from humans, making them easy to spot, what with their sometimes queer and mysterious behavior. Maybe filmmakers now realized there is more to being a vampire than just the clothes and makeup. Well, makeup may be constant since the undead is easily shown by being pale-skinned. (Miller, F. 2009 The celluloid vampire. Retrieved from http://www.vampirefilmfestival.com)

There are other vampire character portrayals deep in the annals of cinema that have made their own significant appearances or at least made their characterization different from the last appearance.

There is only one bugging question all throughout vampire depictions - Are they real? In every movie made for their sake, a different story unfolds. Some may be fact, some may be myth. Yet for me nothing has shaped horror movies more than Dracula and the vampire creatures. Despite its un-dead roots, vampire cinema is alive and thriving and will continue to be part of the movie going experience for years to come.