Dracula  SSP025

00:00:00 - 00:05:02

Over the years there have been many actors who have played Dracula on film, but there is only one who can claim to be the first to bring a suave and debonair vampire to the big screen. I'm talking about the OG. Bela Lugosi. In this week's episode of the scary spirits podcast Dracula, we get to experience his sophisticated and mysterious portrayal as the quintessential vampire. He is Dracula. Cheers. Welcome to the scary spirit's podcast. Please be advised that the presenters may use adult language and or discuss adult situations. This podcast is not intended for younger listeners or those that may be easily offended. So if you're ready, let's go. Hi, I'm Greg. And I'm Karen. And welcome to the scary spirits podcast. The podcast that combines the two very different but highly compatible worlds of scary films and alcoholic spirits. Look at possibly go wrong. Indeed, how are you, Karen? I'm doing great. How are you? I'm okay. Okay, good. I believe this week's movie was your choice, was it not? It was. And what film have you chosen for us this week, Karen? We're going to watch the 1931 version of the film Dracula. 1931. No, I don't remember 1931. Okay. Me either. And this is the one that stars Bela Lugosi, correct? Yes, it's the universal version. Universal. Might you have a brief synopsis? I do. You want to hear it? I would love to hear it. The dashing mysterious Count Dracula after hypnotizing a British soldier, renfield, into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up residence in an old castle soon Dracula begins to wreak havoc sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires. When he sets his sights on Bina, the daughter of a prominent doctor, vampire hunter van helsing is enlisted to put a stop to the counts never ending bloodlust. Yes, that's sounds for the most part accurate. It does. I didn't know Redfield was in soldiers though. Yeah, they don't really make that prominent. Nope. We have a cocktail for this episode Karen. We do. The cocktail that I've chosen is called the bat bite. Right. The bat bite. I don't know. A vampire bike, not a vampire bat bite, a bat bite. Yeah, just go on. Date to the source, especially for this movie. We already did the vampire bite cocktail. A few episodes ago, I think. Yeah, and we did the vampire blood, too, I think, didn't we? Dracula's blood. It seems like we had a bat cocktail too when we did the vampire bat. Now I have to know. That's brew. We did the bats brew. So this is our first bat bite cocktail. Yeah, it might become a challenge if we keep watching vampire movies to come up with something every time. Well, you came up with holy water for lost boys. That was pretty good. True. But I had seen that before, so I knew. And I have seen this before. So I knew there were a lot of bad references in it. So Karen, how do we make the bat bite cocktail? It's very simple. You're going to take two ounces of vodka, four ounces of blood orange soda, two ounces of pomegranate. One and a half ounces of sparkling water, two teaspoons of lime juice, throw it all together in a tall glass and add ice to your liking. Yes. It's tasty. It's all right. Should we give our listener time to make their own? Absolutely. All right, go gather your stuff. Hold on. And we're back. Yes, we are. I like it. I think it's good. It's not bad. Little tangy. The pomegranate might be a little strong, but since mine has been sitting here and it's getting more and more watered down. It's not as strong. It doesn't taste as tangy. The recipe that I searched on the Internet was made for a punch. So I think it would be good. You know, as a punch, you could add more eyes if you wanted to.


00:05:03 - 00:10:03

And it would get a little diluted in the punch bowl. Another good Halloween party recipe. Easy, quick, throw it in a punch bowl. Have people help themselves. Halloween is just a couple weeks away, Karen. Very excited two and a half weeks away. TikTok. I'm a little panicked. All right, any corrections, omissions. Screw ups. No, I don't but I can remember, like I said, I'm sure there are some, but we don't remember. We've had a drink or two by the end. We don't remember what we said wrong. Correct. I think we're pretty good, but I will say this is one of my mom's favorite movies. So yeah. I did choose it for that reason. Not just because it's Halloween season, but I mean that too, but we always watch this. She would always watch this around Halloween. It's kind of tradition around here. So you have seen this many times. I assume. Usually in pieces, yes, because it's always on in the background, but I have sat and watched the whole thing more than once. I probably have once before this time. Because I was a little lost at the beginning. I'm like, is this the right freaking movie? Am I watching the Spanish version? Well, they did, I think they were speaking German, weren't they? No. Didn't sound like German to me. Oh, I thought it was German. They were speaking in the Carpathian mountains. No. I don't think it was German. It wasn't English. I'll say that. I mean, amongst themselves the villagers. The movie is in English. I don't want anyone to think that it's not. It absolutely is. So are we ready to get into it? We kind of already have. Well, I have a question right from the very beginning. When do you think this film takes place? Do you know? Like a year? I don't know, but it says it in the book what year it is. Okay. Do you know the answer or no, I don't know. The action of Dracula takes place in the late 1800s. Okay. It was published in 1897. The current years never cited in the novel. Okay. I thought it was, but I guess it's the date. May. So you thought it was in the 1880s. Well, when the novel takes place, you think this film takes place at the same time? Well, I don't know. Because they do tell the doctor a little while later that he has a telephone call. That's true. So the 1930s. In their house. Is it 1930s then? I don't know. That's what I'm curious in my research, of course I researched this. So by 1910, 5.8 million households had a telephone in the United States. So this takes place in England. But. Yeah, and they weren't dude. They were in the operating room, too. You know? And then by 1925, one half of all the houses in the United States had electricity. So I'm thinking late 20s or even 1931 when it was 19 30s. The closed definitely looked like the 30s. I don't remember seeing any cars. Yeah, I don't either. This carriage is. I don't remember if there's any cars. I don't think there was otherwise I would have jumped out at me when they were in the streets of London, you know what I mean? I don't think there was any vehicles. I think they were walking. Yeah, I think so, too. So I think it's 1930s, late 20s, 30s. Makes sense. Yeah, I would agree with that. I think the clothes and everything. And there's art deco decorations and things in the homes. So I would agree with that. Okay. All right, Karen, a movie opens. We see renfield riding in a carriage to a town, and he's a rough ride. He has to proceed to another crossroads, which is what I wrote. But I guess it's the borgo pass as he's supposed to meet a coach to take him to Count Dracula, right? Yes. And everybody gets out of the carriage in the village, but he wants to go on. Yeah. But they don't want to take him until day break. And do you know why that is? Yes, good. And they warn him about Count Dracula and his wives. True, but what night is that serrato? I don't know. The ball purging. All purge is not. Yes. They say that they'll take him in the morning, but they don't want to take him in the evening overnight because it's ball per guest knocked. Robert just knocked. Ball purge is not? Yes. Go ahead. Yeah. Well, they're just not. Well, I just kind of wanted to know what it was. So basically, it's the night of April 30th and the day of May 1st. So in pagan times, and this is a very brief summary. So if anyone knows more and wants to correct me, that's fine.


00:10:03 - 00:15:03

But it was a celebration to welcome spring. But then the Christians come in and they don't like it, so they make it a celebration to ward off witches. Before they would make bonfires and dance and welcome spring. Now they would make after the Christianity they'd make the bonfires to ward off witches. This also basically the halfway point to Halloween. Yes. It's an important satanic holiday. Is it? Yes, it is. Okay. They're just letting you know it's spring. It's actually a saint now that they celebrate who she's the patron saint of pest rabies, whooping cough and witches. So she protects against all of those things. Okay. But yeah, they basically took the pagan ritual and made it evil. So now there's these superstitions that they shouldn't be out that night because witches are out during the night. And they don't want to be out. So that's why they don't want to take. And plus the fact that it is Count Dracula and he can flat out say he's a vampire, and he has wives up there. Yes. And one of the ladies and gives renfield a crucifix. And we see Dracula in his wives getting out of their cough and just a short scene. You do, but he does wait, does he get in the carriage first or is that? No. You're in. So yeah, so they're in the bait. Are they in the basement? Yeah. I guess castles have basements or is it the dungeon? What is it? Whatever. It's empty. Except for his cough, fins. Yes. And some rats. And there was a possum. They were awesome. And tiny little dry ice fog patches. Yes. They needed some froggies fog down there. So basically, agree to take renfield to the borgo pass and they get there and as a carriage waiting and a driver just throws rent fields bags out. Barely barely down. Then renfield goes to talk to the carriage driver, and it is Dracula. Yeah, I didn't really notice that at first. But then I realized it is. Renfield gets in the carriage and they go off and at one point renfield looks out and the carriage driver's gone, but there was a bat in front of the horses. Yeah, and it's a wild ride. I mean, there are steep cliffs on both sides of this path going up to the castle. And they're going as fast as those horses will go. And they arrive at the castle renfield goes in and the scenes are pretty good. The scenery is amazing. Lots of matte paintings. Castles are real places. These are paintings, but they look good. The castle, the doors that he walks through are at least through those tall doors that are at least two and a half times his height. You know, when he first walks in. And then the outside is just majestic. I mean, it's tall ceilings and arched doorways and arch windows and it's just besides the fact that it's covered in cobwebs and stuff. It's gorgeous. Really, it's very gothic looking, of course. And so rent field meets Dracula. And they discuss Dracula's intention to lease an Abbey in England, right? Yeah, that's why renfield is there. Yeah, he's like some legal dudes or something. And then they say that practice says, well, we will set out for England the next evening. And one more renfield does cut his finger on a paper clip and blood starts coming out and Dracula gets a little excited. He does. It starts. An account. Does ask renfield if he kept his trip a secret? So nobody knows he's what he's doing there. But did you know so he has food out for him? Yes. And that's his bedroom. Yes. So it was one room. It was a big room, and it had a nice fire in the fireplace. Fireplace. Yes. Tall as renfield. And a big dining room table with food on it. And then the count walks over and says, I hope you'll find this bed comfortable. So it's all in one room. I don't know if that's how it used to be or if they're saving cash dollars. On set, you know? Like I don't know if because it would take a lot to heat those old castles. So it might be just convenient to heat the room eat and sleep in it. But when he cut his hand and Dracula gets very excited by it, he does kind of casually show him the crucifix that the woman gave him the rosary. It kind of falls out. It kind of falls out. And kind of lands on his hand and Dracula recoils. Yes, he does. So then Dracula leaves renfield goes to the window and opens it. And he sees a bat and he faints. Did he fainter did he get bitten? I couldn't figure it out. He faints. It's like he painted me. That's what I have. Because lives again.


00:15:03 - 00:20:02

And they start to head toward him and they begin to bend over him and just then Dracula arrives and shoes them away. Shoot, shoot. Basically. So there are three very pretty women in flowing gowns. I think they're in white, aren't they? Are they in white? Hard to say, I guess. But very flowing gowns and they're about to feast on him, but you're right, Dracula comes in and she was away. And I thought they should be very careful walking backwards in those dresses. They had long, whatever trailers or whatever the hell you call them. They were long. They could easily stepped on their own dress and fallen. Yeah, they're doing the queen of England thing. The trains on the back of the dresses. But they won't turn their backs on Dracula. So they're backing out again like the Queen of England. You can't turn your back. So they leave. And Dracula feeds. We presume. We don't see it, but on renfield, right? Yeah. So the next night we see a ship called the vesta on the way to England in very stormy weather. Yeah, it's not a smooth sail. Let's just say that. Not at all. Oh, that would suck. Can you imagine? Yeah, well, the little miniature ship they used was getting beat the hell. I was like, there's no way a ship would take be able to take that. It was almost tipping over every time a wave hit it. No man could have stood on that deck. Like they were, but no, but that was a good scene. They were really drenching those guys on the deck. You know? I mean, the part where they would go cut to the ship on basically a ship in a bottle it looked like, I don't know. It was getting tossed around, but I like the scene where they were on there trying to hold it together. I was just thinking that would be miserable. And apparently Dracula is riding in a piece of his luggage. Yeah. He's not a crate basically below deck. He's part of the cargo and renfield, lets him out so that he can feed. Yeah, renfield has become basically his slave. Yeah. Who's watching out for him? And he says the sun is gone. So he can come out and he pledges his loyalty. He's kind of lost his mind a little bit. He was a reasonable person when he showed up in the village, seemed intelligent, had his wits about him, and now he's crazy. And Dracula kills the whole crew. The ship arrives in port with nobody on it. Yeah, it's a go ship. The crew are all dead. Well, there's people on it, they're just all dead. Well, that's true, yes. And then crew of corpses they called people who find the ship find renfield down on the cargo hold and put his ass in the sanitarium. Right away. These are not. The sanitarium, which, by the way, happens to be right next door to the Abbey Dracula has just leased. That's convenient. They're all owned by the same person. Doctor seward, okay. I didn't get that part. So next we see Dracula walk in the streets of London. He kills a girl, selling flowers on the corner. So he's a very elegant man. He's wearing a top hat. Yeah, he's a sophisticated. Cells the whole deal. If you want it, that's one of the major differences that this film deviates from the book. Dracula in this film is sophisticated, handsome, intelligent, able to move within society. In the book, Dracula's hideous. He's a monster, a literal monster. It says, from what I read that Stoker wanted Dracula to be too disgusting to appeal to anyone, not trapped under his powers. And the only reason he moves in the book to London is to have access to more food because the population is so he's devious and they describe him as having hair all over him. And he looks like an old man and he's got Harry palms more like the Gary Oldman. In the beginning of the movie. Yes. From what I read Coppola's Dracula is the most true to the book. This one was based off a play that was on Broadway. So it does deviate a bit. They never really stay in this why he wanted to lease on Abby and England, right? No. Okay. That's one of those questions I had. But in the book, it's just blood lust. I mean, if you think about it, where he was, there weren't a lot of villagers. So after a certain amount of time, if you've killed enough villagers, you need to find somewhere else to go. Plus, the villagers you've killed are now vampire. So you're competing with them for food. Right. If you don't kill them. Yes. And so the director of this film, Tom browning. I think was the one who made the choice to make him sophisticated. Todd. Oh, sorry. Todd browning, not the Cincinnati reds pitcher Tom browning.


00:20:02 - 00:25:07

Oh, my bad. So he made the decision to make him sophisticated because he thought it was more scary that he would be able to move within society without you knowing that the person next to you could be a monster. Next Dracula goes to the symphony. Oh, I just said a theater. Is it the symphony it is the symptom I think there's a placard sorry out front. This is Tiffany. Shows his ticket to a female usher. And it looks like she has a flashlight on her hand, which is another reason why I want to know what year this takes place. She has something in her hand that lights up so that she can look at Dracula's ticket. So she takes them to the box and he has this test. Yeah. She takes it. He takes her kind of is it a box or behind stage a little bit? Almost like a coat room or something. Behind the box. Okay. You're going to enter the box and he hangs up his coat to enter the box. And he hypnotizes her and. Tells her she's going to deliver a message, but she won't remember afterwards. Right. And that's when she goes to the box and tells the doctor he has a phone call. Doctor seward, seward. Basically, from what I understood from the little bit of research I did. The reason he's targeting these people, these are the only people he knows. Seward is who he rented the property from. So he starting in London with the people he knows. So he goes and introduces himself to doctor seward. And then they do the introductions in the box. And you mean a Lucy and Jonathan? Yep. And Lucy's infatuated. Yes. Lucy is smitten. Yes. And Mina is Jonathan harker's fiancee. Yes. But Lucy kind of has a she has a dark side to her too, I think. She likes excitement. Yeah. He's an adrenaline junkie. Or more of a risk taker than Mina. Mean as the good girl. Yep, so next, Lucy and Mina are in Lucy's bedroom talking about Dracula. As you do. Yes. I mean, even begins kidding her and calling her countess. Lucy you count this Dracula or whatever. And Lucy goes to bed, but first she opens the window and we see Dracula walking by and he looks up and sees her window open. She goes to bed, a bat flies in. It's Dracula. And he kills her. But he approaches her very slowly. You know, this is one of the things that I think other draculas in future films take from Bella's performance. He holds his hands in that Dracula way. He moves exceedingly slowly towards her in the bed. You know what I'm talking about. You know the hand thing. Yeah, he even uses it later to try to hypnotize people. Yes. So he drinks. But something interesting. I didn't even realize until we were talking about the horror of Dracula with the Christopher Lee fell. Is that there are no fangs in this movie? No, you never see any. He has no fangs. He has regular teeth the whole time. Well, but you don't even see his teeth. Well, when he's talking, I mean. Yeah, but there's no fangs. He doesn't smile. And it's all kind of left to suggestion. You don't see anything. It usually fades to black, right before. You infer that he has tasted someone. Well, we know he did because the next scene is her body being examined. Yeah, which was such a weird thing because it's in an auditorium. Yeah, like a medical school. Yeah, it's a medical school kind of thing. And there's, I don't know, 30 other doctors are all in white, again, in their examining her. And they show the marks on her neck and everything. But this is Lucy. Mina's friend and Mina's father is the one doing the exam. And there's no emotion. Whatsoever. And later, throughout the movie, nobody kind of acknowledges that she's gone. I mean, she does show up later. Of course. But nobody say another death with the same two puncture marks on the neck. So this was not the first one. They've seen. 'cause at first I thought maybe it was the flower girl, you know, but then I could see it was Lucy. It's like you say she's gone and nobody it's done. Nobody's upset. Nobody is not distraught that her best friend is now dead. It's just, okay. Next we see the sanitarium outside the sanitarium. This is all this whole film kind of takes place in the sanitarium almost. In the house. On the ground. Yeah. And we see renfield. He's trying to eat a spider in his guard as taken it away from him. And next I have that van helsing is inspecting renfield's blood. Van helsing arrives and I guess they've called him because of these strange circumstances or something. I guess there's some microscope and a graduated cylinder and he pours something into the test tube of renfield's blood.


00:25:07 - 00:30:02

And he just says we're dealing with the undead. He knows from whatever he did. Yeah. Yeah. And of course, no one believes him or whatever. There's science does not believe in such things, right? Yeah, and we find out that he's a professor, van helsing. And he wants to know where renfield goes at night. Yeah, he disappears for hours. So I think at first, van helsing thinks it's renfield, who's killing all the people, right? Until he meets him. All right, well that's later. Yeah. But Dracula comes to visit renfield. He stands outside his window and telepathically talks to him and all renfield says is no, not her next van helsing talks or Winfield asked to see her infield to examining friendfield asked the doctor to be sent far away because he is afraid of the dreams. He might cause Mina from his crying out in the middle of the night or something. Yeah, it's kind of implies that he knows me. But we don't have any indication that the sanitarium. Yeah, but she's the doctor's daughter. How much time would you spend in the sanitarium if you were the doctor's son? Especially back then, and she was a woman. They would let her in there. Bullshit. She's delicate. No, she lived there, just like, in the Ohio State reformatory Karen, when the warden and his family live there, you know? Remember we went there? Yeah, but how many on that on that field trip? How many patients would she meet? I guess they probably think he's pretty harmless. He gets out in Rome's around whenever he wants, so. It just seemed that they were more familiar than I expected. You know, I don't know how they know each other. But you're right. They could just. I just assumed, because I mean, he comes into their house or into their living quarters, quite a bit. I guess he does, you're right. He's kind of smitten with me in a two, I think. He doesn't want to. I think he likes her. Yeah. Which is why he wants to be sent away. And then van helsing pulls out wolfsbane. Yeah, and renfield kind of recoils from it. Then van helsing asks, but renfield be kept a close eye on. Keep an eye on renfield. Well, renfield says to van helsing that you know too much to live. Yes, he does. Which I thought was an interesting quote. And at this point, for sure, van helsing thinks it's renfield. It was killing everybody. Next we see mean a sleeping. It's a window open, of course. Yeah. A bat flies in. And it's Dracula. And he goes divider. Slowly. But he doesn't kill her. He doesn't kill me now. No, he doesn't. Because next we see Mina telling Jonathan harker. Yeah, about her dream. About her bad dreams about a white face with red eyes coming out of the mist and close to her face. She says she felt his lips. Which I thought was, I have lipstick felt his breath. And then van helsing and the doctor seward stumble in on the conversation. And then van helsing begins to ask more questions and he asks, she felt the lips. He asked her that. Oh, okay. She is wearing a scarf too. That's her neck, like the teenage girl hide in the Hickey, right? Yes. Or boy. And all the Dracula films. Yes. And Ben helsing asked to see me his neck and she doesn't want to, but he says, yes, I must. Yes, I must. And she has two small marks on her neck. And she's had them since the first visit. Since the morning after her first dream. Next Count Dracula enters. The house, they're in the house. Yeah. What's in the sanitarium? It's all the same place. Oh, I didn't. I thought they were separate buildings. I don't think they are. But as soon as he walks in, Mina perks up. Oh yes, that's exactly what I have. Mina perks up immediately and Drake says that he hopes that his stories have not caused mean his nightmares. And harker says stories, what stories. And track it assist. Oh, I've just been telling her some rather gothic and gloomy stories about my home and Trump Sweeney. And as they're talking, Parker opens a cigarette box sitting there on the so it's a big cigarette box. Because that was a big box. It had a mirror in the top. Yeah, it opens a cigarette box. And van helsing goes to sit down and grab himself a cigarette and he looks in the mirror on the top of the box and notices that Dracula is not casting a reflection. Then Mina, they send me to bed. So wait, just out of curiosity. So this is the second time. So when we watched fright night, roddy McDowell's character had a cigarette. Yes. Hold her too. And when he opened it was a mirror. What's the purpose of having a mirror in a cigarette lighter? No idea.


00:30:02 - 00:35:03

Not like cigarette box. I mean, they both had them, but you don't watch yourself light a cigarette or I just thought it was odd. But that's what they both were, cigarette holders. Okay, I was just curious if there was some reason I didn't know. No, well, he doesn't actually say it to me or in this film. Or van helsing specifically says there was no reflection in the glass is what he says. But it is a mirror. Well, I guess. But he doesn't call it a mirror. Although Dracula does later. In just a second. Right. So after Mina goes to bed, van helsing, you know, says to Dracula, I have noticed something very peculiar. And he shows the mirror to Dracula and he swats it out of his hand. And he asked the forgiveness that he does not like mirrors. So he does say mirror. And he knows that van helsing knows now. Yes. And he tells the doctor and harker that van helsing will explain his odd behavior. Right. And Jonathan's in golf pants. Yes. And me sucks. I'll point that out. He's a handsome. It's a guy, though. Any other fashion things? No, I just noticed that he was in the golf pants and the reason you see him is he's on the patio or whatever, and he sees a wolf in the yard after Dracula leaves. But as Dracula is leaving, he tells being helsing, he is a wise man for not even having lived one whole life. Yeah. He knows that van helsing knows at this point. So Mina leaves her room and runs out to the garden or whatever and meets Dracula, where he lives at his cape and I assume attacks her. Raps is cape around her. It's very tender. In a rest of the boys are all in there, discussing Dracula. So van helsing's laying the knowledge on them, you know, the vampire must have blood or it dies. Whose only active sunset to sunrise. And he does say he needs native soil to rest in. And I just made a note that there's a lot of art deco in the house and it's very cool. There's a fireplace that is very nice and there's columns all through the house. It's a neat set. Yes. Then the maid comes running in, saying, oh, it's terrible. It's terrible. It's terrible. Miss meanness out in New York dead. Right. So apparently she's laying in the front yard. Yeah, so they all ran out there and but the maid or the nurse, I don't know what she is. She faints. And Redfield corals. So does he feed on her? Are we supposed to assume he fed on her? I guess. Yeah. They don't show anything. So we don't know. But he's being really weird and she just looks at him and passes out. Yes, but they do carry Mina in and we learn that she's not dead. Yes, she's still alive. Next we hear a baby crying and we see a cop on a bicycle. And then we see Lucy walking through the Woods. Very ethereal in her white dress. And then we see newspaper clippings, talking about a lady in white, who is preying on young children at night. Yeah, offering them chocolate. So some of them must have lived because they say that she's preying on young children. She offers them chocolate, so she's not killing them, I guess. She gives them small bites on the neck. So next, we see van helsing questioning Mina about Lucy van helsing asked Mina when did she see Lucy last after she was buried? Yeah, that was pretty funny. And Jonathan's getting agitated, you know? Yes. He wants to take me away and take her back to London. And then Jonathan's blaming van housing for Mena's behavior. But she's starting to understand that maybe things aren't going to work out for her because she's begging van helsing to save Lucy and her soul. She's telling Jonathan, their life together is over. She loves him, but the horror is in her and, you know, so she's kind of realizing she's screwed. And Jonathan's just getting pissed. Because he thinks it's all bullshit and he doesn't know what's happening. So they've put wolf Spain all through Mina's room. All in all the windows. And van helsing also gives the nursemaid I'm going to call her. Hey, reef made of wolfsbane to put around me and his head as she sleeps. And he like a necklace. He tells her to watch it and be sure she does not remove it in her sleep, even accidentally. So why don't they just go in the room and watch her? Is it a modesty thing or I mean, they pretty much know he's going to come for her. So they're just like, here, just put this wolf Spain on. She's going to of course remove it. She's going to take it all down. Yeah, I don't know. It just seems strange to me. The sun goes down, the wolves how Dracula pops out of his coffin.


00:35:04 - 00:40:01

Perfectly dressed. Not a wrinkle on him. Next I have that Ben helsing in the doctor convince harker to let me stay at the sanitarium where van helsing can take care of her. Then renfield enters again because he's gotten out of a cell again. Just wandering the house. Tells them the Dracula's coming. And he talks about the red mist with millions of rats with bread beady eyes and Dracula came to him and promised all of them to renfield if he does what he is told. But then he just, yes, but he's also spilling. He's telling him everything at this point. Sort of if he wants to save mean a still, I think. Yeah, I think so too. But they take renfield away. They say they are prepared for Dracula. But again, they aren't really doing anything that extreme. They just put some wolf Spain around, which would keep them away, but Dracula can hypnotize people. Then Dracula enters and confronts Spain housing. He tells them to go home. Yeah, go back to your homeland. Then he commands van helsing to come to him. Uses his Dracula hand. The Jedi mind trick, yes. And then helsing takes a step or two, but then he takes a step or two back and he resists and Dracula comments about how strong will he is? Yeah. He fights it off. And then he pulls a crucifix out of his jacket pocket. And Dracula runs away. Next, harker goes to check on Mina. Where Mina's begging to open the windows because it's so stifling. Well, well, mean as nurses out front outside her door saying that she felt weak and might have passed out. When she woke up, mino had gone outside. So then we see Mina and she's never looked more beautiful, has she Karen? No, she comes in from the outside patio glowing in another fabulous dress. Yes. I think this one was probably red, even though it was black and white. I had the feeling it was red. Yeah. A red satin dress, you think? That would make her look fabulous and Jonathan is taken with her. Yes. You can't believe how wonderful she looks. In a big bat arrives, starts flapping around and harker's trying to short away, but it's screeching and being in a saying, yes. Okay. I will. The bet is communicating with Mina through telekinesis or something. And Mina gets harker to sit next to her. Well, what the bat was telling her was to get Jonathan to get van helsing's crucifix away from him and hide it. Correct. So he's trying to work through Mina and then they sit close to each other and Jonathan notices her eyes and how she's looking at him. But she's staring at his neck as all she's doing. Yes. And she goes in. She goes in and gets closer, very slowly, just like they all do. And goes to Biden and van helsing comes at her with a cross. Yeah, she can't look at the crucifix. And then she spills. It's all true. It's all true. Yeah. Dracula. She now has Dracula's blood in her and she and harker can no can not be together. Their love is finished, whatever. Next we see me in a back in bed with wolfsbane all around her. But again, no one else in there with her, just heard. The nurse. Well, true. But Dracula's right outside the window with his Dracula eyes. Command in the nurse to remove the wolf of Spain and open the window to let him in. So Dracula takes me to the Abbey. And they are beginning to walk down some a large set of stairs circular stairs Karen with no banisters, no handrails. But it was gorgeous, wasn't it? Yeah, it was big. It was big, yes. But there was a wall. I could put my hand on and I could get tell. Yes. And then renfield arrives and soon after that, Parker and van helsing arrived. They see renfield going to the Abbey and they follow him, which does not make Dracula happy. Dracula kills renfield. For that. Yep. He rolls down the stairs. He carries Mina to the catacombs. That's what they all. That's what I called them catacombs. Called it his lair. And helsing and harker follow. I've been helsing fines. They're crates. He breaks the lid off of Dracula's crate and fashions a wooden stake from the lid. So I guess he had nowhere else to go, but he sees van helsing and harker coming after him. And he's carrying me in a down and he just goes to his crate. I mean, I don't, it's dark down there. Yeah. I mean, wouldn't you, if you were just getting light? But there aren't windows in the basement, are there? I don't know.


00:40:02 - 00:45:08

I'm just thinking, he just went right to his coffin, his crate, and his crate was not hidden. It was just on the floor. He didn't make a good attempt to not be caught is all I'm saying. So van helsing drives a stake through Dracula. Armenia's body is missing. But Mina feels the stake in her heart too. Yes. And we hear her scream from the corner of the catacombs, Parker runs over there or whatever she runs to I don't know. But she seems to be okay now. So you don't see Dracula get steak. No, you don't. You see him form your steak. Yeah. And he does grown in pain, but you don't see anything. So then Mina and harker leave by walking up the stairs with no banister and no hand where I wrote. But it impressive staircase nonetheless. Yes, and they asked if saint helsing's coming and he says, no, he needs to stay for a little while. The end. Was he going to cut off Dracula's head or something? I don't know. That was one of my questions. That's one of my open ended. Why is he gonna stay? Why can't he leave with him? Why does van helsing need to stay there? He does say Dracula's dead forever. He tells them that, but he doesn't go up with them. But he stays. He says he needs to stay. Sequel. Yeah, I don't know. Curious. Curious, curious. Another thing I noticed watching this is there is no soundtrack. There's no music. Even except at the symphony. While the opening credits have Swann Lake, but that was added much later, I think. I don't think it was during the time when it was originally released. I think it was. But they're painting apparently they're playing schubert's unfinished symphony in B minor at the symphony. But that's it. They did do a score later on, apparently, in a rerelease or something, but I've never seen that one. It might be on that DVD. Did you watch it from the DVD? I did. For Blu-ray. Yeah, I did. Yeah, well, one of the things, too, that you find out is Bella wasn't their first choice for Dracula, which seems kind of crazy now. They wanted lawn Cheney, but he died. But you wonder if, you know, because that was his whole gig, it became, so if it would be different if it was a different actor. If it wouldn't have been so endearing to so many people. That would have been better. I mean, it's lasted how many years, 80 years or something. Yeah, but it was nosferatu. This was the first talkie. I think Bella's accent was a good fit. Yeah, I do. As you know, Karen. I know you only use my Dracula. I know. All right. What were you pleasantly surprised by in this film, Karen? Anything other than vampires, vampires are cool. I think watching it and really paying attention to it. I think there were some cool lighting techniques when they lit up his eyes and I thought that his casting was good. I thought, I just think it's a good movie. I like the set. I think I noticed those more watching it this time than any other time. The grand staircase, the big doors, the arches and I liked all that. Yeah, anything you were disappointed in? I haven't read the book all the way through. So I don't know how much Lucy actually plays a role in the book. But she was just there and then she was dead and nobody cared. So it was just odd. That they truncated her character so much. You know, they needed her there to be the person who died. It just seemed weird to me. And, you know, they just didn't flesh her out enough. I guess it seemed a little choppy, the movie, where they threw her in that she's attacking children, but are they little mini vampires or what's happening? Nothing. It doesn't go anywhere. And then what happens to her after they kill Dracula is she still around? Is that why he has to wait? Is she going to come back or do they have to find her? Or does she die when he dies? The whole Lucy storyline was weak for me. I would have liked her fleshed out a little bit. What about you? You pleasantly surprised by anything. No, not so much. Actually, I thought the prettiest girl in the whole thing was the flower girl. There are stills. It must have been promo stills. Bela go see at Mina's neck. You know, this is lips to her neck. I can't tell if they were promos or scenes cut from the movie or what? I kind of like that it's left to your imagination, things like that anyway, but I agree the sets were great. I said earlier that even like the Met paintings of the castle and it was very good when renfield enters the castle the first time. I mean, it looks huge, but I'm pretty sure most of that is a painting, you know? You put it looks, you really understand he's a count.


00:45:09 - 00:50:01

I just think the movie set the standard for so long and some of the things that Bella did are still done by vampires today. How much do we know that was Bella or was that Todd browning directing? True. Although Bella had acted in the play on Broadway. Cool costumes. I will say that on everyone. I like the clothes. It is the classic isn't it? I think it's the OG. You know, I mean, sure nosferatu, but most people when they think of Dracula, if you asked the classic Dracula, you would get Bella, I think. Probably. I mean, I've not seen nosferatu all the way through. And I've seen this multiple times. This is who I consider the classic Dracula. I mean, I like the talkie films, you know? I think having his voice with his accent made him a little more mysterious. I didn't find him that handsome, but certainly sophisticated and elegant. I think you would notice him when he walked in the room. But I wasn't all Lucy about him. He says that he was so eager to repeat his stage success. And play the Count Dracula for the film version, he agreed to a contract paying him $500 a week for a 7 week shooting schedule, which I guess was a paltry sum. In those days. Well, he certainly played it over and over and over after that. And the scene where the boat being tossed about exactly taken from an earlier silent film called the stormbreaker, they reuse the same footage. I would have tossed my cookies multiple times on that boat ride. I don't do well with that kind of stuff, but just watching it on film made me think. Yeah, it says Dracula's castle was a painting on glass in front of the camera. So I'm Matt painting, you know, the coach traveling along the road was real, but the background was not, so I guess the accent is natural for lugosi. Well, it was consistent. And he never blinks his eyes once in the film. Apparently. I didn't know it was a play. Well, it followed the play this movie. So they took some liberties with the book for the play and this movie. And actually, the van helsing character and doctor seward character were both in the play as well. The same actors. Oh, really? Apparently. The only actors from the original Broadway production to repeat their roles on film. All right, Karen, what kind of cocktail rating are we going to give this thing? I'd give it a three. Three. I think it's a classic movie, but I think it's a little slow and a little choppy and I don't think it's as good as other movies. So I think it's choppy. Yeah, I was getting it in and it's an under an hour and 15 minutes. So. Choppy. Okay, I'll go with choppy. But it's movie arts have come a long way. So it's hard to give it. I don't want to give it a poor rating because at the time it was innovative. And pushing the boundaries. You know? But now you can't really see that. So it's hard to know what to give it. I enjoyed it. I like it. But I don't know if that has to do with me remembering watching it with my mom or I always enjoy watching it. I like that Spanish version. No, but I know you've said it's better. I've said it better. I haven't watched it either, but I've heard it's better. I read that they watched all the lighting and things during the day and then they improved on it. Probably true, because they used they saw what worked and what didn't. And then they'd filmed the same thing that night. Filmed on the same stage as saying everything at night after the English version finished shooting. So that one makes sense. I like it. I think everybody should see it once. And I think it's a great Halloween movie. You can't go wrong with it. It's not too violent. It's not too bloody or gory, but it's still has that mysterious feeling that Halloween should have. I agree. I'll give it three. And what do you think about the fat pipe cocktail Karen? It's good. I would serve it, but it makes me thirsty. It's a little like lemonade. There's a pucker to it. There it is. It is but I like it. Yeah, that's pretty good. Maybe a little too much pomegranate. Yeah. But you know, here at scary spirits, adjust the drinks to make you happy. So we can next time we'll know, cut down the pomegranate a little bit.


00:50:03 - 00:55:02

Anything we learned today. Well, what was the name of the noct? All purges knocked. Yes, we learned a little bit about that. Yes. Little bit of vampire lore if you didn't know. Always learning the vampire lore. A little bit about how Dracula was different in the book than the movie. Yes, I'm still waiting on my book report here on my desk. Okay. I did start reading it. Anything else? No, like I said, I just think you should watch it. It's a perfect movie to watch this time of year. I agree. It's short. One hour, 14 and some change. Not bad. I like it. When it starts showing up on TV, you know, it's Halloween season. All right, I believe, then the next film is my choice. Yes, Greg, what do you got for us? My film, I have chosen is. Do you want a drum roll? House on haunted hill. Oh, no. Is it the old one? The old one. Okay. The 1959 film. Spencer price in that Vincent prices in it, yes. I don't know if I've seen it. I don't think so. Well, it is on Amazon Prime. It's free, both the colorized and the black and white version. Oh, which one are we watching? I don't know. I thought that might be interesting. And it's also on the whatever whole or classics DVD collection and we both own. That's going to be the black and white one, though. Yes, that is. The black white went in. It may be edited differently too, as we've found out in the past, I think. Yeah. So yes, both the colorized and black and white are available on Amazon Prime. 1959. Okay. Vincent Price. And what am I drinking? The drink I have chosen for this film is a drink called the skeleton key. Okay. I don't know if it's sounded good. House on Honda hill and a skeleton key. That sounds, I don't know. There might be a scale in key in there. I don't know. What you're going to need? Yes, please. You're going to need whisky. The recipe says bourbon whisky, but you can use any kind of whisky you want, Karen, Tennessee whisky, even Irish whisky. I'll stick with bourbon whisky. Proceed. As I thought you would. You're going to need some elderflower liqueur, which my wife always has on hand though. Some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Ginger beer. You're going to make me drink beer again. Ginger beer. Still beer. I don't think it is. Just so happened to my wife came home by the 6 pack of that today for some reason. You are so spoiled. And I found this drink. I'm like, hey, can I have one of those bottles of Ginger beer? And bitters. Just regular old bitters. Regular old bitters. The skeleton key. Okay. Yep. I think sounds good, but I don't know. Well, we'll see. And then after that, Karen, we were just a week and a half away from Halloween. Good times. Anyone you need to thank this week Karen? Well, I'm going to say that we passed 200 followers on Instagram this week. So I'd like to thank everyone who's following us on Instagram. Yes, thank you. And you know, you can email us now. Very exciting news. If you want to email Karen and tell her how much held delightful she is and how much I suck, you can email her at Karen at scary spirits dot com. Well, they can email you. If you want to email me and tell me how much I suck. Right. You can email me at Greg at scary spirits dot com. Or if you just want to like suggest jealous, we both suck. You can info. Correct. Yeah. Maybe say, hey, I think you should do this film or yeah, you totally blew that info at scary spirits dot com. Blow it up. We'd love to hear from you. Yep. We really do appreciate everyone who listens. Takes the time to listen or follow us on social media. Means a lot. I'm shocked that anyone does. So what helps us grow the podcast and gets other people to see us, every like every comment makes us show up a little more in someone else's feed. Then they might be interested. So we do appreciate that. We're creeping up on a thousand downloads, total. Are we going to celebrate? We'll see. Anyone else need to thank Karen? I just think 200 people. That's true. You did. Well, I need to thank the band versus 13, once again for letting us use their music in the podcast. As always, their info is linked in the show notes. Thank you verse 13. Anything else Karen? Just remember, please drink responsibly. Yes. Hey, it's Karen, and I'm here to talk to you about getting social with us. Did you know you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube at scary spirits podcast? Or check out our website, scary spirits dot com.


00:55:03 - 00:55:13

If you have something to say, email us at info at scary spirits dot com. And as always, thanks so much for listening. Please drink responsibly.