Dracula, Vampires, and Halloween Movies

Halloween is almost here, and everyone is looking for good horror movies to watch. I loved Bram Stoker's Dracula, filmed in 1992 starring Gary Oldman and Wynona Ryder, and have been wanting to rewatch for sometime now. So, this time of year, what better combination is there than a glass of Francis Ford Coppola Claret wine and a Francis Ford Coppola movie, right? It's been a long time so watching this movie again was almost like seeing it for the first time. I loved it just as much now as I did then.

I usually go for the modern-day vampires over the classic scary monster stereotypes. This one fell somewhere in the middle. For me, a vampire movie should embrace sensuality, romance, seduction, desire, and danger. All of those elements were present in this one. 

I loved the way this movie turned the classic Bram Stoker monster tale into a tragic love story. The love across time is what made this movie so good not to mention the captivating performances by Gary Oldman and Wynona Ryder.

The story begins with Vlad Dracula (Oldman) saying goodbye to his new wife, Elisabetha (Ryder) before going off to war. He returns only to discover false news of his death has reached Elisabetha, and she has taken her own life. Outraged by the priest's declaration that her soul is condemned for committing suicide, he renounces God and swears to use the forces of darkness to avenge her death by stabbing the cross and drinking the blood flowing from it. 

Five hundred years later, When Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to settle Dracula's London real estate transactions, Dracula sees a picture of Harker's fiance, Mina who looks exactly like his long-dead wife, Elisabetha. Dracula travels to London and meets Mina, the reincarnation of Elisabetha. Mina remembers her previous life as Elisabetha and is still in love with him. She wants to be like him, so Dracula begins the transformation leading up to a bittersweet ending. Are they forever doomed? Will the curse remain with them, or will they both find peace?

This movie gave us a new feel for the vampire, destroying the old image, evolving the monster into a handsome, sensuous, supernatural creature. With the growing popularity of the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles at that time, this was a change audiences seemed to be ready for. I honestly enjoyed this as much if not more than the original story. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a good classic vampire movie to sink your teeth into this Halloween season.

Bram Stoker's Dracula -1992 can be seen on Amazon Prime, HBO-Max, and Vudu
Genre: Horror/Romance
Rating: R

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