Films/DVD Asylum

Bram Stokers 'Dracula' -Francis Ford Coppola

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I've been revisiting Dracula films and it's been quite fun - 'Let the Right One In', Frank Langella's 'Dracula', 'Nosferatu', Lugosi's 'Dracula' and honorable mention to the comedy 'What We Do in the Shadows". This led to a "why the the hell not" viewing of Bram Stokers 'Dracula' -Francis Ford Coppola.

It's been years since I've seen it... and I remembered it as a great performance by Gary Oldman, surrounded by weak casting choices Keanu Reeves, Wynona Ryder that continued Coppola's casting trend he started in Godfather Three ... casting George Hamilton etc etc

That said - After watching 'Bram Stokers Dracula' I found it a much better film then I remembered. Goldman's performance was fantastic and the supporting cast was excellent. We loved the classic techniques employed... the old-school cinematic split screens, the images that were superimposed that would segue to another scene, and of course the independent shadows were fun to see again. And Keanu Reeves and Wynona Ryder seemed more innocent, then miscast.

The many faces of Oldman's Dracula were fantastic and arty - and the absence of CGI was refreshing, to say the least. This is something that's been reoccurring in my movie watching- I watched John Carpenters 'The Thing" a few weeks ago and marveled at the special-effects realism and ingenuity. I have CGI O.D.!

Anyway... Has 'Dracula' by Francis Ford Coppola improved with age? Or have films these days gotten so bad and cookie- cutter (The Mummy for example) that older films that were formally a C+ now view as an A+?

Have a great day.


Edits: 09/22/17   09/22/17   09/22/17

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