13 Nights of Shocktober: Mark of the Vampire

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. So, for the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some horror movie recommendations to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 1: Vampire Night 

"The vampire. He is still somewhere within this house."

Mark of the Vampire

If you’ve seen the Universal Studios 1931 classic Dracula enough times, consider the 1935 film Mark of the Vampire for a change of pace. Many things about Mark of the Vampire are similar to Dracula, beginning with the director and vampire: Todd Browning and Bela Lugosi, respectively. Aside from Lugosi playing a vampiric count who lives in a castle, there is also the character of the eccentric occult expert, Professor Zelin, who is similar to Dracula’s Professor Van Helsing. As many similarities as there are to Dracula, this is actually a remake of the silent film London After Midnight, which Browning also directed. MGM was known for star studded prestige movies, not for horror movies and with Mark of the Vampire they were no doubt trying to recreate Universal’s success with the genre. This would explain the copycat elements, which are not as irksome as they might seem. Mark of the Vampire is still very enjoyable and its entertainment value is its own.

After an aristocrat is found murdered with two holes on his neck, both his friend and his doctor believe he has been killed by a vampire but Inspector Neumann (Lionel Atwell) believes something else is at play. When the aristocrat’s daughter, Irena (Elizabeth Allan), seems to be the next victim, the eccentric Professor Zelin (Lionel Barrymore) is called in to help. It takes a while for Zelin to enter the story (just like Van Helsing in Dracula) but once he does it is clear that Lionel Barrymore is the real star and he becomes the movie’s driving force. There is not much “action” in the modern sense but Barrymore’s dialogue delivery conveys an urgency that creates its own kind of excitement. Most people today know Lionel Barrymore as mean, old, corrupt Mr. Potter from Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, so it’s interesting to see him as a take-charge hero.

Unlike Dracula, the vampires (Lugosi as Count Mora and Carroll Borland as his “daughter” Luna) are more side characters with the story’s focus on the human characters. Lugosi approached the role of Count Mora as a different take on his signature Dracula. Count Mora is nearly completely silent and comes across as more of a monster, lacking the sinister allure of Lugosi’s Dracula.

There is plenty of old-fashioned spooky atmosphere thanks to the frightened villagers, the sets, especially the abandoned castle where Count Mora and Luna reside, and fog, lots and lots of fog. Of course, many of the effects are dated (fake bats have never looked good in any era), but they are just what you want to see in a horror movie from the 1930’s.

There is a plot twist late in the film which might cause some eye rolls or frustration but it works in large part because it still leads to a satisfying conclusion. Also, it is a trick played on one particular character, not the audience, and helps solve the mystery. Like many classic era horror movies, Mark of the Vampire is just over an hour long but packs in so much it feels like a full-length feature.

Mark of the Vampire airs on TCM Tuesday, October 20^th at 7:45AM CT.

13 Nights of Shocktober: Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

 by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some horror movie recommendations to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 6: Vampire Night

“Can you imagine enduring centuries, and each day experiencing the same futilities?”

Nosferatu the Vampyre

Nosferatu the Vampyre (or, Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night) is German director Werner Herzog’s not quite remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent horror masterpiece. Murnau was not able to secure the rights to Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, so he changed the character names and locations and some plot points to avoid legal troubles. Herzog does not consider his film a remake, but he follows the structure of Murnau’s film more than Stoker’s novel. Werner Herzog is the kind of filmmaker incapable of making a simple genre picture. His version of Nosferatu is not straightforward horror, but it is haunting and transfixing.

The plot is familiar enough. Jonathan Harker (Bruno Ganz), a young real estate attorney, is sent to Transylvania to oversee the purchase of an estate, close to his own home in Wismar, Germany, by the mysterious Count Dracula.  The Count falls in love with a picture of Jonathan’s wife, Lucy (Isabelle Adjani), imprisons Jonathan, and sets off to claim the young bride as his own.

Klaus Kinski plays Count Dracula as a forlorn creature of menace and despair. His look is the same as Count Orlok, played by Max Schreck, in Murnau’s Nosferatu, one of the most iconic images in film history, instantly recognizable whether you've seen the film or not. His skin is bone white, with a head like an animated skull, fingers like slender claws, and two pronounced fangs are front and center in his mouth. The vampire in Murnau’s film was only a monster, but here he is presented as a pitiful, melancholy creature. This Dracula has no brides or servants. He tells Harker that there are worse things than death, like enduring centuries repeating the same futile nights. In Wismar, he tells Lucy that he wishes to partake of what she and Jonathan share.

Count Dracula is a supernatural creature but still seems to be tied into Herzog’s fascination with the unrelenting and overwhelming force that nature has over humankind (see Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, and Grizzly Man for more intense and unrelenting nature). Harker’s journey through ageless mountains and canyons to Dracula’s castle is an extended sequence set to Richard Wagner’s prelude to Das Rheingold, a choice that enhances the natural landscape’s sense of beauty and awe and foreboding. Hidden deep in that intimidating landscape is Dracula.

Bram Stoker’s novel has Harker’s wife, Mena, as a perfect Victorian era woman that needs to be preserved and protected. Here, Harker’s wife, Lucy, mostly absent from the first half of the film, becomes the main character in the second half and is the only person willing to take action to stop Dracula and the plague spreading rats he has unleashed on the city. This version of Lucy is an agent not only for her own destiny but the whole city.

Herzog and cinematographer Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein use a handheld camera for many scenes, adding a degree of uncomfortable authenticity and realism to the supernatural story. Unlike the Universal Studios and Hammer productions of Dracula, these locations and sets look and feel real and lived in. Everything from the chairs and silverware to Dracula’s macabre clock feel like real, functional things and imply that he can exist outside of fantasy.

Watching this film in 2021, it is especially horrifying that Dracula’s arrival in Wismar doesn’t just mean the arrival of a vampire. Dracula also brings a huge swarm of bubonic plague spreading rats. A scene of Lucy wandering through plague-ridden Wismar has her encountering a group of people in their finest clothes having their last supper; one tells her that all of the guests are infected with the plague so they are enjoying what they have while they can. The procession of coffins through the town square is like an endless macabre parade.

Herzog was tasked with producing two versions of this film: one in German and one in English, for international markets. After a scene was done in German it would be shot again with the same actors speaking English. Herzog has said that he views the German language version as more authentic since it was his attempt to link classic and modern German filmmaking. There is obviously some dubbing for the minor characters but, overall, I got the same effect from both versions. I recommend this film in general, but I highly recommend it for an atmospheric but not-so-scary night.

Classic Movie Picks: October 2016

by Lani
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

10/3, 8 PM - Jinnah (1998)
TCM Star of the Month for October is British actor Christopher Lee, a fitting honor since Lee is well-known for his horror films. He played Dracula (10 times!), Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and a host of other weirdos; sometimes he was even the hero, but there was generally a lot of blood involved. During his long career, Lee's imposing physical presence and booming voice meant he was often cast as a the bad guy - in fact he played a villain in the Star Wars series, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and opposite James Bond! 
In tonight's film Lee takes center stage in a very different role portraying Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the modern nation of Pakistan. The casting of Lee was controversial; not, as you might think, because Lee was a white actor playing an Asian character, but because of his association with Count Dracula. However, audiences in Pakistan ultimately responded positively to Lee's portrayal and the film is broadcast every year on Pakistan's independence day. Unfortunately, it seems that the film never got a proper theatrical release anywhere, so audiences outside Pakistan haven't really had a chance to see it. Tonight's air date is the North American premiere. As a fan of Sir Christopher Lee, I look forward to seeing what he felt was his most important role.

BONUS: 10/24, 4:30 AM - Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
My official pick may be an art house biopic, but I can't deny my love for Lee's weird horror movies - especially the ones with frequent partner/foil Peter Cushing. The two actors first appeared opposite each other as Dracula and Van Helsing in 1958's Horror of Dracula. Though Lee would play Dracula several more times over the next 14 years (ruining his reputation as a serious actor in the eyes of the entire nation of Pakistan in the process), this was Cushing's first appearance as Van Helsing since the '58 film. This time around the setting is contemporary "swinging" London where the Count has been resurrected and is hunting the descendants of his old nemesis.
 

10/11, 8 PM - Hollywood Canteen (1944)
The Hollywood Canteen was a special nightclub for serviceman during WWII, where they could get a hot meal, dance with a pretty girl, and meet real film stars before shipping out. Actress Bette Davis was the driving force behind the Canteen, supervising its construction, recruiting fellow stars to volunteer there, and managing it with her agent Jules Stein. Two years after it opened, the Canteen got its own film - a romantic comedy about a young G.I. who falls for starlet Joan Leslie (playing herself). The story was really an excuse to pack the film with star cameos by Davis, Canteen co-founder John Garfield, Joan Crawford, and Jack Benny (and many more), and musical numbers from the Andrews Sisters and Roy Rogers. However, it's an interesting glimpse into how Hollywood contributed to the war effort. With its patriotic message and star power, the film was a big success at the box office and a portion of the profits went back to the Canteen. 
Davis was rightfully proud of the success of the Canteen and her contribution is recognized during tonight's programming theme of "Actresses Who Made a Difference," part of TCM's month-long spotlight series on Trailblazing Women. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the real Hollywood Canteen (good and bad), check out episode #27 of the You Must Remember This podcast, "Bette Davis and the Hollywood Canteen."

10/19: Presidents on Film
8 PM - Fail-Safe (1964)
10 PM - Advise & Consent (1962)
12:30 AM - Seven Days in May (1964)
2:45 AM - Gabriel Over the White House (1933)
With Election Day looming, you may be suffering from presidential fatigue; however, I think it's the perfect time to watch these political films...if only to remind you to vote on November 8th! Each of tonight's films depicts a President under pressure: trying to fend off World War III in Fail-Safe, pushing through a controversial Cabinet nominee in Advise & Consent, as the target of a military coup perpetrated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seven Days in May, and (following a visit from archangel Gabriel) crusading against government corruption and organized crime in Gabriel Over the White House. Depending on the day, any of these scenarios seems unfortunately all too plausible.

 
10/28: Universal Horror
8 PM - Dracula (1931)
9:30 PM - The Mummy (1932)
11 PM - The Invisible Man (1933)
12:15 AM - The Wolf Man (1941)
On Halloween night, TCM will feature several Hammer Studios horror films of the 50s and 60s starring Christopher Lee; however, tonight, you can see the Universal Studios horror films of the 30s which inspired those later films, even more so than any literary sources. The Universal films created the iconic looks of classic literary characters like Dracula, The Invisible Man, and Frankenstein's monster; while also adding new creatures to their rogues gallery like the Mummy and the Wolf Man. If you're in the mood for an atmospheric, spooky chiller - these films deliver. However, if you're in the mood for a laugh, there's plenty to giggle about here, too - from far-fetched plots to hammy acting.

BONUS: 1:30 AM - The Black Cat (1934)
This creepy, but stylish thriller was "inspired by" Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same title (and that's where the inspiration ended) and featured the first pairing of horror stars Karloff and Lugosi. The two actors are not playing supernatural monsters this time, but portray a sadistic cult leader and a man out for revenge. The film also features David Manners, the young hero who had previously faced off against both Lugosi in Dracula and Karloff in The Mummy. 
 

13 Nights of Shocktober: Horror of Dracula

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 8: Christopher Lee Memorial Night, "He'll Hold You In A Grasp of Shock!"

Horror of Dracula

The passing of movie icon Christopher Lee earlier this year was very sad news, but he left us with many, many films to enjoy. He had a long and impressive career that included both the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings film series. However, his most famous role is unquestionably as Dracula in a series of movies for the British production company Hammer. When people think of Dracula, they either picture Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee. The first film in which Lee took on the already legendary character was in 1958 with Horror of Dracula, co-starring fellow horror movie icon and superb actor Peter Cushing, and directed by Terence Fisher. When Terence Fisher, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee made a film together for Hammer, audiences were in for a treat.

Horror of Dracula is a loose remake of Todd Browning’s Dracula from 1931, and an even looser adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel. The movie begins with bright red blood dripping on Dracula’s tomb. Jonathan Harker arrives at Castle Dracula in Klausenburg to work as the librarian for the Count, but he is actually a vampire hunter and protégé of Dr. Van Helsing. Harker becomes trapped in the castle and succeeds in killing the Count’s bride, but not Dracula himself. Dracula seeks revenge by first trying to take Harker’s fiancé, Lucy, for his new bride, and then Lucy’s sister, Mina. Van Helsing is on Harker’s trail and tries to save Lucy and Mina and put an end to the sinister vampire. Almost none of this happens in the novel. It is almost like Dracula fan fiction. It takes the already existing characters and then just makes up a different story and does what it thinks is most entertaining, and it is indeed very entertaining.

Horror of Dracula was impressive when it was released because, like other Hammer horror films, it ups the ante on violence, action, and sexuality. That means that when someone gets stabbed or bitten we see blood, Dracula’s bride wears a dress revealing her cleavage, and Lee plays Dracula as a dangerous seducer. This film was shot on Technicolor so the colors of the sets and costumes are rich and vivid, and red blood is especially red. All of those elements are still entertaining today, but the reason this film works, then and now, is because of its reinterpretation of Count Dracula and Dr. Van Helsing and the screen presence of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Lee’s tall stature of 6’5” and natural physical appearance give his Dracula a commanding and imposing presence. Lee's Dracula exudes menace. The danger and threat he poses are immediate and ever present. In one scene Lee bounds across a large dining room and over a table to pull his bride away from attacking Harker. Other versions of Dracula usually give him servants to do his bidding, but this Dracula drives his own carriage and digs a grave for Mina himself. This is a take charge, action Dracula. In other words, a this is a badass Dracula, and Christopher Lee has the talent to make it believable. 

The only match for a badass, action Dracula is a badass, action Van Helsing and that's what Peter Cushing gives us. He makes his first appearance in the movie wearing a very cool, very boss fur collared coat and bowler hat. We spend most of the movie with Van Helsing as he tracks down Dracula. Cushing's performance and screen presence keeps those scenes interesting and entertaining. He believably portrays Van Helsing as learned scholar and fearless vampire hunter. He springs into action too: he leaps over a railing and runs upstairs when he hears someone removed the garlic from Lucy's bedroom. The climactic confrontation between Van Helsing and Dracula does not disappoint; it's action packed and all the while Van Helsing wears his boss coat.

Some people might find Horror of Dracula campy, but it is undeniably entertaining. There is great scenery and the production design does a good job at setting the mood for a Gothic vampire tale set in a far away land. Not every bit of scenery looks completely real but the hint of artificiality only adds to the fantasy element of the movie. Horror of Dracula is a fun movie from beginning to end and never gets too intense or gross so even squeamish people can enjoy the movie. The blood and horror effects are tame by today's standards but hold up pretty well. There's something for everyone to enjoy in Horror of Dracula, whether you are a horror movie buff or only watch horror movies at Halloween.
 

Classic Movie Picks: October 2013

by Lani and A.J.

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

This month I've turned over the Classic Movie Picks to my co-blogger, A.J. While we both enjoy the spooky films that play during October, he is the real horror aficionado in this partnership. I'm looking forward to his picks, hope you enjoy them, too! - Lani

Murder...?
10/5, 2 PM - Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

The original script for Annie Hall contained a murder mystery plot that was ultimately cut to make the story wholly a romantic comedy. If you’ve ever wondered what Annie Hall with a murder mystery would be like, then I highly recommend Woody Allen’s underwatched 1993 film. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton play couple whose marriage has grown stale until Keaton suspects their neighbor of murdering his wife. Will a murder mystery be able to rejuvenate their marriage? Did their neighbor even murder anyone? Manhattan Murder Mystery is Rear Window as directed by Woody Allen and the result is a fun, romantic, and genuinely intriguing mystery movie, and a great light start to October.

Vampires

I remember a time when vampires used to be scary and so does TCM. Before they were angsty, brooding anti-heroes that graced magazine covers, vampires were the ultimate movie monster.

10/11, 9:30 PM - Isle of the Dead (1945)

Boris Karloff stars in this movie about a group of people trying to survive a war, a quarantine, and, as if things weren’t bad enough, a suspected vampire. This movie is produced by one of the masters of classic horror, Val Lewton. He’s one of the few movie producers that is also thought of as an “auteur,” a title usually only given to directors. His films are famous for their stripped-down, sparse style and emphasis on mood and shadows.

Also Playing…

10/13, 12 AM - Nosferatu (1922)

10/19, 9:15 PM - Mark of the Vampire (1935)

Anthology Horror
If you want more than one spooky story in a single movie TCM has 3 anthology horror movies airing this month.

10/11, 11 PM - Dead of Night (1945)

In this Ealing Studios production a man fears that his reoccurring dream in coming true so other guests at a country house share supernatural stories of their own. When this movie was released in America one of the stories was cut because U.S. distributors thought movie ran too long. They made the movie shorter, but confusing. Fortunately for this broadcast the missing story has been restored and should make for good spooky night.

Also Playing…

10/20, 2 AM - Kwaidan (1965)

10/31, 2:45 AM - Twice-Told Tales (1963)

Monsters Need Love Too!

10/26, 11 PM - Cat People (1942)

Val Lewton’s films were at their best when the producer worked with director Jacques Tourneur. Cat People is among their most highly regarded pictures. In this collaboration, an American man marries a Serbian immigrant who fears that she will turn into a cat person from the fables of her homeland. These RKO horror movies had a low budget, but Lewton used that disadvantage to make better films. His films focused less on spectacle and more on character, an eerie mood, and scaring us more by showing us less.

10/31: Halloween with Christopher Lee...

All day long on Halloween, TCM will be showing films starring Christopher Lee, including two he starred in for Hammer Films, the UK company whose horror movies made Lee famous.

12:15 PM - Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1965)
3:45 PM - Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1969)
5:30 PM - Horror Express (1972)

Horror Express is not a Hammer Film but hoped to cash in on the success of those movies by getting Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing to star in a movie with a monster. The result is a Hammer knock off that actually works. Lee, who usually played Dracula and other monsters, gets to be the hero. He plays on archeologist attempting to transport his recent mysterious discovery on the Trans-Siberian railway, but his discovery proves to be too monstrous to contain. Peter Cushing plays a fellow Englishmen helping Lee try to stop the mysterious deaths on the train. If Murder on the Orient Express meets The Thing meets Hammer Horror sounds like an intriguing combination, then you won’t go wrong with Horror Express.

…and Vincent Price

It just wouldn’t be Halloween without a Vincent Price movie or two. Perhaps Vincent Price being the star of the month for October is less than a coincidence. Some of his non-horror, dramatic movies are being highlighted Thursday nights earlier in the month. Fortunately, Halloween falls on a Thursday, so there will be a full night of Price movies to enjoy.
8 PM - Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
9:30 PM - The Haunted Palace (1963)
11:15 PM - The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Happy Halloween!

Review: Twixt

by A.J.

If you look at his career as a whole, it appears that Francis Ford Coppola is an indie director that has also just happened to have made some of the most groundbreaking and noteworthy movies of all time. The film he directed prior to The Godfather, was a small scale road movie about a housewife who runs away from her home and husband called The Rain People. Along the way she picks up a brain damaged football player. It’s a movie very much in line with the times (the late 60’s), and also in line some of the smaller movies spread throughout Coppola’s filmography. Some of those films are good, some not so good. The Rain People moves at about the same slow-but-steady pace as The Godfather, but unfortunately has far less interesting subject matter and characters.

Francis Ford Coppola’s success with his vineyard has afforded him the luxury of making the films he wants to make, when he wants to make them, with little or no outside interference. He has made only 3 movies since beginning of this century. Despite the big name behind the camera, each of those films easily qualifies as an “indie film.” The most recent of those is Twixt, his first horror movie since 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Twixt played at film festivals with some sequences in 3-D; outside of those festivals it fell way under the radar. However, Twixt should not be entirely dismissed.

Twixt tells the tale of third rate horror novelist Hall Baltimore, played by Val Kilmer, who, while on a book tour, stops in a small town with a dark past and a recent mysterious murder. The local sheriff, played by Bruce Dern, thinks that the young murder victim (Elle Fanning) is tied into the town’s past, the band of Goth teens that live across the lake, and vampires. He also thinks it’d be a great idea for a book. Hall reluctantly agrees to co-write the book with the sheriff.

I’m a big fan of Coppola’s version of Dracula which was heavy on mood and practical visual effects. Twixt is also heavy on eerie mood and the visual effects, which are no doubt digital, but are used in just the right way at just the right time. The big highlight is the series of dreams Hall has in which he and Edgar Allen Poe discuss the art of crafting a story and Poe reveals to Hall the town’s past. Another highlight is Val Kilmer running through a series of impressions while trying to come up with a first line for his new novel.

Coppola came up with the idea for this movie after he had a dream not unlike the one Kilmer’s character has; and this movie does feel like something someone dreamed up and then threw together over a weekend or two. There is obvious skill and style from the first shot to the last, but unfortunately the story is only as thin as a dream and doesn’t quite live up to the craft put into the film. Nevertheless, Twixt still has enough interesting elements and stunning visuals to make it worth watching late one night.

Classic Movie Picks: October 2012

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

Classic Horror for Halloween
I can't let this month go by without picking some movies from TCM's line-up of classic horror showing Wednesday nights (and throughout the week during the day) and culminating on Halloween with the Universal horror films from the 30s and 40s. You've got your pick of all the great spooky movie subjects - vampires, zombies, mummies, monsters, hauntings, and, of course, mad scientists who train animals for evil purposes. If you've seen the iconic versions of Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. why not try some of these variations on the theme?
10/3, 12:15 AM - House of Dracula (1945)
10/3, 1:30 AM - Zombies of Mora Tau (1957)
10/20, 10:15 AM - The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
10/27, 6:30 PM - The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
10/31, 4 PM - The Devil Bat (1940)
10/31, 2 AM - The Mummy's Hand (1940)

Hollywood Goes to Washington
10/5, 8 PM & 11:15 PM - A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington (2012)
10/12, 11 PM - The Great McGinty (1940)
10/26, 8 PM - Advise and Consent (1962)
10/26, 10:30 PM - All the President's Men (1976)
As this election year goes into the home stretch, TCM premieres it's newest original documentary about the history of politics on film. They'll also be showing political films each Friday in primetime and I've picked out three that I'm looking forward to. After looking over the schedule, it seems that these movies almost always deal with the corrupting influence brought on by political power. Even the morally upright Mr. Jefferson Smith is shown in contrast to crooked Washington "insiders" such as fellow senator Joseph Paine. However, in the movies at least there are Mr. Smiths and in real life politics there are more often Senator Paines. (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington will show immediately after the premiere of the documentary special at 9 PM on 10/5.)

Star of the Month: Spencer Tracy
So, this month Wednesdays are for spooky chillers and Fridays are for political intrigues; however, Mondays belong to Spencer Tracy. During his time as a top star, Tracy was not only popular with audiences, but he was revered by his peers in the film industry as evidenced by his 9 Best Actor Academy Award nominations and 2 wins. If you're not sure where to jump in with the Tracy filmography, you could do worse than TCM's line-up of Oscar-nominated performances on 10/15.
8 PM - Boys' Town (1938)
9:45 PM - Father of the Bride (1950)
11:30 PM - Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
1 AM - The Old Man and the Sea (1958)
2:30 AM - Captains Courageous (1937)
4:30 AM - San Francisco (1936)

10/18: Cinerama!
8 PM - Cinerama Adventure (2002)
10 PM - This is Cinerama (1952)
I love classic movies for their pure entertainment value, but I'm also bit of a filmmaking geek who enjoys learning about the technical processes and history behind the spectacle. So, I'm really looking forward to tonight's documentary about Cinerama and the legendary This is Cinerama, a travelogue-of-sorts designed to showcase the newly developed widescreen process. When you think about how far we've come with film technology, it's hard to imagine what a revelation Cinerama was at the time (at least for youngsters like me). The premiere of This is Cinerama sparked the first-ever front page movie article, written by film critic Bosley Crowther for the New York Times, and audiences were thrilled. This is Cinerama went on to be the 5th highest grossing movie of 1952! 
I can appreciate the irony that the Cinerama process was developed specifically for showing films on big screens in theaters - getting audiences away from their boxy 1950s TV sets - and now, 60 years later, I'm watching it at home on my widescreen TV. I know it's not quite the original Cinerama experience, but it'll have to do for now.

10/21: Rare Animation
8 PM - Gulliver's Travels (1939)
9:39 PM - Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941)
11:00 PM - UPA Cartoons (1949-51)
12 AM - Silent Animation from NY Studios (1907-32)
1 AM - The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1927)
Tonight looks like a fun evening for kids or adults with 3 features and 18 shorts of rarely seen animations. Gulliver's Travels and Mr. Bug were both early efforts by Paramount to compete with Disney's animated films (Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves had come out in 1937). We'll also get some of the best shorts by UPA and NY Studios, both groundbreaking animation studios whose work has fallen out of circulation. However, Prince Achmed is perhaps the most unique film in tonight's line-up as it uses paper silhouette puppets against ornate backgrounds, rather than the familiar cel animation of the other features.

Vampires Used to be Scary

It's Halloween season and one of my favorite times of year. The weather finally cools down and it's time to watch scary movies. That means I won't be watching any movies (or TV shows) with vampires because vampires aren't scary anymore. What's happened to the vampire is rather undignified for a creature that has haunted and terrified but also intrigued every civilization for hundreds if not thousands of years. They've gone from demons of the night to PG-13 leading men and heartthrobs. I've never really been a big vampire fan but that just seems wrong. It's a well known fact that anything 12 year-old girls fawn over can't be scary.

I remember not wanting to watch movies like From Dusk Til Dawn, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and even The Lost Boys because they had vampires and vampires were the stuff of horror movies. I recently watched The Lost Boys and while it's not scary like you typically think of a horror movie being scary, it is an entertaining movie about vampires. The third act where the vampires attack the house the main characters are holed up in is like a demented version of Home Alone. The teenage vampires act how teenagers would act if they were immortal, had superpowers, and pretty much no consequences for their actions. They enjoy being vampires and don't act like moody emo kids. The gang of vampires in The Lost Boys has the allure and intrigue that makes teenagers turn goth, sells Anne Rice books, and was first put on the screen by Bela Lugosi. Lugosi is the ultimate Dracula; dangerous, but appealing in spite of, or because of, that fact. But even before Tod Browning's 1931 version of Dracula, the vampire appeared as a monster, not a lover, in F.W. Murnau's silent film Nosferatu. If you haven't seen Nosferatu, I highly recommend giving it a watch. It's not only one of the first and best of the horror genre, but also one of the great movies of the silent era. It's creepy and haunting and perfect for watching late at night.

Despite the German poster shown above giving it a 4 fedora rating, I think Bram Stoker's Dracula (Francis Coppola's 1990 version) is largely underrated and overlooked. Of course it won't hold up when compared to Tod Browning's 1931 classic version, but it does just fine as its own version of Bram Stoker's novel. In this version especially, we see the vampire as both a monster and alluring lover. I don't find the presence of Keanu Reeves or Winona Ryder distracting and I think Anthony Hopkins' performance as Dr. Van Helsing is so over the top it's great; it makes Van Helsing an eccentric jerk which is a great spin on the character. Coppola's Dracula uses a lot of in-camera effects and old fashioned, low-tech special effects and it gives the movie the creepy, spooky feel of older horror movies that had to rely on mood and atmosphere to effect the audience. It also has one of the spookiest and craziest movie scores I've ever heard.
Interview with the Vampire is where the vampire becomes less of a monster and more sentimental - which is the point of the movie: how do you deal with going from life as a human to life as a vampire? It's an effective movie that again relies on mood and atmosphere, which is helped by the period setting. It lets us in on the "realities" of life as a vampire that other movies don't touch on. The vampires are still fearsome, though the emphasis is on the allure of the undead creature. I don't view 2008's Let the Right One In so much as a vampire movie as a movie about two lonely people, one of whom just happens to be a vampire. I thought it was one of the best movies of 2008 and was disappointed to hear that an American version was being made. The TV spots make the remake look better than I was expecting it to be and I'll probably check it out before Halloween, if only to see how it was adapted for American audiences.
For my money, the last good vampire-as-monster movie was 2000's Shadow of the Vampire. It tells the fictional story of the making of F.W Murnau's Nosferatu, in which Murnau (played by John Malkovich) hires a real vampire, Max Shrek (played by Willem Dafoe) to give his film a truly authentic feel. Dafoe gives an incredible and chilling performance as the monstrous vampire and even received an Oscar nomination. Shrek begins to feed off of the crew and cast and Murnau struggles to gain control of the undead beast and finish his movie. It's a great vampire movie, but it's also a movie about making movies, a favorite genre of mine. Shrek can't help being a vampire which is jeopardizing the movie production. Murnau keeps the production going even though he's risking the lives of his cast and crew because he can't help what he is either, a filmmaker.