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Originally Posted by charley
BBC has released Dracula as a 3-part mini-series that can also be viewed thru Netflix.
And I saw the first episode today, OMG!
Ratings are high, and what can I say, but OMG!
If you saw Bram Stoker's Dracula of 1992, you will recognize certain characters since they are still there [Dracula - originally played by Gary Oldman, Mina - originally played by Winona Ryder, Jonathan Harker - originally played by Keanu, and Van Helsing - originally played by Anthony Hopkins] and some of the story line, but this adaptation takes quite a few liberties, even moving off in a more modern uptake; there is stuff from the novel, but they have decided to add stuff that really wasn't in the original.
The 1992 film never really scared me, and none of the other vampire films/series that I've seen over the years ever scared me either, just fun fantasy adventure romps. I've seen quite a few vampire films (ya know: like Interview with a Vampire, the Blade films, etc.), and TV Series (ya know: like True Blood, The Originals, The Strain, just to name a few), and well, I never had to put anything on pause like I did in this 2020 BBC version. Today, I came away quite stunned and had to vent to someone I know in real time just to unwind... The next two episodes will follow this week.
It is exceptionally well-written, acting was superb, and the suspense was all there. After putting it on pause (more than once) and remembering to breathe, I sat there calming myself down, until I began wondering: so, what happens next? (lol)
The thing about it that was remarkable to me was just how realistic it was, and I think that that was made it so bloody scary. Casting was brilliant, especially for Dracula (played by someone I had never heard of before, Class Bang), who could just as easily be the guy next door, so charming and clever, until... a rather excellent portrayal of a modern-day sociopath, with a very particular taste for... Anyways, I wonder what will happen in the next two episodes.
What was also absolutely fascinating was the philosophical angle.
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Well, I finished watching the series, and can't wait to discuss it with someone that I know, who is also watching it.
I am aware that quite a few people didn't like how it developed thru episodes 2 and 3 (oh well, tastes vary, ya know, chuckling here). It is always amusing to see how people caught in the dysfunctional web of
comparison manage to sustain their earlier likes and dislikes (based on memory) of how they think things
ought to be, in this case, cries of, "it didn't follow the book!" chuckling here. Very difficult for them to see things afresh/anew, without any preconceived ideas. I like what Mark Gatiss (Creator and Producer) and what Steven Moffat (Writer) did in this series, for the same reasons that I liked what both of them did in the BBC production of the 2010- TV Series of
Sherlock. Interesting that Moffat also wrote for
Doctor Who from 2005-2017.
Anyways, it was good enough for me to warrant an interest to watch this brilliant series a second time. I learned quite a few things from it!
