Romance of Mystery

We join our cursed hero Andrew Bennett as he and his two human cohorts Deborah Dancer, the beautiful blonde, and Dmitri Mishkin, the grizzled man of the world, trek across the California coast in order to find Mary, the evil Queen of Blood. Mary was once a human, but one bite from the immortal Andrew transformed the woman into a heartless succubus who now seeks to destroy the entire human race through the help of her undead slaves that make up the order of the Blood Red Moon. Only a few panels into House of Mystery #297�s cover story "Zen Flesh! Zen Bones!" (the fifth installment of the "I� Vampire!" series written by J. M. DeMatteis) and already the tale smells of high-flying adventure saga!
Making their way through the hot August night and invasive brambles, the trio comes upon the abandoned yet still splendorous remains of a temple of the ineffable Tao. Andrew recalls a book that they had gained possession of in a previous story that named several groups and organizations that were under Mary�s employ, using them to spread her dark influence throughout innocent society.* Angered at the prospect of Mary corrupting something as sacred as a Tao temple (apparently Andrew takes his meditations very seriously), Andrew kicks the door in and the group goes in to investigate.
*Apparently one such group was a collection of white supremacists working under the name of the American Freedom Party. The bloodsucking undead and the KKK� does anyone else see a blaxploitation classic in the making here?!
Bitch, please.
The silence inside is suddenly broken by the mournful tunes of a guitar emanating from a back room. Taking a peek inside, they spot a young man plucking his dulcet strings (don�t get fresh now!) and weeping over his fate. Seeing Bennett sets the hippie off on an angered rant that just ends up with him getting a slap to the face for being a whiny rotter. Deborah calms the whippersnapper down and the Tao urchin, named Billy Kessler, narrates his tale of woe. Having journeyed to the land of the Orient for a little self-improvement, the golden-locked misfit was aided by the good Master Shoju (who told Billy "I shall Shoju the way to the path of righteousness.")
Billy helped the good sensei by moving his headquarters to America, only for the little old wizard to turn on him in a fangy reign of savagery. The poor Shoju had been turned into one of the walking dead by that diabolical Mary, who then took the master and some of his apprentices further up the coast to build a Lair of DOOOM to serve as their bloodthirsty stronghold. But Shoju didn�t leave before giving Billy a good nip on the neck, thus reversing a decade�s worth of practicing passive aggression.
So what�s a group led by a renegade member of the undead to do but head straight for that deathtrap down the road? They crawl and somersault across the fortress thanks to Andrew�s amazing Olympic abilities and the next thing you know the slavering canines are exposed and we�re treated to an all-out vampire/ martial arts showdown!
Wow, Billy sure is flexible.
The panels don�t necessarily explode with sweaty, bloody-knuckled, rotting skin action, but it�s an enjoyable enough fight scene that creates a nice, dynamic climax for the tale (Michael Bay fans: sorry, no random explosions or noisy robots). But just as the heroes are giving the toothy monks a few stakes to the chest, Andrew begins questioning his surroundings when the red-eyed Billy urges Bennett to deliver the final blow to the fallen Shoju.
Sensing the treachery that�s been thrown over his eyes like a velvet cape, Andrew turns on the sniveling Billy and instead buries the spike into the hippie�s heart with a good blow from the mallet. The traitor crumbles to dust, and a thankful Master Shoju reveals that it was Billy who was under Mary�s palm all along. Turns out Shoju and his disciples are indeed night-walkers, but they are of the placid and serene variety (think of Count von Count, only if he was as deadly with his fists as he is with numbers). Shoju had prayed that the good-hearted Bennett would make the right decision and the vampires resolve to finally crack down Queen Mary�s cult once and for all.
This being my first journey into the pages of one of DC Comics� horror staples, House of Mystery, I must say that I randomly chose a great place to start. How can you argue against an escapade containing both creatures of the night and fists of fury? "Zen Flesh! Zen Bones!" brings to mind films like the cult classic Mr. Vampire, minus all the slapstick comedy.
I have a weak spot for monster-ccentric adventure epics, and a good number of the horror anthology series from the 70�s had at least one dark character (or in the case of the later issues of Warren�s Eerie, a whole magazine�s worth) that was forced to face against their fellow companions in darkness, usually ending in an electrifying battle that had our horrific hero/heroine coming out on top and trudging wearily to next month�s issue.
Mmmm, destroy Nosferatu you must!
This story, like the other episodes of the serial, was illustrated by comics legend Tom Sutton, and there�s some great artistic work on display here. I particularly loved the single close-up shot of Master Shoju on the last page. The detail that Sutton instills in Shoju�s wrinkly visage conveys a nice sense of worldly wisdom. I also liked the moment where Andrew realizes that Mary has been behind the temple�s destruction� we just see the eyes of his face light up a livid scarlet, but it�s enough to get the point across that this guy is pissed.
Fans of vampires will be pleased, martial arts aficionados might be confused, and those looking for a good read after their Zen session should probably search elsewhere. I suggest flipping through this one by applying lethal karate chops to the pages (or your computer screen if you�re a digital reader� it�s probably more fun that way anyhow). Well, go on now. Don�t force me to Shoju the error of your ways! Alright, I promise to stop those terrible puns.
But I�ve been known to lie.
Um, hell yeah!

Labels: 1970S, Comic Books, Dc Comics, House Of Mystery, Martial Arts, Twisted Panels, Vampire

*The following account is not the transcription of some young fool's diary or any such nonsense. It is, instead, a review I did for Classic-Horror back in May and, as the grand holiday of Halloween approaches, I thought this would be a nice way of slipping into the spooky spirit. Be sure to cross yourselves and mind the bats as you move along.*
In a world that has become populated by hunky, teenaged bloodsuckers with a penchant for sparkling, this reviewer finds it very refreshing to go back to a time when vampires were of a charming nobility and still possessed an air of mystique and utter horror. Dracula is just the fix I need, providing an engaging adventure story set to the tone of the moody European Gothics. While it is not free from faults, this novel is a seminal piece of literature for serious fans of vampires, whether they be Edward Cullen or Max Schreck.
English solicitor Jonathan Harker is traveling through the strange wilds of the Carpathian Mountains to close a deal with the mysterious Count Dracula in his brooding castle. Jonathan is leasing a molding estate in London by the name of Carfax Abbey to the decrepit noble. Beset by many strange occurrences such as the incessant howling of wolves and the sight of the Count crawling across the castle walls, Jonathan soon becomes a prisoner in the castle and watches in horror as the Count leaves for his new home in England. There the devious monster begins to drink deep of the country's rich blood and is only threatened in his existence when a team of hunters including the brave Dr. Van Helsing and Jonathan's wife Mina attempt to end his unholy reign.

The grand spectacle and star of the novel, as the title obviously implies, is our good friend the Count. No, I'm not referring to the math-obsessed puppet that frequented Sesame Street. I'm talking about the Dracula himself, the big cheese, the head honcho Nosferatu, the guy who gave necking a new meaning. His appearances in the book are full of menacing power and an evil that could only be born of Hell. There is no conflict or battle going on in Dracula's psyche: he is all evil, all the time. This makes him much more than a character; he's a force whose black presence can be felt in every chapter. Indeed, Stoker seems to have succeeded in creating an epic villain who is the epitome of the darkness he inhabits. The trouble is, the flesh-and-blood character of Dracula is hardly ever seen in the novel at all. Given that he is the nefarious spirit and presence that he is, this approach works... to an extent.
The book kicks off to a great start: Jonathan's eyes become our own and we are now the stranger in the strange land. The superstitious habits of the villagers build great suspense and prepare us for our imminent introduction to the Count. The payoff is fantastic as well. Dracula seems to be an elderly, eccentric noble, but Stoker slyly imbues him with a few physical oddities that pique our interest: a hairy palm here, an inhumanly strong grasp there, and two scarlet eyes that are quite sinister in nature. These little nuances culminate in great scenes where the true nature of Jonathan's host is revealed to him. There is a marvelous sequence where the helpless Jonathan watches in terror as a village mother comes screaming towards the castle, her baby having been fed to the Count's brides the previous evening. Suddenly, the harsh whisper of the vampire is heard from atop the castle's battlements as he stares malevolently into the night. Soon a pack of ravenous wolves descends upon the shrieking maiden at his command... and we cannot help but picture the Count with a hard, cruel smile playing on his dead lips.

The scenes of Lucy's midnight seductions on the beachside cemetery of Whitby and the breakneck finale that brings us back to Transylvania are also noteworthy scenes involving Dracula. But other than that, the infamous vampire is hardly heard from during the bulk of the novel. Instead the focus is put upon the hunters and their eventual (stress eventual) realization that evil is amongst them. Not to say that these moments are intensely boring, but even the most patient of readers will find themselves scratching their heads and wondering why Stoker decided to name the book after the least visible character.
A demonic presence can only go so far... you have to be a bit more liberal and add some more sugar to the cake. Of course some people out there would find investigations into a vampire's residence and whereabouts through real estate agents, shipping yards, and train stations utterly fascinating. But for the majority of horror readers, the lengthy absence of the famous character will have them eagerly driving a stake through their own hearts before they have to read one more chapter of the hunters waiting for something to happen.

During this day and age, we have become used to the fact that vampires and sexuality generally go hand in hand. But in the year 1897, a novel such as Dracula could not go unnoticed for its controversial approach to sexual intercourse. The metaphor is a strong one and I would say that this has aided the public's lurid fascination with the vampire over the years. These erotic tinges are noticed especially in the scenes of Jonathan's encounter with the vampire brides and Mina's account of both Lucy's and her own seduction by Dracula.
Jonathan notes that the undead maidens possess an intense sexual presence, with their full, luscious lips and their dark laughter that hints at a hunger for more than just blood. He watches as they advance on him while he feigns slumber, secretly wishing that the women will kiss him and caress him. This scene now takes on the atmosphere of a twisted sexual dream with Jonathan being plagued by impure and naughty thoughts. The same happens to Lucy and Mina at the hands of the Count. Lucy is compelled to walk in her sleep to the cemetery on the beach where Dracula deflowers her by taking her blood. Mina is frozen to the spot as the loathsome mouth of the vampire closes on her throat. She seems quite repulsed, but the reader can't help but feel that a small part of Mina wants the Count to take her.

This is especially felt in the moment when Dracula gives Mina "a baptism of blood," a rite of passage to becoming one of the Un-Dead. By willingly drinking from the Count's vein, Mina has now soiled her soul and become damned for all time. The red mark left by a holy wafer on her forehead, like the physical effect of a sexually transmitted disease, is a constant reminder of her sin that plagues her for the rest of the novel. Like a parasitic virus, Dracula's evil has entered Mina's body in a scene of perverse passion that completely obliterates the image of a consensual consummation. The Vampire takes what he wants by force and his sexual hunger is that of the animal, his main goal only to procreate and infect the world with his offspring. This invasion of our bodies may horrify us, but there still seems to be something delightful, something so very enticing, about sharing the life force of our bodies with that of another.
As far as characterization goes, Stoker does an admirable job of supplying his readers with likable, if somewhat two-dimensional, supporting characters. The biggest complaint to be made is concerning the four young heroes: Jonathan Harker, Jack Seward, Lord Arthur Holmwood, and Quincey Morris. In essence, these four different characters actually feel like they are all one personality, gloves worn by the same hand. They all share that respectable air that gentlemen of their day would and are always going off doing very nice and righteous things. They are selfless and pledge their honor to protecting their women from the vampire scourge. They are brave, daring, adventurous, kind, passionate, and lots of other mushy stuff.
However, if one were to listen to an audio recording of the scenes in which these four characters are present and speaking, no real distinction could be made of who was talking unless told. This creates a monotonous din of repetition that may bore some readers. And although Van Helsing has a more clear-cut and amusing personality, his speech patterns can get somewhat grating on the nerves. So, at the end of the day, our only saving grace is Mina. Surprisingly, Stoker's best characterization lies within her. She is a strong woman who would go to the ends of the earth to help her friends. It is very interesting to watch her rising conflict as Dracula's evil begins to taint her soul. She handles her horrifying situation with as much bravado as any of her male counterparts would. She is a worthy woman who I'm sure would stand up to the evil Count if given the chance.

An interesting notion that Stoker presents to us within the book is that Dracula possesses what Van Helsing calls a "child-brain." He explains that after Dracula's human death and birth into the vampire, his brain subverted back to that of a "child." He has a new outlook on un-life and begins to discover things all over again. This can be anything from the extent of his powers to knowledge of his weaknesses. This also affects his psychological processes. He is arrogant, selfish, and boastful of his powers and crimes, like a spoiled toddler. And as he grows older with time, so does his knowledge. It now becomes an even more imperative effort to hunt him down before he becomes a master of the dark side and develops into a full-grown force of evil. This puts a unique spin on the vampire's rebirth motif and leaves room for thought on just what Dracula could have become if he had lived on for a few more centuries...
When undertaking the reading of a classic, one is bound to have high hopes going into it. I did as well when I picked up my copy of this book. Most of these were very well met, but to say that I wasn't at least a little disappointed would make me a liar. There are scenes and memories of this book that will stay in your mind for years to come: Jonathan's plight within the walls of Castle Dracula, the nightly attacks on Lucy and Mina, the high adventure that ensues during the final chase scene. All the other things are merely fodder, food for vampire bats. But it is the erotic beauty and creeping chills of the book that will keep you awake during the cold hours of evening, desperately wondering if what you heard was really the music made by the children of the night.

Labels: 1890S, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Haunted Library, Vampire

Runtime: 113 minutes
Country: USA
Cast and Crew
Directed by David Slade
Written by Steve Niles, Stuart Beattie, and Brian Nelson, Based on the comic by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith
Starring Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, and Ben Foster
Written by Nick Hishmeh
It seems people are obsessed with vampires lately. Oh, who am I kidding? It�s only 13 year old girls and their 40 year old moms. But never underestimate that power. It is mighty. Before the inane craze came out, a little pre-Twilight film was made based on a comic book with a little budget and almost no stars, with a director that only made one other film to boot. And it was a hard R-rated film that couldn�t be marketed to teens. I of course am talking about 30 Days of Night.
In terms of the story, it is a pretty solid concept of having vampires attack a town in Alaska that goes through long periods of night. It�s blocked off from the outside world and people become easy prey for the vampires. So the group of survivors have to find a way to um� survive. It mostly consists of hiding in attics and abandoned homes.

I personally remember seeing this in theaters and thinking that these scenes were paced well and were original in their attempt to stay grounded in reality. The man next to me said that hiding in attics was Anne Frank�s plan and that didn�t work out well for her. So maybe he had a point, because the characters eventually had to leave those places anyway. Chaos inevitably ensues as these things must. David Slade, the director, manages to keep the suspense for a good long while in the movie. A particular good move on his part was to treat the situation as realistic as possible. Note how it takes more than one chop to cut someone�s head off. And why not?

The greatest strengths in the film are the visual elements, including the vampires themselves. This is not to say that they are the stars of the film, because they aren�t. Their depictions are actually among my favorite and what really sets the film apart from others. Unlike the popular characterization of making them charming, the filmmakers outfit them with superior intelligence and make them more animalistic. Notice how every time the vampires make a kill in a group, they circle the person in the middle and take turns attacking. Then they all go in for the kill. This is reminiscent of wolves or sharks. They rely on the basic senses of sight, smell, or sound to hunt.

They have one leader, Marlow, who is the alpha male; as he should be since most of the other males look like rejects from a Marilyn Manson concert. The actor, Danny Huston, manages to create a restrained and almost bored sense in his character, as if he has been around for a long time and has no real challenge with so little dialogue. He is the only one with a somewhat more human way of thinking, but still has to prove his male dominance as seen in the end fight.

As for the visual elements, the film had some really cool shots. I don�t want to say what exactly because it really has to be seen, but it involves a mass fight, or rather slaughter, between humans and the vampires. The cast all did decent jobs for what they had to work with, giving the characters a lot of� well, character. The lead protagonist is played by Josh Hartnett and this is probably one of his better roles since he doesn�t have to rely on being charming. The sheriff instead has to actually protect people, more along the lines of the old idea of "being a man" in cinema. The "man" has to handle the situation. This is all new territory for Josh but he handles it well and is probably one of the performances I�m going to remember him for. Everyone else had little character moments that differed between comedy and drama. Case in point: the weed smoking grandma to the man whose family died years ago.

The only real shout out I want to give though is to Ben Foster as The Stranger. He only had a small role, but what a part. He is the harbinger for the vampires, a modern day version of Renfield in "Dracula." Foster has such a convincing Cajun accent, it made me wish he played Gambit in the X-Men movies instead of whoever they got instead. With the short screen time he has, he manages to show the most emotions out of all the characters. He goes from anger, to anticipation, to sadness all within the first 20 minutes, while the rest are stuck in the one note they have to play.

So overall, I was glad to have revisited to film. It is definitely worth a watch, and if I found it in the five dollar bin at Wal-Mart I might even think about picking it up. Was it the best vampire movie I ever saw? Not really. Was it better than some of the vampire films that are coming out now? Yes, a hundred times yes. The sad thing about it though is that David Slade has another film coming out this year. I believe it�s called The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Trailer

Labels: 2000S, 30 Days Of Night, Comic Books, The Crypt, Vampire

For real.
Hey there, creepy kids. Yet another week of The Lucky 13 has come to pass. On this occasion, the crews at Vault of Horror and Brutal As Hell have collaborated to discuss their favorite films within the genre of VAMPIRES! That's right, those bloodsucking fiends who we all love (and at times hate) have been brought forth from their molding crypts for a little examination.
As you can tell from the post title and image, I chose Fright Night for my undead pick (I think From Midnight, With Love's The Mike shall be pleased). You can check me out talking about the classic HERE at the Vault of Horror.
And be sure you fly your bat wings over to Brutal As Hell where they offer vampires of both the deep and purely fun nature.
Another fun week of the summer-long The Lucky 13! Be sure to get your gray matters ready for next week when we talk about our favorites in Psychological Horror! Caray-zaaay!

Labels: Bloggin Madness, Brutal As Hell, Fright Night, The Lucky 13, Vampire, Vault Of Horror