h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Dracula - the Hammer Horror Film - A785199
Author: Jimster - U292

Hello everyone,

A few months ago, I did a project on Hammer Horror films. Unfortunately, I'd lost the notes I made on one particular film, 'Dracula', and couldn't include that in the project back then. But I've since found them and have assembled this entry on one of the most groundbreaking British horror films ever.

A film that will, in some regions of Britain, forever be known as 'Dracleeur'.

As always, it's a bit long, but... well, see what you think.

Jims

Nice one Jimster

My only comments are just a few things that don't read particularly well:

"A vampire can feed from a victim many times - they do not automatically die after a single attack. However, once a vampire has fed once, the victim is infected with a virus or contagion that, on death, will lead to the final transformation into a member of the 'Undead'. Once a victim has been infected by the vampiric contagion, they become almost like drug addicts."

The word 'once' seems to crop up a bit too much- how about "A vampire can feed from a victim many times- they do not automaticallydie after a single attack. If a vampire feeds on a victim once, however, the victim is infected with a virus or contagion that, on death, will lead to the final transformation into a member of the 'Undead'. Following a victim's infection by the vampiric contagion, they become almost like drug addicts."


"The inspiration for Van Helsing to grab the two candlesticks to form a cross comes from a 1933 film Berkeley Square, starring Leslie Howard."

How? Is this film a horror or vampire film? Why were the candlesticks used here?

"This film would appear to be set at around the same time as the publication of Stoker's novel (1897). The phonograph that Van Helsing uses would appear to be in keeping with this (Thomas Edison patented the first cylinder-based phonograph back in 1880)."

Again, "appears to be in keeping" is reused. What about

"This film appears to be set at around the same time as the publication of Stoker's novel (1887). The phonograph that Van Helsing uses is in keeping with this (Thomas Edison patented the first cylinder-based phonograph back in 1880)."

"Although much of the pruning was a necessity brought about through Hammer's notoriously meagre budgets, the picture seems to be perfectly paced at its concise length. As a consequence a few of the expositions seem a little rushed, and though the little girl, Tania is the daughter of the Harker's housekeeper, Gerda, this isn't altogether clear."

This doesn't make sense, one minute it's not rushed, the next it is. I think a "there are some problems though" bit between the "perfectly paced" and "a few of the expositions" would make this clearer.

These are just a few ideas of mine, feel free to either use or ignore them

All fair points there - I've amended the text accordingly.



Jims

Any more comments?

(he asks, shamelessly bumping his entry higher up the list...

A very good article.
The only thing I can think of to suggest is to perhaps include a couple of referenced links to other related articles, such as:
Buffy: A315893
Blade: A164549

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know!

<BB<

Hey Jimster, long article indeed, but well done, so I enjoyed reading it.
A minor point:
"Christopher Lee usurped him", appears in a ( ), but the him is an unclear pronoun, perhaps "Lee usurped the role" [from Legosi] would be clearer.

Also, I found a lot of general Vampire info in here (as opposed to Hammer films). Totally appropriate, of course, but perhaps that should appear in its own section. But a lot of this information is availible in the earlier entry on Vampires. Perhaps simply referring to that entry and pointing out difference would be enough.

Just a thought.
Friar

Cheers for those points (no pun intended).

The vampire stuff is included simply because not every Hammer film stuck to these rules. As I mentioned in my Hammer project, in the Karnstein trilogy (Lust for a Vampire, Twins of Evil and Vampire Lovers) vampires can walk about in daylight so long as it's overcast; in Brides of Dracula (and Scars of Dracula), we see vampires transmogrify into bats; and in almost every Dracula film there's a new rule about how he can die, largely because they have to undo the previous rule just to bring him back.

But it's not something I'm precious about, and indeed, if people think it's too long, I'd willingly cut that bit. It's just a bit of overenthusiastic extra detail

Jims

These films gave me nightmares throughout my childhood.

Nice one.

No sleep tonight for me.

You bring up a good point in that whenever a Vampire project is underway, the creator chooses which history of teh vampire to use. I now understand that Hammer's Dracula has a diferent view than even other Hammer films. I'll reread that section to see if it's clearer to me now, Or rather, if I find it more fitting, now . . . ok english bad today, hit head with rock, again try tomorrow.

Friar
ps. I wouldn't listen to me today, it's too hot to think clearly

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has subscribed to some of the rules, but not others, so when they want to bend the rules they have to come up with big convaluted exceptions - like when Dracula turned up and got repeatedly staked and they turned it into a bit of a joke

Jimster

Everybody creates their on version of the rules to some extent (read:Anne Rice has been working consistently for many years).

Friar

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Thanks all!



"Grr... Argh!"

Yay! Well done Jimster