Art All Night 20 - 2017

I have had to take a few days away from the computer, as there have been a ton of different things going on this weekend. Between the NFL Draft and writing, I have finally started watching my first movie of the weekend about five minutes ago. That has not been all that bad, as last night I got to go to Art All Night 20 in Lawrenceville and saw dome awesome art and some awesome bands. If you are in the Pittsburgh area and have never been to Art All Night, you are missing out on a great experience. Here are a few of the pictures from last night. 

Blood For Dracula (1974)

After watching Flesh For Frankenstein, I decided that it would not be a complete week if I did not follow that up with Blood For Dracula AKA Andy Warhol’s Dracula from 1974. To me, Warhol’s influence on society and the art world is often overlooked and these films are great vehicles of that genius.

Plot / Count Dracula know that if he fails to drink a required amount of pure virgin blood, he will not survive. His assistant suggests that the Count and he pick up his coffin and take a road trip to Italy, where families are known to be particularly religious, and therefore should be an excellent place to search for a virgin bride. They do, only to encounter a family with virgins ready for marriage. Unfortunately, the Count discovers one-by-one that the girls are not as pure as they say they are.

Filmed directly after Flesh For Frankenstein, this play on the Bram Stoker classic definitely has its moments. While lacking in the overall gore of the pre-mentioned film, this one has some great moments and is really an artistic period piece with superb setting and costume. Udo Kier as Dracula is excellent in his over the top rendition of the count and the gratuitous sex scenes are always appealing. However, the pacing is a bit slow and uneven at times and some of the acting is way below average. It is what it is, a campy romp into the realm of Dracula, one that is definitely more entertaining thanTwilight ever could be.

Flesh For Frankenstein (1973)

After spending some time with Jack the Ripper, I decided it was time for a bit of an artistic change. With that in mind, it was a no brainer when I found Flesh For Frankenstein AKA Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein from 1973.

Plot / In Serbia, Baron Frankenstein lives with the Baroness and their two children. He dreams of a super-race, returning Serbia to its grand connections to ancient Greece. In his laboratory, assisted by Otto, he builds a desirable female body, but needs a male who will be superbody and superlover. He thinks he has found just the right brain to go with a body he's built, but he's made an error, taking the head of a gay aesthete. Meanwhile, the Baroness has her lusts, and she fastens on Nicholas, a friend of the dead lad. Can the Baron pull off his grand plan? He brings the two zombies together to mate. Meanwhile, Nicholas tries to free his dead friend.

When I stumbled upon this the other day I had to admit that my memories of the film were vague, now that I have seen it again it is clear that I enjoyed it even more this time than I did the last. It is almost like this movie just gets better and better as the years go by with a amazing mixture of gore, humor, horror, sex and subversion. While this retelling of the story may be the most unusual adaptation to hit the big screen, the combination of comedy has it all. There is incest, necrophilia, bloody stitches, stomachs, impalements, severed body parts, rape, nudity and sex. The acting is solid with Udo Kier doing an amazing campy rendition of the Baron. The ending is a bit of a mess, some of the plot may be a bit over the top and the cinematography a bit rough, but those flaws are easily overlooked. Yes, this movie is not for everyone, but then again, neither was Warhol’s work, yet it still stands the test of time! Any horror fan must check this one out!