Nosferatu (2024)

I was so excited when I watched the first trailer for Nosferatu. I knew that I had to go see it. I originally planned for opening night, but family got in the way. That changed today as I made it out for an afternoon showing of 2024s Nosferatu. 

Plot: A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

This was an amazing film. Every aspect of the movie was finely crafted to give it life and allow it to breathe and it does. The overall visuals are amazing and work extremely well at creating a dark yet beautiful experience. The cast was tremendous and their performances were top notch. The atmosphere was amazing, storyline interestingly updated while staying true to the classic, the dialog was outstanding, soundtrack perfect and the effects work well within the story. The pacing started to become uneven toward the end and Count Orlock could have had a little more depth, but those are extremely small issues. In the end, this movie should solidify Robert Eggers as a master of the genre and quickly become a classic. It already has become my favorite Christmas movie and it is one I am sure I will revisit many times. If you haven’t seen it yet, head out and do it. It is well worth it. 

Spree (2020)

I really do love this time of the year,  it gives me a perfect excuse to immerse myself into all things spooky, strange, and horror related. Like last night,  I got to go out to watch the silent classics Nosferatu and the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with a live band playing an incredible soundscape. The Invincible Czars were amazing! Today, I've watched a couple things,  including this movie Spree from 2020.

Plot: Desperate for an online following, a rideshare driver has figured out a deadly plan to go viral and he will stop at nothing to get his five minutes of fame.

When I selected this one this morning,  I had no idea on what to expect and was actually pleasantly surprised by what I found.  Unfortunately,  I already know that this will be a movie that will be very polarizing, and the audience will either love it or hate it. It's it a good film,  technically not really.  The dialog is so-so, the performances are uneven,  and the end sort of spirals. But,  there is something here within the idea of the storyline that adds a realistic view of the viral streaming community and the many different parts of society that want to join those ranks. Personally, I love social media (@ringmasters_realm on Instagram) and could understand everything that was taking place within the movie.  But, that might put me in a minority. In the end, this wasn't great, but it was a fun way to spend some time watching something outside the typical cookie-cutter horror that has become common. Not for everybody, but will appeal to a social media generation.

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

Having spent last night with Chucky, I decided that I wanted something completely different tonight. After searching through Shudder, I went for a classic vampire tale in 1979s vampire entry Nosferatu the Vampyre.

Plot/ Count Dracula moves from Transylvania to Wismar, spreading the Black Plague across the land. Only a woman pure of heart can bring an end to his reign of horror.

Wanting a classic vampire tale, this movie seemed like the perfect selection for the evening. Having not seen it in some time, I had forgotten how beautiful this movie was and how well it captured the great story of Dracula. Werner Herzog did a great job at creating a modern version of Murnau's classic Nosferatu, while adding some almost human elements to the Dracula character. The performances are outstanding, the cinematography and visuals are amazing, and there is a subtle calm that ties everything together. Unfortunately, the splendor captured inside those elements do take a small toll on the overall feel of the movie as this one does seem to lack the darker atmosphere of the original, the pacing is slow, and there really are no creepy or frightening moments. Fortunately, when you submerge yourself into the film, those flaws are easily overlooked. In the end, this is a different film than most Dracula interpretations because it shows sadness in the character that usually doesn’t exist. It may not be for everyone, but it is definitely worth watching and an underrated film in Dracula lore.

From Undead: The Vampire Collection - Nosferatu (1922) - The Bat (1926) - Terror Creatures from the Grave (1965)

The first film that I watched from the Undead: The Vampire Collection 20 Movie Pack was the 1922 classic Nosferatu (which I have seen many times). Really, there is nothing to say about this classic film other than it is a must see. Directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film, shot in 1921 and released in 1922, was in essence an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel.

The Bat

The second film I enjoyed tonight was another silent classic, the 1926 redition of The Bat. This silent film based on the 1920 hit Broadway play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, directed by Roland West and starring Jack Pickford and Louise Fazenda. The story takes place in an old mansion, where people look for hidden loot while a caped killer (nicknamed "The Bat") murders them one by one.  While this is a great film and actually a tremendous transfer from its original state, it is hardly a vampire movie. In fact, it is more of a pulp movie than horror, it actually makes me wonder why it was included in the set. The plot is very simple, amnd the acting and soundtrack are excellant. Ironically, the Bat character seems to be an early influence for the Batman comic strip, with some of the elements of the character clearly in play in this movie. Although it is not a horror flick, it is worth watching.

Terror Creatures From the Grave

The last film from the set I watched this evening was the 1965 Italian Supernatural horror film, Terror Creatures from the Grave (Italian title: Cinque tombe per un medium). Directed by Massimo Pupillo and starring Barbara Steele, Walter Brandi, and Mirella Maravidi,  the movie follows an attorney who arrives at a castle to settle the estate of its recently deceased owner. The owner's wife and daughter reveal that he was someone who was able to summon the souls of ancient plague victims and, in fact, his spirit was roaming the castle at that very moment. Soon occupants of the castle begin to die off in gruesome, violent ways.

This tale of betrayal and gruesome vengeance is supposed to be based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, although as a fan of his, I am not really seeing it. Again, I am not sure why this film was included in The Vampire Collection, as the creatures in the movie are more zombie-like (although you never really see them). These monsters are said to carry the plague in their very touch. Fortunately the somewhat grisly results are seen after the creatures leave their mark. Barbara Steele has a masterful performance and the storyline is decent. Unfortunately, the film does have limitations in budget and the transfer quality is not the greatest. But, despite these limitations, this was a fun movie to watch and really added some horror to the night after watching The Bat.

Undead: The Vampire Collection

When I got off work today, I ran to the local Wal-Mart with the wife and stumbled onto another great movie collection from Mill Creek, Undead: The Vampire Collection. With the weather in New Jersey destined to be miserable all weekend, I imagine that the 20 movies will not last, especially considering I have watched and reviewed a few of these already over the past couple of weeks.

Listening to the bos, I should be in for a great weekend, "Sink your fangs into this immortal collection of 20 frighteningly delicious films featuring some of the most legendary vampire flicks of all time. From Bela Lugosi to Paul Naschy, the most beloved bloodsuckers of yesterday and today are all together in one terrifying compilation." In all the four  DVDs contain:

Atom Age Vampire                     
The Bat (1926)
The Bat (1959)
Blood of Dracula's Castle
The Bloody Vampire
Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride
Crypt of the Living Dead
The Devil Bat
Horrible Sexy Vampire
Horror Express
The Last Man on Earth
Nightmare Castle
Nosferatu
Prime Evil
Terror Creatures From the Grave
The Vampire Bat
Vampire Happening
The Vampire's Night Orgy
The Werewolf vs. Vampire Women
The Witches Mountain

As I mentioned earlier, I have already reviewed some of these here on The Ringmaster's Realm , In fact, just yesterday I did Horror Express.

I have also done:

Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride

or

The Satanic Rights of Dracula

And earlier in the year:

 

 The Last Man on Earth

Now, time for me to move to the first two films for the evening, the silent classics Nosferatu and The Bat.