Dario Argento's Dracula Movie

I've always watched Dario Argento's movies because the first horror or X film I ever got into the cinema to watch, was Suspiria - a great Argento movie. I loved the film Suspiria and have watched it so many times. In my view it is his best. Therefore, I keep watching Argento films hoping he will get the right ingredients, as he did in Suspiria.

However, to date, I've yet to come across an Argento movie that even comes close to the atmospheric suspense that Suspiria had for me. When I saw the title in my supermarket; Argento's Dracula, I thought, 'Wow! maybe good old Dario has pulled another one out of the bag. It would be about time too, since 1977.

The front cover boasted good actors: Thomas Kretschmann and Rutger Hauer. Therefore, with ill deserved confidence, I bought the DVD and that evening, with arrogant aplomb, I sat down to watch the Argento version of Dracula.

Oh dear! I waisted a couple of hours of my life. I felt robbed and cheated and begin to wonder when Argento will make another movie that could even compare with Suspiria. I can't help thinking that actors of Kretschmann and Hauer's mold might be a little disappointed by the finished product too.

I'll keep watching Argento movies because of the one good one I have seen - Suspiria. I will keep living in hope, but everything he has done since can't begin to compare. In my humble opinion, Argento's Dracula did not flick any switches for me. It is not important that it drifted from the original story because there are so many good adaptations of Dracula. So a different slant is fine and I expected such. It's just that the presentation of the whole thing was dreadful. The acting and all. It just did not work. It was worse then a bad Hammer House horror.

Keep trying Dario and look at all the grand suspense you created in Suspiria. You got it all right in that. You just never seemed to be able to build upon it it.

Skull and Cross Bone Old English Grave

I was strimming the grass of the graveyard in Rayliegh church in Essex today - 16th May 2012. We came upon this grave with a skull and crossbone on. The grave stone is unusually close to the church wall. At first we thought it might be an old plague victim, but there are several of these gavestones in Paglesham in Essex - another parish within Rochford where I work. They (Skull and Crossbone graves) are used inside Paglesham church as floor pavements and are in better condition. They are obviously taken from their graveyard for I doubt people are buried inside the village church beneath the walkway. I have since learnt that skull and crossbone graves were very common in the 1600 to the 1760. The one in Rayliegh Church graveyard is dated 1730, but is so worn it is hard to decipher. I think it is symbolic of the dead person communicating with the reader - a message saying 'the way I am' - as in deceased at this moment. I think some of the words of this grave read: Here Lyeth the Body of Me. REBE KAH MERRYFIELD. WIFE OF THO MERRYFIELD. Departed life March -- 1730.

I presume REBE KAH means Rebecca or a strange spelling of. I am sure she is not a plague victim now and it can't be anything criminal because in 1730 I think criminals were not allowed to be buried on church ground. Therefore, I am of the opinion that it means something personal from the deceased saying the way they are now as you 'the reader' deciphers the gravestone.

I wonder if the same stone masons who made this gravestone, made the ones in Paglesham church too. They look very alike and to see the Paglesham grave stones; click the next link and you may agree. http://www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/194279633/

Vampire - good or bad you decide.

There seems to be a big market in Vampire stories at the moment and this, of course, has happened before. It will pass go full circle and come back again. These supernatural beings are becoming more like anti-heroes in some sagas as opposed to the demonic blood sucking beings that usually have been. They are cropping up in teenage stories, being good guys that still need to drink blood but take it in other ways. There have been police detective TV series where vampires help solve crimes, fall in love with humans - the list goes on. I think the public will never tire of vampires - good or bad - you decide.