Christopher Lee has always been my favourite Dracula and many a scary night was spent as a kid watching old Hammer Films into the early hours. Lee’s cloak is in the ‘Dracula Experience’ on the harbour side in Whitby.

But what about Gary Oldman – is he an even better Dracula? What would Bram Stoker think?

I did enjoy the way he portrayed the Prince of Darkness on screen, but what do YOU think? Leave a comment and add to the debate.

Meanwhile here are a few more articles and videos to get you thinking about this topic:

Gary Oldman on Dracula

Gary Oldman talks about playing Dracula from In Search Of Dracula.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Prologue (extended)

Vengeful turks shot an arrow into the castle, carrying false news of Vlad Draculea’s Death. His bride, Elisabeta, believing him dead, flung herself into the river. from: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Collector’s Edition) 2007.

Gary Oldman Dracula interview

Gary Oldman – Making of Dracula

Gary speaks about his one true love.

Related Gary Oldman and Dracula articles

• Bram Stoker’s Dracula – 1992 (jdcwitherton.com)
• Dracula Movies (robertforto.wordpress.com)
• Where did Bram Stoker get his inspiration for Dracula (wiki.answers.com)
• Gary Oldman’s ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Days Are Over (splashpage.mtv.com)
• Gary Oldman heads off to Cold War (canada.com)
• Gary Oldman….Just Because (dirtywhorelebrity.com)

Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, has written “Dracula: The Un-Dead.”

Seems like Dacre put together the story from notes and jottings from Bram’s original notes.  However, the sequel has been co-authored by screenwriter Ian Holt.

The book has the blessing of the Stoker Estate and should be out in October 2009.  It seems VERY likely that a screen adaptation will soon follow.

Personally, I’m hesitant about a sequel, but no doubt I’ll buy it (and watch the film!).

What do you think?  Is a sequel long overdue?

Alan

Here’s part of the festival’s mission statement:

The Bram Stoker International Film Festival established in order to provide more opportunities and exposure for filmmakers, screenwriters, Sci-Fi and games developers working within the horror, science fiction and suspense genres, as well as to draw more attention to WHITBY by means of our annual Film Festival.

It’s great to see that Whitby is attracting such quality events and this can only be a good thing for the town and its inhabitants.

Oh… and the website is entertaining too!

Click here to visit: Bram Stoker International Film Festival

Let me know what you think or if you have any thoughts about Whitby being used for filming, festivals, etc.

Alan

Read more by clicking the link below:

Loving True Blood in Dallas: The New Annotated Dracula

Appendix 1: “Dracula’s Guest” Appendix 2: The Dating of Dracula Appendix 3: The Chronology of Dracula Appendix 4: A Whitby Glossary Part II : Considering the Count [examines fictional accounts, Dracula in academia, on stage and screen, …

GOTHIC WEEKEND IN WHITBY

Tony and Rivkah’s stay at Bats and Broomsticks, a Gothic Victorian guesthouse in Whitby, Yorkshire, the town where Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. Film produced by www.yourphotomovies.co.uk.

Great soundtrack from composer Wojciech Kilar.

Hope you enjoy it!

Alan

River Princess – Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Wojciech Kilar

From the hypnotic Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 masterpiece. Composer Wojciech Kilar.

The first video takes you through a tour of Bram Stoker’s Whitby and links the novel to places in the town.

The second video is an amusing look at the Whitby Goth Weekend (it really is quite insane!).

Two contrasting videos showing thet there really is something for everybody on the Yorkshire Coast!

Enjoy.

Dracula tour

whitby goths 666

The neat thing is that it’s available in 187 installments so you don’t need to read it all in one go.

Click here for more information: Dracula

Shameless plug: if you want to have your own copy of ‘Dracula’ and ‘Dracula’s Guest’ (yes, there’s more!), why not make a small donation to the Dracula-in-Whitby website to keep it running, and you’ll be able to download the books for free (end of shameless plug!)

Donate to Dracula in Whitby

The author of Dracula was a race walker of some repute.  In fact, he clocked 40min 5sec to cross the line first in the five-mile walk at the Civil Service Athletics Championships in London (1868).

For those with a mathematical brain, that’s  8min 1sec a mile, or 3hr 30min marathon pace.

Pretty good, eh?

Spookily, Britain has a new rising star of race walking, Johanna Jackson, who trains just above Whitby (where Stoker found some of his inspiration for his gothic novel).

The Independent has more to say on the matter… Bram Stoker: speed walker!