Last Saturday was a picture perfect day.
Well, um, that is, to me anyway.
One of my favorite moments in the film is when Dracula puts a spell on someone by simply taking his hand and slowly turning his fingers, as the camera zooms in and captures it. Frank Langella has beautiful hands, which I feel added to the sensuality of the movement...
It was a grey, rainy and rather chilly day, that began early in the morning and continued until late in the evening.
While many people find that kind of day depressing and morbid, I find it both invigorating and relaxing.
So, do you know what I did? I grabbed my umbrella and spent most of the day outside walking around saying to myself, " Ooooo, I love this! I love this! I love this!"
I even strolled through an old cemetery and the weather added such a wonderful ambiance. At one point a clock in a nearby old church began to chime, which made me feel as if I had been transported back to another time...
As many of you know, I am very attracted to anything Goth. I also think I must have dated a vampire in one of my past lives because I have a "thing" for Dracula. I've seen a plethora of Dracula films and enjoyed them all. However, my ideal version is the one with Frank Langella released in 1979. And that's because Langella's portrayal was less scary, more seductive. He encompassed everything I imagined Dracula to be -- attractive, romantic, charming, passionate, and possessing unexplainable supernatural powers.
Therefore, Saturday evening I decided to treat myself to a Goth Dracula Night.
After taking a nice, hot shower, I opened a bottle of dark, dry red wine, lit some tealights, and turned off my apartment lights to create the perfect atmosphere to watch my best-loved Dracula movie...
Here, take a look at some images from the film...
Dracula's castle...
And to encourage him, I took a black Sharpie and made two dots on my neck, and then placed this sign on my chest; thanking him in advance for biting me...
Wishing you a Love-at-First-Bite week, everyone! 💗
Oh my god Ron, you are a riot! Love the Sharpie sign. That is brilliant! So I'm curious, didn't Dracula visit you that night? LOL!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is also into Goth, so I need to forward this post to her because she would enjoyed it. I've not seen the version you speak of in this post, but I'm curious about finding it now. The one I did see, and enjoyed, was the Bram Stoker's version with Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder, which I think was back in 90's. Being a Dracula fan, I'm sure you've seen it too. Wasn't it great? I loved the period costumes.
Thank you for the early morning laughs, Ron!
Ok, you weirdo!! Lol, I’m glad this isn’t the first time I’ve visited your blog!! Yeah, Vampires are sexy or there never would have been a Dark Shadows or Twilight series. I’m not a fan of rainy days, but your opening images are all beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOn to the question of the day: How the hell did you get the sharpie marks off your neck??
XO
I enjoy those kind of days from time to time. They are good for curling up with a good book on the couch under a cozy afghan. the earliest Dracula movie I remembered was the 1974 Blood for Dracula (Any Warhol's Dracula). I remember this one not because of the movie, but because it was one I snuck into as an underage teenager with my then boyfriend. 😆 The only other "Dracula movie" I've seen is Interview with a Vampire. But.....I never missed an episode of Dark Shadows back in the day!
ReplyDeleteHey there Candice!
ReplyDeleteHa! That Sharpie sign was a last minute add-on to this post. I was just going to say it, but then I thought I that a handwritten sign would be more amusing! And no, damn it, Dracula did NOT visit me. What a disappointment!
Yes, and I LOVE that version as well. And I think you're right, that was released sometime in the 90's. I remember when it came to a theater in Orlando, and couldn't wait to see it. I agree, the period costumes were amazing! They were created by a Japanese costume designer.
Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have an awesome rest of your week!
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HA! I know, aren't I a total WEIRDO? But I can't help it, I love those kind of days because they remind me of DRACULA! Aren't those images stunning? I found them online.
ReplyDelete"! Yeah, Vampires are sexy or there never would have been a Dark Shadows or Twilight series."
LOVED those shows! When I was a kid, I was such a fan of Dark Shadows. I used to watch it when I got home from school. And the Twilight series was just the coolest!
"On to the question of the day: How the hell did you get the sharpie marks off your neck??"
Okay, it's so ironic you mentioned that because I TOTALLY forgot that I had placed those Sharpie marks on my neck, so the next morning when I went to shave, I suddenly saw them. And I'm like, "What the HELL are those?!?" Well, don't you know that because I left them on all night, they were almost impossible to remove. I had to use a facial scrub to get them off my neck!
Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a grrrreat rest of your week!
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Yes, aren't those kind of days wonderful every once and a while? I find them so relaxing, but at the same time, invigorating because I feel very creative and inspired for some reason.
ReplyDelete". the earliest Dracula movie I remembered was the 1974 Blood for Dracula (Any Warhol's Dracula). I remember this one not because of the movie, but because it was one I snuck into as an underage teenager with my then boyfriend. 😆"
HAHAHA! OMG....YES! I remember seeing that version as well! And you're right, it was consider VERY risqué,
And yes, I remember seeing "Interview With A Vampire" as well. I loved the relationship between the two male vampires. And that was one of Kirsten Dunst's earlier films. She was so good in it!
Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a superb rest of your week!
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LOL!!!!! Bite me here!! Hysterical as always, love ya! 💘
ReplyDeleteI'm going to assume this movie was based on the 1977 Broadway revival of the 1924 play. I saw Langella in the play and it was mostly played for laughs. I gotta say the first Dracula movie I ever saw was 'Brides of Dracula' with Peter Cushing (1960) in living color and it scared the s**t out of me and vampires gave me nightmares for decades after that. Then again, I did a paper on vampires for my "Man. Myth and Magic" class in college - so I have a checkered past with vampires.
ReplyDeleteHello there, Laurel! 👋
ReplyDeleteAren't I crazy! LOL!
Love you too, my friend 💘
OMG Grace, I CANNOT believe you actually got to see Frank Langella in the Broadway play?!?! That's AMAZING!!! I would have loved to seen him in it. I believe it was at the Martin Beck Theater. And yes, this movie is based on the 1977 play. And it's so good. The whole cast is stellar.
ReplyDelete"I gotta say the first Dracula movie I ever saw was 'Brides of Dracula' with Peter Cushing (1960) in living color and it scared the s**t out of me and vampires gave me nightmares for decades after that. "
Yes! Yes! Yes! I know the version you speak of and you're right...it was scary at shit!!!! I think remember seeing that one on Saturday afternoon, watching it with my mother when I was a teenager.
" Then again, I did a paper on vampires for my "Man. Myth and Magic" class in college - so I have a checkered past with vampires."
That's VERY cool! I don't know, for some reason, I have always found vampires utterly fascinating. There is something appealing about them.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your comment. Very much appreciated!
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As you, Ron, my girlfriend and I are both into GOTH, so we really enjoyed reading your post this morning. And I (we) agree with you, there is something so relaxing AND invigorating about a grey, rainy day. I love the photos/images you used, they are so COOL! We've not seen this version of Dracula, but will look for it on Netflix. And I can see why it's your favorite because Frank Langella really looks like Dracula.
ReplyDelete"And to encourage him, I took a black Sharpie and made two dots on my neck, and then placed this sign on my chest; thanking him in advance for biting me..." ROFLMAO! That was hysterical!
Thank you for the laughs, dude. You need to write a book filled with Ron Essays!
Hey there Matt!
ReplyDeleteYup, knowing that we share the same love of Goth, I had a feeling you and your girlfriend would closely identify with this post LOL! I know that the majority of people find grey/rainy days depressing, but I love them. They somehow tap into my creativity. They also calm and relax me.
Aren't the images fantastic? I found them online when I google rainy, grey, goth day. They're like a work of art.
"We've not seen this version of Dracula, but will look for it on Netflix. And I can see why it's your favorite because Frank Langella really looks like Dracula."
There is something about how Langella portrays the character of Dracula that makes is my favorite. And yes, he even LOOKS like what I imagined Dracula to look like.
I couldn't resist that sign, which was actually a last minute thought.
Thanks so much for stopping by, my fellow-goth friend! Have a great rest of your week!
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I love those kind of days as long as don't have to work or do anything really. They are perfect days to cuddle up with a good book... or Dracula I suppose. Did he visit you by the way? I'm glad you've previously warned that you are a bit crazy or this post may have scared me away lol!
ReplyDeleteSweetie, you forget I'm from NYC - lived there the first 44 years of my life and theater going was just a way of life for some of us. If I started listing who and what I have seen on Broadway, Off Broadway and even Off-Off Broadway you would plotz! You might also shudder at what I walked out on LOL
ReplyDeleteRon, this is a hoot!! Your "spooky" photos show incredible depth of emotion. I love the fog and the black-and-white imagery, and it's fun to imagine you entering "Goth mode." Not really my cup of tea, my friend, but to each his own!
ReplyDeleteHave a splendid week! xx
OMG Grace, I can only IMAGINE all the Broadway (and Off Broadway and even Off-Off Broadway) shows you've seen over those 44 years. You're right, I would probably plotz! LOL! And I bet you had all the Playbills too!
ReplyDeleteIn the short five years that I lived there, I saw a lot. But that's only because I was involved in theater back then. And that's when Broadway tickets were only $15.00 and $5.00 for standing room. Oy vey...those were the days, because now (or back when Broadway was still open) the price of theater tickets have skyrocketed.
Hey there Debbie!
ReplyDeleteI know, whenever I tell people that I LOVE Goth, they all say, "YOU!?!?! You love GOTH!?!?!" Because I look like that last person who would be into Goth. It's as if Goth is my alter ego. LOL!
Aren't the spooky photos faaaaaaaabulous? I found them online. I love the imagery too!
Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Hope you had Happy Memorial Day. Enjoy the rest of your week!
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Yes, Martha, I understand. Many people feel the same way. They enjoy those kind of days, as long as they don't have work or do anything IN it. And yes, a good book is also another wonderful way to enjoy those kind of days.
ReplyDeleteNo, damn it, he didn't visit me, can you believe that? The nerve of him!
Yup, I'm crazy, I warned you. LOL!
Wow, Ron, you're really a sucker for vampires--or is it the other way around?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you made the most out of the rotten weather. Dracula is an excellent movie choice for such a dark and stormy night. And you created the perfect atmosphere.
I had the pleasure of seeing Frank Langella play Dracula on stage and that show was a hoot! You'd probably have a hard time fighting the urge to run up on the stage and tackle the Count!
You goth, girl!
I'm also a fan of the old Bela Lugosi version and the Coppola film as well. In addition, Lous Jordan did a Dracula mini-series (for the BBC, I think).
It was very well-done and it features the Count with a French accent--you'd go nuts!
Great post, buddy! Sleep tight and do let the vampires bite!
No I never kept the playbills - didn't see any reason to - back in the 60's and 70's good seats could be had for $5 - sometimes we, or just me would hit 2 shows a day - Saturday matinee and then an evening show - we/I went to the theater the way other people might go to the movies! But you know what I regret - I never saw The Fantastiks - I'd pass that theater several times a week and it was always, I gotta catch that some weekend - that show ran 42 years! I just never made the time...
ReplyDeleteOMG Rob, can I just tell you how MUCH I enjoy your clever wit? You are HYSTERICAL!!!!!
ReplyDelete"You goth, girl!"
Bwhahahahahahahaha!
"I had the pleasure of seeing Frank Langella play Dracula on stage and that show was a hoot! You'd probably have a hard time fighting the urge to run up on the stage and tackle the Count!"
OMG, you are the second person (NewYorker) who said that they saw Frank Langella onstage playing Dracula! Grace did too! I am soooooooooo envious! And yes, you're damn right, I would had a hard time fighting the urge to run up on stage and tackle the Count! Either that, or I would waited outside by the stage door until he came out and SCREAMED LOL!
"I'm also a fan of the old Bela Lugosi version and the Coppola film as well. In addition, Lous Jordan did a Dracula mini-series (for the BBC, I think)."
I agree...both were AWESOME! But I didn't know about the BBC one. I need to google that and check it out. Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your humor, buddy! Always enjoyed! Have a great rest of your week!
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" back in the 60's and 70's good seats could be had for $5"
ReplyDeleteI just fainted reading that LOL!
Oh Grace, you should write a post about your time in NY and going to the theater, I think it would be so interesting to hear some of your stories.
" I never saw The Fantastiks - I'd pass that theater several times a week and it was always, I gotta catch that some weekend - that show ran 42 years! I just never made the time..."
OH MY GOD...I cannot believe you mentioned The Fantastiks because I too never saw it at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in the Village. I know, can you believe it.....42 years?!?!? Longest running show EVER! Jerry Orbach -- loved him! And there was an actor who played Matt (Kenneth Nelson), who I saw in the movie, "The Boys in the Band" later in his career. He was such a gifted actor, who passed away at only 63.
Thanks so much for sharing your theater stories. Really enjoyed them!
Richard Burton, Hamlet, 1964 - right down front and center - tickets were a gift from my father who accompanied me. Revival of The Iceman Cometh - Jason Robards (still) playing Hickey ....I'm just lovin' teasing you with these - I don't know anyone else who would care 💜
ReplyDeleteOMG Grace...I'm verklempt at your list of Broadway plays (and stars) you've seen. WOW...A-MAZING!
ReplyDeleteOkay, are you ready for some of mine?
Henry Fonda in Clarence Darrow, Anthony Perkins in Equus, Eartha Kitt in Timbuktu, and Bette Midler in Clams on the Half Shell (her Broadway revue at the Minskoff Theater).
You and I could go on and on couldn't we? What FUN!!!!! X
Ron, when I first read your post title on my reader, I was immediately interested because I'm a MAJOR Dracula fan! Not only have I seen this film version, but I have a DVD collection of Dracula films. I would have to agree with you about Frank Langella being a favorite Dracula. He was so smooth and cool. I also loved Gary Oldman, but for a completely different reason. I really enjoyed the Bram Stoker's version because it gave you a look into how Dracula became Dracula. The cast was amazing, and so was the cinematography.
ReplyDeleteLove the images you selected from the film. And I busted a gut laughing at your sign. That was so funny! I feel the same about rainy, gray days. I love them. I always thought I would do well in a place like the UK, where they have a lot of those kind of days. When most people say that they long to travel to the tropics for a vacation, I say I'd rather go to some place like Vermont during the fall and winter months.
Hello there Daniel!
ReplyDeleteYipeeeee...another Dracula/Goth fan! Wow...you have a collection of films? I'm jealous. I have only two films on Dracula. However, I used to have more when I still had my collection of VHS tapes.
"I also loved Gary Oldman, but for a completely different reason. I really enjoyed the Bram Stoker's version because it gave you a look into how Dracula became Dracula. The cast was amazing, and so was the cinematography."
YES to all of that! And that's what I really love about that version the most. I liked that they incorporated the behind-the-scenes of how and why he became a vampire. It actually made you have so much compassion for him. The cinematography was freaking gorgeous! And so were the costumes.
OMG, I laughed at your comment when you said that you'd rather vacation in some place like Vermont in the fall and winter because I feel the exact same way. Either Vermont, some place like Maine. I lived in the tropics for 20 years, so I'm over it. But I can totally understand why people are drawn to go there. I just don't like living in place that's pretty much hot and humid all the time.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your comment. REALLY enjoyed! Have a great rest of your week!
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Hi Ron, rainy days are not all bad as you have shown by telling us how you spent one. And, while Dracula films would not be my way to spend one as I would like the wine, a good read and cozy couch and blanket, whatever works is ok.
ReplyDeleteAnd now to tell you that I saw Frank Langella play Dracula on Broadway, but have never seen the film. Now don’t fall over, but my husband’s late aunt attended Columbia high school with him in Maplewood, NJ and dated him for awhile.
The Sharpie marks and sign were a great last minute addition to this post. You do have a wicked and much appreciated sense of humor, my friend.
" Now don’t fall over, but my husband’s late aunt attended Columbia high school with him in Maplewood, NJ and dated him for awhile.
ReplyDeleteOH...MY....GOD, D....I'm sure you heard my body hit the floor ( *thud* ) as I fainted reading that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She DATED him for awhile?!?! That's INCREDIBLE! And that's right, I read somewhere he was born in New Jersey (Bayonne, I think). And I am also impressed that you saw Langella on Broadway in the play version. You, and two other people here saw him in that play. The movie is based off the play, but from what others have shared in their comments, the play was more of a comedy, rather than a drama. The movie, however, is more centered on the seduction of Dracula. It's more of a drama.
"I would like the wine, a good read and cozy couch and blanket,.."
Yes, that sounds like an awesome way to spend the day as well!
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your comment. That was AWESOME! Hope you're enjoying a great week!
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Ron, what a way to end my week, laughing my ass off! For as long as I've been reading your blog, you continue to surprise, entertain, and inspire me.
ReplyDeleteThe sign you left for Dracula is PRICELESS! How do you think of this stuff?
I've only seen one vampire themed movie, and that's the Bram Stoker version with Wynona Ryder and Gary Oldman. Loved it! I will have to see if I can find the one you mentioned in this post because it intrigues me. And I agree, Frank Langella's hands are beautiful. And SEXY!
Thank you for the entertainment, Count Ronald! Have a wonderful weekend! xo
Hola Denise!
ReplyDeleteAs I shared in one of my previous posts, I'm CRAZY, aren't I? I ain't right....LOL!
Thank you for your sweet, kind words, girl.
I love the Bram Stoker version too! I used to own it VHS. Such a great version. And such a talented cast! That film is like a work of art!
"And I agree, Frank Langella's hands are beautiful. And SEXY!"
Yup...very SEXY! But then again, I like hands. I find that they are the first thing I notice when I meet someone. Hands are so expressive.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Denise! Have a great Friday and weekend! I can't believe it's already the weekend.
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Thank you for the chuckle! I love misty weather too.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you had a chuckle, Fiona!
ReplyDeleteIsn't misty weather faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous?
Much thanks for stopping by, my friend!
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