31 Nights of Halloween - Night 12: Horror of Dracula

Dracula has only gotten a bit of coverage thus far in this 31 Nights of Halloween series here at the Dark Dimension. That's too bad, as the suave, urbane vampire is an iconic figure of the holiday, and with good reason; the veneer of civility covering a soulless walking corpse may be seen as a commentary on modern society. Or not; vampires are often sexy beasts, gliding through the lonely centuries by siphoning the very life from their surrounding mortal acquaintances, seducing at will, destroying on whims.

It helps immensely that Dracula himself has been played by two of the most naturally debonair screen actors: Bela Lugosi in 1931, and Christopher Lee starting in 1958. Both bring a certain menacing sophistication to the role. In Lee's case, Dracula is a looming figure, tall and cadaver-thin, with a hollow-cheeked face that can transform from almost serene calm to bestial fury while remaining completely believable. Bela Lugosi owned the role, but a few years after his passing, Christopher Lee managed to imprint his own indelible mark upon it.

But a strong villain needs a strong protagonist, and Hammer managed to pair Lee with the equally self-possessed, and equally razor-thin and strong-featured, Peter Cushing as Dracula's eternal nemesis, Van Helsing. Haven't seen it? Then go see it. Here's a taste.