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DRACULA "Restored"
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Re: DRACULA "Restored"
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stephendsullivan
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Mar 18 15 11:56 AM
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It doesn't make sense to me that a director of Browning's experience would make cuts that harm the storylines of the film. Browning's films tend to have problems, IMO, but disjointing the story to create an eerie feeling in the audience isn't one of them. Browning knew how to creep people out with story alone, and his storylines tend to be fairly easy to follow, despite what I sometimes feel are unnecessary twists. DRACULA has story issues that, to me, don't seem related to the source materials (including the play), bur are rather because of editing choices. And, as a professional writer and storyteller, I have trouble believing that Browning would have made those choices. He didn't seem to in his other films. (I also doubt that they are entirely the result of it being an early talking picture.)
Since the Spanish-language version of the film (shot at the same time) has fewer of these issues, it makes sense to me that someone in the editing room made some "bad" choices. Maybe it was Browning; we'll likely never know. But in the light of his other, less disjointed work, I tend to think the problems were more likely with a studio edit -- no matter who ordered them. Studios make seemingly random edits all the time, including for things like running time. "If we cut 10 minutes from Dracula, we can have 5 showings a night rather than 4!" Again, we'll probably never know for sure. But I see no harm in discussing the issues we have with the film (mostly story/editing) and why they might have come about.
Nor do I see any issue with Clark and Kerry re-editing Dracula to show what "might have been" and how with a few tweaks (and perhaps following the script), the film could have been better. As a writer, I see stories (and films) all the time where I think: "Jeeze! Why did they do that? A simple fix could have made it so much better!" (It continually amazes me how much money and time Hollywood will spend on a film without actually spending nearly so much on the writing/story.) So, I'm glad that these two gents have given us alternatives to think about.
And I'm pretty sure that all of us love DRACULA as it exists (flawed or not), or we wouldn't be engaged in such exercises or discussions to begin with.
But sadly, we may never actually know why the DRACULA we have took the final form it did. All we have from the Spanish version and script are intimations of what might have been.
So, if you don't like reconstructions (or deconstructions), don't watch 'em. We'll always have the DRACULA we have. And now, thanks to the blu-ray restoration, it looks and sounds better than ever.
www.stephendsullivan.com
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Welcome to the CHFB
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CHFB TURNS 20!
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
Universal Horrors
The Universal Monsters Blu-Ray Collection
Golden Age Horror
Kong - 8th Wonder of the World
Silent Horror
Poverty Row
The World of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mystery
Thrills and Chills
'50s Horror and Sci-Fi
'60s Horror and Sci-Fi
'70s Horror and Sci-Fi
Hammer Horror
The Psycho Ward
Foreign Horror
Japanese Giants
Horror and Sci-Fi of Recent Decades
Current Films
Second Takes on Films of the 2000s
Independent Films and Documentaries
Coming Soon
TV Terrors
Classic Horror on DVD, Blu-Ray and Streaming
Stream and Stream Again
Horror Film Books and Magazines
Horror by Candlelight
Horror Comics and Fantasy Art
Monster Toys and Collectibles
Classic Horror Movie Memorabilia
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Old Time Radio and Audio Horror
Classic Horror Online
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Our Favorite Horror Hosts
Classic Disney Scares
Horror Film Stars
Men Behind the Monsters
Monster Kid Memories
General Horror and Sci-Fi
Horror Tech
Movie of the Day
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