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Second Takes on Films of the 2000s
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VAN HELSING (2006)
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Re: VAN HELSING (2006)
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theuglyinsect
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Feb 17 10 9:57 AM
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I'll regret posting this, but I actually enjoyed Van Helsing. I can't help it, I'm semi-ashamed of it, but all the attrocious acting, abysmal writing, sub par CGI, video game like action sequences couldn't dampen my enjoyment of seeing a crap load of monsters duking it out on screen for 2 hours. Van Helsing is a very bad movie, I know this- I agree with almost every negative review and personal opinion i've heard or read about this film. It deserves the hate it gets, but I can't help it I enjoy the film. Richard Roxburgh's Dracula is the single worst Dracula ever put to film (although the guy in Blade Trinity gives him a run for his money) and I did not like the characterization given to Frankenstein's monster. Also much like Sommer's two Mummy films (which I also enjoyed-despite their flaws) there is absolutely nothing "iconic" about the monster design in these films.
My only issue with the criticisms of Van Helsing is that some classic horror fans act like the guy was remaking Casablanca or Citizen Kane here. I will always maintain that the original source material that inspired Sommer's Van Helsing (namely the mash-up films ie: House of Frankenstein/Dracula) were not any better then the final product Sommer's put out. Where is the vehement hatred towards those films? They were every bit as ill conceived, poorly written, poorly acted as Van Helsing was. I suspect much like myself, many of you saw those films as kids- and as kids all that mattered was that it had a crap load of monsters in them. I still enjoy those monster mash films, but I can also recognize that from a critical standpoint, with the exception of some nice make up work and beautiful art direction (a hallmark of all the Uni films) those are poor films as well. So I think one of my reasons for enjoying Van Helsing is that the critical portion of my brain shuts off, like it does with say the House films and I just kinda revert back to being a kid for 2 hours. Another thing about Van Helsing that never seems to be fairly recognized is that the cinematography is genuinely beautiful and the art direction is spot on in terms of the beautiful gothic sets...be they digital or otherwise. That's one aspect of the film Sommers absolutely nailed.
In regards to Sommer's first Mummy film- I though it was great. It was a big, fun b-movie and I really think Sommer's breathed new life into a franchise that was pretty stagnant. The original 32' Mummy has a great story, some great Jack Pierce make up work, and Karloff is fantastic, but it probably drags a little by today's standards in terms of pacing and it's lack of action. The sequels, which I actually enjoy quite a bit, from a critical standpoint probably represent the lowest point of Universal horror films. So this was a franchise that was in need of re-inventing and I think Sommer's did a great job with the first film- it was equal parts adventure, action & horror with just a slight bit of levity and humor to balance everyting out. I enjoyed The Mummy Returns as well, although you can see Sommer's beginning to overindulge in regards to all his bad habits, the humor in the first film blew up to full on camp and kinda forshadowed the mess Van Helsing would become. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is just pure crap, all around, unimaginative bad sequel.
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Welcome to the CHFB
Forum Guidelines
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
Horror Music
Old Time Radio and Audio Horror
Classic Horror Online
CHFB Member Reviews
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
Off Topic Discussions
Classic Horror News and Events
Birthdays and Holidays
DVR / TiVo Alert
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Classic Horror Classifieds
Monster Kids Helping Monster Kids
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