Dracula the Undead
Company: None
Director: None, although Ernest Dickerson (Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight) was attached very early on.
Novel Written By: Dacre Stoker (great grandnephew of Bram Stoker) and Ian Holt
The Story: Set 25 years after the events that took place in “Dracula,” Mina and Jonathan Harker are having serious martial woes and they have a son, Quincey (named after their fallen comrade in the first story), who wants to be an actor. When the drug-addicted Dr. Seward is killed at the outset of the story, the Harkers, Arthur Holmwood and Dr. Van Helsing are pulled back into another vampire-ridden scenario. Except this time, Dracula is only partially part of the problem. The story’s main villain is Countess Bathory. Stoker and Holt map out a sordid back story for this gal and tie her into the Dracula legend. There are a number of surprising turns, including a few notable deaths. And because of Mina’s tryst with the Count, she has a few powers of her own that come into play when Bathory’s revenge scheme intensifies. It should be mentioned that Bram Stoker is a character (!) and the “Dracula” novel exists – how and why? Read the book…
Who is Dracula? Oh yeah, Dracula! He does have a presence, in spite of his supposed death (there’s a twist regarding his persona that you see a mile away). He’s physically weak and not the immortal he used to be, and he’s still pining for Mina. The question really is “Who is Countess Bathory?” The answer there: A cold-hearted bitch who likes to dress in men’s clothes and can change into various guises, whether its red mist or a giant winged demon.
Bottom Line: Let this “official sequel” rest in peace on the page. As a book? Okay, I’ll roll with it just a little. The story starts strong then descends into a mess that would not work on the screen. Stoker and Holt pull a lot of tricks, they test your level of acceptance and try to cram way too much into their story. I didn’t mention above that there’s a narrative thread pertaining to the Jack the Ripper murders, too! The novel accrued some heat leading up to its release last year. I haven’t heard much about the realities of it being adapted.
Source: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor
