It’s that time of the week when usually I’d be having band practice. But today I’m still in bed, I was up most of the night playing piano and re-reading Bram Stokers Dracula. As you probably know if you know me at all or regularly read my blog, we’re putting on this Nosferatu show November 26th. Screening the movie while playing live music etc. Anyway, the movie is loosely based on Bram Stokers Dracula. Very loosely. The first versions with the title-frames in German had the names changed due to a bunch of copy right issues. I understand the movie was made without permission from Stokers widow and I also have heard that the production company declared bankruptcy as soon as the movie was released to avoid handing over any money. The version we’re using has title cards in English, and while many of the names have been changed to match Stokers book again, there are some inconsistencies. Mina becomes Nina and London is still replaced with German town Bremen. The story lines of the movie and book differ quite a lot too, especially involving the endings. Having read the book and seen the movie so many times working on the project the two have kind of merged together in my mind as “Nosferacula” haha. In one of the songs I’m singing about London, it’s not a mistake I know the city in the movie isn’t called London, but in the book it is and makes more sense.
I’ve seen a few different versions of Nosferatu by now, one of the main differences between them is the titles-frames. Actually I’m sure there’s a proper word for those but it escapes me at the moment. By title-frames I mean the frames showing pieces of narrative or dialogue in between some scenes of the movie. Anyway, it’s amazing how these can change the movie, when all the scenes are the same but some versions having different narrative and dialogue than others. It’s bizarre. I went with the version available in the public domain archives, not wanting to step on any toes and every DVD I’d come across for sale or hire had copyright warnings and “for home use only” etc.
I’m blabbing on a bit I know, sometimes I just like to blog when theres a lot of stuff slooshing round my brain, clears the head a bit lol.
Anyway, the movie Nosferatu and the book Dracula, much better vampires than the ones we get these days. You wouldn’t see Nosferatu climbing trees with a girl or sparkling in the sun. Or playing violin at some kind of rock concert. Or wearing shades, or PVC. He is the evil undead not some kind of misunderstood eternal teenager.
Well thats probably enough blah blah blah from me right now. I think I forgot what todays point was. Gonna go drink 500 million billion zillion cups of coffeeeee and hit the piano again.
Related Twitter:
KristieAddison: Re-read Bram Stokers Dracula again last night. Sorry Twilight fans, it’s the best vampire book ever. Sorry Anne Rice fans, your vampires sux
KristieAddison: While Nosferatu is kinda based on Dracula, the storylines are a little different. I think I like the one where the heroine dies in the end.
KristieAddison: p.s. I’m not some kinda vampire nut, I’m just temporarily becoming a little obsessed with them working on current project. 
It’s research
Vampires really have been watered down in recent pop culture, haven’t they? Yes there was often a romantic/sensual undertone, but not to the point of diminishing the evil undead stuff – I love your “misunderstood eternal teenager” description of the current crop. Sorry I’m not able to come to the show; I’m sure it’ll be great.