According to Wikipedia, Bram Stoker's Count Dracula has appeared in more than 200 movies. Serious filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola and Werner Herzog have used the story of the Transylvanian vampire to explore themes of star-crossed love and eternal life, usually throwing in buckets and buckets of blood into the mix. But where some see tragedy, others see farce. Hence Mel Brooks' Dracula: Dead and Loving It and now Patrick Nicely's Dracula: Revamped.

In Nicely's politically incorrect reimagining, Dracula (Karl Andrew) is a twentyish college student who, after walking the earth for 500 years, just wants to get an education. His roommates, the flamboyant Matt (Riley Wood) and the slovenly Billy (Landen Celano), make a $20 bet over who can pull the meanest prank on Drac. Billy's stunt is pretty harmless - he dumps a sack full of rice outside Drac's coffin - while Matt shows a surprisingly cruel streak: He sends Drac to chomp on a cross-dressing prostitute who has AIDS.

Nicely's dialogue in this scene exemplifies his campy, anything-goes approach to the material. (Dracula: "I came to suck you dry." Prostitute: "Well, usually I'd make you buy me a drink first, but it's been a slow month!") His finest work is with Celano. Mostly, Billy just hangs around the apartment wearing a stained wife-beater and eating a bucket of chicken. The only time we see him out of his element is when he executes a brilliant plan to cure Drac of AIDs, and orders the count into a cave to beat off. The guy is such an irredeemable ogre that you wonder how he and Matt ever came to be roommates. I mean, wouldn't Matt at least want to do some interior decorating?

Dracula: Revamped has some gaps in logic - if Drac is allergic to the sun, then how does he get to class? But, like Napoleon Dynamite, this is a comedy that benefits from its rough edges. Nicely's overall point is that even a bloodthirsty vampire would be shocked by today's mook culture, epitomized by shows like "Jackass" and "Family Guy." Look at the bored reaction shots of Matt and Billy as Drac pours his heart out to them. These are priceless examples of the modern male malaise.

Take a look at some of the most remarkable contributions to Openfilm. You will be provided with some insights into the filmmaking process and the creativity of our contributors. Read and enjoy!

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Dracula: Revamped