Nosferatu

[Yazata]

It's a reasonably faithful remake of the exceedingly creepy classic 1922 silent film, which in turn was far more faithful to Bram Stoker's original Dracula than any of today's vampires.

The film reportedly is very much a 21'st century film in that it shows things that the earlier film only hinted at, and it isn't for the easily disturbed.

The trailer below is all atmosphere and doesn't reveal 'Count Orlok' (Dracula) at all. But he is said to be a real work of horror cinema art: acting, makeup and voice. He's much closer to the 1922 version than today's sexy young vampires: bald, deathly white and batlike. Very little human left, pure evil in the (undead) flesh. Which makes the sex aspect all the more horrible.

Anyway, it sounds promising for those in search of an anti-holidays movie. In theaters Christmas day!

"There is a devil in this world, and I have met him!"

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/b59rxDB_JRg

[Magical Realist]

Definitely will see it. I love all of Eggers work, except for The Northman. Typical warrior vendetta trope...

[C C]

THE CRITICAL DRINKER
https://youtu.be/HFfc2x_DGBg

INTRO: It would be no exaggeration to say that Robert Eggers is one of the most interesting capable and visually gifted directors working in Hollywood today. And probably the only creator that I get genuinely excited about seeing new movies from.

Such is the case with "Nosferatu", a remake of the classic 1922 silent movie of the same name. Which itself was a kind of unofficial knockoff of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". Nice to see some things have never changed in the movie business.

Anyway, the hype around this movie has been steadily building for months. Now the trailer got everyone talking and speculating, and with the film finally out on Christmas Day -- of all times, it's time to stop speculating.

Strap on our big boy pants and find out if Eggers can deliver the goods. Well, we're waiting.

Well, yes, yes he can.

Nosferatu is a vampire movie quite unlike any other. Doing for blood suckers what "The Witch" did for women inclined toward pointy hats and flying broomsticks. It actually makes them scary, and dangerous, and alien again.

Bringing together a superb cast who all deliver excellent performances, a brooding and intense atmosphere, gorgeous cinematography, and a less is more approach to the monster itself. That's a welcome relief after years of exhausting CGI overloads.

In short. it's a brilliant example of true gothic horror adapted smartly with the benefit of modern technology. But never losing the essence of what made the original so fascinating and influential.

The plot follows the story of the original movie pretty close. And because Universal Pictures are f___ a___ when it comes to copyright, I'm mostly going to be using footage from the 1922 version to illustrate my points. Also because it looks really cool, anyway.

With that in mind, grab your wooden stakes and holy water, and let's begin...

The Drinker Recommends... Nosferatu ... https://youtu.be/HFfc2x_DGBg

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/HFfc2x_DGBg

[Magical Realist]

Nice to see a fresh bold "de-troping" take on the standard vampire theme out of Hollywood. The last time I saw that was with the TV series "The Strain" which explored the alienish/parasitic motif of vampirism. Alot of explosions and heroic antics, but truly unnerving..

[C C]

We viewed it. Reminded me in certain areas of of Werner Herzog's 1979 remake. Since everything has been done ten thousand times over in horror films, I can't say that it was scary or even visually repulsive in a totally innovative way. But is that even the purpose of the genre in this day and age? Of course, I'm forgetting about kids and teenagers -- anything could be potentially new to them.

He feeds in different ways than you might expect -- but that's probably Robert Eggers researching the older folklore, rather than sticking to Hollywood or even Bram Stoker tradition.

When Count Orlock speaks, that is Bill Skarsgård's real voice -- he didn't want it digitally modified. He did a whale of a job practicing for that -- supposedly even incorporating Mongolian throat singing techniques into it.

What's in the spoiler below purely pertains to the physical appearance of Nosferatu. Not the plot or anything,

The purported Jewish caricature of the original Nosferatu is gone for the most part. He resembles (and dresses like) an actual native of the region -- for once. Though still creepy and very decayed or corpse-like (literally nothing is lost in that respect, just expressed in a different way).

He's also taller and menacingly robust, sort of like the Master in The Strain, but without the latter's bat-like(?) face.

Hard to believe the film only cost $50 million. Basically what you'd expect: A highly detailed, 21st-century version of the 1922 classic, with the contents of the cinematography looking intricately authentic enough for an audience, regardless of how historical experts themselves might feel about it.