Valentines Day viewing

Dracula
     81 years ago today, Universal released Dracula with the tag line "A different kind of love story". It starred Bela Lugosi in the title role and Edward Van Sloan as his adversary, Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Both actors reprising their roles from the immensely popular stage play by Garrett Ford, which was adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker. The screenplay was adapted by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston and was the first movie to be made under the Dracula name.
     Nosferatu was made in 1922 and was supposed to be the first adaptation but Stoker's widow wouldn't release the rights.
     Lugosi made over 100 movies in his career but he is best known for his role as the Transylvanian Count. Surprisingly, despite all of the sequels and spin-offs that Universal made following the 1931 classic, Lugosi only reprised the role one other time in 1948's Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein.


My Bloody Valentine-the special edition
     Made in 1981 during the golden age of the Slasher film, this movie was also one of the first to suffer from a grass roots movement by studios to self police after coming under fire by parent groups for violence in cinema. It was also two months after John Lennon had been killed. Unfortunately, the theatrical cut is a mess but now thanks to the miracle of home video, you and your special someone can snuggle up and watch Harry Warden take his revenge for being trapped in a mine while the whole town celebrated Valentines Day.
     On a side note, no, you're not crazy if you find yourself reminded of themes also running through Happy Birthday To Me. John Beaird was one of the writers on both films.


Red Shoe Diaries
     Definitely one of writer/director Zalman King's best works, this movie was also used as a pilot for a long running television series. Red Shoe Diaries also put David Duchovny on the map as being a leading man.
     The story follows a young woman, Brigitte Bako, who has opened too much of herself to her fiancee, Jake, and now searches for a secret that will be hers alone. She has a chance encounter with Tom, Billy Wirth, but things spiral out of her control to the point that she takes her own life.
     Jake, Duchovny, finds out about Tom as he discovers her diary while packing away her things. Now the two men must come to grips with the loss of the woman they loved.
     Sadly, after a long career, Zalman King lost his battle with cancer a couple of weeks ago on February 3rd. He will be missed but remembered fondly on Valentines Day because in my opinion, he was the only man who ever knew how to tell a real love story.


True Romance-the directors cut
     Based on an early script by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, this movie tells the story of a young couple who meet, fall in love, get married and wind up with a suitcase full of the mobs cocaine.
     The directors cut is by far the superior version of the film because there are two expanded scenes that better define Patricia Arquette's character, plus the ending isn't as jumbled. Definitely worth your time.