DRACULA DEAD AND LOVING IT
US, 1995, 88 minutes, Colour.
Leslie Neilson, Peter Mac Nicoll, Stephen Weber, Amy Yasbeck, Mel Brooks, Lisette Anthony, Harvey Korman, Mark Blankfield.
Directed by Mel Brooks.
Dracula Dead and Loving it is an amusing title for Mel Brooks’s parody on the Dracula legends. He and his screenwriting team actually used an amount of dialogue from the classic Bela Lugosi film of 1930.
The film is amusing rather than hilarious. In fact, with the serious parallel with the original film, it follows Bram Stoker’s novel, gives most of the outline of the plot, reminds audiences of the more serious aspects even when they are being poked fun at.
Leslie Neilson is the king of spoofs, especially with his performances in the Naked Gun series as well as Repossessed, Flying High and other parodies. Mel Brooks appears as Van Helsing and, as with his Robin Hood film, brings turns this character into a Jewish vampire hunter. Stephen Weber gives an amusing ultra-serious performance as Jonathan Harker. Peter Mac Nicoll is Renfield.
Mel Brooks introduced the satire into mainstream film-making in the 1970s with Blazing Saddles and westerns, Silent Movie and The Silence, High Anxiety and the parody of Hitchcock. However, as time went on, the parodies became much broader, less subtle, as with Spaceballs in 1986 and Robin Hood and Dracula in the 1990s.
1. The popularity of Dracula films? The vampire legends? Suitable subject for parody?
2. The settings, Transylvania, the town, the mountains, the dark castle? The ship to England? England, Carfax Abbey, Doctor Seward’s hospital, the theatre? The familiar locations for the Dracula story? The musical score – especially for the parody dances?
3. The wit of the film, in characterisation, in parallels with the original, the slapstick comedy, verbal comedy? Broad spoof?
4. Fidelity to the plot, use of the 1930 screenplay? The fidelity to Stoker’s novel?
5. The focus on Renfield, travelling through the mountains, the villagers and their fear, going to the castle, the encounter with Dracula? His being transformed, eating the insects, subservient? Travelling with Dracula to England? The mayhem on the boat? In England, his madness, being confined by Doctor Seward? His involvement in the plot, trying to help Dracula escape and finally letting the sunlight in?
6. Leslie Neilson as Dracula, his appearance, manner, spoofing the Bela Lugosi style? In Romania, the vampire women – and their assault on Renfield? His decision to go to England, signing the documents? His thirst for blood? On the boat, the arrival, Carfax Abbey? The visits? The attraction to Lucy, to Mina? His vampirising them? The confrontation with Doctor Seward, with Jonathan Harker? His social life in England, the theatre, the hypnosis of the theatre attendant and her message? His plans for Mina? His nightmare – dreaming that he was in the sun and surviving, eating? His use of Renfield? The build-up to the confrontations, Van Helsing and his challenges? The dance, his not appearing in the mirror? The final attack, Renfield burning him up? The ashes on the coffin and Van Helsing brushing them off?
7. Van Helsing, Mel Brooks’s comic style, the Jewish touch, the knowledge about vampires, wanting to put the stake through Lucy’s heart – and the spurting of the blood? With Jonathan Harker? At the ball, with Doctor Seward, the final confrontation and defeat of Dracula?
8. Mina and Lucy, at the theatre, the attraction to Dracula, Lucy and her being overcome, the stake through the heart? Mina, the bites, her seductive behaviour, the exotic dance with Dracula – and her appearing only in the mirror? The final liberation?
9. Harker and Seward, upright, characters, the institute, Renfield’s madness? Assisting in the vampire-hunting?
10. The comic touches and exaggerations – Van Helsing and his autopsy and all his students fainting? The dance sequences? Dracula as a bat …?
