Shadow of the Vampire

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award, Bram Stoker, C.I.C.A.E., candles, Cannes, Count Orlock, Count Orlok, dark humor, E. Elias Merhige, F.W. Murnau, Film, film noir, garlic, gothic, Happy New Year, Hollywood, Horror, John Malkovich, Max Schreck, Movie, Nicolas Cage, Nosferatu, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, nostalgia, old-fashioned, Oscar, Saturn Films, Shadow of the Vampire, sinister, vampires, Willem Dafoe

Happy New Year!

“The script girl…I’ll eat her later.” – Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe)

As mentioned in a recent post, Shadow of the Vampire is a film that I strongly recommend if you are interested in learning more about the myth behind Max Schreck, the German actor who portrayed Count Orlok in the original classic silent film Nosferatu:  A Symphony of Horror.

Shadow of the Vampire is directed by E. Elias Merhige, a director whom I was not familiar with before this film.  It stars Willem Dafoe as the mysterious Max Schreck, a method actor who has a reputation for delving deep into the characters that he portrays, so much so that it puts him at odds with F.W. Murnau, portrayed brilliantly by John Malkovich, and the other members of the cast and crew.  It was the first production of Saturn Films which was co-founded by Nicolas Cage.  Saturn Films would later produce another vampire film called Underworld: Awakening from the famous vampire vs. werewolf series, as well as other well-known films and TV shows.

The general public doesn’t often react well to films that are about the making of other films, even classic ones.  However, Shadow of the Vampire is focused on the actors and creators of the film, rather than the actual filming of the movie itself.  This makes the film more interesting, and it’s a history lesson as well as an interesting character study.  I enjoy history, so I don’t normally have an issue with films about the making of films, especially when it comes to such an iconic vampire film as Nosferatu.

“Did I kill…some of your people, Murnau?  I can’t remember.” – Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe)

Shadow of the Vampire works upon the premise that, unbeknownst to the cast and crew, Max Schreck is not an actor but a vampire hired by Murnau to add an uncanny authenticity to the role.  Murnau knows that Schreck is a vampire, but Murnau’s nightmare begins when things go crazy on the set and crew members start to disappear.

Shadow is a brilliant example of film noir.  It shows the condition of vampirism in a unique, stylish and artsy way, but in a more direct and down to earth fashion.  Many art films about vampires have a tendency to be extremely abstract and vague.  Some vampire films are shot with the use of cold, blue filters that remove the viewer from the story and make it difficult for the audience to connect with the characters.  S.O.T.V. doesn’t do that.  The film has a warmth about it not often felt when watching vampire films.  The cinematography is intimate and inclusive.  It makes you feel like you are there, sharing the filming experience of Nosferatu with the cast and crew.  The interiors of the charming inns where some of the scenes of the filming of Nosferatu happen are cozy and inviting.  The castle scenes and the areas inside the vampire’s lair are especially enthralling.  The movie was filmed in Luxembourg, doubling for Germany and Czechoslovakia (The Czech Republic).

A light came into the world…

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blessings, celebrate, charity, faith, family, friends, gift, Holidays, hope, light, love, Merry Christmas, peace, rejoice, savior, The birth of Christ, world, Yuletide

Merry Christmas to one and all.

While enjoying the holidays with family and friends, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect upon the real reason for the season.

Daywalker, Nightwalker or Both?

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1840s, Bram Stoker, Count Graf Orlok, Count Orlock, Daywalker, Dracula, F.W. Murnau, Film, gothic, Henrik Galeen, Horror, Malcolm Rymer, Movie, Nightwalker, Nosferatu, novel, serials, Shadow of the Vampire, The Feast of Blood, Thomas Peckett Prest, To Sleep in the Ground, vampire fiction, vampire novel, Varney the Vampire

It’s one of the most challenging questions for writers of vampire fiction:  Should the vampires in my story walk during the daytime or only appear at night?

This was an issue for me when first writing my vampire novel To Sleep in the Ground.  I’m an ‘after six’ person.  The evening is my favorite time of day.  I could have easily written Marco, the main character of my story, to be a nightwalker only.  The silent film classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horrors (now known popularly by the simple title of Nosferatu) directed by legendary German director F.W. Murnau helped fuel the myth that vampires could be destroyed by sunlight.  Some say that the film created the myth, but I’m not so sure about that.  Hollywood would embellish the concept that vampires were strictly nightwalkers with the sun frying them to a crisp if so much as a hint of it touched their pale skin, and the myth has become a mainstay of vampire fiction.

Instead, I decided to follow the tradition arguably established literarily by James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest, authors of the Varney the Vampire (or the Feast of Blood) serials from the middle to late 1840s and allow Marco to walk around in the daytime with limitations; he is weaker and not able to access the full potential of his dark gifts.

Decades later, Bram Stoker’s timeless masterpiece Dracula also echoed the folklore that vampires could walk by day.  Those of us who write vampire or horror literature know Stoker’s novel and love it.  It isn’t the first vampire story ever written, but it is the standard by which many, dare I say most, of us write our vampire fiction today.  It was the inspiration for the influential Nosferatu.  And it’s quite possible that Murnau’s Count Orlok was susceptible to sunlight rather than a stake through the heart because neither he nor the screenwriter Henrik Galeen had official permission to make a film version of the novel.  Count Orlok needed to be different from Count Dracula for obvious reasons.  On a side note, if you’re interested in knowing more about Nosferatu then I suggest the film Shadow of the Vampire.  It’s one of my favorite vampire movies and a wonderful piece of film noir.  It also explores the interesting legend of Max Schreck the actor who portrayed the vampiric Orlok in the film.  I’ll address the film in more detail in my next post.  Be sure to stick around for that.

So, what do you think, should fiction portray vampires as daywalkers, nightwalkers or both?  I say “both” with limitations on the potency of their abilities during the daytime, but I want to hear the opinions of you writers and readers of vampire fiction.  Open up the coffin and chime in.  Feel free to cast your vote via the comments section of this post.  I look forward to hearing from you all…and keep the garlic close to the bedside!

Celebrating Apollo 11!

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50th Anniversary, Alabama, Apollo 11, Cape Canaveral, celebration, earthling, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Florida, gravity, humanity, Huntsville, Kennedy Space Center, lunar landing, lunar module, Michael Collins, moon, moon landing, moon walk, NASA, Neil Armstrong, One small step, peace, Progress, Space Camp, Space Coast, The Eagle Has Landed, Titusville, Tranquility Base

It was fifty years ago that three men with more courage than most could muster defied logic (and gravity) to boldly go where no earthling had gone before. Two of those men on that particular mission became the first humans to set foot on the moon.

I was still baking in the oven at the time, just a few months away from joining the ranks of humanity, so I wasn’t able to witness it as the images were televised live all across the globe.

I attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama in late August of 1984. What an amazing experience that was! I have been a huge supporter of NASA and the U.S. space program ever since.

I lived in northern Florida on the east coast of the state for a few years before moving to Japan. I have been to Kennedy Space Center several times throughout my life. I was fortunate enough to view eight space shuttle launches with the naked eye. I wasn’t in Titusville at the time, but anyone living along the “Space Coast” from Jacksonville to West Palm Beach (and maybe further) could see the launches clearly on a nice day. I never saw a night launch in person, but I hear that they were spectacular. I wish I could be at the Cape for the festivities for the 50th anniversary celebration this year.

Thank you, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Aldrin and Mr. Collins for taking that “one small step” and inspiring us to reach for the stars!

Happy Birthday, America!

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1776, American Independence, American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin, Broadway, Cousin, Delegates, Dr. Lyman Hall, England, Film, Freedom, Georgia Delegate, Heat, Humidity, Independence, Independence Day, Independence Hall, Intolerable Acts, John Adams, Jonathan Moore, King George, Musical, Oppression, Philadelphia, Representative, The 4th of July, The Fourth of July, The United States of America, Thirteen Colonies, Thomas Jefferson, Treason, Tyranny, Unfair Trade, Unlawful Taxes

I’m grateful that our Founding Fathers committed treason against King George two hundred and forty-three years ago.

In celebration, I recommend the musical film “1776.”  The film is based on the Broadway musical and is a mostly lighthearted take on the actions of the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia as the delegates debated the treasonous act of colonial emancipation and independence from England.

Jonathan Moore, my first cousin once removed on my mother’s side, stars as Dr. Lyman Hall, the delegate from Georgia.

The film is comedic in nature, but poignant and serious when it needs to be.  It includes great acting all around, beautiful cinematography and gorgeous costumes.  It always makes me feel like I am really there in the hot and steamy Independence Hall with the delegates as they combat the oppressive Philadelphia heat and each other’s tempers and perspectives on independence.  It’s a film the family can watch (no bad language or violence), and maybe the kids might learn something about the struggle the United States endured for freedom; the price involved, then and now.  It’s one of my favorite films about the American Revolution, and not just for personal reasons.  Check it out this week and enjoy it!

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

 

Happy New Year, an Important Notice and an Update!

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authors, book, editing, illustration, important notice, new, Progress, Publishing, revising your unpublished e-book, update, writing

Happy New Year!  I hope that 2019 began well for everyone.

I’ll first get the formalities out of the way.

Officially, this blog, Brad’s Books, is no longer a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  All product links associated with the program have been removed from this blog.  Although, products that may be available for purchase on Amazon, that is, books and movies, etc. may still be mentioned in this blog.  However, no links or banners to, or images of, these products will be provided; only information about the products may be available in this blog in the form of recommendations, reviews, etc.

The images and links for the books that I have written, as they appear on the My Books page of this blog, will remain, since they are not affiliated with the Amazon Associates Program.  Thank you for your cooperation and for understanding.

O.k., with that out of the way, I would like to happily let everyone know that the prices for my non-fiction e-book and my fiction e-short story have dropped.  I feel that the new price adjustments are more appropriate and will hopefully make my books more appealing, and will encourage, not discourage, potential readers.  Amazon still reserves the right to fluctuate the pricing, but the new price points, in general, are quite lower than before.  Thank you for your consideration.  “Yoroshiku, onegaishimasu!” as the Japanese say.

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m closer than ever to finishing my first novel!  A pair of eyes, other than my own, are now reading the story and critiquing it.  I am getting very positive feedback from the source, who is also making some wonderful suggestions about how I can improve the overall readability and flow of the book, (chapter arrangement, etc.).  It’s valuable insight that is much appreciated.

The Paralympic Games: Emotional, Motivational and Inspirational!

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appreciation, athletes, authors, Brave, Challenging, compassion, Courageous, Emotional, hope, humility, Inspirational, March 9-18, Motivational, Paralympics, PyeongChang Paralympic Games, respect, sympathy, The 2018 Paralympic Games, tolerance, writers, writing

As many writers know, inspiration for writing can come from anywhere.  Of course, finding inspiration for new story ideas can be tough.  Maintaining motivation and inspiration for stories we may be currently writing isn’t easy either.  It can be a two-way street.  Writing is challenging.  Becoming a successful writer is even more challenging.

I encourage everyone to watch the 2018 Paralympic Games from Pyeongchang, South Korea from March 9th to the 18th if you can.

When we watch the Olympics, we all cheer and support the athletes from our respective countries, but with the Paralympics nationality doesn’t matter.  All of the Paralympic athletes are winners and heroes regardless of whether they win a medal or not.  They remind us of our common humanity, rather than our individual nationality.

The challenges they face on a daily basis, in other words the day-to-day tasks that many of us take for granted, are beyond comprehension.  Factor in the effort that it takes for them to make it to the Paralympics in spite of those daily challenges, and it is a truly remarkable achievement.

Holiday Wishes…and an Update.

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2017, 2018, Deadline, e-book, Happy New Year, Holidays, Merry Christmas, Progress, Publishing, Read, Spirit

Howdy!  Long time no…

Well, I won’t be meeting my self-imposed 2017 deadline for publishing my next book.  The last half of the year has been a roller-coaster ride with lots of twists and turns.  However, I look forward to working on my book, and to getting a little closer to finishing it during the upcoming holiday that I will have while my school is closed for the new year.

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.  May 2018 be a safe, peaceful, healthy, enjoyable, prosperous and healing year for us all.

Remembering Sir Roger

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007, Audrey Hepburn, Humanitarian, James Bond, Knighthood, Queen Elizabeth, Sir Roger Moore, UNICEF

It has been a sad week.  On May 23, Sir Roger Moore passed away.  He wasn’t the original James Bond, but he was my favorite and the Bond that many of us grew up with.  He was one of my film heroes.

He was also a hero in real life.  Besides his illustrious acting career, Roger Moore was also a humanitarian.  He helped better, and possibly save, the lives of thousands, if not millions, of children around the world due to his UNICEF efforts.  He became an ambassador for UNICEF in 1991 after having been introduced to it by UNICEF ambassador Audrey Hepburn earlier in his acting career.  His efforts with UNICEF earned him a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth.  You can read more about his UNICEF accomplishments on the UNICEF website.

When I was a kid, Roger Moore was the “King of Cool.”  His Bond taught many guys like me how a well-mannered, sophisticated gentleman should act.  I was a small-town boy from southeast Louisiana.  My view of the world was limited. I was filled with pride and excitement when I first learned that Roger’s first Bond film, “Live and Let Die,” was partially filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana (a mere one hour drive from my hometown). Roger Moore’s James Bond opened my eyes to the world and showed me many exotic locales like England, Italy, France, Greece, Egypt, Brazil, Thailand, China, Jamaica and the The Bahamas just to name a few.  Henceforth, my desire to travel abroad and see the world was ignited.

Do You Know Why Today is a Special Day for Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Fans?

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1977, 40th Anniversary, 40th Birthday, George Lucas, May 25, Star Wars

A long time ago….a certain science fiction/fantasy film set my imagination on fire, dared me to dream big and changed the way the world has made and watched movies ever since.

“Star Wars” celebrates its 40^th anniversary today.   I still remember waiting in line to see it with my big brother and his friend at the University Twin Cinema across from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana in 1977.  I had no idea how the film would influence and shape my life when I settled into my seat for the evening feature.   My life would never be the same.

Thank you, Mr. Lucas, for setting us on that journey forty years ago into a galaxy far, far away.