4.13 - RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (1943) and Disease

The Prestige

This week’s film is the unofficial sequel to last time’s movie, RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (1943). After some not-entirely favourable reviews, we talk about the creation of a cinematic trope or stereotype, developments in film technology, and the idea of vampirism as infection — or lycanthropy as mental illness.

Next Time
Our next film takes our vampire genre in a Mexican direction, with EL VAMPIRO (1957).

Recent Media
THE CHEF SHOW (2019): Jon Favreau, Roy Choi, Annie Johnson
JESSICA JONES S3 (2019): Stephen Surjik, Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor

Recommendations
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1940): Robert Z. Leonard, Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier
THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985): Dan O’Bannon, Clu Gulager, James Karen
FANTASIA (1940): Walt Disney, Joe Grant, Samuel Armstrong
DOG SOLDIERS (2002): Neil Marshall, Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd

Footnotes
Here’s the promised information on Hammer horror: www.hammerfilms.com. There’s more on ethics in cinema here: www.books.google.co.uk/books?id=QdP_xLImIugC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. This is an article on blocking/movement in cinema: www.nyfa.edu/film-school-blog/the-5-stages-of-blocking-a-scene, which came to mind when seeing the Andreas/Bruckner (or Tesla) or scenes. Finally, here’s that article on DOG SOLDIERS: https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/290637/gender-bashing-what-it-means-to-be-a-man-in-dog-soldiers/