064 Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

“I HAVE CROSSED OCEANS OF TIME TO FIND YOU”

On this week’s episode, we talk about the classic 1992 film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, we revisit the film to see if what many people consider to be one of the definitive interpretations of Dracula stills holds up. 

We talk about Francis’s goal with the film, wanting to be true to the original novel written in 1897, and to differentiate this story from the classic 1931 Bela Lugosi film from Universal Pictures. He wanted to create a grandiose telling, with sets and costume and visual effects that were nothing short of extraordinary and that would pay an homage to classic silent film era techniques but while using modern technology to make sure they had no limitations in what they could show. 

We dissect the story, talking about why we liked the film, and trying to see what may be holding us back from loving it. Because for as grandiose as the film may be, that’s no guarantee that everything will work perfectly. Is this an example of style over substance? We talk about the A-list cast present, from young new talent like Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder to Hollywood veterans like Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman, what is the chemistry like among them all and are there some actors we feel that might not well suited for the film?

Lastly, we go over the production of the film, from talking about costumes that were created by Eiko Ishika, who would win an Academy Award for her work in this film, to the visual and special effects created by Coppola’s son, Roman Coppola, and some of the things they had to do in order to get some of the more elaborate shots needed. And we go over some of the more controversial acting decisions Francis implemented on set in order to get the best possible performances from everyone, including having Gary Oldman whisper into the cast ears some potentially problematic things. So join us for our discussion of Francis Ford Coppola’s telling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

You can listen to this episode on:

Spotify: HERE

Apple Podcast: HERE

Stitcher: HERE

Google Podcast: HERE