#and then I listened to the Dracula musical soundtrack

[shy-sapphic-ace]

Guys should I write a Dracula musical. Should I???

[teenagedracula]

idk how big you are into musicals but I feel like you'd fuck with assassins the musical

Woagh. Hi truman

I do notnknow anything of this but I have heard of it I think?

[vanalex]

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Link 1, Link 2 :)

Digital Good Omens 2 Sountrack is coming out in 4 days! 🥳 CD version in October! :) ❤ Coming soon on vinyl…

Out to Stream/Download from 25th August. Out on CD 13th October. Coming soon on vinyl…

David Arnold’s ‘end of the world’ complex and multi-genre soundtrack.

From the Award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale comes a follow up to the hugely successful, Emmy nominated Good Omens soundtrack.

Good Omens series 2 premiered on Prime Video on 28th July. The series follows the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World. The six-episode sequel to the popular adaptation of the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, concerns the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) arriving without his memories to Aziraphale’s bookshop. Aziraphale and Crowley attempt to find out what happened to Gabriel, whilst hiding him from Heaven and Hell, both eager to find him.

The Soundtrack

David Arnold’s soundtrack to Good Omens was first released in 2019 to favourable reviews, with BBC Music Magazine calling it “a rollicking trip to hell and back”. Blueprint Magazine described it as “a great listen” and Sci Fi Bulletin commented on “plenty of memorable themes” to conclude that “This is another work of art from Arnold”. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, the Good Omens 2 soundtrack showcases Arnold’s every skill from his composer arsenal. Featured here are orchestral arrangements with sprinkling of Sugar Plum Fairy pizzicato and percussion, jaunty strings and mighty choral sweeps from Crouch End Festival Chorus. Added to the mix are rock guitar riffs, and psychedelic 70s sounds and all together they create a haunting otherworldly feel, complementing the fantasy and the quirky humour of the show. The spirited Waltz of the opening theme is also present in the second series and it wonderfully sets the scene for fantastical mayhem. In series 2, this robust, evocative, and funny music entity, becomes yet again another character in the story. Award-winning composer David Arnold is well known for his blockbuster scores, including Stargate, The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Hot Fuzz, Paul, Independence Day, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Casino Royale as well as for his TV work such as Sherlock and Dracula. Also available: The original soundtrack to the first series of Good Omens >

Tracklist

– Disc 1 – Chapter 1: The Arrival 1. Before the Beginning 2. Good Omens 2 Opening Title 3. Into Soho 4. Something Terrible 5. To The Bookshop 6. Maggie and Nina 7. He’s Smoking 8. Tiny Miracle 9. Heavenly Alarm Bells Chapter 2: The Clue 10. Avaunt! 11. The Song is the Clue 12. It’s What God Wants 13. A Mighty Wind 14. Whales 15. Gabriel Returns 16. His New Children 17. Am I Awful Now? 18. Fallen Angel Chapter 3: I Know Where I’m Going 19. Police Arrive 20. Scotland 21. We’re Going to Hell 22. People Get a Choice 23. My Car is Not Yellow 24. Beelzebub in Hell 25. The Book 26. The Fly 27. Mr. Dalrymple 28. We Need to Cut 29. I’m Going to Save Her 30. Crowley Goes Large 31. Not Kind 32. Beelzebub Isn’t Happy – Disc 2 – Chapter 4: The Hitchhiker 33. Hell-O 34. Nazi Zombies 35. March of the Nazi Zombies 36. Crowley Pep Talk 37. The Magic Shop 38. Catch The Bullet 39. Zombies in the Dressing Room Chapter 5: The Ball 40. I’ll Let You Have It 41. We’re Storming a Book Shop 42. Monsieur Azirophale 43. The Candelabra 44. Here Comes Hell 45. Gabriel Gives Himself Up 46. Shax 47. The Circle Chapter 6: Every Day 48. Bin Through the Window 49. Gabriel Leaving Heaven 50. The Halo 51. Gabriel Revealed 52. Gabriel’s Love Story 53. Leaving The Bookshop 54. Gabriel and Beelzebub 55. Crowley and Muriel 56. I Forgive You 57. Don’t Bother 58. The Biggest Decision 59. The End?

[spuffybot]

Ok was just having this debate with a friend who thinks Mission Impossible 2 is an abomination. And while I will give her that it is an anomaly within the MI canon and arguably is not a MI movie (Ethan doesn’t go rogue, he’s behaving OOC, the tone and vibe are off) I stand by the fact that it is a quintessential, iconic, and absolutely incredible Y2K movie.

1. The Soundtrack: much like the year 2000 classics Charlie’s Angels and Dracula 2000 this movie features Limp Bizkit, Metallica, Rob Zombie, Butthole Surfers, and Foo Fighters to name a few. It’s such an abrupt departure from the first film (the majority of songs on the first MI soundtrack aren’t even featured in the movie.)

There’s just something so utterly Y2K about Ethan throwing his glasses over the side of a mountain and them exploding to the sound of Limp Bizkit.

2. Ethan: just Ethan Hunt in this movie. Listen there are 6 MI movies that show Ethan as a perpetually serious genius with a passionate dedication to his friends and his mission. But there is only one movie where Ethan hunt is a sexy playful badass and that’s MI2. I would go as far as to say that Tom Cruise has never looked better in his life and I know that’s blasphemy against our lord and savior Lestat. But Ethan in MI2 is just GIVING. The arms. The smile. The ridiculous blowout that both falls into his eyes and tousles in the wind. This is peak sex appeal Cruise (it’s also before we knew he was all culty and creepy so it feels less bad to be deep in my feels about how hot he is.)

3. The John Woo of it all: John Woo said the year is 2000 and we will have DRAMA we will have FASHUN and we will have BIRDS. There is so. Much. Unnecessary. Slo. Mo. In. This. Film. SO MUCH. And the action sequences? I know this is a franchise known for its over the top action sequences but the ones in this film don’t even make sense.

4. The Title Sequence: honestly if anything in this movie is a fever dream (even more than the doves that fly out of an explosion) it’s the title sequence which feels like a mashup of every Y2K music video and action movie combined.

5. The Birds: listen I wasn’t going to ignore this scene. THIS SCENE. What can be said? It’s iconic. It’s absurd. It’s the epitome of the decadence, drama, and corniness of the year 2000.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. MI2 may not deserve a place of honor in the official canon of Mission Impossible but it is hands down one of the best movies of 2000 and it deserves to be remembered as such.

[ultraericthered]

I've been very familiar with Wicked for several years now. I read the novel that the musical was based on (which mostly kind of sucked), knew the story of the musical, and have listened to the soundtrack. But it alway sat just okay with me. In particular, the character of Elphaba Thropp, I felt, was a very interesting concept - what if the Wicked Witch of the West was a layered, sympathetic, relatable person whose whole deal was so much more complex than simply being "wicked" for no reason, and that popular image of her as the cruel, nasty, fearsome hag we're all familar with was a myth based in a propagandized narrative spun to turn people against her? With Glinda the Good Witch, the Wizard of Oz, and the land of Oz itself all being deeper and darker than they appeared at a glance? That is fantastic on an imagination level, though it took the musical to fully realize the idea, and we got a great take on the Oz lore and great iteration of the Wicked Witch as a result. But I still didn't feel Elphie was anything too much greater than the character who sourced her (Margaret Hamilton's Witch in particular is a great villain on her own merits), and she sort of started a trend in both parodies and legit works of going for the lazy "they're not truly evil, they're just misunderstood!" villain revisionism, particularly when coupled with the equally lazy "and the people you thought were good guys were actually the real villains!" Count Dracula, Captain Hook, Maleficent, Jafar, Cruella De Vil, the Grinch, Carmen Sandiego, Lex Luthor, Light/Kira and even other lesser villains like the fucking Beanstalk Giant got this treatment over time. It's like Wicked made what was done as a joke with the Big Bad Wolf way back when acceptable to play straight, so it was a sore spot on Elphaba's legacy for me.

But let me tell you...watching Wicked Part 1 in theaters in the year 2024 the other day made something go off in my head. Elphaba's story through just Act 1 alone struck a chord with me that it hadn't before, to the point where I had to hold back tears towards the very end. Suddenly not only was all the political commentary in the story so much clearer and more relevant than it had ever been, but I got Elphie's character arc and a core piece of it that ties directly into that political commentary after it had gone over my head for years.

SPOILERS FOR WICKED PART ONE WILL FOLLOW

So the part of Elphaba's story that got me was her "relationship" with the Wizard of Oz. How she lived her life since childhood idolizing this man, absolutely loving the idea of the Wizard, being thankful to him for every blessing she and the land of Oz had, and dreaming of a day where she'd one day meet him, be apprenticed by him, and become like family with him because if he, the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz himself, could accept her, then the entire rest of Oz would have no choice but to accept her too. She'd finally have the mass acceptance, validation, and care from others she'd always yearned for. And yeah, that has to do with her self worth issues and yearning to belong somewhere with someone, and I always got that well before seeing the movie. Struggling with your self esteem and feeling ostracized from the world around you due to having been born different from others with whom you share that world was always the relatable aspect for Elphie for me, 'cause I've been there.

But the stuff with the Wizard once she's actually met him took on a whole new meaning for me now. It's been said ad nauseum now that the idea of some carnival barker huckster fraudster simpleton being put into a position of political power and leadership despite having no actual power and next to no merits to him all while others around him with their own sinister agendas look to curry favor with him in order to use him to their advantage and reap benefits from his position, and these people creating a scapegoat out of whoever can serve as a "common enemy" to unite people in fear, anger, hatred, grievance, prejudice and opposition to, is more timely, hard-hitting and realistic now than ever before, drawing parallel to the rise of our incoming First Felon President and the MAGA nightmare we cannot seem to awaken from. All of it said, all of it true. However, it cuts way deeper for me. In my scenario, the Wizard of Oz isn't the Felon, as I never had any faith or loving for that man and all he did was exceed my reservations about him. The Wizard of Oz is my country, the (former) United States of America itself. Just like Elphaba in Emerald City, on the days following November 5 2024, I had to look at something I'd been taught was Great And Wonderful since childhood, something I'd loved and gone on believing truly was Great And Wonderful for years, and reckon with the harsh truth that I'd learned about, loved, and had wanted to serve something that never actually existed. And the fault doesn't lie with the Founding Fathers and the fundamental creed that America was built upon, which is as Great And Wonderful now as it was all those centuries ago. The fault is with the sad reality that, due to people, ideas, beliefs, systems, institutions, traditional practices, holes and vices in government, and the corrosion of democracy, the nation we've had since the founding, the nation I've lived in from the day I was born, has constantly failed to live up to its own core ideals. People in power still can and do take away "certain inallieable rights" that all humans are born with from the humans born with them, all citizens are not treated with equality, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is continously impeded, we are not "indivisible" no matter how fragile the states hold together, there is not "liberty and justice for all", there exists a certain class of people who are, in fact, above the law, the three branches of governments seldom function the way they were made to, and the melting pot isn't "melting" people the right way as much since we've become more exclusionary than inclusive. As with the Wizard and the Grimmerie, this country is run by weak, stupid, mediocre men who are either unable to read the Constitution, or they can but just do not feel inclined to actually follow and respect it in letter and spirit. The only truly good, fair and just thing for a long while was the "self-governing" nature of the populace's participation in democracy and the self-corrections that would be made from it... but that ended up exploited in order to become the very thing that sealed its damnation. My nation was never evil, but at the same time, it has never been great, as it's so often failed to do good. It's a nation of moral goodness in perpetual bondage by the not-so-good that wants to exploit all the good it's capable of for them and their interests alone. "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave?" Sure, but only because the Free and the Brave who've lived here are all far better than it deserves.

And then we reach "Defying Gravity." I always linked the title of this song to Elphaba taking flight on her broomstick. But only now do I grasp the full meaning of that title, and the weight the term holds in its proper context. Elphaba is making a choice to defy Oz. To rebel against a corrupt system by a corrupt government that is corrupting the land and harming vulnerable others. She makes this choice even when what she's rebelling against holds the advantage in all power sans magical and possesses the resources and means to turn the ignorant masses against her and ensure they remain on their side. From the offset, she is very unlikely to prevail. That's why it's like struggling against a greater force that is trying to push you down and can normally easily do so - a force like gravity. And yet Elphie fights. She defies. She does so even if it means she has to make herself look like a villain, reasoning that even if her enemy is great and powerful, and the odds of defeating it seem impossible, it's not more powerful than her skills, her gifts, her convictions and her willpower. And so long as she has those, it can and will never bring her down.

I'd say the lesson here is "domestic terrorism in defiance of your government is good, actually", but it's a little bit more complicated.

So yeah, Wicked Part 1 is a masterpiece and Elphaba Thropp is an inspiration. If what she does is "wicked", then let us all aspire to be as wicked as her as the fight to rejuvinate the soul of our decayed republic and lay claim to a better future for all people in it goes on.

[raythekiller]

hello! I luv your writing <3

I wanna request the creeps (whoever youd like) and their fav music! fav songs or genres, etc. thank you :)

🗒 ❛ Their Music Taste ༉‧₊˚✧

Featuring: Jeff The Killer, Ben Drowned, Ticci Toby, Eyeless Jack, Masky, Hoodie

#Notes: *tiktok sound voice* YOURE ASKING ME ABOUT MY THEORIES?? IVE WAITED YEARS FOR SOMEONE TO ASK ME ABOUT MY THEORIES!!!

˗ˏˋ back to navigation ´ˎ˗

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Jeff The Killer

Anything kinda emo and with intense screaming in it or just a violent vibe in general. Pierce The Veil and Bring Me The Horizon are two big favorites. My Chemical Romance and Kim Dracula are also a good example of what he likes. (Might or might not listen to Evanescence in secret). Here's a quick look at his playlist:

OBEY bring me the horizon & yungblud

BREAK STUFF limp bizkit

CAN YOU FEEL MY HEART bring me the horizon

CARAPHERNELIA pierce the veil

1-800-CLOSE-UR-EYES kim dracula

MAMA my chemical romance

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Ben Drowned

Honestly I think he's kind of eclectic, but if I had to choose one genre, it'd be brazilian trap, specifically Uxie Kid and Yung Lixo (though I might be biased). Maybe some general trap metal as well, those that you can't even find on Spotify and are only in Youtube.

BLOW UP cam steady & fabvl

RAGE TALK eru

ILLUMINATI shark47

FLOW BOMBA PATCH uxie kid

ZORRA TOTAL yun wob & uxie kid

9MM yung lixo & d$ luqi

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Ticci Toby

I mentioned in my headcanons post for him, but he loves folk punk. His favorite artist is definitely AJJ, but he also likes The Taxpayers and some other genre bands/artists like McCafferty and The Front Bottoms. Will listen to pretty much anything, but these are his favorites.

BRAVE AS A NOUN ajj

I LOVE YOU LIKE AN ALCOHOLIC the taxpayers

TREES mccafferty

TWIN SIZED MATTRESS the front bottoms

ROMEO & JULIET hobo johnson

I'M NOT ALRIGHT shinedown

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Eyeless Jack

Besides classical music and maybe even lofi while he's reading, he really enjoys calmer and softer songs and artists, such as Sufjan Stevens and some Mitski songs. Anything that had a tranquil vibe is perfect to him. Also, major Hozier fan.

JOHN MY BELOVED sufjan stevens

I BET ON LOSING DOGS mistki

ALL I WANT kodaline

TAKE ME TO CHURCH hozier

OPHELIA the lumineers

THE NIGHT WE MET lord huron

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Masky

Really into classic rock, like from the 80's up to early 2000's. Gigantic AC/DC, Kansas and Bon Jovi fan, probably has some shirts or something. Also, he's one of the most judgmental when it comes to other people's music taste, thinking that his is "superior". Honestly, if you wanna know his taste, just search up "Supernatural series soundtrack".

BACK IN BLACK ac/dc

AERIALS system of a down

CARRY ON WAYWARD SON kansas

EYE OF THE TIGER survivor

LIVIN' ON A PRAYER bon jovi

TNT ac/dc

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Hoodie

Will listen to pretty much anything, but his favorite has gotta be indie, rock or a combination of the two. Definitely knows how to play a few Nirvana songs. Really likes bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Lovejoy and The Neighborhood. Since he's nice and doesn't really mind other genres, he normally lets other people pick the music even though his taste is top tier.

A LITTLE DEATH the neighborhood

ARABELLA arctic monkeys

CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE lovejoy

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT nirvana

I DON'T DANCE i hate myself because

SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK joji

[can-of-w0rmz]

Have you seen the Dracula musical?

Not really, but I read a plot synopsis and listened to the soundtrack a while ago. The only song I really liked was The Master’s Song, W for giving my guy Renfield some screen time, but apart from that, I mean yeah. Just another shitty adaptation pissing itself to push the Mina x her rapist plotline, because a consensual and loving marriage can’t be romantic! She’s a Victorian woman! She has to be oppressed by her husband! And sexually repressed! Despite… having a son? Because we all know history is completely streamlined and not complicated whatsoever and all women born before the 2000s were miserable and had no personalities or opinions. It’s feminist to make her a one dimensional plot device swooning over the eldritch monster who assaulted her.

What’s that? A well-rounded and assertive protagonist in a healthy and stable relationship? And she’s in a piece of classic literature? That takes more than two brain cells to comprehend, sorry! Time to butcher your favourite vampire hunter archivist. But go watch the Barbie movie, Hollywood is sooooo progressive. Just don’t look at that sweet sweet profit or think about it too hard for more than five seconds.

That’s a total rant, my bad, and this is more about Dracula adaptations in general than the musical specifically, but when most 80s action sci-fi movies have more multifaceted and interesting female characters than modern shit that actively markets itself as “feminist”, you know words don’t mean shit anymore and postmodernism and capitalist hellscapes have retracted in on themselves like an AI eating itself alive until the final product is meaningless and unrecognisable, and still profiting off of the ignorant who’ve been conditioned by the system not to think.

Also, I have a love hate relationship with Frank Wildhorn. Occasionally he cooks w/ some absolute bangers but a lot of his stuff feels kinda uninspired. No hate to him personally ofc, I don’t know enough about him to say anything remotely about that.

But anyway, tl:dr, no, I haven’t watched it the whole way through, but I know the general beats and needless to say I’m skeptical of adaptations of that book in general, and just pissed off with the state of that specific kind of “feminist retelling” shit that gets churned out, stuffed into an interesting looking costume and called “artistic”.

[emptymasks]

the copyconductor 980 tx instructional audio tape

i finally have the copyconductor 980 tx instructional audio tape in my possession and here's my rundown of it and my favourite moments, basically me liveblogging listening to it for the first time. haven't seen anyone else talking about this tape so here i am.

i'm unsure if transcribing it or recording it would be in poor taste, but also it was limited edition and sold out and they're not going to restock so in a way you could call it lost media. i'm not sure if that would be alright to do.

for those not familiar, it's official stanley parable ultra deluxe merchandise sold by iam9bit, it was advertised and is presented as an instructional tape for the copy machine that's in the room outside stanley's office. what was actually on the tape was not stated, only that it included voice work from a few different people including the narrator's voice actor so since i love his voice so much and i collect cassettes i had to get one.

after listening note: it's basically a collection of different new snippets of dialogue, extra scenes, and new music. it's not one long new ending. a lot of side b is this long bit of the narrator doing one of those infomercial bits like in the game where he tells us how to tell a joke, but it's about what and why sequels exist and it's my favourite part of the tape.

this ramble got long so there's more under the 'read more' cut. but first here's my favourite quotes from the narrator:

"what about CGI knuckles?"

"i'm getting into D&D"

"what mistakes did the original stanley parable make? well to start off most of the pornography in the game was stolen or pirated and it's time we paid the licensing fees fair and square."

"we'll get to you yet, time dracula"

"if you purchase the stanley parable 2 you'll get this cow's egg"

"who gives a shit? all that matters is it's more content to cram down your insatiable gullet"

"it's only through this connection that we'll defeat time draucla once and for all. don't let the time vampire win, purchase the stanley parable 2"

and now the contents of the tape

started out as an actual instructional tape and i was just waiting for when it was going to shift and it did pretty quickly to the classic "all of his coworkers were gone, what could it mean?" the dialogue continued as normal with the sound effects of stanley moving until

"when stanley came to a set off two open doors" okay so far so normal- "he picked up one of the chairs lining the wall and through it with all of the force he could muster through the window" WAIT WHA. stanley walks around outside until coming across some sort of night club and the music gets louder until he enters and then we just get a full track of stanley parable dance music. it's similar to "Falling Funk" from the tspud soundtrack, but is not the same song, it's slower and i think has different instrumentation.

the narrator gives a watchmojo top 20 sound effects from the stanley parable ultra deluxe. i started hoping "8" would be on there since i cannot read the number 8 anymore without hearing "8" and i thought it would be perfect if it was number 8 on the list and it was. other sounds i recognised more than others: the baby from the baby game going into the fire was number 14, number 1 was "jim".

the music track that plays when you look at the cave painting in the museum in the game then played, (is on the tspud soundtrack as part of 'Ambiences') but faded into new slow, haunting vocals. the tape then cut back into the instruction copyconductor man.

when it cut away from him we get a new man "okay this is day number 295, tape number... i've lost track... nothing feels real anymore." the less sense anything makes. [...] the sheer euphoria i feel every time i pick it up, no matter how many time i've done it, the same feeling... and the emptiness in my chest" i started wondering if this man had a bucket of his own. "i still haven't figured out why i see the world so differently when this bucket is in my hands" yep. the bucket man continued to monologue, he start to think about monetising the bucket, charging people to spend time with the bucket, he worries people will steal his idea, steal the bucket, someone or something appears near him. the bucket man stops talking, stares, then says "Gambhorra’ta" which is what the cavemen chant in the previous song, and i'm wondering if this is the name of the god/creature that was mentioned on one of those tapes you could find in game? but it's been a long while since i last played. there's some creature in the room, making monster noises. the tape cuts out. the name appears on the tspud soundtrack "Gambhorra’ta, Treasurer of The Profaned Vault" though that is not the name of the cavemen chanting song.

the narrator gives us a limerick, a little rhyme over some acoustic guitar.

"and now a message from the bucket" [metal rustling noises]

the narrator returns "it's these kids again, always up and around, always talking about it. it's bloody game of thrones season 8 all over and and i'm just not..." he's rambling on about kids and crime and then out of no where "what about CGI Knuckles though?" and it caught me so off guard i had to stop the tape because i started laughing. he tries to keep rambling but he stops, defeated "no one cares, it's all mp3s and pokemon" i have no idea what he's rambling about, he's still complaining about kids, about theatre "i'm getting into d&d though, dungeons and dragons, can't stand those- [TAPE IS FULL. END OF MESSAGES]."

and onto side b we go.

back to the instructional man, how to load paper into the copy machine.

he cuts out to music, gentle guitar, bossa-nova-esque music. ITS A NEW MEMORY ZONE PIECE. i don't speak the language it's in, i know enough to recognise that unlike the french memory zone song from the game, this is in spanish or portuugese (i don't know enough about either language to confidentially say which one, but i recognise some words). the phrases "memory zone" and "stanley parable" are still in english.

narrator "here is a free steam key for the stanley parable ultra deluxe, however due to printing issues all copies of this tape will contain the same key. please confirm online in regards to who show redeem this" he then lists the key. i have no idea if it's real.

back to copyman, he's still telling us how to load paper.

narrator answer machine message "hello, unfortunately the person you called cannot come to the phone right now. please leave a message after the beep". 'thinking theme' from the tspud soundtrack then plays. then there's a beep.

the narrator tells us about night sharks, where it lives, the depth of the water it stays in, how long it is, etc. i googled night sharks to see if the information was accurate or if this was a gag, only to discover he's literally reading the wikipedia page word for word.

a new man "say there timmy, what's that? it's breakfast of course, but did you know breakfast is getting a sequel? that's right. lunch. [...] with a little luck, we may even get a trilogy series out of it. you know what a sequel is, don't you timmy? why, sequels are the worlds way of clinging helplessly onto the past. we all want more of the things we love and we're all afraid of change." in the style of old commercials, it's sounds like this could be the same voice actor as the narrator now doing an american accent.

"sequels are the bedrock of a healthy functional society, and if you look around you you'll find them everywhere you go." "here's the man who invented breathing, which is the sequel to suffocating and dying a slow death. even you're parents are getting a sequel timmy, their names are rod and jessica, as your real parents are getting sent back in time to fight in a secret war for the government." this goes on for a while about sequels, about the stanley parable getting a sequel.

"you're a man now timmy, which is a sequel to being a boy, and you need a man's game. the stanley parable 2 is the manliest game there is. let's look at the burley man who made the game. huh. his name is gregory eightpack and he's the cutting picture of raw masculinity"

"sequels allow us to correct mistakes. what mistakes did the original stanley parable make? well to start off most of the pornography in the game was stolen or pirated and it's time we paid the licensing fees fair and square. second, the stanley parable was catastrophic for a man named leroy, who had his information including home address, social security and bank address which were displayed prominently in multiple locations throughout the game. although leroy's money and identity were stolen, the fact remains his personal information was the emotional core of the game and absolutely vital to a nuance and understanding of the story. as reparation for the harm we caused him, the sequel will contain a brief and insincere apology to leroy tucked deep within the game where it will be difficult to find. finally, the stanley parable made the mistake of leaking too many government secrets about the nature of the time wars." "we'll get to you yet, time dracula."

omg this sequel bit goes on for so long but i love it. i cannot write it all down here, it goes on for so long omg.

the narrator thanks us for listening to the audio cassette. he say's we have a message from stanley's missing coworkers for us! ... there's nothing. there's no message from them... that's the end of the tape...

[wagingmywarsbehindmyface]

hiiiii I heard about your essay writing skills

I have this friend who has a huge crush on Jakub Gierszał, can you write an essay about him?

hiiii 👀 of course, i’m at your service! Jakub Gierszał is an accomplished, talented and I think still a bit underrated polish actor. Due to the fact he spent his childhood in Germany, he is also bilingual which gives him much more job opportunities when it comes to working abroad. He made some projects outside of Poland but still, he built his career there. Quite broad and diverse career in my humble opinion. At the beginning of it he won Shooting Star Award which is prestigious one for promising young actors in Europe. He debuted with film All That I Love in 2008 when he still attended acting classes. However, it was Suicide Room in 2011 which brought him the popularity. He played depressed, entitled, well-off teenager who gets lost in the cyber life. He even dyed his (beautiful blonde! ✨) hair for this role. No wonder why he got two awards and one nomination for it! Later on he starred in a couple of german productions. In the meanwhile he got leading role in Yuma (2012) telling the story of young Zyga who becomes 'Robin Hood’ of his town. In 2014 he got small role in American film Dracula Untold. A project, which seems interesting for me because of the idea behind it, is definitely Lure (Córki Dancingu). It is combination of the fairytale and musical on the basis of polish folklore. I must say that sometimes I still blast the soundtrack from this movie! Overall, 2017 was the year of GIERSZAŁ. He starred in four films and all of them were part of Gdynia Film Festival, let me introduce: Najlepszy (Breaking the limits) - based on the real story of Jerzy Górski, who was addicted to drugs but thanks to sport he fought dark times in his life and won Double Ironman. (Kuba killed it with this role 🤧🤍), next one was Beyond words which takes in the subject of immigration and identity. Spoor is about retired woman who becomes mixed up in a mystery when avid hunters in her mountain village start turning up dead and there are deer tracks next to their bodies. Then there was also film called Zgoda which takes place after the second world war and it is quite tough movie about sacrifice and love. I think Kuba chooses his work really precisely and he needs to be convinced to the project and characters he plays. It was quite chaotic during pandemic, but he even agreed to star in tv series which was quite shocking for me. He had been always denying to take part in tv series because it were films he loved the most. Nevertheless, he played a killer psycho and I was sold, me loves. Recently we could see him in Zadra where he plays a rapper! 👀👀👀 and in Doppelgänger where he plays a spy, the plot takes place in 70s/90s. I’m sorry for being chaotic! I might have omitted something but I said about his most acclaimed projects. I admire Kuba’s energy, he is a modest, kind and adorably shy human being, who doesn’t like attention and he is really private. He just wants to do his job and I admire him a lot. I could listen to him forever, his train of thoughts are always interesting! I think that the future of polish cinema is in good hands. Recommend to look his projects up ✨🤍

[chemicallywrit]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! What a delightful and spooky Halloween week. As usual, this list is not comprehensive, but this is what stood out to me this week. Some spoilers ahead, in the shape of vibes~

🩸Hemophobia did NOT disappoint. My word. The strange disconnected way the story was told; the fact that the sermons were more coherent and clear than the action; the Extremely Teenage Teens. Man. I cannot wait to listen to this next episode.

🦀 THE SILT VERSES. Every day I think about Faulkner. The person he is. The apostle and the fool. Jeez louise. I can’t tell if he’ll save the faith or obliterate it and take everyone down with him. @thesiltverses

🌊 Modes of Thought In Anterran Literature - is that Felix Trench??? On the one hand, hearing a familiar voice does break the immersion a little, like the most unnerving part of this show is how real it feels; on the other hand, Felix did such a good job, the immersion break didn’t last long. This new character sucks, i love him.

👻 Palimpsest!!!! New palimpsest!!!! Easily one of my favorite single-narrator shows, and this one is set in the 1920s, which is one of my favorite historical periods. They’re also very good at a horrible subtle twist, so I can’t wait to hear more about this ghost.

😈 Kakos Industries is literally always good, but I really feel for Corin being like “PLEASE leave me alone on Halloween.” Man, this show is funny. Why isn’t it more popular. Please listen to Kakos Industries. They’re on hiatus, there’s no better time to catch up. @kakosindustries

🍔 Mayfair Watcher’s Society always knows how to get to me. It’s like, the absolute corruption of the Normal into something horrific and wretched is the point of the show, especially when it’s something you always suspected was messed up. Like a fast food job. I shudder.

🌲HALLOWOODS JEEZ. Mx Wellman did in fact try to kill me. I survived. I WISH SOME OTHER FOLKS HAD. @hellofromthehallowoods

❄️ Red Valley. Man alive. One of the things I love about this show is how there are no real heroes, but this season from the POV of the villains—the architects of the apocalypse, in a lot of ways. Creeps. It’s delicious. Today’s episode, watching Clive finally reaping what he sowed, was absolutely glorious. @redvalleypod

🦷 Welcome to Night Vale - HOBOY. Idk if the return of Kevin is going to be a plot point, but it’s the perfect idea for a Halloween ep. Chilling work as always, Kev! It’s also fun to listen to him seethe about his loss of power.

🅿️ Podcube is always a delightful treat, but this week had a fantastic little bit of sound design, which I’m told is this sound designer’s first attempt at such a thing. He did a great job! I love this show, everyone listen to PodCube. @podcube

👑 Malevolent: We’re Back To The Horrors. I’m honestly relieved. Arthur having friends and family is so scary, I keep waiting for something horrible to happen to them. And now something has! Which is not to say more terrible things won’t happen, but i feel like the other shoe has dropped. This is not a criticism at all, Harlan is so good at this.

🌞 I finished Fall of the House of Sunshine this week and…it made me cry? This goof goof show made me CRY? It really is just You Make Your Own Meaning The Musical, isn’t it? If this show had to have a moral, then “even if all you can do is something small, it matters” is a pretty good one. The fact that there was a moral at all is pretty miraculous. I’m going to go listen to the soundtrack a million times now.

🧛🏻‍♂️ Re: Dracula is coming to an end in just a few days and here is a secret: i haven’t heard these last few eps yet. Tal and Stephen finished working on them while I was in the thrall of New Job, so I get to hear their excellent sound work new with you. I am so excited for the final showdown, let’s GO. @re-dracula

🧟‍♀️ The Dead premiered this week! Go subscribe to it, it’s about to get REAL WEIRD. We did some table reads for the next story this weekend (and we have one more today!) and if you think zombies on a plane are scary…

Go check it out!

Now that all is well on the job front, I hope to get back to recording Inn Between soon, because I Want It To Exist. If you want to help us out or you just like what I got up to today, please drop by my ko-fi!

[child0feden]

Hey, you seem like you’re into horror. Do you have a favourite horror movie, any suggestions on what to watch? Hope you’re having a great day!

Ps. Love the last hc about camping, Nocturno really deserves more love in this community :))

-🐀

୨୧ hey there, my sweet little rat anon! i’m having a very decent day and i hope you are too, if not then i send many hugs and kisses

indeed, i am very much into horror lolol! been into it just about as long as i have been extreme metal music, just a little earlier… oh what an amazing question to ask during the spookiest month of the year and so close to halloween! trying to get some scary movies figured out for the rest of the month? nothing feels better than watching a horror during halloween… it would simply be too hard for me to pick a singular favourite but i can name a couple off the top of my head for you

some of these kind of teeter on the edge of thriller more than horror but some favourites would be ;

house of wax, 2005 ( perhaps this will be a hot take but as someone who owns both the original movie and the remake, i actually preferred the remake! i think it was just so different and creative in the best way possible, it was not just a lazy cash grab remake of an old film, they really put their own spin on it and changed things up for what i think was the better! the set design for this movie is absolutely gorgeous and i believe the short documentary or behind the scenes footage is available to watch for free on youtube but i have it on dvd myself! paris hilton is in this movie and surprisingly does a decent job at acting her role, she did very well and fit her assigned character )

house of 1000 corpses, 2003 ( listen, i do not think this is the best horror movie in the world and i would never claim it to be that but it just has a very special place in my heart because it hits points of everything i enjoy in a movie! the acting, in my own opinion, is very good, the plot is so strange but not too much of a complete mind fuck to where it is just not enjoyable to watch anymore, it has some comedy that works well and is not just randomly thrown in there and ohhh the soundtrack, my beloved soundtrack! just a killer halloween movie, especially since it actually takes place during halloween )

black christmas, 1974 ( there really is not much i can say about this one without rambling for hours! just a classic, must watch horror! it’s an annual christmas and halloween movie for me! it used to keep me up some nights when staying at my grandparents house due to the type of house they had being similar to the house in the movie unlike my own )

the crow, 1994 ( another general classic movie that to me, is a must watch for the dark and gothic romantics out there! such a beautiful movie with and even better soundtrack for those who enjoy industrial metal and all )

rec, 2007 ( so damn freaky, knocks the blair witch project out of the water when it comes to found footage horror films! the screaming and yelling all just sounds so genuine and loud, the acting from the main cast is just so incredible in my opinion )

the descent, 2005 ( as someone who loves horror movies that slowly turn into so much more than they seem on the surface… wowee did this one catch me so off guard! the feelings of claustrophobia this film fills you with, the feelings of panic and tension is just amazing )

the dark crystal, 1982 ( i class this as a horror because the strange vulture creatures scared the living shit out of me when i first watched it as a child and i always watch this movie during october but now, i see how truly gorgeous this movie is despite still being a little disturbing to me at times )

the texas chainsaw massacre, 1974

elvira: mistress of the dark, 1988

the satanic rites of dracula, 1973

the evil dead, 1981

the birds, 1963

psycho, 1960

carrie, 1976

and some that are not quite favourites but i still think are definitely worth mentioning as recommendations ;

silent hill, 2006 ( i have my issues with this movie and i absolutely hate how the snow not ash lore plagued the community for so long and still does but i would be lying if i said i did not find it to be an enjoyable movie! i do absolutely love the atmosphere and the costume design, not to mention that the plot is not all that bad at all! definitely worth a watch, especially if you would like to get into silent hill but maybe do not enjoy playing games and simply prefer movies )

the texas chainsaw massacre 2, 1986 ( obviously nowhere near as spooky and scary and grisly as the first, classic movie but that is the whole point! the tonal shift is just amazing in my opinion and the comedy is just so… so obviously eighties in the best ways possible! a must watch comedy horror for me, so goofy and weird yet so lovable )

elephant, 2003 ( not so much a horror at all, more a thriller but i will mention this movie whenever i can because it is just so eery and so incredibly disturbing despite not being a horror, despite not having creatures that look like they come from the deepest pits of hell, despite the only cast and characters being our own human selves )

tokyo gore police, 2008 ( another less than perfect movie but to me, it is just such a joy to watch with all of the weirdness and wackiness it holds )

creepshow, 1982, creepshow 2, 1987

the lovely bones, 2009

bride of chucky, 1998

murder weapon, 1989

the collector, 2009

the lost boys, 1987

laid to rest, 2009

cat people, 1942

may, 2002

again, these are just quick and off the top of my head so i am definitely missing a few notable ones, does not help that i’m a little sleepy at the minute but hopefully these are some decent enough recommendations for you! have fun watching ^w^

and thank you very much! super glad to hear how many people really liked them when i was so worried about them not being the best hehe…

yeahhh, he absolutely does! he was and still is a total cutie, so so so handsome and so obviously a complete sweetheart! though to be honest, i feel like there are just so many under-appreciated and under-loved people in the black metal scene! there are so many people who deserve so much love and appreciate, much more than they get…

thanks again for this ask, rat anon! you guys don’t know how happy it makes me to answer any and all of your questions <3

[bagea]

top 6 or soo musics that ive been enjoying recently passed on to me by @dog5504, i also decided to link everything as mp3 instead of just linking the yt videos bcuz i love organization and it made the previous post way too long

1- Fake Facer Addict from armored core, its a remix of fake facer from the AC formula front ost, i really like how it makes me feel like im going super fast and its a lot less video game 8bit-crunchy sounding than the original fake facer, since this song isnt a part of any games and is just a standalone album. and i like the vocals too, reminiscent of the Ac4/4A soundtracks

2- the weird revolution from butthole surfers, its really good, i adore the drums and the vocals too, i love freaks and weirdos forever, i discovered it from looking at dogs last.fm again. overall really good

3- INFORMATION HIGH by Sharon Apple, originally from the macross soundtrack, its what sparked my recent macross reblogging, although this isnt the original version with lyrics, as the original is much better, the srw version is what inspired me to check it out anyways, and i encourage anyone to as well . oh yeah i couldnt fit it. the mp3 was too big so i used the srw one for space

4- again another butthole surfers song, i really like this one, its good, most of them from this album i really enjoy, i would have put "Get Down" on here if it fit the mp3 limit, but in this spot really any of the songs from the album could have gone here if they fit, venus, mexico and dracula from houston are all incredibly good, i love how he says down to tha people on the street

5- Over the Pain, from the Ac4/F4 era tribute album. one of the best Cosmos remixes, which is the original song its based off of, that to say its been remixed a lot, the final stretch of the song where it gets all 8bit sorta gets me super emotional, it feels like the ending song to a long journey

6- ive been listen to like a 30 minute remix of this all morning, very upbeat for a mainline armored core song, its reallyyy good. nexus probably has one of the best osts, like nineball memories and chronocrash

honorable mentions recently include Taking Control by aphex twin, Why Dont You Come Down from the AC5 ost and circle[P:M] - Air

euum @birdbonechai its your turnn

[dragonoffantasyandreality]

Just randomly listened to a 'final battle' type of soundtrack from Dracula A.D. 1972 (imo, one of the most ridiculous yet fun guilty pleasures films I ever watched lol 😂) that I got in my phone's music library.

I still remember the final battle scene vividly, and then I can't help but to see Peter Cushing as Colonel White and Christopher Lee as Captain Black in this scene. 😁

[kitkat-the-muffin]

Indescribable is the sorrow I felt when I found out there is already a Dracula Musical

I had so many ideas for my own musical interpretation of the novel

One where Dracula sings a really creepy but really catchy song that’s like a fusion of Mother Knows Best (Tangled) and Trust In Me (Jungle Book) to Jonathan upon his arrival

And Mina and Lucy have a colorful rap duet in prose where they’re writing letters to each other

And Jonathan has a leitmotif that represents hope and Dracula one that represents fear and Mina one that represents courage and Lucy one that represents sorrow-

And Dracula’s weed smoking girlfriends sing a ballad in Jonathan’s leitmotif that transforms into Dracula’s just as he arrives and it’s eerie and makes you uncomfortable as it should

I have not listened to the actual Dracula The Musical soundtrack and I don’t intend to, but wouldn’t it be so cool if we could just make a new one?

One that’s book accurate anyway, cause apparently the currently existing musical sets Mina and Dracula up as love interests :/

[twistedtummies2]

Top 10 Castlevania Dracula Boss Themes

While Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is most often associated with All Hallow’s Eve, many people don’t realize that the original novel was actually published in May. In fact, World Dracula Day - commemorating the publication of this seminal work of literature - is May 26th, every year. I’ve been on a Dracula kick basically all year now, by this point, due to various things…and I’ve decided, with this in mind, it’s time to give another spotlight on one of my favorite stories and characters. So, I’m declaring this entire month of May to be “Dracula Month!” Throughout this month, I will be uploading various little lists (and, in two cases, re-releasing old countdowns in an updated format) all related in some way to the King of the Vampires. And there’s no better place to start the celebration than with one of my favorite versions of Dracula, from one of my favorite video game franchises: Castlevania.

While Dracula isn’t directly battled in every Castlevania game, his specter looms large across the series. From the Classic games to the “Lords of Shadow” Reboot Trilogy, even if Dracula doesn’t appear as the final boss or main antagonist, he’s ALWAYS present in some form or another. As the main villain of the entire franchise, the Count of Transylvania has rarely been shown as persistent or as powerful as he is in these great games. And of course, with so many boss battles with Dracula in so many games…there must also come a great number of boss themes.

The music of Castlevania is one of its strongest points, and Dracula’s many battle themes are no exception. Some are more well-known or more frequently used than others, but it’s interesting to hear just many different musical stylings and compositions have been attributed to the Prince of Darkness throughout the franchise. So, I’m going to countdown my ten favorite Dracula boss themes from throughout the Castlevania series, just for a lark. I should point out I’m specifically focusing on the games and their boss battles, so you won’t be seeing any music from the (most excellent) animated series here. Also, I am specifically talking about boss themes, so any other pieces of music attributed to Dracula won’t be discussed, at least not in this list. BUT ENOUGH TALK! These are my Top 10 Dracula Boss Themes from Castlevania! HAVE AT THEE!

10. Black Banquet, from Symphony of the Night.

Considering “Symphony of the Night” is widely regarded as one of the best Castlevania games ever, if not the best - and with one of the greatest soundtracks of the series to boot - it’s funny that I often feel the final battle with Dracula in the game tends to get overlooked. More people seem to remember the impossible-to-lose Prologue opening battle between Richter and the Count, both musically and in terms of the fight overall. There are lots of reasons why, but while while the final battle with Dracula in “Symphony” may not be his absolute best encounter as a boss, and “Black Banquet” isn’t usually people’s first choice for a great Dracula boss theme, I don’t think this piece of music is bad at all. There’s a low, deep, pumping quality to the music, which really gives a sense of size and dread to this final duel between Alucard and his father. It’s a fittingly eerie sort of theme, tense and low, almost like something from a modern stealth/survival horror title. It may not be the most memorable or the most popular, but it’s far from terrible.

9. Creatures in the Depth, from Castlevania Chronicles.

Yes, for those who don’t know, it’s “Depth” not “Depths.” Don’t ask me why. Anyway, I’m specifically talking about the Arranged version of this theme. A lot of older, more “retro” sounding, “bit-based” music themes tend to be hit or miss from me. I generally prefer things that have a more symphonic or orchestral sort of sound quality. Whichever version you listen to, however, this is a pretty fun theme for Dracula. This tune plays during the first stage of the Count’s boss fight. It’s one of the fastest-paced themes on the list, and has a sort of theatricality to it. There’s a sort of “bouncing off the walls” quality to the piece. The rhythm actually weirdly seems to sync up with Dracula’s frequently teleporting around the arena, almost like a warning sign of when he’s going to pop up next, and gives this final “en-Count-er” a sort of “rock star” quality. My only problem with the theme, and why it ranks so low, is that it’s very short; the soundtrack release has to loop the track at least three times, because the full piece in total is less than a minute. Some of the other themes on this countdown ARE on the short side, mind you, but none of them are THIS brief. Still, short as it is, it’s not bad.

8. Order of the Demon, from Harmony of Despair.

This theme first appeared in the game “Order of Ecclesia,” and while I think it’s fine there…once again, I prefer the more “full” version, in terms of instrumental style and quality, from the game “Harmony of Despair.” In that game, this theme plays during the first two stages of Dracula’s boss fight. (It changes to the tune “Dance of Illusions” in the final stage, which we’ll get to later.) “Harmony of Despair” took several classic themes from throughout the franchise’s history, and reworked them into a sort of symphonic rock or metal style. However, for “Order of the Demon,” they eschewed electric guitars and other such instrumental choices in favor of a more straightforward, orchestral sound, with heavy focus on brass and percussion. Like “Creatures in the Depth,” this is a very wild-sounding theme, with a rapid tempo, and I like it for similar reasons as a result. It’s a bit longer and has more variation to the way it plays with the melody though, which is ultimately what makes it stand out above the previous choice.

7. The Vampire’s Stomach, from Castlevania X Michiru Yamane: Autobiography Music.

Wow, what a title. If you’re wondering what game that title comes from…it’s not from any game. That’s really the primary reason this one gets a lower ranking, you see: the track itself IS found in a Castlevania game, but this specific ARRANGEMENT is not. Confused? Well, here’s the succinct version of things: Michiru Yamane is a composer who has worked on several Castlevania games, such as “Bloodlines” and the aforementioned “Symphony of the Night.” However (supposedly), she felt a bit disappointed with the way some of the tracks in Bloodlines, in particular, came out: that game came out on the SEGA Genesis, and the musical capabilities of that system weren’t able to live up to Yamane’s fullest desires. A special CD, with the above title, allowed Yamane to create more symphonic-sounding arrangements of some of her themes from Bloodlines that she wished could have been done a bit differently, among them being Dracula’s boss fight from that game, “The Vampire’s Stomach.” The arranged version is five minutes long and is extremely interesting; it would have been great to hear this rendition in an actual game of the series at some point. It still would be! But since it technically never did, and the original “Bloodlines” version, I have to admit, isn’t one I’m ESPECIALLY fond of (if I were ranking just that original take, this track would be at least a little lower in the ranks), I don’t think it’s fair to put it any higher. It still sounds awesome, though…and while the title is a bit odd, I love it, too, for the record.

6. Banquet of Madness, from Portrait of Ruin.

This is the theme that accompanies my single favorite boss fight in the entire Castlevania series, which is honestly the main reason it ranks as highly as it does: that’s just good background to help boost any theme, frankly. In this battle, you’re not only fighting Count Dracula, but also the secondary antagonist of the series: his right-hand skeleton, the Grim Reaper himself, Death. You could argue that means this doesn’t count for the list, since it isn’t JUST Dracula being fought…but a.) Dracula is doing most of the work (though Death playing support certainly helps to make this fight all the more challenging and memorable), b.) it follows the typical “formula” of a Dracula battle in these games, and c.) this is my list, so I make the rules. Ha! Anyway, this is another short, rather wild sort of theme, but I think that wild tone fits better here than anywhere else. You have to deal with two enemies during this fight, both of whom are very powerful, and both of whom are constantly on the move, throughout the first stage. When Dracula “absorbs” Death to help himself take on his “true form,” you’d think having just one target would make things easier, but no: the fight only gets even more intense at that point, as Dracula flies around using more devastating and frequent attacks than ever. The phrase “Madness” certainly begets the situation.

5. Dracula’s Room/Simon Belmont’s Theme, from Super Castlevania IV.

This one (well…really, these two) can be considered truly classic. It’s one of the most iconic and well-liked themes for Dracula battles in the Castlevania library, and I think there are two reasons why: one is the context, the other is the unique tone. Both of which sort of go hand-in-hand. Contextually, throughout the final stage of this game, the music is rocky and strong, very heroic and forward-driving. It rarely lets up the pace and rhythm, urging you to charge forward and make it to the end in this final gauntlet of chaotic evil. But after you defeat Death…suddenly, the music just cuts out, and for a moment there’s silence. Then, “Dracula’s Room” begins to play, as you make your way through the lonely halls towards the Count’s private chambers for the final duel. This theme is haunting, slow, almost sorrowful, with a sort of bitterness to it; it isn’t a grand, sweeping, adrenaline-fueled piece, but something cold and almost ethereal. It’s the sound of two old enemies, both of whom know this is the end, finally coming face to face for one last struggle. It’s a tonal jump from the rest of the stage that catches you off guard and unnerves you, and it makes the battle with Dracula all the more memorable. When Dracula gets down to his last several bars of health, and begins the second stage of his fight, the music changes to the more triumphant-sounding, mighty “Simon Belmont’s Theme,” almost like a pep talk to the player that you’ve almost won, or like Simon finally gaining the upper hand as Dracula grows more desperate. Separate, both themes are great, but when combined, they create a great story told through music. The only reason this DOESN’T rank higher is because, again, I prefer more symphonic/orchestral pieces to the more “retro” sounding music here…but as far as “retro” pieces go, this is one that has really stood the test of time well.

4. Final Fight, from Mirror of Fate.

In direct contrast to the previous choice, this is one that I feel is underrated, and goes in quite the opposite direction. “Mirror of Fate” was one of three games made for the “Lords of Shadow” reboot of the Castlevania games. These three games were an attempt to update and modernize the series, changing up the lore a bit (well…a lot, really) and using gameplay and aesthetic stylings influenced heavily by the “God of War” franchise. Fans of Castlevania are mixed about these creative decisions, but I personally didn’t mind them. While none of the three were perfect, I think they still stand as good games…and of the three, “Mirror of Fate” was my favorite. It was an attempt to combine the classic gameplay style of sidescrolling Castlevania games of yesteryear with the lore and aesthetics of the other “Lords of Shadow” titles. In the other two games, Dracula is actually the main protagonist…but as part of the “return to form” style of “Mirror of Fate,” in this title, Dracula is finally the main villain again. The Lord of the Vampires is fought twice in the game, and both battles use this theme. Fitting with the style of the LoS trilogy, this has a heavy, pounding, rhythmic, “epic” sound to it, with a lot of grit and toughness, but still carries strange of Gothic, almost operatic power typical to the Count as a character. There’s a twinge of bitterness and sadness to this theme, along with a heavy dose of bold horror; not only a result of our main character in other titles now playing the role of the villain, but the tragic circumstances that surround both duels with the Son of the Dragon in this game. It’s not a theme a lot of other Castlevania fans would likely place on their Top 10, let alone so high up, but I think it’s worthy of my own countdown.

3. Nothing to Lose/Black Night, from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

“Super Smash” may not ACTUALLY be a Castlevania game, but there’s a Castlevania world, and you CAN fight Dracula in it. You can even play one of the Belmont clan, no less! So I’m still counting it. (Also, technically these themes first showed up in “Harmony of Despair,” I think. So if Smash Bros. doesn’t count, that title DEFINITELY does.) These are actually remixes of Dracula’s boss themes from the very first “Castlevania” game, released all the way back in 1986. Those old themes are as retro as retro gets, and while they have a certain charm, I MUCH prefer these new arrangements, which combine high-flying Gothic strings and choral darkness with a screaming electric guitar and (literal) banging drums. “Nothing to Lose” plays during the first stage of Count Dracula’s battle in the game, while “Black Night” kicks in during the second stage. These were glorious, rocking-good reinventions of arguably the most classic of classic Castlevania Dracula battle themes; returning the series to its roots and revving things up to a hundred at the same time. While they did originate in “Harmony of Despair,” like I said, I will always remember them and appreciate them best for their use in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as they really helped to create the “Castlevania Package” for the game, so to speak.

2. Toccata Into Blood-Soaked Darkness, from Curse of Darkness.

“Curse of Darkness” has one of my favorite soundtracks in the Castlevania franchise, if not my favorite, so it stands to reason Dracula would have a great theme here. Much like with “Creatures in the Depth,” this tune plays during the first stage of Dracula’s boss battle, and far outshines the theme that follows it. Alongside “Dracula’s Room” and our number one pick (still to come), this seems to be considered one of Dracula’s absolute “signature” themes. It’s one a lot of people name as one of their favorites, if not their favorite, and for good reason. This theme is absolutely DRENCHED in Gothic power and decadent gloom. The virtuosic organ leitmotif that runs throughout gives the theme a sense of grandeur, while also driving it onward with its remarkable speed. The music starts out as a slight slow burn, with lower, darker, colder tones under the surface, which eventually crescendo, as the music grows wilder and more intense, matching the rising intensity of the fight itself. You hear this theme, and you just think “Dracula.” Plain and simple.

1. Dance of Illusions, from Dracula X Chronicles.

Also sometimes titled “Illusionary Dance,” I guess depending on translation. While the Toccata is a theme where you hear it and just think “Dracula,” this theme is one I hear and specifically, automatically think “Castlevania’s Dracula,” as well as, indeed, Castlevania in general. While this whole list has proven that the Count has had many unique variations on his boss music over the course of the franchise, “Dance of Illusions” is the track most recognized as Dracula’s “official” theme in the series. Originating in the game “Rondo of Blood,” this theme has since shown up in numerous Castlevania games as Dracula’s boss theme for at least one stage of his fight, if not the entire battle as a whole. This theme combines the Gothic darkness and power of the Toccata with the sort of swooping, theatrical sound that themes like “Creatures in the Depth” and “Banquet of Madness” have. When I hear this theme, it’s impossible for me to NOT imagine Dracula in his usual attack mode for the series, swirling his cape and laughing tauntingly as he uses his magic to combat the player. I knew this theme would be my number one from the start, and revisiting it did not change my mind…the hard part was figuring out which arrangement I would use. Some versions of this tune I considered include the ones from “Symphony of the Night,” “Legacy of Darkness,” and the recent homage “Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania.” Ultimately, however, I decided my favorite arrangement is from “Dracula X Chronicles,” which was - coincidentally - a remake of the original game this came from, “Rondo of Blood.” It’s the most dramatic, the most intense, and accompanies my single favorite solo battle with the Count (my second favorite Dracula boss after “Portrait of Ruin,” overall) in the entire franchise. While it is admittedly on the short side, clocking in at about a minute-and-a-half before looping, it makes FULL use of the length it has, and is therefore my favorite interpretation of the theme I best recognize as Dracula’s theme within this franchise. Therefore, it is more than deserving of recognition as number one on this countdown. Case dismissed.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

The Devil’s Revival, from The Adventure ReBirth. (Very retro theme, and a fun one. ‘Nuff said.)

Metamorphosis to the Black Abyss of Death, from Curse of Darkness. (I liked the first battle’s theme more, but this one is good, too.)

You Goddamned Bathead, from Castlevania Chronicles. (Best. Title. Ever. XD Again, like with Curse of Darkness, just liked the first theme more.)

The Darkness That Chills Men’s Hearts, from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. (Wasn’t sure if this one should count, since the battle is against a creature called “Inner Dracula” and the player’s character is Dracula himself. However, for that same exact reason, it seemed like it should at least be an Honorable Mention.)