#in which Count Orlok is a little freak

[simplynerdilicious-blog]

Nosferatu, 1922.

[cantsayidont]

So, let's say you've endured the awful 2024 Robert Eggers remake of NOSFERATU (my condolences) — OR, you were curious about it, but have so far managed to avoid it. Here's what you should see next if you watched the Eggers atrocity (or instead, if you haven't):

NOSFERATU, PHANTOM DER NACHT (NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE) (1979): Languid, magnificently composed Werner Herzog spin on DRACULA — like the Eggers film, a loose remake of the 1922 silent, which was a Germanized adaptation of DRACULA — starring Klaus Kinski as the pathetic, infinitely lonely Dracula, an embodiment of plague whose coming brings not only death, but the collapse of social order, with Isabelle Adjani at her most achingly beautiful as the frightened but ultimately heroic object of his lust and instrument of his destruction, and Bruno Ganz as the hapless, doomed Jonathan. Herzog situates the story's horror very differently than most DRACULA stories: The scariest thing in the film is not Dracula, but rather the slow, implacable advance of time, against which both the living and the undead are powerless. Herzog's existentialist themes largely mute the 1922 film's antisemitism, and the 1979 film takes a rather more ambivalent attitude toward the original's themes of Christian martyrdom. CONTAINS LESBIANS? No. VERDICT: Not to every taste, but a legit masterpiece, clearly superior to both the Murau silent and the agonizing 2024 film.

DRACULA (1979): Romanticied '70s update of the Hamilton Deane/John L. Balderston play that was the basis for the 1931 movie, starring an extremely cunty Frank Langella as Dracula, with such swag that he scarcely needs to hypnotize anyone. Like Herzog's NOSFERATU, released the same year, it transposes Mina (Jan Francis) and Lucy (Kate Nelligan), for no obvious purpose. Nelligan is okay and Langella is fabulous, the diametric opposite of Klaus Kinski in NOSFERATU, but Laurence Olivier (as Van Helsing) and Donald Pleasance (as Seward) are very hammy, and the story is let down somewhat by some unnecessary contrivances and a foolish new ending. CONTAINS LESBIANS? No. VERDICT: Worth seeing for Langella, who really redefined "sexy Dracula" for the modern age, although a mixed bag as a complete film.

SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE (2000): Unique, deliciously eccentric fictionalized version of the making of the 1922 NOSFERATU: Imperious control-freak director F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) sets out to film an unauthorized screen version of Bram Stoker's DRACULA with the character names changed, informing his cast and crew that the vampiric Count Orlock will be played by an obscure theatrical Method actor (Willem Dafoe), who insists on remaining in character at all times. Before long, some of the crew start to fear that Murnau may have taken his commitment to authenticity a little too far — and what, exactly, has he promised to pay his star? At once an homage, a parody, and a pastiche of NOSFERATU (it will play better if you've seen at least one of the three versions), anchored by Dafoe's brilliant comedic performance: Much of the suspense hinges on the uncertainty about whether he's an eccentric weirdo, a dangerous monster, or both. The film's main weakness is Cary Elwes as cinematographer Fritz Arno Wagner; Elwes' ludicrous attempt at a German accent is the film's truest horror. CONTAINS LESBIANS? No. VERDICT: A delightfully weird horror-comedy.

I'm a little reluctant to recommend the original 1922 silent (which is in the public domain in the U.S. and easy enough to access) — whatever its bona fides as an early horror film, watching it is very uncomfortable if you recognize that the way the film depicts Orlok is essentially a distillation of a century's worth of ugly antisemitic caricature, so it might as well be BLOOD LIBEL: THE MOTION PICTURE. (DRACULA is itself a rather racist story, but the 1922 NOSFERATU is worse, and the Eggers film is as well.)

[mediocre-eternity]

Nosferatu review pleaseeeeeeee

And! Would love a little compare/contrast to the original 1922 film if you feel like it

Thank u armand ❤️

Alright.

A bad mood consumed me. Yes last week Daniel, Benji, our new friend Marshall and I marched our merry way to the theater to see this new Nosferatu.

But, my love, you’re asking me for a full academic review of this movie of which has completely destroyed my household and I’ve heard nothing but “You Must Bounce On It Crazy Style” and “I Took Her To My Penthouse And I Freaked It” and “It Is A Black Omen to Travel In Poor Health.” I mean, surely the poor folk of one hundred years ago didn’t witness memes of such proportion.

Maybe they did. I don’t really know. It was a silent film anyway.

Oh and how I know some of you will be rightfully disgusted by my answer but either the comparisons between the two are so drastic or so very similar it isn’t really worth mentioning. Essentially, the plot is the same with a little bulking. Willem Dafoe’s character has a different name for some reason. Oh and apparently the entire plot was a motive for Von Franz to kill vampires and take ladies cats… According to Daniel anyway. And Marshall.

“How many times has he done that!” Fell out of Marshall’s mouth as soon as Von Franz picked that cat up. It was funny. I liked that.

“At least four,” Daniel reminded us.

Bill Skarsgard somehow made a rotting corpse sexy which I’m sure wasn’t light work but I wouldn’t have expected anyone else to achieve such magnitude in a century’s old character. That voice. My God. I’ve read he had operatic training to practice the deep register.

The palpable sexuality given to the film gave it an intensity that threw me off-guard. “I am an appetite. Nothing more,” will probably haunt me for months. Humans astound me over and over again in their art to get our species so entirely wrong in some ways but throwing in a hook that has made me wonder through the centuries if some of these people know more than they do. Or maybe they’re just occasionally intelligent, even miraculously so. I can’t really figure it out.

An appetite. Nothing more. And oh, for all that we are somehow we desperately try to add meaning to our basically meaningless eternities. And what if Orlok had gotten his way as he intended? Would he have turned her? Like so many of us do in the hopes of alleviating some of the damage of immortality only to shelve what we most desired later on. What a role model Orlok suddenly becomes, putting into shadow the previous muppet-like Count Orlok.

Also, bare with me for a moment. You be aware that I am from a very well known, albeit small, bloodline that essentially prides itself on…several things…but most notably our physical beauty. We are of one bloodline and not a strict representation of all undead. There are those of us as monstrous, disgusting and old as Orlok. There are demons who simply are just an appetite and have no substance or offering or beauty to save them.

I could also wax lyrical about the plays in facial expressions, the astounding call-backs to German Expressionism, the filmography, how much control Orlock had over Thomas, how much free will Ellen had, how glad I am that those awful kids were sucked dry.

Anyway, good on the humans for forming such a great plan. You guys really did that. Wonderful.

Though putting the absolutely astounding example of cinema I experienced aside, collectively we have not stopped laughing. Why is this movie so funny? It’s not a funny movie. It was gorgeous. I want more. God, I want to laugh more and more. He scared sweet Thomas into signing divorce papers! What an act of pure vampirism!

It was good. Good good good. One of my top cinema moments in the last year. Bravo.

Hope this satisfies.

[cityoftheangelllls]

I just watched Nosferatu (1922) for the first time.

Yes, it is most definitely kind of a ripoff of Bram Stoker's Dracula. But holy shite it is also one of the best horror movies I have ever seen. The filming locations are beautiful and the special effects and cinematography had me gobsmacked, they're so incredible for their time. Especially Count Orlok rising out of the coffin, I was like holy hell, how did they do that?!? Speaking of which, Count Orlok has to be the scariest onscreen vampire I think I've ever seen. I mean yeah, his little joke in Spongebob kind of removed some of the scariness for me, but they went so HARD with his appearance, the makeup and prosthetics are just so CONVINCING, and the fact that this movie is so old makes it even creepier to me for some reason. And even though this movie had such a complicated history and didn't go over so well with Bram Stoker's family, by GOD does it hold up after all these years, and it broke so many grounds and set so many standards for future horror movies in terms of storytelling, special effects, and atmosphere.

Believe me when I say that a silent film that's now 100 freaking years old is more well done than 97% of the horror movies they're making today.

[blookmallow]

I MADE SOME NEW FRIENDS LOOK

I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I L

ok backing up a bit rieklings are these lil goblin things that have been attacking me all across solstheim for a while, but THEN i found THIS 

SINCE WHEN DO YOU KNOW HOW TO TALK!! WHAT!!!!! OF COURSE I FOLLOW YOU also your foot is. uh. disappearing into the snow there bud

they took me to meet their chief 

it is an honor, sir 

i also just noticed he’s sitting like a jarl fjdsgj

[nods thoughtfully] muwafathoo

they needed help getting their warthog thing back and collecting scathcraw which i was absolutely down for, but then, uh

they wanted me to help raid the nearby nord village :’)

the Bad Nords who keep attacking them, they said, but this. is definitely a nord mead hall that they clearly took over :’ ) 

but i mean, its theirs Now, i guess,

i felt bad but i really didn’t wanna betray my lil goblin buddies and i didn’t really even know the nord people anyway, and I’m already a dark brotherhood assassin, so, like, technically this kinda shit is my job already, 

so we killed the nords lmao it was far enough away from the guards that i didnt get a bounty for it but

so then the riekling chief thought i was trying to assert dominance over him as the Strongest and he challenged me but i REALLY DIDN’T WANNA FIGHT HIM :’) SIR YOU ARE SO SMALL. I’M SORRY. YOU ARE A TINY THING 

i forgot i was wearing the ebony mail, which poisons anything around you that registers as an enemy, so he literally just died from poison exposure and i did not do Anything 

so as far as these guys know im a fucking god who can strike things down without moving a muscle 

they didn’t seem too upset about their chief though and just declared me the new chief so i guess this is just how they roll :’) 

SO ANYWAY NOW I HAVE ALL THESE FRIENDS. THEY CAN ACT AS FOLLOWERS I CAN BRING LIL GOBLINS ON ADVENTURES WITH ME AND I’M DYING 

look at him...........my littel man............

if you dismiss them you get this though 

he’s not a PET he’s my FRIEND

but apparently bc they’re “pets” you can have one of them and a regular follower at the same time even though they can like. carry stuff and follow commands (not all commands but most things) 

they are SURPRISINGLY VERY WELL BEHAVED LIL GREMLINS i was afraid they might act aggressively if i brought them into town or something but no they only attack if you tell them to or if there’s an active threat. im not sure how they understand me bc the chief was the only one who could really communicate, i haven’t heard any recognizable words since “you. fo. llow. me” 

they do tend to say the same phrases a lot though so I’m pretty sure they have language! the only thing I can tell for sure is I think “fa ra walla” means “goodbye” since they always say that when you dismiss them 

the game mechanics aren’t there to actually do it but i like to think medea is something of an anthropologist and is trying to study them, teaching them her language and trying to learn theirs 

i brought him to meet my cow i think he likes her 

doesn’t like chairs, though. i offered him a chair and he just kept saying JOOOO FAH so i guess that means no 

anyway ive decided everyone gets presents and everyone’s getting names im gonna give them all enchanted daggers so i can tell which one’s which since several of them have the same model and I can’t tell them apart 

this guy’s grendel

they don’t seem to use weapons you give them but they will carry it

im not 100% sure but from what i can tell so far it does seem to be the same group of 9 rieklings (i counted them and made note of how many there were of each type, gave a few of them specific items to hold, dismissed them, traveled around for a bit, came back and could still count the same numbers and could still find the ones with the items I gave them) so this SHOULD work to keep track of them unless they do eventually just reset or get randomized again

it would make sense for them to all be the same every time you visit though considering the possibility for them to be carrying something for you that you might need back 

this one’s caliban i took him to meet cicero i think they’re friends 

also i gave him a necklace and it does register as being equipped even though you can’t actually See it so im choosing to believe he liked it and put it on 

anyway here’s Most Of the squad, a few of them were inside 

im still collecting daggers for them all and deciding who gets which names but ive decided they’re grendel, caliban, fidget, gollum, orlok, crabbe, goyle, fester, and igor and i love every single one of them with my entire heart 

also my bard was standing on a chair the entire time grendel was in the house which was probably an unrelated glitch but was VERY funny

most of the time no one seems to notice my weird little goblin friend but i did have one guy in solstheim briefly panic and call for help for no apparent reason and then get over it so he might have gotten freaked out before he realized i had the situation handled :’)

lucia’s kinda scared of them too :’( he’s nice,

BOY SAVED ME FROM A DRAUGR I DIDN’T EVEN SEE NICE WORK BUDDY!!! 

look at this sickass skull we found and also my baby boy’s precious darling little face 

also the rest of the rieklings on the island still act aggressively toward me even if i have one of them with me, and my dude has no hesitation in attacking them so i guess there’s warring tribes going on or something :’) it is very stressful bc i do NOT want to end up hitting one of my boys on accident though 

found this in one of the enemy riekling caves, WHERE did u get this 

i dont think dark elves even worship dibella 

also, sidenote, why is dibella the only one who gets a statue she’s like my least favorite and she’s the only one i can have statues of

i mean i have some shrines in my falkreath basement now but why can’t i have like, a cool arkay statue or something

An Entire Fucking Pile Of Lusty Argonian Maid, which raises SO many more questions

can.... can rieklings read??? 

there was also one single telekinesis tome buried under all these. why 

[thursdays-at-the-coffeeshop]

Planning a trip to Salem, MA next autumn? Here are some things you need to know.

In October of 2017, I went on one of the greatest trips of my life: to Salem, Massachusetts. It’s without saying that this place is truly a New England staple, and if you’re are a history buff (or maybe you’re just reaally into Halloween like me), you must go at least once in your life. If you’ve ever wondered what a true Halloweentown looks like, go to Salem in the fall and you won’t be disappointed.

While, yes, it’s only springtime, the time for planning trips for the rest of the year is now. And if you’re planning a Salem trip, this article will give you insight into some things I’ve learned through experience so you don’t have to. 

1. Stay in Boston.

Here’s why: all lodging in the Salem area will be ridiculously expensive since it’s the one of the number one tourist destinations in the fall. [Yes, even the Airbnbs.] If you have the means to do it -- definitely go for the experience! (Rumor has it some of the hotels are haunted by ghosts.) But if you’re trying to save money, opt for a hotel or Airbnb in Boston. One of the more enjoyable things I remember anyway is taking the ferry from Boston to Salem. The scenic views of the Boston skyline and the miles of Atlantic are a thing I’ll never forget.

2. Do sign up for the tours.

To get the most out of your Salem trip, the best thing you can do is take the history tours. There are plenty of tour options available through TripAdvisor (where I booked mine), and you can choose whether you want a night-time ‘ghost’ history tour, or a daytime cultural/history tour. I did the A.M coffee walk as well as the Bewitched After Dark tour, and I’m glad I did because I truly got the best of both worlds. (Highlights: learning about where Hocus Pocus and various other films were filmed, finding out the history behind the country’s oldest graveyards + houses, and visiting the signature spots of Salem.)

3. Hungry? Get a bite at Turner’s Seafood. 

The clam chowder will change your life. (You can even book in advance via Opentable!) (Other honorable mentions include The Ugly Mug -- which I’m convinced has the best pumpkin pancakes in existence, Finz Restaurant, and the Lobster Shanty where Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives once filmed an episode.)

4. Make the bulk of your trip happen during weekdays.

I was there for four days (frankly I could have stayed even longer because of how much there was to explore!) but I quickly realized during the weekend how incredibly busy it was in comparison to the previous two days I was there. During October, the streets are filled with Halloween enthusiasts and tourists alike, but during the weekend it can be a little overwhelming when you’re stuck in a extremely close, never-ending crowd. Spread your trip over the week and you’ll have a more enjoyable time roaming the historic streets freely without feeling like you don’t have room to breathe.

5. If you really want to freak yourself out, head on over to these signature scares: Count Orlok’s Nightmare Museum, Salem Wax Museum, Witch History Museum, and The Witch House -- one of the oldest houses still standing, a pivotal piece of history in the Salem Witch Trials.  

6. Do yourself a favor and take some time to enjoy Derby Wharf.

If you’re looking for a nice reprieve from the busy streets, walk on over to the historic Derby Wharf. You won’t be disappointed by the fantastic view of twilight as the sun sets over the bay.

7. Grew up loving Hocus Pocus? Don’t forget to stop over at the filming locations! 

Spots include Allison’s house (Ropes Mansion, located at 318 Essex St, Salem, MA), Max’s house (A residence -- so be respectful if you visit! 4 Ocean Drive, Salem, MA) the Old Town Hall where the dance was filmed (161 Essex Street, Salem, MA), Salem Commons (where several scenes were filmed), Pioneer Village (where Thackery Binx lives in the beginning of the movie) and Old Burial Hill where we first meet Jay and Earnie aka ‘Ice’ (01945 Marblehead, MA).

8. Don’t be afraid to get a little witchy.

No matter your religion or beliefs, you should most definitely indulge in your witchy side when you’re here. You’re in the Halloween capital of the world after all! Stop on over to The Coven’s Cottage for dried herbs or beautiful crystal souvenirs. You can even buy spellbooks and wiccan candles if you’re really feeling that magical vibe. (Other great spots include HausWitch or Wynott’s Wands for some Harry-Potter-like wands.)

[patrickdkim]

Blog Post #4

Patrick Kim

Professor Rosetta Brooks

Critical Practice

February 6, 2017

The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

In the article Monster Culture (Seven Theses) by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, the idea that a “monster” originates based on a difference in race, gender, sexuality, and religion amongst individuals of society is heavily argued and discussed through seven different theses. A monster, as explained by Cohen, may differ from culture to culture depending on the current time and social era. However, by the end of his article, it is apparent that Cohen is truly trying to express the truth that every individual has a little bit of monstrous characteristics within themselves.

In his first thesis, Cohen explains how a monster is created as a representation for a specific movement or prejudice occurring in a certain time period. Individuals channel their fear and anxiety towards another who appears different from themselves into a representation or a “projection” of a creature. Cohen then goes on to state in his second thesis that monsters take on various forms in different cultures because the views of the creators of one culture may differ from another, such as vampires. The original idea of a vampire has transformed greatly over the decades. In the past, vampires were depicted as pale, grotesque demons that possessed human characteristics and wore capes and dark, unusual clothing, such as Count Orlok from Nosferatu. Now, in pop culture, vampires are depicted as sensual and enticing bloodsuckers that never age and wear common, human clothing, such as how they are represented in Julie Plec’s The Vampire Diaries and Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight” series. Though a monster may perish in forgotten or finished tales from the past, the physical idea of that monster still continues to thrive and reinvent itself into something new because it constantly recurs in other culture’s fables.

Thesis III states that monsters tend to run away from the scene in fear of being compared to humans, which can be seen in situations today. When the bias opinions of Society begin to classify what is considered the norm, others who are deemed as “freaks”, “outsiders”, and “aliens” due to the certain qualities or characteristics they posses, tend to shy away from the public in fear of being picked on. This intolerance ties into Cohen’s fourth thesis in which people of color and different sexual orientations are feared by Society due to myths that arise about them. As stated by Cohen, Ethiopians were feared in the past due to a misconception that their dark skin tones somehow “associated with the fires of Hell” (10). Though dark skin is not associated with Hell anymore, I believe that racial injustice towards black people still occurs because there is a bias belief amongst some individuals that if one’s skin tone is extremely dark then he or she is somehow scarier and more menacing.

In his fifth and sixth theses, Cohen also warns that whenever a “monster” leaves his or her home area, he or she is at risk of getting attacked by others who are not used to seeing another that is different. A monster is feared, but it “also attracts” (16), which is why humans tend to alter their own appearances to resemble and steal the qualities of certain “monsters” and use it as their own, such as how some white people try to plump their lips, tan their skin, and curl their hair in order to make their features look more like black people, even though those same white people most likely made fun of black people in the past for their natural and beautiful features.

In his final thesis, it is evident that Cohen is trying to express that humans are the creators of monsters. We have the tendency to form grotesque ideas and myths about others and make them out to be abnormal due to our fear towards something that is different than what is deemed “normal” in our high, societal standards. I believe that “monsters” are one in the same with humans because we learn from each other and act based on what we are influenced or taught by. We fear one another based on differences we can't seem to accept. A line, which may be found in his fourth thesis, that struck me the most throughout the article was that “the East becomes feminized (Said) and the soul of Africa grows dark (Gates)” (11) because it visualizes that as time progresses, equality seems to slowly digress as well. Equality will never be reached for women, people of color, people of different religions, and people of different sexualities, and there will always be prejudice. Though it may not seem like it, all humans are “monsters”, and we will continue to judge and be judged for our actions and for being ourselves.