Last night's episode of Castle wasn't Just about Halloween and Vampires. It introduced many viewers to the vampire subculture in a very vivid manner. I'm sure many viewers were surprised to learn that some of men and women who live the life of a vampire have porcelain fangs implanted in their mouths. Even more shocking were the scenes of sanguinarians, or blood drinkers, actually ingesting blood from other people. The writers of the show didn't make this up, it happens to it in special clubs, in homes and apartments, and sometimes-in dark and places out on the street.
Though the show had a campy atmosphere, it was well paced, and figuring out who was the murderer was difficult. The surprise ending, took the viewer to a dark place where a stepmother murders her stepson in order to preserve her secret that she killed his biological mother.
After the show, many people Twittered each other about the episode. How do I know this? When I went on Twitter at 11:20 p.m. Eastern time, Castle was one of the hot topics listed. When I entered, "#Castle," I could see the actual messages going back and forth. The majority of them was from women and concerned Nathan Fillion, the tall, hunky, star of the show, has over 200,000 people following him on Twitter. Nathan, was the star of the short-lived cult science fiction show Firefly. Later, he starred in the movie Serenity, based on the television show.
I watched a couple of old, old vampire movies and was disappointed. The original Dracula has become a classic for a variety of reasons, but largely due to Bella Lugosi's campy, over-the-top, performance. His image, words, and style has become "the vampire" for many people for many decades.
This is not true of most of the other early vampire movies. The movie "Vampyr " made in 1932 by Carl Theodore Dreyer, is long on style and short on substance. The director, focused on visual effects, which were very powerful in their time, but not enough on the plot. It is the story of a traveler obsessed with the supernatural visits an old inn and finds evidence of vampires. In a way, it's unfair to compare a movie made seventy-seven years ago with current and recent films. This movie is best enjoyed by aficionados of vampire movies, and other early cinema.
Mark of the Vampire, made in 1935,starred Lionel Barrymore and Bella Lugosi. I found the dialogue to be clichéd and the acting "hammy" even for its time. One critic thought it was amusing. Perhaps it was, but I failed to see it as so. The photography by the famous James Wong Howe captured the eerie atmosphere, but didn't provide anything we hadn't seen in the original Dracula. Only when the script turns everything on its ear at the end of the movie, doesn't rise to a higher quality. The supporting cast, including Lionel Atwell, was talented, but limited by the stylized acting of the time.
The myth of the vampire has become part of world and American culture. It's a shame that movies about vampires aren't seen as potentially premier movies by the powers that be in Hollywood. Then again, the powers that be in Hollywood give us an endless array of cartoon characters in our movies.
My wife and I went to Asheboro, North Carolina to visit the fabulous zoo just outside the city. We had a great day at the zoo visiting the Africa section.
Gwen had gone to sleep by 10:00pm, tired from the walking we had done. I was in the mood for a couple of mugs of a good microbrew. Asheboro was dry, no alcohol, until July of this year, and doesn't have well-established pubs. I was talking with the hotel manager about this when he told me about some private clubs in the area. He recommended one and gave me a card to get me admitted.
For obvious reasons I can't mention the name of the club. However, I was impressed when I went inside. A long old fashioned bar with well-appointed tables and a jazz trio playing old favorites greeted me.
The bartender had just brought my second mug of a North Carolina lager when I heard someone approach. I turned to see a slender, dark-haired man of middle height. He was wearing a Carolina Panthers sweatshirt, and tan khaki pants. What caught my attention, was his pale white skin. Oh no, not another vampire, I thought.
"I'm glad to see that you recovered from the attack by the female vampire," he said in a local drawl.
"So am I," I replied. "How did you learn to about my attack?"
"I have been following your articles with some interest. Your approach is evenhanded, and you do not condemn us as many mortals do."
"Who might you be?" The vampire' s manner seemed friendly, I was nervous about his intentions.
"John Valerius," he replied, extending his hand.
It was cold when I shook it. I swallowed hard, hoping I wasn't facing another hostile encounter with a vampire.
"I'm glad that our mutual friend in Bucharest was able to help you." He smiled, showing an even row of teeth, without any display of fangs.
"And how do you know our mutual friend in Romania?" I asked.
He chuckled. "I have been in North Carolina for over a hundred years. But I was born in Hungary… some time ago. During my travels I visited Bucharest on several occasions and had the privilege of spending time with our mutual acquaintance."
"You sure have adapted well to the local scene," I said.
"Blending in is a survival mechanism. Modern society makes it easier to do so." He looked at my mug of beer for a moment, then turned his attention back to me. "Please excuse me. While we have been chatting your beer has gotten warm."
John made a motion with his hand and the bartender moved quickly to him. "Please give Neil another mug on the house, and give me a glass of my usual."
"Your usual?" I asked.
He smiled. "I'd be a poor host to allow you to drink alone."
"You own this club?"
"I'm a businessman. In a dry county, I saw an opportunity to make money meeting people's needs. Prohibition was a farce, and men and women will always find places to drink."
A few minutes later, the bartender returned with another mug of beer for me. He put large wine glass, half filled with a red fluid, in front of John.
"Is that what I think it is?" I asked.
"Yes. I always have a supply of blood in the refrigerator. The bartenders warm it up for me so I can drink with the customers." He lifted his glass and touched mine. "To new friends."
"To new friends," I replied. Also, to new experiences. This was the first time I had ever drunk with a vampire.
