DRACULA SMACKDOWN MATCH 1 ROUND 4: Dracula (Renfield) vs. Dracula Puppet (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
PROPAGANDA FOR RENFIELD'S:
“Why he’s a Dracula is that he’s (supposed to be) a continuation of the 30s one, and the footage they had Nic redo is pretty dang close (imo) [...] For why I’m just editing my prop. for the main bc I think it still holds up- Nic cage is just so dramatic? Really sells the whole creepy bit while still laying the movie be a little…camp? Not the right word but yeah. His design evolves from 3 different kinds of unsettling (although it does get less of the creep and more of the uncanny(?)) as he becomes more animalistic and deteriorates, which is so fun! The movie also shouts out Tumblr so that’s a plus. He also has more animal like teeth which I feel like draculas should do more actually. Love fangs, but it just adds that *umph* to it :)”
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a film that basically holds the golden glow of that specific brand of recession era comedy that really ended with Booksmart. It highlights Jason Segel as a fantastic comedy writer, and while still holding to the expected Vince Vaugh adjacent sorta raunchy rom com standards, does not come off as predictable in its delivery at all.
This is the film that got Segel his Muppet movie, but despite a fantastic puppet sequence this is a fully fleshed out film that knows what it wants to be, and the cast reflects this.
Paul Rudd, Jonah hill, Bill Hader (who teaches us how to use videoconferencing software in 2008), Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Jack McBrayer (who you may better know as Fix it Felix in Wreck it Ralph), professional surfer Kalani Robb, and Kristen Bell in the titular role of Sarah Marshall. This is a truly golden lineup, and Segel's snappy writing really helps remind you why Obama Era SNL was as good as it was.
A romantic comedy about a depressed artist getting dumped by his girlfriend only to find true love (despite self sabotage) in the arms of a more thoughtful, down to earth stunner he had a charming meet-cute with is not a new formula, but Segel (whose nude breakup scene was apparently based on real life experience) makes it feel fresh and wickedly funny. Highly suggest giving it a watch, if only for a short but delightful puppet scene.
Happy Dracula Daily 2023, all! I'm guessing many followers already know there's a Dracula musical, but if you didn't, consider yourself informed. :D It's got music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, Scarlet Pimpernel, Death Note) and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton (Sunset Boulevard together, a bunch of other stuff individually).
In fact, there's more than one! And that list, which goes to Wikipedia, is missing various international shows, like the Czech musical from 1995. I confess I couldn't tell you which are good; horror is just not my genre even when there's singing and dancing.
So musical reccers, what's your favorite musical adaptation of Dracula or and/or vampire lore? Doesn't have to be an actual stage show! As long as a vampire sings I'd say it counts.
Note: Obviously, if this is your first year on the Dracula Daily train you'll want to wait before checking out any of these so as to avoid spoilers. That's not to say that any of them are likely to be completely accurate to the book (though the Frank Wildhorn version really isn't the worst as adaptations go), but better safe than sorry, especially when the book has so many suspenseful twists if you don't know more than what you learned via cultural osmosis.
Peter (Jason Segel) is devestated when his tv-star girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) leaves him for rockstar Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). He decides to take a vacation to a luxury resort in Hawaii but is mortified Sarah and her new boyfriend are already staying there.
Enjoyable comedy. Easy to watch and a very good cast. Love the Hawaii setting, want to go there someday. Also would buy a ticket to see the Dracula musical.