Audio: On Screen – Slide 1: Theme
music from Dracula 1931 (Item 1) -
27 seconds
Speaker: Good morning everyone, today I’ll be discussing:
On Screen
- Slide 1: Has the vampire sub-genre evolved genres from Horror to
Romance?
On Screen -
Slide 2: This presentation will focus on:
·
How vampires have been romanticised
·
The evolution of the vampire genre
·
Comparing the image of the vampire
On Screen
– Slide 3 – Item 12 *Bullet points with descriptions of vampires in 1734 and
present day*
Speaker: In the past two-hundred years, vampires have transformed
from your worst nightmare into the charming hero of our dreams. “Flashback to
1734, Oxford English Dictionary’s first record of the word vampire: they were
generally and, depending on geographical location, inconsistently thought to be
red-faced, fat on blood, furry of foot, and may or may not have possessed more
than one nostril.” Moving forward to the present day: they’re cold, pale skin,
perfectly defined faces and delicate fangs. (Item 12)
Speaker: There has been a range of Vampire films for years many
following the classic Vampire impression and others creating a sense of a whole
new genre. One of the first and most well-known vampire films was the original
Dracula directed by Tod Browning. (Item
1)
On Screen
- Slide 4 - Item 8 *Dracula (1931) poster appears*
Speaker: Dracula is a 1931 film based off Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel.
Stoker's ideas of vampires generated a future for vampire movies – female vampires who are portrayed as predators
sucking the blood of their male victims, a charismatic and sinister Count whose
only interest is the blood of his victims, and Van Helsing the vampire hunter
with Wolfs bane and a crucifix to ward off the "Prince of Darkness"
and with a wooden stake to drive through Dracula's heart. (Item 15)
On Screen
– Slide 5 *Play Dracula (1931) trailer* (1 Minute 48 Seconds)
Speaker: This film was classed as part of the Horror genre. The
characters were afraid to be out after sundown especially on ‘the night of
evil’. Although the film was predominantly horror it did incorporate some
Romantic elements. However the type of Romance was different, Dracula
hypnotizes his victims in order to seduce them so he can feed from their blood.
(Item 1)
On Screen
- Slide 6 *Picture of the 1931 Dracula on screen*
On Screen
– Slide 6 *Quote from 1931 Dracula
script*
Speaker: Dracula was also portrayed very differently with his pale
face, long black cloak, protruding thangs and a desire to feast on human blood.
(Item 5) A Quote from Dracula 1931
script “They take the form of Wolves and bats. They leave their coffins at
night and they feed off the blood of the living.” As the vampire films
progressed the classic vampire started to change in looks and in their desires.
On Screen
- Slide 7 – Item 9 *The Lost Boys Poster*
On Screen
– Slide 8 - *Quote from The Lost Boys
script and picture from a scene*
Speaker: The Lost Boys is a 1987 film directed by Joel Schumacher. (Item 2) This film is still
incorporated very much in the Horror genre but certainly features more Romance
than Dracula. The portrayal of vampires defiantly looks more so part of the
horror genre. In The Lost Boys script the vampires were described as “Cool kids
in distinctive dress. Compelling; not threatening.” before they change. The
vampires after they change look a lot more threatening with sharp fangs and
glowing yellow eyes and the attacks on humans being a lot more frequent.
On Screen
– Slide 9 *Quote from The Lost Boys*
On Screen
– Slide 9 *Play The Lost Boys trailer* (1 Minute 22 Seconds)
Speaker: The dusty cloaks and coffins were replaced with studded
leather jackets, gelled hair and motorcycles. They live in a communal crypt,
but that crypt is decorated with a massive portrait of Jim Morrison. These boys
may be vampires, but they're also rock stars who live by the mantra:
"Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be
a vampire." (Item 14)
On Screen
– Slide 10 – Item 6 *Quote from The Lost Boys actor*
Speaker: Edward Herrmann who plays the town’s video store owner and
head vampire, Max in the Lost Boys said “Joel (Schumacher) was very hip. He
portrayed the Lost Boys as a combination of James Dean and Jack the Ripper.
There’s both a romantic and a rebellious side to them.” (Item 6) Although Romance is not a specific genre used in this film
the elements are again used with a part of the main narrative being spurred by
a romantic goal.
On Screen
– Slide 11 - *Picture of Twilight scene*
Speaker: Twilight (2008) directed by Catherine Hardwicke was
originally a book written by Stephanie Meyer. (Item 3) Twilight could be considered a turning point for vampire
films with the Horror genre being practically invisible throughout the duration
of the film. Where the other two films focus on the characters being scary and
threatening Twilight focuses on the characters being Mysterious but romantic. The
family of vampires in the film are a ‘new breed’ of vampires. They are seen as
the ‘good vampires’. They overcome their thirst for human flesh by instead
feasting on animal blood.
On Screen
– Slide 12 – Item 7 *Play Forest Scene from Twilight* (57 Seconds)
On Screen
– Slide 13 - *Quote from Twilight script*
Speaker: In the script of Twilight the vampires are described in a
way that romanticizes them. The main family the Cullen’s are described as “Two
guys, two girls, all chalky pale, purplish shadows under their eyes… and all
devastatingly beautiful.”
On Screen
– Slide 14 - *Quote from Twilight Script*
Speaker: Edward is then described as he walks into the scene
“Edward, 17, lanky, with untidy bronze coloured hair. He seems inwardly turned,
mysterious. More boyish then the others. But the most striking of all.” These
quotes both describe the vampires to be beautiful with an innocent persona.
Speaker: “Horror films have never been particularly complicated.
Their aim is simple: to provoke a physical response from the audience. To make
them scream, shriek, shudder, wince, or even cry with terror. There's a
visceral quality at the centre of horror, an instinctive emotional response
that remains an ode to our dark hearts.” (Item
10)
On Screen
– Slide 15 – Item 11 *Stephen King quote on slide*
Speaker: Stephen King is a well-known author of many genres, Horror
and supernatural fiction being just two of them. When talking to The Guardian
Stephen King says:
Speaker: "Here's what vampires shouldn't be: pallid detectives
who drink Bloody Marys and work only at night; lovelorn southern gentlemen;
anorexic teenage girls; boy-toys with big dewy eyes, what should they be?
Killers, honey. Stone killers who never get enough of that tasty Type-A. Bad
boys and girls. Hunters… Those vamps got hijacked by a lot of soft-focus
romance." (Item 11)
Speaker: And unlike many other vampire films, the
"victim" in Twilight; human teen Bella is not scared of Edward’s icy
touch and his family of beautiful vampires. In fact, she wants to be a vampire.
“The chase is reversed: the human pursues the vampire, and the vampire resists.”
(Item 5)
On Screen
– Slide 16 - *Conclusion*
Speaker: Although the protagonists in Twilight are vampires it is
not a horror story. Instead of focusing on their negative characteristics they
concentrate on their love story and the protection of the mortals and so are
not represented as classic horror monsters. (Item 13) However The Lost Boys depicts both the horror and romance
genre. It updates the image of the vampire to appeal to a modern day audience
whilst still incorporating Horror elements.
Speaker: Though Stoker’s Dracula will be remembered as the immortal
that started the vampire craze, the image has drastically changed based on what
society demands. The image has become a kinder, gentler creature because people
in general are fascinated with the idea of dazzling beauty, eternal youth and
immortality. This image, however appealing, will eventually change again
because society’s wants will always change.
(Item 4)
