Guy Maddin (Tales from the Gimli Hospital) brings his unique vision to Bram Stoker's archetypal novel and creates one of the finest cinematic adaptations of the classic vampire tale to date. An ode to silent cinema shot entirely in black and white with injections of red, the film successfully transposes the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's interpretation of Dracula from stage to screen without losing a drop of the dance's eroticism, subtle humor and lush, stylized movement. "Victorian sexuality and melodrama are brought together in a shadow world of expressionistic images and an athletic, almost rabid, choreography" (Bruce Diones, The New Yorker).

Oh, that.

That's been on TV here a kabillion times.

This is me, as well. Things that get under your skin insidiously. I don't particularly like being startled and I dislike gore, but I love being spooked, the kind of spooked that makes me remember that particular moment in the film days, weeks afterward and do a full-body shudder.

I'm the exact opposite. I'd rather be startled, let out a girly scream manly bellow and then be fine once the adrenaline rush goes away than spend a long period of time with a feeling of dread, staring at every shadow and odd noise.

Though if given a choice, I'd rather not be frightened at all.

That's been on TV here a kabillion times.

Really? They don't put no girly-girly shit like ballet on TV here in Texas. Nope, we get Bass Masters instead.

Really? They don't put no girly-girly shit like ballet on TV here in Texas.

That's because you don't have the CBC, sometimes referred to as the Communist Broadcasting Corporation. Damn arty liberals!

Did someone say Comminists? (off to get 2nd Amendment-protected assault rifle)

Ballet-loving liberals from Winnipeg.

(It was commissioned for the CBC, so I'm sure they'll play it forever!)

I don't know - the remake uses many of the same scenes, and a similar house set, but I wouldn't call it a shot-for-shot remake. Within each scene a lot of things are shot from different angles, with different pacing and such, making the effect quite different. And some of the scenes with the most confusing time jumps are omitted (although I think talk of Shimizu making the storyline linear is overblown; there are still a lot of continuity jumps).

Did someone say Comminists? (off to get 2nd Amendment-protected assault rifle)

Fire up the Attack Mooses, Sue. Mother Ceeb needs defending again.

Even though it was the same director making the movie, Eastern and Western styles of filmmaking are very different.

How different did he go on The Grudge ? He still filmed in Tokyo, right? Where did the Western influence come from? The actors? I don't understand why we would use this argument on The Grudge, when we tend to make a big deal about directors from other countries doing Hollywood movies (like, say, Cuaron doing HP3). I thought the appeal there was the fact that they were bringing their influence with them. In the case of The Grudge, I guess there might have been studio meddling, but I don't necessarily see how the same director remaking his movie would do things differently due to influence, especially when he's filming on his home turf.

Fire up the Attack Mooses, Sue. Mother Ceeb needs defending again.

I think the Canada Geese are in formation to dive bomb.