Summer's Dracula Movie is Based on a Chapter from the Novel

Cartoon of a bat hanging upside down from an annoyed-looking crescent moon.

Credit: Pixabay

I haven't gotten together a list of the summer's sci-fi and fantasy movies coming out in theatres yet, but so far it looks like there’s going to be some good ones. The ones that I want to see for sure are “Asteroid City” (which releases next week), “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and "Last Voyage of the Demeter". This last one is actually based on a single chapter from Bram Stoker's novel, “Dracula”. It's a Universal film releasing in theatres August 11, less than four months later than Universal's other Dracula film, "Renfield" (which came out April 14). However, it's not a sequel. If anything, it’s the opposite--a prequel. However, that may only be a matter of opinion. Judging by the trailer I watched, this movie seems like it will be a lot different than “Renfield” in many ways.

The trailer to "Last Voyage of the Demeter" makes the movie look much more promising than "Renfield". Whereas "Renfield" was mostly set in modern times, "Demeter" is set in the same period as the novel, the 19th century. I didn't see any character in the trailer that hinted of Renfield, Dracula’s insane assistant, but there are glimpses of Dracula himself.

The story to “Demeter” is developed from a chapter from Stoker's novel that, through a captain’s diary, briefly covers the sailing of the Demeter, a merchant ship, and the strange events that occur during the voyage. The story to the movie is that the Demeter sails from Transylvania to London carrying several mysterious, human-size boxes. While in the middle of the ocean, strange and terrifying things begin to happen on the ship such as dead bodies drained of blood turning up.

Based on what the trailer reveals, the Dracula character does not resemble the one from the original Universal movie as did the character in "Renfield" who was played by Nicolas Cage. In “Demeter”, he looks more like the vampire in "Nosferatu": large pointed ears and bald head. Also, at one point, the trailer shows Dracula in his bat form, or at least half that form. The bat looks closer to Batman's Man-Bat, a half human-half bat monster, than it does a regular bat like in both the novel and most of the Dracula films. Whether that's only a mid-transformation scene or his "full" bat form, remains yet to be seen.

The trailer definitely shows promise for the movie. The scenes are intense, fast paced, and terrifying. The setting was chosen really well: the high, dark, stormy seas where everyone on board is vulnerable to the hidden evil. Director Andre Ovredal himself compares it to "Alien". And I don't think he's overdoing the comparison. A scene in the trailer shows itself to be similar to one in the third “Alien” film when a dog trots down a darkened passage, probably the hull, then stops, backs away whimpering at some unseen terror ahead. I'm okay with the similarities to the “Alien” movies, especially the first one since I'm a fan of that and the second. I just hope “Demeter” doesn't end up with a chest burster scene or such. That worked in the “Alien” films, but Dracula is a much different monster than the monster in “Alien”.

Actor David Dastmalchian is quoted in an article at MovieWeb saying that he thinks “Last Voyage of the Demeter” is going to really scare people to a big extreme. I hope he's right, because that's what the best horror movies do.

Latest Issue of 'Night Creatures' Call' Newsletter

The latest issue of my author's newsletter, "Night Creatures' Call" is now out! I released it late Thursday so, those of you who are subscribed to it, check your inboxes if you haven't already done so. If you're not subscribed to it, you can do so for free here. If you subscribe within the next week, you'll receive this latest issue, number 15. You may even receive a free ebook!

Next Monday will be the fourth Monday of the month, when we have our Book-To-Movie review. However, I may have to postpone the Book-To-Movie because I'm still reading the book for it and have a couple of its movie adaptations to view. Will you be seeing "Last Voyage of the Demeter" when it releases August 11? What other movies interest you this summer? Are you reading any good books during this season? Feel free to put your answers or other comments in the coffin, uh, I mean the box below.

Until next time . . .

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