Review by Peter Syslo
I DREAM OF DRACULA (2003) is a vampire tale which draws upon the ideas of reincarnation and fate. It is also a film that involves tongue-in-cheek humor, “operatic” drama, conspiracy, and the story-within-a story idea, with the black and white footage (which has a little bit of the feeling of NOSFERATU – being silent and all). To me, the part of the film that really drew me in was the story. I thought that the story was exciting, was influenced by the classic vampire tales (DRACULA, etc.), and it brought some new and interesting twists to the vampire parable. Aside from the writing, I thought that all of the technical aspects of the film made for a quality production; the only downside was that some of the performances in the film could have been a little stronger.
I DREAM OF DRACULA is written, directed, and produced by Jim Haggerty. The film’s main cast includes: Michellina Shaffranski, Jae Mosc, Maria Bolaris, Jenna King-D’Errico, Spike, Anastasia Bosakowski-Chater, Gareth Chater, Andi McBeal, Paul Dougherty, and Jim Haggerty. The film also features special make-up effects by Sam Derzie and excellent editing by Gareth Chater.
The film is about a woman named Priscilla (Shaffranski), who is having recurring dreams about becoming a vampire. Her husband Roger (Mosc) and their therapist “friend” Jeanette (Bolaris) attempt to help Priscilla with her bizarre dreams, but it turns out that Roger and Jeanette may have a different agenda, in mind. While all of this is going on, two female vampires (King D’Errico & Spike) are starting to prey upon people in the NYC boroughs and eventually, they start to close in on Priscilla. Throughout the film, Priscilla isn’t sure if she is crazy, confused, or if she really is a vampire. As she begins to investigate her dreams, her case becomes stranger every moment – she receives a cold reception from her friends Mr. and Mrs. Linley (Chater & Bosakowski-Chater), she continues to have blood-drinking dreams, and she actual ly starts to wonder if there really are any drawbacks to becoming a vampire.
I DREAM OF DRACULA is built around a well-written story. I liked what Haggerty did with the Stoker-influenced idea of reincarnation and fate and I liked the interweaving of the modern story and the “dream” portions of the story; both of the stories intersected, at the end, and each seemed to heighten the other. Also, one of my favorite things about the story was the fact that Priscilla was a willing participant in the vampire game. From the beginning, it seemed like she wanted to become a vampire and I thought that it was a great twist on the somewhat overused idea that a vampire victim is always reluctant. It was very cool to see someone who actually weighed the options – “immortality, could still live a “normal” life, etc.” Also, I liked the fact that Haggerty put forth the notion that a person could be born into being a vampire a nd simply needed to be “awakened” in order to truly realize their vampire self. Those were some interesting ideas to place within the foundation of the story and those ideas refreshingly “spiced up” the traditional vampire recipe.
Getting to the technical aspects of the picture, the camerawork was very strong and involved some unconventional camera angles. I especially liked the “black and white” dream sections – the “silent” style was really compelling. Also, I really liked some of the street shots; I don’t know why, but the shot of Haggerty walking down the street and the shot of Priscilla at the very end really struck me – maybe it’s the power of the urban, NYC setting (that gritty, dark, yet strange “warmth” that you get from the city). Overall, the use lighting was very effective and it created a lot of clarity in the nighttime shots. Along with the cinematography, the audio balance was also well-done; the balance of music and dialogue worked well and I could hear both equally and distinctly. The make-up effects looked pretty convincing (although the vam pire fangs didn’t look as good in daytime shots) and specifically, the biting scenes with the blood running down the neck looked very real (the first kill scene, of Diane, was my favorite). Lastly, the combination of Gareth Chater’s superb editing and Haggerty’s directing really solidified the picture. Sometimes, in movies, the technique of “in-and-out” dream sequences obscures the main storyline and loses the viewer, but I felt that this film successfully navigated the many transitions, it was very well put together, and no scene was wasted – the story was very effectively told, visually.
Moving on to other concerns, my main criticism of the film is that some of the acting just seemed like it could have flowed a little bit more naturally. It’s strange, but I actually thought that the men in the film gave more convincing performances, all around. Now, I know that a lot of it was supposed to be done in an overly-dramatic, “operatic”, almost “Dark Shadows” sort of way (I realized the style and sense of the humor). But, some of the female cast members just didn’t seem as “comfortable” with the roles, as the men did. For example: I thought that Jae Mosc really embraced his scheming character, Roger; Gareth Chater was great as the “trying-to-remain-polite-in-an-uncomfortable-situation” Mr. Linley; and Haggerty was very funny and “at home” with his character Gunnar (who slept wit h everyone in his fiance’s family – that was good). Don’t get me wrong, all of the women looked great, had very good presence, and I do enjoy the female vampire (you certainly do see the two vampires in their entirety!). But I was just hoping for a little more “genuineness” from the female cast (however, there were moments where the “over-dramatization” worked, as in Priscilla’s naïve nature and Jeanette’s “I just want to help you” act).
Cutting to the chase: I DREAM OF DRACULA was a good film and the story was my favorite part of the experience. I think that Haggerty, Gareth Chater, and all of the crew did a fine job with the production and it is a very accessible picture that is easy to follow. It was just that some of the acting didn’t seem to “fit” some of the scenes. All in all though, Haggerty made an entertaining film, with a good sense of humor, and very striking visuals (man, that Satan has quite a system going with the women!). If you are a vampire purist (when it comes to the rules) you may take issue with some of the vampire concepts, but keep in mind that this is an original interpretation of the classic vampire themes/rules – and honestly, I think that is a good thing. If you like vampire films (especially with seductive female vampires), or you like your horror with a little camp and humor, then you might enjoy I DREAM OF DRACULA. I g ive it a 6 out of 10.