I recently sat down to rewatch the classic Universal Dracula... you know, the one with Bela. And I was excited remembering how it used to frighten me when I was little. I wish I didn’t have such fond memories of the film. And I almost wish I hadn’t read the book between those old viewings and this latest one.
But something happened as the movie carried on... and on... and on. I was bored out of my mind. And then I remembered something I had been given by a friend...
the Philip Glass neo-score to the classic film. I found the correct time and pressed play on both my iTunes and my Netflix, and this truly made all the difference. Suddenly the bland muted sound turned into colors... and certain key moments popped out, became creepy and interesting.
the Philip Glass neo-score to the classic film. I found the correct time and pressed play on both my iTunes and my Netflix, and this truly made all the difference. Suddenly the bland muted sound turned into colors... and certain key moments popped out, became creepy and interesting.
My favorite moment is Renfield crawling across the drawing room floor. It’s so damn menacing but his face is filled with utter delight. Oh movie magic.
So what’s interesting here is how much a score can effect a film. I know, I know. This isn’t new information, but just a little food for thought.
Now I’m a little scared to revisit Frankenstein... although, few things could be less entertaining than Mary Shelley’s “novel”. So we’ll see.
Interesting. It's been a while since I've revisited these myself. Perhaps the reason I always preferred The Wolf Man was because they learned the importance of a score. This also helps The Bride of Frankenstein. I need to get the Dracula Legacy Collection DVD, since the Glass score is optional audio.
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