NipkowDisc Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 why does todd browning go to such elaborate lengths to create a visual masterpiece of horror even to having a white dog sneak behind two men in a cemetery which is a great visualizing of vampire lore but then he decides to cheat the audience with bull about the whole thing being a ruse by an acting troupe? whatta jip and whatta schtootz and that jean hersholt murder bs is just a needless distraction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 14 hours ago, NipkowDisc said: why does todd browning go to such elaborate lengths to create a visual masterpiece of horror even to having a white dog sneak behind two men in a cemetery which is a great visualizing of vampire lore but then he decides to cheat the audience with bull about the whole thing being a ruse by an acting troupe? whatta jip and whatta schtootz and that jean hersholt murder bs is just a needless distraction. I love the fact that the vampire lore ends up being just a needless distraction from what ends up being a fairly typical murder. Yea, Browning could have made a standard vampire horror film but since he had already done that I find this flip an interesting change. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Mark of the Vampire is a reworking of Browning's silent film London After Midnight, which employs the same idea of using a "vampire" as a red herring in order to unearth a murderer. It's not surprising that Browning would use the same trick in the sound version. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 I still doan like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet0312 Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 14 hours ago, NipkowDisc said: I still doan like it. I'm with you. Nip. I'm not a fan, although I do enjoy Lugosi hamming it up at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasterryjr Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 I remember when TCM introduced me to this movie a few years ago and it became a favorite of mine. Elizabeth Allan looks better in this movie than any other movie I have seen her in. The first time I saw Carroll Borland on the screen my jaw hit the floor. I could not believe what I saw on my television screen. Its a shame MGM could not use Ms. Borland in a female vampire movie and showcase her talents and charm even more. Then again maybe Ms. Borland did not want to go in the direction MGM executives had paved out for her. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElCid Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 My wife and I thoroughly enjoy this movie and watch it often. Very well written, directed and acted. As for the ending, you never see it coming if you have not seen the movie before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet0312 Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 1 hour ago, thomasterryjr said: I remember when TCM introduced me to this movie a few years ago and it became a favorite of mine. Elizabeth Allan looks better in this movie than any other movie I have seen her in. The first time I saw Carroll Borland on the screen my jaw hit the floor. I could not believe what I saw on my television screen. Its a shame MGM could not use Ms. Borland in a female vampire movie and showcase her talents and charm even more. Then again maybe Ms. Borland did not want to go in the direction MGM executives had paved out for her. Wasn't Carroll Borland some sort of Lugosi groupie and that's how she got the part? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkblue Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Such a wonderful movie - especially visually - until its infuriating ending. A horror classic turned into a fake to send you home deflated. So disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Janet0312 said: Wasn't Carroll Borland some sort of Lugosi groupie and that's how she got the part? Borland saw the stage version of Dracula with Lugosi in the lead, and was so intrigued that she penned a novel entitled "Countess Dracula," which she intended to be a vehicle for herself and Lugosi. (The novel was finally published in the 1990s; not sure if it is still available.) She corresponded with Lugosi, and also met him in person. Although the project never materialized, she did get the crucial part in Mark of the Vampire. Makeup man William Tuttle felt her appearance should complement Lugosi's, so he gave her a pasty white face, dark eyes, and dark lips. Borland earned a Ph.D and became a college professor. Late in life, when "Elvira" and "Vampira" were engaged in a dispute over their characters (which were probably based on Borland's), Borland seemed amused, stating that the only thing she really enjoyed about her film career was that years later, "two actresses are fighting over my face." Edited October 26, 2018 by scsu1975 Just checked: Borland's book is available on Amazon 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElCid Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Spoiler. If you watch the movie, watch for the armadillos playing roles as giant rats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkblue Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 2 hours ago, TheCid said: If you watch the movie, watch for the armadillos playing roles as giant rats. They were given a special Oscar, weren't they? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElCid Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 On 10/26/2018 at 7:04 PM, darkblue said: They were given a special Oscar, weren't they? Only in Texas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkblue Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 2 minutes ago, TheCid said: Only in Texas. Umm.......Texas doesn't give Oscars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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