Book Review: Hollywood Gothic, by David J. Skal

[assimbya]

This is an excellent, excellent book, for either those interested in the Dracula story and the various forms that it's taken, those interested in the history of horror films, or those who just like vampires. It's wonderfully designed - a gorgeous still from the 1931 Bela Lugosi movie graces the first page - eliminating most of the danger that this

Comments

[darchildre]

::pimps mr skal's the monster show at you::

it's a much broader books, as it covers most of the 20th century, but it's very well written and a lot of fun to read. and yes, he's not at all afraid to point out the flaws in the films while still lauding them for what they do right. i think you would very much enjoy it.

::is in no way rereading it right now::

[assimbya]

Oh, it really does sound wonderful. What's the focus of it, exactly? Just all horror/monster movies? I'll have to look for it the next time I'm at the library.

[eremon_lass]

I'll have to take a look at this book, it sounds very interesting.

And I actually did prefer the Spanish version of the 1931 Dracula to the English one. I watched them back to back in a single afternoon the first time I saw either of them, and couldn't help but think the Spanish version played so much more into the sexuality, the subtexts, and just general use of the sets.

And now to totally change the subject...would you be able to recommend any good biographies/lit. crit./anything on the Marquis de Sade? I suspect you'll know the good stuff.

[assimbya]

You'd love it, I think.

I really do have to see the Spanish version - from all the pictures, it looks better, and it's fascinating that people say it's so much better. How was their Dracula, though? The Skal book said that the directors encouraged him to imitate Lugosi, which sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Actually, I really ought to know about this, but I haven't read all that much about Sade, mainly because I get enraged enough by the theories about sadism in criminal psychology and such that I suspect literary criticism on Sade's work would practically drive me mad. I've heard good things about The Sadein Woman, however, though I've never read it.

[eremon_lass]

Their Dracula was fine, as I recall...if they did tell him to imitate Lugosi, it probably got lost in translation, because I don't recall him coming across too much like that. Renfield is waaaay more hyper-crazy though, and (in my opinion anyway) Mina has a lot more sexual undertones/appeal to her character.

I could see how that would drive one batty, i myself sometimes find the lit. crit. ridiculously biased. I shall have to look up The Sadein Women and see what that's like.