For many years Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula was regarded as a classic. Many thought the Gothic retelling to be awesome and unparalleled and that Gary Oldman was unrivaled as the master of the cape and fangs. Then 2020 saw the resurgence of the hall of fame monster who’d be adapted time and time again. A three-part mini-series starring Claes Bang was created by Mark Gatkiss and Steven Moffat – the creative team from Sherlock. The Danish actor’s portrayal put fresh blood back into this century-old legend with a performance that is as mesmerizing as it is terrifying. It has you hanging on edge for his next appearance. So much so that when he finally delivers, there’s no let down: he brings everything to the role.
It’s a thrilling sequence, watching Claes Bang transform from decrepit, aging aristocrat into erudite British man with all the manners of society. He is in many ways still a man, but one twisted into a cruel, demonic form of life. It is impossible to deny Count Dracula’s pure magnetism on screen. Bram Stoker’s creation described him as being panther-like and possessing inhuman strength and in this new series we see how he is able to manipulate and absorb others for his own purpose. Yet, if anything, despite his immortal strength and all the plot changes, the 2020 version of the legend gives us a character that fears his own mortality as much as anyone else. Click on the following link to read more about BBC/Netflix series: The Evolution of Dracula Legends like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight have been passed down for centuries. In these tales, magic, medieval romance, political intrigue, and the hearty thrust of the blade and spear provide the backdrop against which larger-than-life characters play out their roles: Mordred, Morgan Le Fay, Merlin, Lancelot, The Lady of the Lake, and even a deathless adversary faced by Arthur’s own nephew, Gawain. Elements of these stories continue to permeate and influence new stories, encouraging our fascination with magic and epic sword and sorcery tales.
During the 1990s, in particular, we saw a rise in a certain type of fantasy that blend together magic and with elements of gritty realism, deep character-driven plots, and worlds that parallel our own in intriguing ways. Examples include Robin Hobb’s Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies, George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, David and Leigh Edding’s prequel, Belgarath the Sorcerer, and to some extent the incredibly popular works of J.K. Rowling and Philip Pullman. The proof of great writing can often be felt when the reader steps into a new fictional world and finds that it feels fully realized and lived-in—plagues, monsters, and all. And Andrzej Sapkowski’s tales of The Witcher do just that. For those who haven’t read the books that the upcoming Netflix series is based on, you will find Sapkowski’s stories full of well-crafted adventures and characters of every type: fierce rogues, valiant fighters with questionable morals, sorcerers that abuse their arcane arts, and all the back-alley cretins that would sooner relieve you of your coin than help you out of a quandary. The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, and Season of Storms are all great jumping-off points if you want a solid introduction to Sapkowski’s characters of the series and the world they inhabit. To read more about the major characters and the cast click on the following link below: Learn More About the Major Characters and Cast in Netflix's The Witcher |
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February 2021
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