"Nosferatu" ("Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens," 1922) - German Plagiarism of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," and the Second Vampire Movie in History

[DonRocks]

Let me get this out the way: I don't care how important, influential, or historic "Nosferatu" is - it's boring as *hell*.

Before you commit to watching this legendary 1922 German horror classic, be aware that the original soundtrack has been lost, and that there are several different versions out there. Also, there is enormous variation in quality between prints - I watched one that was in extremely poor condition; some of them are digitized and even partly colorized, and I'm pretty sure watching a better print will help to ease the pain.

Rather than throw grenades at this undeniably important work, I'll just say that it is a "must" for serious students of film, particularly German Expressionism (see also the thread about "From Caligari to Hitler"). In terms of entertainment value, it's akin to reading "Gulliver's Travels" or "The Prince."

One thing I learned was just how much homage was paid to "Nosferatu" in the 1985 vampire film, "Fright Night." I could rattle off no less than a half-dozen direct parallels between the two seemingly distantly related films, from the way the vampire rose straight up from his coffin, to him ultimately being slain by the powers of a pure woman at dawn - there is no question that the creators of "Fright Night" were paying clear and direct tribute to "Nosferatu." Also no question that watching "Nosferatu" (I recommend afterwards) will give you both greater respect for "Fright Night," and a better awareness of the importance of "Nosferatu."

It is late in the evening, and I am so utterly *sick* of this 90-minute film that I'm going to cut this posting short, but for the three members of this website that might have seen it sometime in the past, I'd be delighted to discuss this influential classic with you. I can't recommend it as "a good time," but I can recommend it as "an educational experience."

Here is a much, *much* more valuable and thoughtful review by the great Roger Ebert, much of which I'll agree with ... tomorrow:

Sep 28, 1997 - "Nosferatu" by Roger Ebert on rogerebert.com

Aug 18, 2016 - "11 Nightmarish Facts about Nosferatu" by Mark Mancini on mentalfloss.com

[DonRocks]

On Wed, Oct 17, the original silent "Nosferatu" (see above) is playing at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse with live music by Austin's Invisible Czars. Tickets are $15, and if you're a cinephile who hasn't seen the second-ever "vampire film," this should be well-worth the trip.