Good afternoon, House of Madness castaways:
Imagine writing a book SO fucking good, that almost 130 years later people aren't just still reading it, talking about it, and basing screenplays on it, but are now developing a full-length film based solely on one chapter! I've personally never done anything warranting remembrance past 130 seconds, let alone the kind of timeline Bram Stoker has been cooking with gas on. Very few books other than The Bible can boast the same story over a century later while still creating a buzz, and I know for a fact that one of these aforementioned books is pure fiction. Fact, fiction, or a combination of the two is completely irrelevant as long as the source material is consistent and captivating throughout the story, keeping readers in suspense and ensconced in every page. With the technology of today, sometimes an old story can feel just that, but the more time that ticks away with "Dracula", the more fearsome and damning the novel seems to become, and that's no simple feat.
In 1897's "Bram Stoker's Dracula", there is a chapter entitled 'The Captain's Log' which is set aboard a Russian schooner called 'Demeter', a ship hired to transport private cargo consisting of 24 unmarked wooden crates from Carpathia to London. The film based on this single chapter will focus on the plight of the doomed crew aboard the 'Demeter', as each night they're stalked by a terrifying unknown presence. When the vessel finally makes its way to shore, it is discovered to be completely derelict, with absolutely zero sign of the captain or his crew. Even after all the adaptations of "Dracula", people are still finding new and clever ways of telling a story that precedes even Keith Richards (I think), so that just leaves me with one question: If you haven't read Bram Stoker's "Dracula" yet, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?
"Last Voyage of the Demeter" makes its way to theatres August 11th, 2023, and I for one can't wait to sink my teeth into this one.
NB
