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1,369 Vampires Descend on England for Record-Breaking Turnout

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What could be more appropriate than hundreds of vampires gathering at a 13th-century English abbey to honor the author who started it all? Well, actually, there was another reason. And no, it wasn’t a blood drive.

The vampire-costumed crowd not only wanted to give their respects to the 125th anniversary of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. They also wanted to break the world’s record for the largest assembly of people dressed as vampires and take their place in the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records.

On May 26, 2022, hordes of the “undead” made their way to Whitby Abbey. Organizers hoped that 1,897 bloodsuckers would show their fangs at the event, but 1,369 showed up — in direct sunlight! Still, that number was enough to break the previous world record of 1,039 people originally set in Virginia in 2011.

World Dracula Day

The record attempt happened to also fall on World Dracula Day. Now a decade old, the celebration draws in fans of Stoker’s novel Dracula which some feel has inspirational roots in Whitby Abbey, especially pertaining to its gothic architecture. With its towering facade and remaining walls, it’s easy to imagine the centuries-old structure as home to the bloodthirsty Count Dracula.

Every year people gather at the site in appreciation of Stoker’s literary work through cosplay and socialization.

Inspiration for the novel Dracula

When Stoker visited Whitby, he was reportedly overcome with its atmosphere. The abbey ruins, in particular, were of interest and upon a visit to the local library, Stoker discovered a book that told of Vlad Tepes, a 15th-century prince who allegedly impaled his enemies with wooden stakes. A legend was born.

Courtesy The Independent : YouTube

The costume of the day

Unlike the modern depiction of vampires with their glitter skin and H&M fashion sense, the original Count was a little more conservative when it came to style. It is widely accepted that Bela Lugosi’s costume in the 1931 adaptation of Dracula is the accepted garb. His high-collared shirt with matching vest, black pants, and cape might be how most people envision the Transylvanian.

Participants in the World Dracula Day celebration were encouraged to mimic that classic look and pair that with a set of fangs.

“We’d like to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has supported us and joined us at Whitby Abbey to help make this happen — you all looked fang-tastic,” English Heritage said in a Facebook post.

The future of Dracula in film

Perhaps the most anticipated adaptation of Dracula in recent years is the upcoming movie Renfield. The movie stars Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Nicholas Hoult as his titular assistant. In the novel, Renfield is often manipulated by Dracula to do his bidding all with the promise of everlasting life. His appetite for bugs and small creatures makes him just as bloodthirsty as his ward, but he seems a bit more unhinged.

Plot details about Renfield are not widely available, but reportedly it follows the toxic relationship between the endured servant and his controlling boss. Having had enough of Dracula’s abuse, Renfield turns on his master and decides to take him down. The film is also reportedly being told in modern times. Chris McKay directs the film with a script penned by Rick and Morty creator Robert Kirkman.

Not the first time Nic Cage has been a vampire

Before Nic Cage became an Oscar-winning actor and later on an action star, he was a staple in 80s teen comedies. One of those titles was 1988s Vampire’s Kiss in which he thinks he’s slowly becoming a vampire after a sexual encounter with a beautiful woman.

The movie wasn’t exactly a box office smash, but there was enough interest that it became a cult classic.

Record Broken

In the end, fans of Bram Stoker, his monster, and the reported site of his inspiration were able to break the record of most people dressed as vampires in one place. Whether that number will be beaten next year obviously remains to be seen, but for now, the count and the Count, count.

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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