Movie Review: Dracula Untold (2014)

Dracula Untold (2014) directed by Gary Shore

In an unexpected blend of historical fiction and action horror, this picture reformulates the origin story of Dracula. The movie begins with the misery of the Walachia, Vlad the Impaler's country, which stands between the forces of the Ottoman Empire and the heart of Europe. The Ottomans have demanded tribute from Walachia, including children to serve as hostages and in their army. Vlad was one such child many years ago. He returned home as an adult after gaining a reputation as a ruthless killer. He has settled into a domestic life with a wife (Sarah Gadon) and child (Art Parkinson). Ottoman ruler Mehmed (Dominic Cooper) sends a delegation on Easter to collect the financial tribute and also a thousand boys to come and serve in the Ottoman army. Vlad balks at this. So does his wife since their child has also been demanded. Vlad defies the order but realizes his country does not have the power to turn away the Ottomans. He knows of a strange creature hiding in a cave on Broken Tooth Mountain. That creature has the great strength and lethal abilities that Vlad needs to defend his country. He goes to make a deal with this monster but can Vlad worm his way out of his fate?

While this film did not do well with critics or at the box office, thus putting another nail in the coffin of Universal's attempt to create a Dark Universe like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it has a lot of merit. It successfully recasts Dracula as a tragic hero who wants to save his family and his country. He is willing to do almost anything and gets caught up in circumstances. He isn't a sexual predator or rat-faced monster, so he's much more easy to sympathize with. The horror elements in the film are not the main focus, even though they are plentiful. The movie is more of an origin story with a new take on the character, though the very ending (centuries later) suggests he's slipped into the sexual predator role. Unfortunately, the reimagining didn't take with audiences and further stories did not happen. 

Recommended if you are ready for a different type of Dracula.

Mission San Juan Bautista, California

Mission San Juan Bautista was founded on June 24, 1797, by Father Fermin Lasuen, the fifteenth of the twenty-one missions. The local Mutsun people were enthusiastic for the mission and helped to build it. Unfortunately, the site is right on the San Andreas fault, so their decision to expand the initial church or build a new one in 1803 was made for them. They built a new church that prospered till secularization in 1835. The church continued to be a parish even though the rest of the mission was sold off. In 1949, the Hearst Foundation funded a restoration to the original design.

We visited the mission as we drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The town of San Juan Bautista is preserved from modernization by the fact that the railroads did not come through the town (they went east to Hollister). The mission church is right next to a state park that preserves the other buildings from the nineteenth century. 

Sing for the mission

Mission bell near the entrance

When we arrived, the mission's staff was having a meeting till 1 p.m., so we walked around town and got lunch. The plaza by the mission has nineteenth-century buildings. The hotel is home to the state park office with gift shop. The jail sign was a bit comical--a sign explained that no one ever broke out of the jail, not because of thick walls or sturdy doors, but because breakfast was so good.

Plaza hotel building

More plaza buildings

The jail

Jail room doesn't look so bad

The stables next door to the jail have spots for horses and for wagons.

A garage in the 1800s

A bunch of wagons

A nearby home

We saw the recent bronze statue of St. John the Baptist, depicted as a local Native American (the Ohlone tribe). This part of the mission is very close to the San Andreas fault, just steps away.

San Juan Bautista

An 1800s home

Home's interior

We walked over to The Smoke Point, a barbecue place, for lunch. I ordered the Single Malt Double Tint Whiskey Porter from Fruition Brewing (9.3% alcohol by volume) and the rib sandwich. It was delightful.

The Smoke Point

The lunch

We returned to the mission and started the tour. The mission has an extensive museum.

Model of the old mission

Many different skills were practiced by the Franciscans and taught to the locals at the mission. 

Bellows and pin pads to card cactus fibers

Writing case with lots of accessories

Dining room

The mission was known for its music and several of the original books are on display.

Extra-large hymnal

Two-part singing with two colors!

Liturgical items

After secularization in 1835, a family lived in this part of the building.

Mid-Victorian living room

The original cross from the bell tower (which collapsed) is on display.

Bell tower cross

The bell tower featured prominently in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, though the tower fell due to dry rot between when the location was scouted and when filming started. Whoops!

A small display for the movie

In the church proper, a side altar has a dramatic cross.

Back altar

Nave

Choir loft and main door

We saw that the main door above was designated as a Holy Door for the Jubilee Year 2025, but it wasn't open!

Pulpit for preaching

Stations of the Cross--Christ Crucified

The main altar has a variety of statues, including church patron John the Baptist in the middle.

Main altar

Close up of the patron

Pulpit by the main altar

A side altar is devoted to Saint Joseph, though the Infant of Prague looks like He is upstaging him.

Whose altar is this?

Even the floor is fascinating. Several people are buried in the church, including one of the priests. Some of the tiles show paw prints!

Burial stone

Leaving a mark

The middle of the mission (inside the quadrangle) was a garden, which it is again. There is also a well for the mission and lots of space to entertain.

Garden

At the back of the church is the Guadalupe Chapel, the oldest surviving part of the mission.

Guadalupe chapel

Last bell in the garden

Book Review: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Edmond Dantes is an up-and-coming sailor whose ship has come in literally and metaphorically. The Pharaon has just returned to France from Mediterranean destinations, one of which was the Island of Elba. Being the early 1800s, Napoleon is still exiled there and the ship's captain had paid a secret visit to the ex-emperor. The captain also became sick and died before returning to France, leaving Edmond to guide the ship to port. Also, the captain entrusted a secret letter to Edmond without explaining its origin. Its destination is an address in Paris. After docking the ship safely, Edmond meets with the ship owner Morrel, who is impressed with his conduct and plans to make him captain. One of the other officers, Danglers, is jealous of the promotion since he thinks that he should be chosen. On shore, Edmond goes to meet his long-time girlfriend Mercedes with the good news that they can be married now that he has very good future prospects. Mercedes has been faithfully waiting even though she's been pestered by her cousin Fernand who has romantic feelings for Mercedes. As wedding plans move forward, Fernand and Danglers ally to bring down Dantes--they hatch a plan to get him accused of treason because of the Napoleon letter. The local prosecutor Villefort sees the letter, which is addressed to a club of Napoleonists that includes Villefort's father. Since revealing the letter will bring him trouble, Villefort has Edmond thrown into jail at Chateau D'If, a seemingly unescapable island prison, with no hope of release. The imprisoned Edmond vows revenge and gets his chance to escape when another prisoner, an old Abbe, tunnels in the wrong direction and winds up in Dantes's cell. The Abbe knows about a treasure trove on the Island of Monte Cristo which they could share if they both escape. The Abbe dies, leaving Dante on his own. From there, the plot follows a fantastic arc where Dantes escapes and assumes the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo. He uses the wealth to worm his way in to French society, befriend his betrayers, and seeks revenge on them.

The story is both exciting and intriguing. Dumas (who also authored the Three Musketeers novels) is good at action and interpersonal drama. Dantes plight is very pitiable, making his slow path to getting justice easy to follow and sympathize with. The story provides enough twists and changes to lessen the seeming endorsement of revenge, especially when he realizes how much collateral damage he is causing for others. The book ends on a happy note. 

Dumas's writing style is very comfortable. He makes some asides and observations that fill out what is going on. Dantes assumes several secret identities though they are fairly easy to spot thanks to the easy narrative.

Highly recommended--it's a fun story that has enough depth to make it very satisfying.

California 2025 Trip--Day Four

We went to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to see it along with some stuff at the Presidio, a former military base (defending San Francisco) turned into homes and businesses and a state park. The span is held up by massive cables that only look small from a distance.

Size of the cables holding up the span

The San Francisco weather was typical, so we only saw most of the bridge.

Fog hid the top of the bridge

Route 101 cuts through the Presidio but part of it goes underneath. Above is a playground that was a lot of fun for the kids.

Playground with bridge almost visible in the distance

Joyful pursuit of the playground

Big rope swing

A different configuration

California gold-panning

Even less bridge visible!

Then we walked over to the offices of LucasFilm which has a lobby where visitors can see some props and things, along with the Yoda fountain outside.

Yoda fountain

A fan of Yoda

Not a fan of the Rebellion

Posing by R2

Getting R2 to send a message to Obi-Wan

Vader and me

Luke's lightsaber

Tribute to Willis O'Brien, special effects animator for King Kong

Classic posters

Luke's unfortunate incident on Hoth

Outside are several statues showing entertainment pioneers, including Eadweard Muybridge, a pioneer in motion pictures, and Philo Farnsworth, the father of television.

Muybridge, film pioneer

Farnsworth, TV pioneer

At the base of the LucasFilm grounds is a relaxing pond.

Far from the tech crowd

Just across the street is the Palace of Fine Arts, built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition. It has the stately air of ancient European ruins without being in ruinous shape!

Entrance to the Palace of Fine Arts

Classical without looking like ruins

Domed rotunda

Inside the dome

Pic for a geocache

More decoration

Afterward we went to Japantown for lunch and shopping. We had some great soup at Marufuku Ramen. We also shopped for anime and manga stuff but did not find anything quite right. It was amazing to see the stores and the decor.

Chicken at Marufuku

One of the booths at the mall!

After naps and dinner, we went to San Mateo and had some boba and mochi balls for dessert. Yum!

Caramel waffle not depicted