Morbid Planet’s First Documentary Drops May 26

During my novel writing and publishing journey, I have met some wonderful people and I have also made a few friends along the way. Erin Chapman is one of those people. Last September, the progenitor of numerous Facebook communities focusing on the horror genre, vampires in particular, launched a YouTube channel known as Morbid Planet. More than 30 videos later, Erin has embarked on a new venture, a three-part documentary series commemorating the 125th anniversary of the publication of one of my all-time favorite novels, Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

THE DRACULA PROJECT TO PREMIERE ON WORLD DRACULA DAY

Morbid Planet’s First Documentary, a Ground-Breaking Three-Episode Series Celebrating the 125^th Anniversary of the Publication of Dracula, Features 15 World-Renowned Experts in Vampire and Dracula Lore, History and Popular Culture

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — MAY 19, 2022 — Morbid Planet, a YouTube channel dedicated to the horror genre, is proud to celebrate author Bram Stoker and the 125^th anniversary of the publication of his genre-defining novel, Dracula, on May 26, 2022 — World Dracula Day — with a ground-breaking three-part series titled The Dracula Project.

Watch the trailer now for The Dracula Project!

Creator and host of Morbid Planet, Erin Chapman, scoured the globe and assembled 15 top academics in the field of vampire studies for this passionate celebratory tribute to Bram Stoker and his seminal novel that has influenced the vampire genre for more than a century. The Dracula Project features fascinating in-depth conversations as vampire academia emerges from the shadows.

“Bram Stoker’s Dracula has endured the test of time. This literary masterpiece created the vampire genre and the pop culture mythos that sprang up around the bloodsucking children of the night,” said Erin Chapman, creator and host of Morbid Planet. “With the character of Count Dracula, Stoker created one of the greatest literary villains of all time. What better time to explore how and why?”

The Dracula Project features interviews with and commentary from renowned vampire lore and literature experts including Stacey Abbott, Simon Bacon, Jan Čapek, Hans Corneel de Roos, Sir Christopher Frayling, Penny Goodman, Magdalena Grabias, Anthony Hogg, Jeanine Jiron, J. Gordon Melton, Sorcha Ní Fhlainn, Gary D. Rhodes, Carol Senf, Dacre Stoker, and Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock.

Published on May 26, 1897, Dracula has been translated into 44 languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide. It has also been adapted for the stage and screen numerous times.

The Dracula Project Episode Drop Dates:

• Episode 1 – May 26, 2022
• Episode 2 – June 1, 2022
• Episode 3 – June 8, 2022

ABOUT MORBID PLANET

Join host Erin Chapman as Morbid Planet explores the horror genre, highlights unique people and all things macabre, showcases the extraordinary and mysterious world of dark tourism, covers current events, and reviews films. Morbid Planet also features exclusive interviews with some truly intriguing people including authors, make-up artists, performers, and more. Viewers are encouraged to log on each week to satisfy their morbid curiosity!

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A Different Avenue

Almost everyone with whom I have had the privilege of discussing my fiction writing tends to ask me similar questions about my influences. Why did I write a vampire series? Why do I love Gothic horror? Who are my favorite writers? What are my favorite books?

I recently volunteered to write a review of my favorite horror novel for a fantastic UK-based website called Kendall Reviews. I thought it would be a great way to contribute to a groovy site and get my name out to a new audience.

I could tell you more about the site and its founder, but it’s easier to just link you there and have you check it out for yourself. If you like horror and you are looking for new material or you are looking to re-discover old frights, this is a great site to do all that and more.

I chose Dracula by Bram Stoker for my review project. I took the time to re-read the book and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Dracula has influenced me in so many ways over the years. The character and the novel helped form much of my entertainment tastes from an early age and served as a gateway book to many more delectable horrors over the years.

Head over to Kendall Reviews and check out my take on my favorite horror novel.

The Film Adaptation that Started it All

Since I became a novelist, many people have asked me how I “got into vampires.” My typical response is that I have been a fan of Gothic Horror since I was very young, that I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula when I was nine years old or so and that I have just been drawn to the genre.

While all of that is true, there is one film that started it all – Dan Curtis’ Dracula starring Jack Palance as Stoker’s titular vampire king. This 1974 made-for-TV movie scared the living daylights out of a then-four-year-old me. Now, I have no idea why my mother had this on the 19-inch Zenith when I was at that tender age. But, I was quite taken with Palance and of course, the character of Dracula.

The digitally remastered film is now available on Amazon Prime video and I just watched it in its entirety for the first time in 45 years. Palance, although uneven, is commanding as Dracula. The great Richard Matheson, author of I Am Legend, penned the screenplay for this version. Liberties were taken and characters were omitted but several elements that many adaptations remove from the source material were included.

Dr. Jack Seward, Renfield and Quincey P. Morris are omitted, Lucy Westenra is now the Count’s long-lost love interest, and Jonathan Harker … well, you’ll just have to watch the film. Mina and Van Helsing remain, along with Arthur Holmwood.

The lavish set pieces and countryside scenery add to the richness of the production and they are reminiscent of the many Hammer Gothic Horror productions. There is a fair amount of fangs and blood, especially for a made-for-TV production.

If you are a fan of the genre and Dracula in particular, this is a more than acceptable entry in the canon. Check it out on Amazon Prime.

And the fact that I first saw this film when I was four years old certainly explains quite a bit.