Why was Dracula overhyped so much?
- Thread starter Joshua
- Start date
FaithsFollower
Thank Goodness It's Buffy
Mmmm...vaguely? I actually don't remember at all. 🙁 But I do remember seeing them promote Dracula a couple of times, yes. Whether it was overhyped or not, I couldn't say.
I think it was because it was Dracula. I mean, Dracula is THE vampire of all vampires. To have Buffy go up against Dracula was pretty impressive, I guess?
Were you disappointed by the Buffyverse Dracula? Me, it was the first time I've 'seen' Dracula [aside from a Leslie Nielsen movie but we won't go there...ever] so I had nothing to compare it to. I thought the actor did well with it. 🙂
I think it was because it was Dracula. I mean, Dracula is THE vampire of all vampires. To have Buffy go up against Dracula was pretty impressive, I guess?
Were you disappointed by the Buffyverse Dracula? Me, it was the first time I've 'seen' Dracula [aside from a Leslie Nielsen movie but we won't go there...ever] so I had nothing to compare it to. I thought the actor did well with it. 🙂
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randiann
Leslie Nielson is awesome! Don't hate!
Robb Stark
King in the North
Well, I was introduced to Buffy through DVD's, but if they pump that one up, I can easily understand why. Dracula is, by far, the most famous vampire of all time. I mean, when the average person thinks of "vampires", Dracula is going to be the thing they think of more often than not. Having Buffy, the "Vampire Slayer" go up against the king of all vampires in just about every legend is a pretty big deal.
I remember my brother telling me that eventually Buffy goes up against Dracula and I was super excited. He was cool and all, but I never thought of him as a major threat. He was all about the tricks, like Spike said. That being said, I would have liked a S7 comeback.
I remember my brother telling me that eventually Buffy goes up against Dracula and I was super excited. He was cool and all, but I never thought of him as a major threat. He was all about the tricks, like Spike said. That being said, I would have liked a S7 comeback.
Jodast
I think we might be sharing the same brain cell :)
WileyDairyGnome
Strong like an Amazon
Like others said, Dracula is a pretty big deal when it comes to vampire pop culture. So having Buffy come up against him is pretty exciting I'm sure.
But also, they probably hyped up that episode because it was the new season premiere, and that's when we get the ever-amazing twist at the end with the introduction of Buffy's little sister Dawn, and I'm sure they wanted people to tune in so they would see it. They had people come for Dracula, only to surprise them with the twist at the end.
But also, they probably hyped up that episode because it was the new season premiere, and that's when we get the ever-amazing twist at the end with the introduction of Buffy's little sister Dawn, and I'm sure they wanted people to tune in so they would see it. They had people come for Dracula, only to surprise them with the twist at the end.
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Summerlilly
[No message]
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Robb Stark
[No message]
Summerlilly
Covert Superhero
Because he's freakin' Dracula!!!!! hahaha Why wouldn't they overhype him? He's like the most overhyped vampire in the universe!! 😛 You've GOT to love Dracula. I mean, he's all suave and mysterious. Lures you in with his sexy hair and beady little bat eyes. Even Buffy was fooled for a minute....and Xander did eat a fly. 😎
Jodast
check. no more butt-monkey :)
Dracula. He's the total badass vampire package.
But not the Dracula from this episode. I dunno what the writers were thinking....or if they were EVEN thinking....
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But not the Dracula from this episode. I dunno what the writers were thinking....or if they were EVEN thinking....
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Summerlilly
TOTALLY. haha :D
SlayerFest
haha I think they made him overly cheesy on purpose...hopefully
Abbeycat
[No message]
funsmiley
Potential
Obviously because he's Dracula, the most ancient bad ass vamp around!!
I personally think the buffy Dracula was, well.....terrible, I mean where were the long manky fingers And red eyes?!
I personally think the buffy Dracula was, well.....terrible, I mean where were the long manky fingers And red eyes?!
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Robb Stark
Yeah, the Buffy Dracula wasn't really what I was expecting...
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DeadFlagBlues
Worse hair ever.
ANY previous version of Dracula, even the Gerard Butler version....would have been better than this guy.
His makeup was atrocious! They were going for the dead, pale look....but it looked like they took a huge circus-clown sized powder puff....yelled "MAKEUP!!!!!".....then whacked Dracula in the face with pancake mix.
And his teeth!! Whut up with those teeth???!!!
You ever see those huge plastic Halloween vampire teeth they sell in any toy store? That's what it looks like they shoved in there. His mouth is all puffed out!
And don't get me started on that whole "you always come back" boolsheet.
A vampire who can regenerate again and again after being staked....and no explanation as to how or why.....just a lame remark from Buffy? Like I said....those writers may not have been playing with their full decks that episode.....
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His makeup was atrocious! They were going for the dead, pale look....but it looked like they took a huge circus-clown sized powder puff....yelled "MAKEUP!!!!!".....then whacked Dracula in the face with pancake mix.
And his teeth!! Whut up with those teeth???!!!
You ever see those huge plastic Halloween vampire teeth they sell in any toy store? That's what it looks like they shoved in there. His mouth is all puffed out!
And don't get me started on that whole "you always come back" boolsheet.
A vampire who can regenerate again and again after being staked....and no explanation as to how or why.....just a lame remark from Buffy? Like I said....those writers may not have been playing with their full decks that episode.....
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Robb Stark
Agreed, Dracula was a let down. I had a pretty tough time believing Buffy was into him too...
Tome
Lol Walt
I think it's been covered pretty well by everyone else. Dracula is the vampire. You get the greatest Slayer against the greatest vampire and it's a Vegas bookmaker's dream.
Dracula is one of the most celebrated characters in literature and film, so I was always a bit shoocked that he was a one shot deal. I would have expected at least a two part story if not a mini arc. I forgave them though since season 5 turned out to be my favourite 🙂
Dracula is one of the most celebrated characters in literature and film, so I was always a bit shoocked that he was a one shot deal. I would have expected at least a two part story if not a mini arc. I forgave them though since season 5 turned out to be my favourite 🙂
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Robb Stark
Are we mind-reading now? Because if there's mind-reading...
Well I was only like 8 then, so I don't remember this at all.
However, it makes sense for them to promote something with Dracula in. Not everyone watched Buffy, but pretty much everyone knows who Dracula is, so promoting something that people already knew might have got the show new viewers 🙂
I never get to watch the Dracula ep anymore though because mac slot loading superdrives are a stupid idea!
However, it makes sense for them to promote something with Dracula in. Not everyone watched Buffy, but pretty much everyone knows who Dracula is, so promoting something that people already knew might have got the show new viewers 🙂
I never get to watch the Dracula ep anymore though because mac slot loading superdrives are a stupid idea!
white avenger
white avenger
Certainly, putting Dracula in any TV show or movie that has the word "vampire" in its title or even just vampires in its cast is like having John Wayne or Clint Eastwood in any kind of western. Dracula and vampire are synonymous in most people's minds, so having him make an appearance on "Buffy" in any capacity, much less the big bad of the week, was supposed to be a really big deal. Unfortunately, the actor cast in the part and the way that the character was portrayed didn't conform to what is considered the "real" vampire, so the episode kind of fizzled. That's always been kind of sad to me, because I'm probably one of only 6 people on the planet who actually LIKED the way that Dracula was portrayed, mainly because it WAS different from what we saw with Lugosi, Lee, or any of the more modern versions. He was well dressed and seemed to be, in his own special way, sophisticated and, to me at least, less of a real monster than his "reel" image had ever portrayed before.
But the thing that made him special to me is mostly that he didn't conform to what vampires in the Buffyverse were supposed to be. He could change forms, didn't lump out when he attacked anyone, and stakes obviously hurt, but didn't do him any permanent damage. We never saw him in the sunlight, but I think that it was mentioned or at least implied somewhere that Direct sunlight wasn't fatal to him, either. He was the Superman of vampires, just like the first ubervamp in Season 7 was the Incredible Hulk of ubervamps.
(Incidentally, did anyone else notice that, in his appearance in Season 8, he DID go into normal vampire game face when he changed? And that was before the Gypsy spell was nullified. Faux pas on the part of the writers, or could he actually control whether or not his features changed?)
But the thing that made him special to me is mostly that he didn't conform to what vampires in the Buffyverse were supposed to be. He could change forms, didn't lump out when he attacked anyone, and stakes obviously hurt, but didn't do him any permanent damage. We never saw him in the sunlight, but I think that it was mentioned or at least implied somewhere that Direct sunlight wasn't fatal to him, either. He was the Superman of vampires, just like the first ubervamp in Season 7 was the Incredible Hulk of ubervamps.
(Incidentally, did anyone else notice that, in his appearance in Season 8, he DID go into normal vampire game face when he changed? And that was before the Gypsy spell was nullified. Faux pas on the part of the writers, or could he actually control whether or not his features changed?)
VisionGirl
Newly Human
I agree that for a standalone episode, it was disappointing. I think they could have built on it though if he had been a recurring villian. I do really think he is much improved in the comics, both in Dark Horse's Buffy season 8 and in IDW's Spike vs Dracula..
BuffyElevated
Scooby
TOTALLY agree... I remember physically cringeing when I saw this ep the first time. I was like "THIS guy is supposed to be a villain?! WTF?!"
white avenger
white avenger
Didn't I read somewhere that Freddie Prinz was actually supposed to play the part but had to back out at the last moment? Now, THAT is totally cringe worthy. Better George Hamilton or Leslie Neilson than him.
BuffyElevated
Scooby
I'm all for a wink-wink-nudge-nudge cameo, but if Freddie had played Dracula I think I would have had to boycott the episode on principle. That would have been BtVS jumping the shark.
white avenger
white avenger
I can't find any source for it either. Maybe it was just a joke or a horrible nightmare.
I agree with everyone. The episode would have been much better if they had a more believable person as Dracula. The guy they had was just a goof ball. There was nothing dark, mysterious, scary, sexy, penetrating eyes, about the guy. Dracula is supposed to make you swoon before he kills you. This guy just made me get a wtf face when he first appears on screen, and then kind of chuckle, and then shake my head.
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Robb Stark
My thoughts in a nut-shell.
ILLYRIAN
Druish Pervonian Wizard
I get the feeling some folk wanted the series to be more 'realistic', to be scarier.
At that point the show was dialogue driven, a somewhat nice image of scary was portrayed, it wasn't meant to be a horror type series.
So to have Dracula in the show and still have the show as being about Buffy and her co-horts, Dracula couldn't be the main feature. He had to been seen as being 'the one' without being something you wouldn't forget.
He did, however, enable the writers to have the belief they could start bring in a slightly scarier aspect to the series.
I saw the episode when it first went to air, the concept of a not-so-scary Dracula didn't bother me at all. My thoughts were with Giles, what a cruel scene he had to endure, being teased by the three brides of Dracula. What cruel form of blackmail did they do to him to force him to do that scene? And not have him smile, well, not too much anyway.
At that point the show was dialogue driven, a somewhat nice image of scary was portrayed, it wasn't meant to be a horror type series.
So to have Dracula in the show and still have the show as being about Buffy and her co-horts, Dracula couldn't be the main feature. He had to been seen as being 'the one' without being something you wouldn't forget.
He did, however, enable the writers to have the belief they could start bring in a slightly scarier aspect to the series.
I saw the episode when it first went to air, the concept of a not-so-scary Dracula didn't bother me at all. My thoughts were with Giles, what a cruel scene he had to endure, being teased by the three brides of Dracula. What cruel form of blackmail did they do to him to force him to do that scene? And not have him smile, well, not too much anyway.