It was shot using the latest up to date 3d cameras. The last Dark Side mag explained about it in great detail.

I really don't want to know how much of the film's budget went into this stupid 3D... :doh: :tsk:

Greetings!

To guess at the mantis thing, if I remember, one of Drac's powers is to control the actions of lesser beings, but as to it's size...:doh: or perhaps it's a very badly done bat:lol::lol:. It would be great if Dario pulls it out of the bag and gives us a classic telling of the tale, we can but hope.

Yeah, it's been shot in 3D since the beginning. The first production stills I saw they were using RED cameras but it was decided they weren't quite up to the job although the new Hobbit film is using RED Epic. Thing is, 'full size' 3D cams are huuuuge so I'm not expecting many camera flourishes, not that his work as been crammed with them in recent times anyway.

A few interesting (or not so) videos -

Dario talking about the film

DRACULA 3D (2011) Trailer Dario Argento - YouTube

And a couple of FX vids.....more leakage?

Controfigura digitale di Dracula - YouTube

Ricostruzione treno - YouTube

A couple of worrying comments from someone who was at the US teaser preview -

Based on the preview footage at the AFM in November, I don't expect the actual trailer to be much better. I was really shocked at how poor a lot of the scenes were. And the "acting" you just have to see it to believe it!!

and

The costumes were no more impressive than any other decently made period piece. And the sets looked OK. The whole thing lacks atmosphere. It's overly bright and flat looking, due to the demands of shooting 3D. I swear there are a few scenes that are lit like a Mexican soap opera. I can't really judge entirely though since it was just random scenes, the FX weren't done, and I'm assuming it wasn't color timed etc...
However, I will reiterate, the acting was across the board terrible. Rutger Hauer was half asleep in all his scenes, and Asia seems like she wants to be anywhere but on that set. All of this makes me sad to say, as I think Asia is a very capable actress, and well, everyone knows Hauer used to be able to do respectable work. As for Dracula himself, I don't know...

I don't get the problem with the mantis, at all!

A giant mantis would have improved every recent version of Dracula of which I can think! And plenty of non-Dracula flicks too!

God forbid Argento has fun with his projects!

Probably looks like I'm dying for this to fail but nothing could be further from the truth. I just can't see anyway past the terrible acting in that leaked footage trailer.

Compared to all the excellent acting throughout Argento's career? :lol:

The man cannot direct actors, never has been able to, never will. Doesn't mean his films have been bad or unenjoyable.

Will someone remember to bake me a nice humble pie when this is released and it's crap?

:lol:

I agree, his track record with acting has been poor but nothing compared to his last three or four efforts....and from actors who should really know better. Most importantly, the flair has been missing since Opera other than the enjoyable Sleepless.

Ah, you see, I disagree there. I'd say only The Phantom Of The Opera and Giallo have been unsatisfactory out of all his films.

The Stendhal Syndrome has been his only decent film since Opera.

Oops, forgot Stendhal. It's got some really nice stuff in it (or horrible depending on your point of view :)

Card player was a bad one from memory. Only seen it once at a festival so perhaps a 2nd viewing without the braying audience might be in order. I bought the Arrow DVD for 1.99 with this intention but not quite got round to it.

Mother of Tears would have been a great piece of daft entertainment but with Argento's name attached it falls more into the disappointment category.

I am also disappointed with Argento's last films. Card Player was a very weak TV crime film, but not of the good kind. Mother of Tears was laughably bad, I almost hated it. I don't know what it is, but he seems to have lost it, that's why I skipped Giallo after all the bad reviews... I liked his Masters of Horror bits, tehy were much stronger for me than his recent films. The last good thing in a film was the chase through the train (if I rememmber correctly) at the beginning of Sleepless, that was really stunning...

Card Player - piss poor made for TV looking effort
Sleepless - ALMOST a return to form .. but that bloody rhyme and Max hamming it up stopped it from being great for me.
Giallo - Unfairly bashed IMHO
MOT - Again, not as bad as many make out. Understandably we had all been waiting all that time for Dazza to close the trilogy, it stood no chance really did it?

Dracula .... meh, I have an Uwe Boll feeling coming on with this.

However, its all being judged on some unfinished footage really, which is hardly fair. BUT it does have a big insect in it!!

"Uwe Boll"??? the unkindest cut of all.:lol:

At least I can look forward to the 3D even if the movie is a turd! :fear:

Dario Argento's Dracula Anticipation Thread
 

whatever is said, I'll give my opinions when I eventually see Argento's DRACULA
there have been a number of scenes in his films which were misleading, confusing etc
for example in TRAUMA, when Piper Laurie is decapitated, she utters a name

the reason for this and she didn't get it at the time, was Argento 'paying homage or whatever' to Marie Antoinette who supposedly said something when was beheaded

He may have been paying homage, but I don't think he is regarded that highly in movie circles for anyone to get it ... or even care. And it looked just plain daft!

"Nicholas, Nicholas, Nicholas ..."

well i have said before that TRAUMA is one of the 3 least films from Argento

but i still wait to buy DRACULA......

It was shot in native 3D, according to Alan Jones in the Dark Side coverage of the film. He talks about how big and cumbersome the 3D cameras are.

My expectations for this film are very low. But you never know, I may be surprised.

I wonder why they gave up on using the much smaller RED cameras. Seems to to work for Peter Jackson.

Dario Argento's Dracula Anticipation Thread
 

this will be Argento's first film in years without filming with Panalight cameras

Is this going to be the first time Dario's shot digitally?

I love Argento and to be honest its never been for the acting abilities of the films characters, I have never watched an Argento film and after though wow! What a performance!! But i have come away thinking what a mindf@ck, what a twist, what camera work, what lighting etc.

This is the same for most of my affection for euro cinema regarding acting, I love everything else it brings to the table. Dont expect too much so probably wont be dissapointed. I think if Dario had a turd on a plate I would probably find something good about it so I might be blinkered slightly!!

One thing though.........I HATE 3D!

Being a huge Argento fan I must say I have my doubts about it, the whole marketing looks very dodgy - in Stereoscopic 3D????? The trailer didn't really ease my concerns to be honest but actually multiplied them. I don't know what to expect really, I will see it, that's for sure, but I'm going in there with very low expectations.

I'm looking forward to this one. Argento has gotten a lot of unfair criticism. Is every film he does perfect no. But he has made films that other directors would kill to have under there belt. Suspiria, Terror at the Opera, Stendahl Syndrome, Deep Red, Tenebrae, Inferno, Phenomena all brilliant pieces of film but even more than that brilliant works of art.
He's the type of director that like Kubrick should have his films seen as more than just a film but as art then you can decide whether you like it, hate it or even understand it.
What excites me about this film is this the guy that made all those brilliant visual films is making a 3d film.
It's never been that Argento can't direct actors it's that they don't matter. The actors are set pieces that help move the visuals along.
I'd like to say I'm surprised that the horror community has been iffy about it ut I'm not. When the whole of the sci-fi or fantasy community are raising up there own we've sadly taken to almost destroying our own. To the point where the only horror making money is what the casual viewers go to see.( the reason we got 7 Saw films)

I agree with you on the unfair criticism, I enjoyed his later works as much as I love his earlier masterpieces, but on the other hand movies like Phantom and Giallo are way below his standards by any means. The problem with Giallo is that he was just hired to direct, he didn't write or produced, same goes for Dracula. If Dario doesn't hold 100% creative control it never works out, Trauma was watered down and tampered with afterwards, Giallo as well. That;s why I lowered my hope for Dracula. I think the 3D will be great as Dario is very technical but in terms of story and especially atmosphere I'm afraid we get another "Argento light" like Giallo.

Didn't Argento have something to do with the script? I don't know all the behind the scenes on this one but I trust Argento to at least put blood and horror back into the Vampire legacy after crap like Twillight and let's be honest...Bram Stokers Dracula really was pretty bad itself . I assume it'll at least be better than that.

I don't care what anybody says about Argento's DRACULA
It's going to be gory and of course giving his interpretation of Bram Stoker's classic novel, which is no bad thing
I'm looking forward to it whenever on dvd
Not a fan of 3D though, so hoping its 2D as well, should be!

In theatre I'm guessing it's 3D since it was shot in 3D and not given some lousy conversion. They'll probably show it 2d as well but I'd suggest seeing the 3D just to get Argentos vision. You can always buy the 2d version on DVD.

where i live they don't show Argento films!
like i said i before whenever the dvd is released I'm going to buy it!
and of course i hope they have the dvd with 3D and 2D options

I'm not sure if any of the criticism was unfair because, no matter who the director may be, a bad film is a bad film and luminaries such as Jean-Luc Godard and Francis Ford Coppola have made clunkers which have been rightfully panned.

Although Argento has, as you pointed out, made some brilliant films, his last few haven't been very good, with Phantom of the Opera and Giallo being extremely poor.

However, I will watch Dracula (hopefully at the cinema) with an open mind.

IMDB says he was one of the 4 writers for Dracula, but since Giallo wrongfully credited Argento as the writer I don't trust that too much. Argento doesn't produce and that worries me the most, like I said before he is at his best when he has full artistic control. I am going to see Dracula for sure as it is Argento but I go in with lower expectations this time after that Giallo disaster....:eek:

I Find myself looking forward to this for some reason.

Argentos days as a quality film maker are long behind him and nothing i've seen since opera can really be called a classic, but I expect this to at least be a bit of trashy fun like stendahl syndrome was. Hope its not another giallo though!

I think Stendhal is a very underrated movie, it actually grew on me with every viewing, I won't go that far to call it a masterpiece but it's certainly better than Phantom and Giallo, Sleepless was a brief return to form actually.

I Like stendahl all the way up to where thomas kretchmann (who plays dracula in the new movie) dies, then the movie loses the plot completely and has nowhere to go.

I do agree sleepless is the closest he's come to regaining his talent.

SLEEPLESS is very underrated imo