Dracula: The True Story

Goth-ites rejoice! Bauhaus is touring again and Dracula, according to this video, is officially "undead." Well, at least the Count's legend and immensely marketable persona anyway. Apparently, there are now travel packages to Romania featuring a stay at the Dracula Hotel in Transylvania and a cheesy tour of Vlad the Impaler's Carpathian castle. Tourists can even lick the backside of Vlad's official stamp to post cards back home. How does a sadistic tyrant, who got so medieval on his Ottoman enemies that their brand of Islamic justice paled by comparison, become a national hero embellishing t-shirts, mugs, and kitschy souvenirs? This incisive documentary examines the vampire tourism phenom, and provides a good historical perspective on the superstitions and folklore that propelled the Dracula myth to its current status. A descendant of Vlad Tepes'--Princess Caradja, great granddaughter to the gazillionth power--discusses her infamous ancestor in an interview, and academic types come on board to help separate lurid historical fact from fiction (viz: during plagues medievalers routinely stuck stakes though corpses' hearts to ensure death before burial). Viewers also spend a little quality time with a modern-day vampire hunter who, while not as awesome or adorable as Buffy, does seem to be doing an adequate job of curtailing bloodsucking in Bucharest. Dracula: The True Story makes sufficient use of historic fact and location to appeal to serious vampyrists, and contains enough intermittent gore (nothing too nasty) to hold most teens' attention. Sure to be popular. Recommended. Aud: P. (W. Pierce)