Who exactly is Dracula?

 I have always been a HUGE Dracula fanatic! I have read the books and watched all of the movies and he's always been my favorite "monster" though I actually don't consider him to be a monster.

 Weird fact about me... He could come bite me and I would be very happy about that!

Braham Stoker's Dracula 

Despite the fact that Vlad III was not a vampire, he was the possible inspiration for Stoker's Dracula.
Though it was thought that Vlad drank the blood of those he impaled, and he ate his meals among their impaled bodies.

Luke Evans as Dracula

Mind you Dracula has been portrayed by so many amazing actors, but in all honesty, I have my favorite Dracula. Luke Evans! Mind you the photo is from a different Luke Evans movie, but I can imagine his Dracula looking like this in modern times.

So, who exactly is Order of the Dragon?

There was once a man known as Vlad II. He belonged to a Christian order of knights known as the Order of the Dragon. The knights in the order gave him the name Dracul.
In 1431, the order had 1 task set before them by King Sigismund of Hungary and that was to defeat the Ottoman Empire.

Random fact: 
Dracul literally means "dragon" in Romanian and the word Drac means "the devil".

Who is Vlad III?

Vlad III was born in 1431 in Wallachian which is now in present day Romania. He had become to be known as "The son of Dracul" or in Romanian Drăculea aka Dracula.
Vlad and his younger brother were actually held hostage for 5 years by the Ottoman Empire. They were taught lessons in the art of war and also in science and philosophy. There were rumors that they had been tortured as well.
He was freed shortly after the death of his father, who died when a war lord organized a coup to overthrow him.

Oh, what webs we weave...

After VladIII returned home he had invited some of his rivals to his place for a meal. Dinner was served to hundreds of people who he deemed to be his rivals. If only they knew what was in store for them that night... what he did next was most devious... he had each of those dinner guests stabbed and impaled on spikes. 

This very act earned him the name Vlad Țepeș or "Vlad the Impaler", and he was most noted for his brutality and thirst for blood lust.

Where is he buried again? 

Vlad was killed when he and his men were heading to battle against the Ottomans. He and his troop were killed during an ambush. There is a rumor that his body was cut into pieces and given to the Sultan Medmed II. Those remains have not been found.

Vlad the Impaler is a Romanian Hero

Even though he was an asshole and a brutal ruler, he is considered a hero in Romania. The reason for this is because of the war with the Ottoman Empire. It's because of that he protected Wallachian and the rest of Europe, he was even praised by Pope Pius II for his feats in defending Christendom.

Oh Little Town!

"Little town, it's a quiet village

Every day like the one before

Little town, full of little people."

There is going to be a prequel to the live action Beauty and the Beast movie. This one is called "Little Town" and centers around Gaston, LeFou and LeFou's stepsister Tilly.

Luke Evans will resume his role as the handsome Gaston, Josh Gad will resume the role of LeFou, Gaston's friend and Brianna Middleton will portray LeFou's stepsister Tilly. 

I can't wait for this to come out. For this I'll buy into Disney plus or better yet, maybe I'll just buy it on DVD. lol 

The Hobbit Binge Fest

 

I have been on a The Hobbit trilogy binge all day. I watched/listened to the entire 3 movies in one day. I don't sit and watch, but I have them playing in the background while I'm doing things so essentially it's like listening to an Audible book. I bought the movies on Amazon and bought the extended versions on both The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy and I'm in love allll over again!

There are some scenes where I'll stop what I'm doing and go watch, but at the moment I am seriously fangirling over Luke Evans. I just love me some Bard the Bowman. My inner fan girl just sighs dreamily and sits back and takes in all of his gorgeousness. 
I also love the scene with the Dwarves singing in Bilbo's Hobbit hole. Both songs are great! They literally sung them themselves, there no lip syncing. 

Song 1: Blunt the Knives

Blunt the knives, bend the forks
Smash the bottles and burn the corks
Chip the glasses and crack the plates
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

Cut the cloth, tread on the fat
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door!

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl
Pound them up with a thumping pole
When you're finished, if they are whole
Send them down the hall to roll

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

Song 2: Misty Mountain

"Far over the Misty Mountains rise

Leave us standing upon the height

What was before we see once more

Is our kingdom a distant light

Fiery mountain beneath the moon

The words unspoken, we'll be there soon

For home a song that echoes on

And all who find us will know the tune

Some folk we never forget

Some kind we never forgive

Haven't seen the back of us yet

We'll fight as long as we live

All eyes on the hidden door

To the Lonely Mountain born

We'll ride in the gathering storm

Until we get our long forgotten gold

We lay under the Misty Mountains cold

In slumbers deep, and dreams of gold

We must awake, our lives to make

And in the darkness a torch we hold

From long ago when lanterns burned

Until this day our hearts have yearned

Her fate unknown, the Arkenstone

What was stolen must be returned

We must awake and make the day

To find a song for heart and soul

Some folk we never forget

Some kind we never forgive

Haven't seen the end of it yet

We'll fight as long as we live

All eyes on the hidden door

To the Lonely Mountain born

We'll ride in the gathering storm

Till we get our long forgotten gold

Far away the Misty Mountain's cold.

I can't read these lyrics and not heard the song in my head and I just love that!

I will say. I LOVE the Legolas version in this movie. The older and wiser Legolas. This Legolas is a man, the one from Lord of the Rings comes off more as a teenager to me. I know it sounds weird, and yeah Orlando Bloom was younger then and older now, but it's how he's portrayed in the movies. 

I really wish they did the movies in reverse order. Did the Hobbit first with a young Orlando and then the Lord of the Rings with the older Orlando. I think it would have made more sense, though Orlando looks great in both. lol

Somebody MAKE DRACULA UNTOLD 2 please!

 

Dracula Untold has a huge fan base and we’re dying for Dracula Untold 2. "As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom."

#LukeEvans #DraculaUntold #nbcuniversal #universalpictures #universalmonsters #universalclassicmonsters #universalstudios