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All Sorts Of VAN HELSING Goodies!! Animated Prequel'! Another Report On First 10 Minutes!!
Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Okay. So now we’ve finally seen a trailer for VAN HELSING. Personally, I thought it looked okay. I detested the shots that seemed to feature Mr. Hyde from LXG in a guest appearance, but I like the vampire designs and the werewolf shots we see in the trailer. Overall, it looks like fun.
As soon as I talked to Harry, wondering aloud if that was indeed Mr. Hyde in the trailer, we got this first report:
Hi Harry!
I just saw the first reel of Van Helsing and thought that you might be
interested ... SPOILER ALARM ... Well, seeing only about 15 minutes of the movie it is hard to say something without giving too much away, so here ya go:
opening sequence is in black&white - dr. frankenstein, his creature and
count dracula are introduced in a very james whale like scene, the creature comes to life, dr. frankenstein and dracula have a fight over the creature and it all ends at the burning mill, where the creature and dr. frankenstein seem to burn in the flames - cut to van helsing, now in color - he has a fight in paris with mr. hyde and certainly wins it with his pretty cool boomerang like weapons. The effect work wasn't finished, the sound only a rough overlay, blablabla, but all in all it was a very, very cool opener for the movie, first the b/w intro and then a cool fight with a very, very, very cool hugh jackman
greetings from J. LebowskiSo… okay… that’s a verification that we’re seeing Mr. Hyde, right? When did everyone agree that Hyde was a giant ape-like creature? Isn’t that pretty much an invention of Kevin O’Neill and Alan Moore? Every classic version of Hyde I’ve ever seen, he was a man. Some versions were more animal than others, but he was always a man, someone who could pass you on the street without you realizing that he was evil. If I were 20th Century Fox, I’d be more than a little irate with Universal’s misappropriation of this particular version of Hyde.
Anyway, between this report and the one Harry posted earlier, it sounds like they pack a lot into that opening, and one of the ways Universal can shortcut things a bit would be with an animated prequel that comes out a few days after the film hits theaters. At least, that’s what this scooper said. It was news to me...
Hi, Harry/Moriarty,
Hopefully, you've received this from other alert readers, but I was so excited when I saw this news on The Home Theater Forum today, I had to send it to you.
According to AnimatedBliss.com:
Van Helsing: The London Assignment
STREET: 5/11/2004
S.R.P.: $14.98
RUN TIME: 30 Minutes
AUDIO: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
CAPTIONS: English
SUBTITLES: French, Spanish
VIDEO STUDIO: Universal
Unveiling The Extraordinary Beginning of The Van Helsing Adventure With the All-New Original Animated Film Prequel.
From The Director And Producers Of The Motion Picture Van Helsing Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay. Features the voice of Van Helsing star Hugh Jackman.
Loaded with bonus features, including cast and crew interviews and an in-depth look at Van Helsing's groundbreaking special effects.
HARRY NOTE... See Any Similarities?
Holy shit! This one really came out of nowhere. Hope it's legit, but someone went to a lot of trouble if it isn't. Can't wait!!
Enjoy,
- Bob
"Moriarty" out.
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Jan 19, 2004 12:31:49 AM CST
"Vampires and werewoves"??? MATRIX RELOADED will OWN YOUR ASS
by darth phallus
right, Harry?
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the trailer looked cool albeit strangely off (in a Batman Forever meets the middle ages kind of way) but still should be worth a look.
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If THAT (the DVD cover art) isn't confirmation that Sommers is ripping off Vampire Hunter D (whether he admits it or not), I don't know what is!
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This site used to be more up on it. Somebody's getting lazy...
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Shameless. Utterly and offensively so.
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There's some music by Danny Elfman, then some wacky, kind of spooky stuff happens, then some quirky stuff happens, (then the giant penquins with missiles show up), and then the children in the soundtrack sing "lala lala lala lala" while the climax happens, which is big and grand, but fizzles at the end when you try to piece together the plot holes. One character has a really hammy role in the story, and another is downplayed and comes off as sort of moody and spooky. There. You now have a review of everything Burton's made since Batman.
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I'm sure it will also set up some sort of video game and comic book series.
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I think this will be a good fun pop corn monster movie...no more-no less. Why would peopel expect to see a serious "straight" monster film when it uses this monster mash combo of characters. There have been great serious attempts at all of these characters separatly; whatch them if you don't like this treatment. I am a great lover of dark serious monster horror but I still enjoyed the Mummy. BTW, Shadow of the Vampire was a truly great film but Warhol's movies were awful..."Dracula, he was never any good to anyone..." (uttered by the hero after he despatches the Count in "Blood for Dracula".
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Vampire Hunter D hit on every level of Vimpire Hunter movies. I think it is damn near impossible not to copy something that they did. Anyways when you look at everything in retrospect, it's impossible to make a Vampire movie and not rip on something. It is a genre that has been done to death and is still great in it's death (no pun intended). Anyways from what I have heard, this is supposed to stay very true to the story of Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula, so before you say that this is ripping off Vampire Hunter D, wait to see the movie. Yes the cover is very much alike but I think this movie is going to be money.
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Why cant they make a movie like that? I love that movie!
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Jan 19, 2004 2:10:19 AM CST
In the original novella Hyde was a little taller than a dwarf.
by andy travis
Moore and O'Neill's big, ape-like Hyde gets explained in the comic, as over the years Hyde has grown stronger and become the dominant personality, while Jeckyll has wasted away. Whether any of this is something to get upset over, I dunno.
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Jan 19, 2004 3:09:09 AM CST
Actually, if you want to get specific, it's ripping off Castleva
by terry_1978
Which in turn ripped off Abbott and Costello's monster flick, which in turn ripped off the literary monster classics. So everyone has ripped off someone somewhere.
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Jan 19, 2004 3:28:15 AM CST
So he looks like Vampire Hunter D. So what's your point?
by gere's assgerbil
Lots of other fictional characters have worn a long coat and hat. It's a cool look, but it certainly was not invented by Vampire Hunter D. Clint Eastwood used it to good effect in several westerns. The Shadow and several other Golden Age comic book heroes used it as well. D and Helsing just both happen to fight vampires and wear similar outfits. Big deal. Would you prefer they stuck Jackman in tights and a cape and stamped a large "VH" on his chest? And complaining about Hyde's size of all things? I don't think anyone is gonna go see this thing expecting a faithful literary adaptation. A big muscular Hyde just looks cooler and more dangerous than a short wiry Hyde. Why are these things so hard for some people? Still, I think it's very possible this will suck ass, but I'm not hearing any justifiable bitching so far.
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Posted too early. What i ment to say was that this movie has obviously stolen a lot from Vampire Hunter D. Just how much, we obviously won't know until we see the movie but judging from the trailers it looks like it borrowed a lot in terms of design. I my mind, I doubt this will surpass VHD, but it might still be enjoyable. I like Hugh as the lead.
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I admit there's more than a passing resemblance but it's probably the closest thing we're going to get to a live action Vampire Hunter D. Doubt I will bother with the Van Helsing cartoon though.
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That needs to be the new fad after the comic and zombie fads run out. Vampire Hunter D, Robotech, 3x3 Eyes, etc.
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Jan 19, 2004 5:28:08 AM CST
PLease! The movie itself ALWAYS looked like a rip off of Vampire
by rogue_leader
The only difference is they added some scantily clad vampiresses to help the male teen audience "get off". TOTAL SHIT! Oh and to the guy above who mentioned it Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust kicked tons of ass. One of the best anime out there.
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I think that when must of us here say that Sommers seems to be ripping off liberally from Vampire Hunter D, we don't just mean that both characters wear a trenchcoat and hat. Take at the art design, direction. I mean, that cover for the DVD is basically fanart of VHD. And yeah, VHD: Bloodlust kicks major ass.
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Jan 19, 2004 6:30:07 AM CST
"stay very true to the story of Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dra
by raw_bean
Bram Stoker's Van Helsing was an elderly, supersticious german doctor, with a speciality in rare blood diseases. He was NOT a blade wielding Buffy/Blade-a-like.
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The monster squad was better.
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And AFAIK no-one has really done him with a dutch accent, more of a fake-movie German accent. Hopkins didn't sound very dutch at all (and I know the difference between Dutch and German - my grandparents are Dutch). **************************** And I'm guessing that maybe this is set before Dracula, which is why VH is younger and more physical. maybe. I'm not expecting this to be very faithful to the books it's based on but I am hoping it'll be fun and I'm pretty sure it'll be a damn sight better than LXG. And no matter what, at least this one won't actually be a butchering of an Alan Moore comic.*********** I'll probably get the animated prequel but It'd be nicer if it was a bit longer than 1/2 hour.
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Watch, i will be right
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Jan 19, 2004 3:06:36 PM CST
Erm, we've been saying he looks like VHD for over a year now...
by lady_hyde
And Drac is a gorgeous blend of Davey Havok and Gackt. Thus, Drackt. Also, I hope that the animated DVD won't have the same crappy style as "The Mummy" series.
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than..Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein, the monster compilation to end them all. And Peter Cushing's Van Helsing won't be overshadowed by this dross.
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Was REHs puritan the inspiration for this movie?
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Jan 19, 2004 6:32:35 PM CST
VAMPIRES and WEREWOLVES??? HAHAHa I thought you all forgot abou
by rcamacho2278
Im sorry but Van Helsing looks like shit. I don't know what it is about that movie but it doesnt look like its scary, it looks campy like the MUMMY. and Mr.Hyde looks like a fucken asshole. He's missing an arm right? and he looks like some kinda retarded , I dunno what, but he looks like a dick.
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Jan 19, 2004 6:41:51 PM CST
alright everyone shut the fuck up about ripping off vampire hunt
by perryfarrell
we are all in awe of your extensive anime knowledge. good fucking job. but vampire hunter d was nothing but yet another plotless-but-cool-looking anime interpretation of classical western gothic stories and mythologies, and brought nothing original or inventive to monster fiction. sure the character design for the main character seems similar, but character designs for just about every fantasy action movie are pretty much the same these days. (lots of black, lots of leather, lots of trenchcoats).
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jeez, like most japanese anime, VHD its a mish mash of old european and american and japanese stories, which, because it "borrows" from such a plethora of sources, you cant really say it "ripped off" anyone in particular, it merely xeroxed a whole bunch of shit and sorta tried to glue it together. in the land of reality, not the land of anime fanaticism, VHD is a semi-competent "re-mix" of some very very old stories and imagery. just cause they made him look like a woman and put blood in it and spoke in japanese doesnt necessarily make it any good. so quiat ya biatchin
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i didnt read your post before i wrote mine but we're basically saying the same thing. VHD is what it is: a entertaining, if not exactly inspired, retelling of some played-to-death ideas.
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Just a thought, but any chance the goon in the trailer is not Mr. Hyde as everyone assumes but rather The Hunchback of Notre Dame? I mean, Disney movies aside, there's a guy that's been moster-fied a few times, and if the scene is in Paris, wouldn't that make sense? Yes, I know he's not evil, but they're taking liberties already, right, putting all these other literary characters together? Let's hope they knew that Hyde had just been done in LXG to much critical and fan pooping, and decided not to do that again. I haven't watched the trailer closely, but it could be the top of Notre Dame, right? Just a possibility...
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Some seem to be under the impression that because they are movie afficianados, they know what a movie's quality will be at a glance. Well, dogs, I may not share your elite knowledge, but as I, or anyone who hasen't just fallen out of their mama's ass can tell you, after a while a movie about a fearless vampire killer is gonna resemble what has gone before a llliiiiittle bit. Do not ascribe great depth to every similarity you see, for that way surely lies madness.
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WTF? why are you guys complaining? All i see is Hugh Jackman, cool monsters, cool effects, cool story. Be happy that this isn't Catwoman, or some new Matrix crap. There have been exactly 5 billion Vampire movies created since the beginning of time. To say that Van Helsing is "ripping off" some anime thing is insane. "That movie has people in it! that's a ripoff of that other movie I saw last week! OMG!" I'd first ask myself why we need another vampire movie; and after seeing the trailer, i got my answer. I hope this is better than "The League".
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...it's so nice to have a bit of reason injected into these insane talkbacks sometimes. My guess as to why everybody's bitching about "The Great Vampire Hunter D Ripoff" is because they just want to bitch and can't find anything legitimate to criticize about the movie. Yet. I'm sure they'll come up with something given enough time. Irrelevant whining is expected from talkbackers, but I'm not sure why Harry and Mori seem to be trying to stir up contempt for the movie? Maybe I give them too much credit. I think this is gonna be a fun summer blockbuster just like The Mummy was.
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I thought about it and I don't think it matters who "stole" what from who. It never began anywhere, it just always was and it's almost like a tradition, the hat, the long coat, the weapons, the stranger with no name coming to town. This film is an homage, sort of like what Quentin Tarantino did with Kill Bill.
And yes Vampire D Bloodlust was very cool, but what was with that rocket ship at the end? That was weird, man. -
Jan 19, 2004 10:59:41 PM CST
I just have to say that the animated spin-off of Sommers' Mummy
by osmosis jones
Sure, most Saturday-morning cartoon versions of hit movies stink (The Real Ghostbusters aside), but the Mummy 'toon is something else. If the Van Helsing anmated "prequel" is by the same animation team, it must be avoided like...well, a Steven Sommers film.
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...but I'd never heard of "Vampire Hunter D" or whatever the hell it's called until I started to read these posts. I have a feeling that the vast majority of filmgoers are the same, so whether Van Helsing has similarities to it or not is totally irrelevant. If you want to talk about "ripping off another film or medium", how come nobody brought up the 1940's "House of Frankenstein" and "House of Dracula". Although those two films were essentially the same, they feature the Frankenstein monster, Drac and Wolfy as well. My only concerns are, if they intend to make Van Helsing a franchise, who will he fight next? The Creature from the Black Lagoon wouldn't fit with the tone of the character (he's fighting literary monsters or creatures from legends... not a Hollywood-invented thing). By the way, I have pretty high hopes for this film.
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Jan 20, 2004 12:28:33 AM CST
The story of Van Helsing may have nothing to do with Vampire Hun
by gypsytrobot
but come on, look at the pics. You're saying that resemblance is entirely coincidental? Google Vampire Hunter D for more evidence to the contrary. See http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/1419/vampire.html for example. I haven't seen VHD in a long time but that's the first thing I thought of when I saw Hugh Jackman gussied up and posed like the classic anime character. 2nd thing I thought was "Hey, does Hugh have a little wisecracking face-buddy in his hand?"
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VHD's look is just a Japanese, androgynous (sp) manga-ised version of Solomon Cane (R.E. Howard). Most of this stuff is so derivitive that talking about "rip offs" is ludicrous! Can't a film be a light hearted romp if that's all it wants (and is intended) to be?
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I haven't read the original novel, but isn't the Jeckil-Hyde story playing in London or something?
The church they are on definately looks like Notre Dame in Paris and the Hunchback was about the only character that popped right into my mind. W
What would Dr Jeckil be doing in Paris ?
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Man, you guys take this crap seriously! What does the 'D' stand for in Vampire Hunter D?
What is this, anyway, a cartoon?
Thanks -
If you think VH is ripped off of Vampire Hunter D, try reading Japanese manga (comic) Hellsing.
Super weaponery, fighting vampires & ghouls, not to mention appearances by werewolfs by the time you hit Vol. 4. http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1593070578.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg -
It has 1. lame CG (flying vampire chicks), awful costume design (the hat? bet they had to pay Wolverine loads and loads of money extra to get him to wear this ... thing!), and it looks just as cheap as LXG, given the sets in the trailer. (But they had to have that hat in it...a clear cut case of false priorities) Apart from that, how can a movie packing all great monsters available into 90 minutes not be totally ridiculous?
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Sommers, unlike Tarintino, does not give credit where credit is due. That's the main problem. In every interview, Tarintino is always talking about the films he loves and inspire him, and that he is influenced by. Sommers is basically acting like he's the creative genius behind everything. Need proof? Not only is he denying that his film is stealing liberally from Vampire Hunter D, as far as visuals and asthetic, but listens to this dreck that's pouring out of his mouth:///// "In the old movies, Dracula turned into a bat,' Sommers says, trying to sound reassuring. "He should turn into a flying creature, but who's afraid of a bat? I'm not, I grew up with one in the belfry. But then I thought, if he had a 15-foot wingspan, that would be something. I just kind of went from there. I love going over these old movies, finding all the things we know about them and coming up with new stuff.'
/////// PLEASE, give me a break! Yes, Sommers is SUCH a genius for "creating" the concept that Dracula should turn into a giant bat. Never seen that before. Bottom line: Sommers is either too egotistical or just plain moronic to admit that he's far from the original cinema auteur that he proclaims himself as. -
It soooo looks like Vampire Hunter D. Why on earth is that a bad thing?! and I always presumed the D was something to do with him being a descendant of dracula. Have to admit - was a little worried by Hyde - looked a bit LXG - but my bro suggested hunchback so i'm thinking on those lines = they are in france. some people haven't heard of D cos its anime which generally less people have heard of. Anime snobs may slag it off for being 'popular' which must not be confused with 'bad'. You are allowed to like the same things as other people - go on - give it a try - go on.
Damn I'm excited about this film! Faramir's a monk!! Bless. -
Once you get past the complaints suave mofos have about the fx and Sommers' past work, I'm kinda stunned that such knowing genre fans would have so much difficulty imagining on the next level. If they do, in fact, intend to make a franchise out of this concept, why would you think they're blowing their wad in the first movie? I find it hard to believe all possibilities for sequels have been exhausted just yet.
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That vampires were to be the subject of action movies rather than horror?
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Jan 21, 2004 12:51:09 AM CST
Sommers was questioned about Vampire Hunter D. similarities at t
by annoyyou
And he said that he'd never seen it until after he was filming Van Helsing, and, yes, he was amazed at the similarities, but it was unintentional. He seemed sincere, but who the hell knows?
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