OPENS DECEMBER 12, CERT 15, 73 MINS
Think you know Dracula? Think again. It’s taken Winnipeg’s resident weirdo-genius Guy Maddin to bring Bram Stoker’s tale to the screen as you’ve never seen it before. His deadpan, surreal oddities have been striking a chord with adventurous audiences since Tales From The Gimli Hospital hit the cult circuit back in 1986, but it might just be this rather perverse project which sees him reach a wider audience. Essentially, it’s a highly-stylised adaptation of Mark Godden’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet production (lead dancer Johnny Chang makes for a charismatic Count). But it’s more than just a filmed performance; Maddin has combined Godden’s choreography and Mahler’s score with his unique cinematic vision to whip the whole thing up into a delirious fever-dream. Aesthetic pleasure aside, the film also grapples with some of the varied interpretations of the story, with sex, immigration and capitalism all getting a twirl. Beautiful, erotic and provocative.