Erika the Hungry Red Ale from Wingwalker Brewing will guide us through this episode.
1973's Lake of Dracula is on the menu today. Erika the Hungry is a spot on red ale. Hops and malt, great with pub food.
Jayson discovered Japan doesn't have a vampire myth.
There's an atmosphere to this film. It's by no means a polished film, but it has...something.
The opening pulls you in immediately, if for no other reason because there's a Gothic castle in the middle of rural Japan.
The caretaker isn't all that bright, and makes some not all that bright decisions.
Jayson makes a good point about some of the musical cues, I noticed the score could go all over the place.
Akiko's boyfriend, Takashi, shows up and shows himself to be a bad boyfriend. He and Natsuko dismiss Akiko's trauma. This is a recurring theme, sadly.
Chivalry is dead, as Takashi drops Akiko off at the caretaker's in the middle of the night, and drives away.
Dracula's powers, or lack thereof, leave us confused.
The costuming for the sisters is way cool.
Things kick into high gear when Akiko's dog, Leo, is murdered by the caretaker, and he takes her to Dracula.
The translation issue goes from funny to disturbing when Akiko tells her sister the caretaker tried to rape her and her sister laughs and goes to bed.
Are hospital gowns as nighties a thing? Dracula's inconsistent powers crop up again. He can mesmerize. Sometimes.
Natsuko, too, can be mesmerized, but not Akiko.
Out of the blue, Takashi goes from mocking Akiko to Van Helsing. It doesn't make you like him anymore.
The caretaker is smarter as Dracula's servant than he was as a living human.
The sister, as Dracula's concubine, is downright terrifying.
Bad things happen in storms.
Dracula is an art critic. He utters his first lines 42 or so minutes into the film.
The caretaker lamely attempts to murder Takashi. He gets his in Caddyshack fashion.
This Dracula isn't very scary or effective, except at using the ol' 'Can't see me in the mirror' trick.
A moment to celebrate Erika the Hungry Red Ale. This malty beer should be in a tankard, served with meat on the bone. Jayson chose a great beer for this one.
Dracula flees from Takashi, which defies belief.
Akiko's sister gives them her dying wish. Jayson points out a great plot hole. Akiko and Takashi defy her dying wish.
Takashi became an expert on this topic in, oh, about 12 hours.
Jayson's impressive research skills are on display, yet again.
Akiko and Natsuko's sibling rivalry turns out to be more like sibling hatred, and Takashi, true to form, is an insensitive jerk about it.
Takashi is like the Ben Franklin of 1970s Japan.
There was some questionable parenting going on with the ladies.
They must retrace Akiko's experience as a child, which leads them to the Gothic castle where the delivery truck from earlier is stranded, with the dead driver.
The creepy old dude from the open wasn't actually trying to hurt Akiko, he was a creepy old dude helping her!
The house/castle is decorated in a European manner, because they were foreigners.
The hand ripping off is the first real gore in the movie, and it comes out of nowhere.
Erika the Hungry is going down really smoothly.
In this film, Vampirism is an inherited trait, and can skip generations. It would have been cool to explore this idea in more depth.
Dracula is kinda pervy. He wanted to make 5 year old Akiko his bride.
Takashi and Dracula's big fight scene: Dracula's go-to move is the backhand. The old man crawls out of nowhere and trips Dracula, who falls through the banister and dies one of the greatest deaths in film history. One and a half minutes of screaming and dying. It's worth seeing this movie just for that death.
Was that a tear going down the old man's cheek?
It's not on Jayson's must-see list, but if you're into Dracula and want to see another culture's take on him, do it. I concur, although he's less apt to recommend it, except for the epic death scene.
Jayson deep dived into what happened to Sanae Emi, the actress who played Natsuko, as her IMDB page stated she died at 36 in 1988. She was born Emi Kanda and was a singer, songwriter, actress. She had an affair with and then married Akihiko Yashiro. They divorced after 4 years of marriage, but he continued to stalk her and eventually stabbed and killed her. Sad story. A special thanks to Brian's mom, who did the actual research and translation.
However, Erika the Hungry is highly recommended. Let us know if you have any favorite red ales.
Intro music for this episode is a mix of (1) Turn on The Funk (Story Blocks Audio subscription), (2) sample 1961’s The Phantom Planet [in the public domain], and (3) sample 1968’s Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women [in the public domain]. Outro music Death Piano by Bobby Cole (Story Blocks Audio subscription).
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