Horror films are typically looked down upon as the cinematic equivalent of junk food. So, when the respected director Francis Ford Coppola decided to make one (Bram Stoker’s Dracula) , the question became, can the filmmaker elevate the form or will it drag him down? Everyone knows the tale of the ancient and powerful vampire who travels to England in search of his true love only to be thwarted by the pesky Van Helsing, but by filling the movie with rich visual effects and one very frightening performance by Gary Oldman, Coppola successfully breathes unlife into a somewhat tired tale, joining the ranks of important directors who can also scare the pants off of you. William Friedkin has his Exorcist; Stanley Kubrick has his Shining, and Francis Ford Coppola has his Dracula.
Mon., Nov. 2, 8 p.m., 2009
