Night of the Creeps
Encyclopedia
Night of the Creeps is a 1986 zombie
horror film
written and directed by Fred Dekker
, starring Tom Atkins
, Jason Lively
, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow
. The film is notable as an earnest attempt at a B movie
and a homage
to the genre. While the main plot of the film is related to zombie
s, the film also mixes in takes on slashers
and alien invasion
films.
, two aliens feverishly race to keep an experiment from being released. But it is too late and the seemingly possessed third alien they are pursuing has shot the canister into space where it crashes to Earth
. On this night a young college man takes a date to a parking spot where they see a falling star
and investigate. Unfortunately, it lands in the path of an escaped criminally insane mental patient. As his date falls victim to the axe-wielding maniac, the boy finds the canister, from which a small leech
-like thing jumps out at him and into his mouth.
Later in 1986, Chris Romero is pining over a love lost, being supported by his handicapped
friend J.C. During pledge week at Corman University, Chris spots a girl, Cynthia Cronenberg, and seems to fall instantly in love. To get her attention, he decides that he must join a fraternity
. As a part of their pledge (although the frat leader who is dating Cynthia has no intentions of letting them join), they must steal a cadaver
from the university medical center and place it on the steps of the Phi Omega Gamma house. Chris and J.C. find one in a top secret room that is being kept in a state of suspended animation
, but when it grabs one of their arms as they try to move it, they lose their nerve and run back to their dorm room. Meanwhile, Detective Ray Cameron, a cop that dated the girl killed back in 1959 and is haunted by the memories of what he found that night, is called in to the cryogenics
lab break-in where there were two bodies, but one is now missing. The missing body is the one released from its cryogenics tomb - the same boy who found the alien experiment back in 1959. This missing body makes its way back to the same sorority
house where he picked up his date 27 years earlier. The walking corpse comes to Cynthia's window where his head splits open and more of the leech creatures fall out and slither across the ground. Called to the scene, Ray finds the body with a large open wound in the face, similar to one that could have been made by an axe
.
The next day, Chris and J.C. are confronted by the frat brothers, upset over the fact that they believe they are responsible for the previous night's incident. After surviving their encounter, they are then taken in for questioning by the police. Based on the testimony of a janitor that witnessed them running out of university medical center, "screaming like banshee
s," they confess to breaking in, but deny taking the corpse out. That night, the attendant found dead gets up from his slab and runs into the same janitor.
After the dead and buried cat of one of the sorority sisters comes back, Cynthia confesses it to Chris and J.C. and goes on about the dead body found at the sorority house. Although both are skeptical of her story about them being zombies, J.C. sees that she is leaning on Chris' shoulder, and leaves the two alone to go to the bathroom, where the now-possessed janitor enters and lets loose more of the slugs.
As Chris walks Cynthia back to the sorority house, he runs into Cameron who has overheard the entire story. Back at Ray's home, the two talk about their high school sweetheart
s. Ray's story is more elaborate as he goes on about how they broke up and he became a cop and how he was called out to the site where she had been hacked up by a lunatic. He goes on to tell of how he tracked down the escaped patient, killed him and buried him in the same spot on which the House Mother's cottage now sits. Just then, Ray gets a call where the House Mother has been hacked up to death by the axe-wielding corpse that broke in through the floor. The killer is finally tracked down and cornered by the police, but numerous gunshots have no effect. Cameron then takes his shotgun
and blows its head off, which releases more of the little creeps.
The next night, everyone is getting ready for the formal when Chris notices a tape recorder
on which J.C. has recorded a posthumous message to his friend, telling him that one of the things has incubated
in his brain and that he had discovered, after lighting one with a match, that heat can destroy them. Chris then runs into the boiler room, where his friend has told him he was headed in an attempt to kill those inside him. Chris then shows up at Ray's place, which Ray has sealed up, and he fills him in. After grabbing his gun and turning off the gas
, he takes Chris to a police armory
to get a flamethrower
. They come to the sorority house just as Cynthia is breaking up with Brad who has become possessed. After killing him, the Delta fraternity brothers show up - despite having been killed in a bus crash. While Chris and Cynthia team up with shotgun and flamethrower to destroy the dead outside, Cameron does likewise inside. After stopping the horde, Chris spots more slug
s racing across the ground that are headed into the house's basement. Cynthia remembers that this is where specimen brain
s are being kept. When they go down below, they find Cameron, tape across his mouth, prepping a can of gasoline
. They also find the creatures gathered in a huge swarm in the corner. Cameron begins counting down as he splashes gasoline everywhere. Cynthia and Chris turn and run out of the house, counting down in sync with Cameron. Cameron fills the basement with gas and just as some of the parasites leap at him, he flicks his lighter and the house goes up in a fiery explosion. Watching the sorority house burn, Chris and Cynthia share a kiss. The scene ends when the dog that caused the bus accident returns, opens its mouth, and a slug jumps out.
This original ending is on the official DVD release of the film, and can be seen in some television broadcast versions of the film, some US VHS copies, and on bootleg
DVD copies.
, several last names of the main characters are based on other horror/sci-fi directors:
and Laserdisc
in 1986 by HBO/Cannon Video. Some of these feature the theatrical ending only.
The DVD
and Blu-ray was released on October 27th 2009 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
and contain the original ending along with some special features.
1. Main Title (3:32)
2. The Axe Man Cometh (1:15)
3. I'm Your Bud (:37)
4. Cylo Lab/It's Alive (2:42)
5. Thrill Me's Dream (:53)
6. Cindy's Scream (3:43)
7. Done With An Axe (:33)
8. Screaming Like Banshees (1:23)
9. Zombie Cat/Zombie (:27)
10. The Bathroom Stall (2:38)
11. Will You Go With Me? (1:12)
12. I Took My Twelve Gauge/Return Of The Axe Man (2:15)
13. I Already Killed You (2:06)
14. What's The Tux For?* (1:08)
15. J.C.'s Last Note (3:10)
16. Zombie Dog/Turned Over Bus/Zombies Break Out (1:40)
17. March Of The Zombies (5:42)
18. The Count Down* (3:12)
19. End Credit Suite (4:18)
Bonus Tracks:
20. The Bathroom Stall (no overlay) (2:38)
21. The Count Down – not used in final film (3:39)
22. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters (2:40)
23. The Stroll - The Diamonds (2:30)
24. Nightmares - C-Spot Run (4:39)
25. Solitude (arr. Barry DeVorzon) (4:08)
26. An Interview with Barry DeVorzon (8:46)
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written and directed by Fred Dekker
Fred Dekker
Fred Dekker is an American writer and director of the cult classic films Night of the Creeps and The Monster Squad . He contributed the story ideas for both House and Ricochet...
, starring Tom Atkins
Tom Atkins (actor)
Tom Atkins is an American television and film actor. He is primarily known for his work in the horror film genre, having worked with writers and directors such as John Carpenter, Stephen King, and George A. Romero...
, Jason Lively
Jason Lively
-Career:Jason Lively started his career by appearing in the pilot episode of The Dukes of Hazzard when he was 10 years old. His first film appearance was four years later in the 1983 film Brainstorm...
, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow
Jill Whitlow
Jill Whitlow is an American motion picture and television actress who achieved her greatest recognition during the 1980s. She is best remembered by American audiences for her role in the 1986 cult horror film Night of the Creeps. She also had small roles in Porky's , Mask , and Weird Science . She...
. The film is notable as an earnest attempt at a B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
and a homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the genre. While the main plot of the film is related to zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s, the film also mixes in takes on slashers
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
and alien invasion
Alien invasion
The alien invasion is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial life invades Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under a colonial system, harvest humans for food, steal the planet's resources, or destroy the planet altogether.The...
films.
Plot
In 1959, on board an alien space shipSpacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
, two aliens feverishly race to keep an experiment from being released. But it is too late and the seemingly possessed third alien they are pursuing has shot the canister into space where it crashes to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. On this night a young college man takes a date to a parking spot where they see a falling star
Falling star
Falling star or shooting star is the common name for the visible path of a meteoroid as it enters the atmosphere to become a meteor. If a falling star survives impact with the Earth's surface, then it is called a meteorite.It may also refer to:...
and investigate. Unfortunately, it lands in the path of an escaped criminally insane mental patient. As his date falls victim to the axe-wielding maniac, the boy finds the canister, from which a small leech
Leech
Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phylum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea. Like other oligochaetes such as earthworms, leeches share a clitellum and are hermaphrodites. Nevertheless, they differ from other oligochaetes in significant ways...
-like thing jumps out at him and into his mouth.
Later in 1986, Chris Romero is pining over a love lost, being supported by his handicapped
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
friend J.C. During pledge week at Corman University, Chris spots a girl, Cynthia Cronenberg, and seems to fall instantly in love. To get her attention, he decides that he must join a fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. As a part of their pledge (although the frat leader who is dating Cynthia has no intentions of letting them join), they must steal a cadaver
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
from the university medical center and place it on the steps of the Phi Omega Gamma house. Chris and J.C. find one in a top secret room that is being kept in a state of suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
, but when it grabs one of their arms as they try to move it, they lose their nerve and run back to their dorm room. Meanwhile, Detective Ray Cameron, a cop that dated the girl killed back in 1959 and is haunted by the memories of what he found that night, is called in to the cryogenics
Cryogenics
In physics, cryogenics is the study of the production of very low temperature and the behavior of materials at those temperatures. A person who studies elements under extremely cold temperature is called a cryogenicist. Rather than the relative temperature scales of Celsius and Fahrenheit,...
lab break-in where there were two bodies, but one is now missing. The missing body is the one released from its cryogenics tomb - the same boy who found the alien experiment back in 1959. This missing body makes its way back to the same sorority
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
house where he picked up his date 27 years earlier. The walking corpse comes to Cynthia's window where his head splits open and more of the leech creatures fall out and slither across the ground. Called to the scene, Ray finds the body with a large open wound in the face, similar to one that could have been made by an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
.
The next day, Chris and J.C. are confronted by the frat brothers, upset over the fact that they believe they are responsible for the previous night's incident. After surviving their encounter, they are then taken in for questioning by the police. Based on the testimony of a janitor that witnessed them running out of university medical center, "screaming like banshee
Banshee
The banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
s," they confess to breaking in, but deny taking the corpse out. That night, the attendant found dead gets up from his slab and runs into the same janitor.
After the dead and buried cat of one of the sorority sisters comes back, Cynthia confesses it to Chris and J.C. and goes on about the dead body found at the sorority house. Although both are skeptical of her story about them being zombies, J.C. sees that she is leaning on Chris' shoulder, and leaves the two alone to go to the bathroom, where the now-possessed janitor enters and lets loose more of the slugs.
As Chris walks Cynthia back to the sorority house, he runs into Cameron who has overheard the entire story. Back at Ray's home, the two talk about their high school sweetheart
Sweetheart
Sweetheart can be:*The term of endearment applied to a person's significant other**Childhood sweetheart*Forgetful of bringing drinks to fellow coworkers*Sweetheart , recorded by Rainy Davis and re-recorded by Mariah Carey and Jermaine Dupri...
s. Ray's story is more elaborate as he goes on about how they broke up and he became a cop and how he was called out to the site where she had been hacked up by a lunatic. He goes on to tell of how he tracked down the escaped patient, killed him and buried him in the same spot on which the House Mother's cottage now sits. Just then, Ray gets a call where the House Mother has been hacked up to death by the axe-wielding corpse that broke in through the floor. The killer is finally tracked down and cornered by the police, but numerous gunshots have no effect. Cameron then takes his shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
and blows its head off, which releases more of the little creeps.
The next night, everyone is getting ready for the formal when Chris notices a tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
on which J.C. has recorded a posthumous message to his friend, telling him that one of the things has incubated
Incubation period
Incubation period is the time elapsed between exposure to a pathogenic organism, a chemical or radiation, and when symptoms and signs are first apparent...
in his brain and that he had discovered, after lighting one with a match, that heat can destroy them. Chris then runs into the boiler room, where his friend has told him he was headed in an attempt to kill those inside him. Chris then shows up at Ray's place, which Ray has sealed up, and he fills him in. After grabbing his gun and turning off the gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, he takes Chris to a police armory
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
to get a flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
. They come to the sorority house just as Cynthia is breaking up with Brad who has become possessed. After killing him, the Delta fraternity brothers show up - despite having been killed in a bus crash. While Chris and Cynthia team up with shotgun and flamethrower to destroy the dead outside, Cameron does likewise inside. After stopping the horde, Chris spots more slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
s racing across the ground that are headed into the house's basement. Cynthia remembers that this is where specimen brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
s are being kept. When they go down below, they find Cameron, tape across his mouth, prepping a can of gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
. They also find the creatures gathered in a huge swarm in the corner. Cameron begins counting down as he splashes gasoline everywhere. Cynthia and Chris turn and run out of the house, counting down in sync with Cameron. Cameron fills the basement with gas and just as some of the parasites leap at him, he flicks his lighter and the house goes up in a fiery explosion. Watching the sorority house burn, Chris and Cynthia share a kiss. The scene ends when the dog that caused the bus accident returns, opens its mouth, and a slug jumps out.
Alternate ending
Though not shown theatrically upon its original release, the original ending showed Chris and Cynthia standing in front of the burning sorority house, then moved to the street where police cars race down the street. The charred and 'zombified' Cameron is shuffling down the street when he suddenly stops and falls to the ground. His head explodes and the slugs scamper out and head into a cemetery, as the spaceship from the beginning of the film has returned with the aliens intending to retrieve their experiment.This original ending is on the official DVD release of the film, and can be seen in some television broadcast versions of the film, some US VHS copies, and on bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
DVD copies.
Cast
In addition to the film's "Corman University" being named for horror/sci-fi director/producer Roger CormanRoger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, several last names of the main characters are based on other horror/sci-fi directors:
- Jason LivelyJason Lively-Career:Jason Lively started his career by appearing in the pilot episode of The Dukes of Hazzard when he was 10 years old. His first film appearance was four years later in the 1983 film Brainstorm...
as Chris Romero, named after George A. RomeroGeorge A. RomeroGeorge Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:... - Jill WhitlowJill WhitlowJill Whitlow is an American motion picture and television actress who achieved her greatest recognition during the 1980s. She is best remembered by American audiences for her role in the 1986 cult horror film Night of the Creeps. She also had small roles in Porky's , Mask , and Weird Science . She...
as Cynthia Cronenberg, named after David CronenbergDavid CronenbergDavid Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the... - Tom AtkinsTom Atkins (actor)Tom Atkins is an American television and film actor. He is primarily known for his work in the horror film genre, having worked with writers and directors such as John Carpenter, Stephen King, and George A. Romero...
as Ray Cameron, named after James CameronJames CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor... - Steve Marshall as James Carpenter "J.C." Hooper, named after John CarpenterJohn CarpenterJohn Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
and Tobe HooperTobe HooperTobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation... - Wally Taylor as Dt. Landis, named after John LandisJohn LandisJohn David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
- Bruce Solomon as Sgt. Raimi, named after Sam RaimiSam RaimiSamuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
- Robert Kino as Mr. Miner, named after Steve MinerSteve MinerStephen C. "Steve" Miner is an American film and television director who is also a film producer.Miner was born in Westport, Connecticut. Television programs Miner has directed include The Wonder Years, Jake 2.0, Felicity, Dawson's Creek , and Diagnosis: Murder...
Home video
The film was released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
in 1986 by HBO/Cannon Video. Some of these feature the theatrical ending only.
The DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray was released on October 27th 2009 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
and contain the original ending along with some special features.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album, featuring Barry DeVorzon's score for the film (except tracks 22-26), was issued in 2009 by La-La Land Records. Asterisked tracks include sound effects.1. Main Title (3:32)
2. The Axe Man Cometh (1:15)
3. I'm Your Bud (:37)
4. Cylo Lab/It's Alive (2:42)
5. Thrill Me's Dream (:53)
6. Cindy's Scream (3:43)
7. Done With An Axe (:33)
8. Screaming Like Banshees (1:23)
9. Zombie Cat/Zombie (:27)
10. The Bathroom Stall (2:38)
11. Will You Go With Me? (1:12)
12. I Took My Twelve Gauge/Return Of The Axe Man (2:15)
13. I Already Killed You (2:06)
14. What's The Tux For?* (1:08)
15. J.C.'s Last Note (3:10)
16. Zombie Dog/Turned Over Bus/Zombies Break Out (1:40)
17. March Of The Zombies (5:42)
18. The Count Down* (3:12)
19. End Credit Suite (4:18)
Bonus Tracks:
20. The Bathroom Stall (no overlay) (2:38)
21. The Count Down – not used in final film (3:39)
22. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters (2:40)
23. The Stroll - The Diamonds (2:30)
24. Nightmares - C-Spot Run (4:39)
25. Solitude (arr. Barry DeVorzon) (4:08)
26. An Interview with Barry DeVorzon (8:46)
See also
- List of zombie films
- ShiversShivers (film)Shivers is a 1975 Canadian body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg. Cronenberg won "Best Director" at the 1975 Sitges Film Festival.-Plot:Dr...
- Slither
- The Monster SquadThe Monster SquadThe Monster Squad is a comedy/horror film written by Shane Black and Fred Dekker and directed by Fred Dekker . It was released by Tri-Star Pictures on August 14, 1987. The film features the classic monsters , led by Count Dracula...