History Fridge / BramStokersDracula

* Mina [[spoiler:beheading Dracula]] at the end is not an act of love, but one of rage and vengeance: she's free from his mental influence at last, and remembers that he raped and murdered her best friend, and permanently traumatized her husband.

* The fact that Anthony Hopkins played both the priest that condemned Elisabeta's soul and put Dracula on his StartofDarkness, as well as played Van Helsing who centuries later makes it his mission to destroy Dracula. The movie establishes that reincarnation is real, and that memories of past lives can be remembered, so Van Helsing may well be that same priest reborn. This makes Van Helsing less of a MadScientist and more of TheAtoner on a RedemptionQuest; trying to close loose ends with the past and destroy the evil that his past self inadvertently had a hand in creating. Which would explain why Van Helsing initially appears so delighted at finally finding that Dracula is real and active; he's finally close to reaching his life's purpose. Even Dracula seems to recognize him when they confront each other, and that realization makes him even more enraged.

* Count Dracula is depicted with very hairy palms in his first appearance- this is a typical part of the vampire myth, but it's also part of another [[ADateWithRosiePalms myth]]... Now, he has some very attractive wives but he's obviously still very much in love with Elisabeta... Could Dracula have started both classic myths in one fell swoop by being locked away in his castle, with his true love gone forever, for half a millenium? Stories about him would certainly spread in that time.

* Why does Dracula look so old and decrepit when he's in Transylvania? He's blood-starved because the local residents know about vampires and take active measures to protect themselves against him (even his brides complain "Are we to have nothing tonight?" when Dracula stops them from sucking Johnathan Harker dry of blood). The people in London? Not so much.

* The fact that Anthony Hopkins played both the priest that condemned Elisabeta's soul and put Dracula on his StartofDarkness, as well as plated Van Helsing who centuries later makes it his mission to destroy Dracula. The movie establishes that reincarnation is real, and that memories of past lives can be remembered, so Van Helsing may well be that same priest reborn. This makes Van Helsing less of a MadScientist and more of TheAtoner on a RedemptionQuest; trying to close loose ends with the past and destroy the evil that his past self inadvertently created. Even Dracula seems to recognize him when they confront each other, and that realization makes him even more enraged.

* Jonathan is able to recognise Dracula in his younger form. When he had first visited the castle, he saw a portrait of the younger Dracula and assumed it was an ancestor.

* Why does Dracula look so old and decrepit when he's in Transylvania? He's blood-starved because the local residents know about vampires and take active measures to protect themselves against him. The people in London? Not so much.

* Count Dracula's bizarre behavior during his time with Jonathan is very likely explainable by the fact he really hasn't dealt with regular humans in centuries (save his Romani mercenaries). Obviously, he has a little time to practice before he starts his seduction of Mina. It's also possible he observed Lucy's suitors, Jonathan, and others for a sense of "okay, how *DO* people interact nowadays?"

* It's very odd that Mina refers to Lucy as a "pure and virtuous girl" the way she is in the books when she is portrayed in the movie as promiscuous and flirty ([[ValuesDissonance which is pretty scandalous for the time period its set]]). Hell, in the very same scene she makes this claim, Lucy is flirting with three men simultaneously. But given how [[SpoiledSweet a very wealthy British lady]] is best friends with a humble school mistress, it's possible that Mina sees Lucy for what [[HiddenDepths she is underneath]].

* Dracula having his brides feed on Jonathan but not kill him. Technically that means he's cheated on Mina, making the count feel okay about making a move now.

* Mina's marriage with Jonathan is going to be ''awkward'' given the ending where she professes her love to the Count.
** And almost having sex with him. And holding a loaded rifle to Jonathan while ''protecting the Count''. And actively aiding the Count's escape. And attempting to seduce Van Helsing.
** Then again, she was under his spell.

* Mina's YourCheatingHeart ways in this version of the story are more understandable with the fact the movie plays up Mina being sexually frustrated and Jonathan a boring wet blanket.

* Count Dracula is depicted with very hairy palms in his first appearance- this is a typical part of the vampire myth, but it's also part of another [[ADateWithRosiePalms myth]]... Now, he has some very attractive wives but he's obviously still very much in love with Winona Ryder... Could Dracula have started both classic myths in one fell swoop by being locked away in his castle, with his true love gone forever, for half a millenium? Stories about him would certainly spread in that time.

* There's a sequence in the film where Mina chucks pages from her diary overboard into the ocean, with a voice-over reading off text that is not in the novel ("Perhaps, though I try to be good, I am bad," etc). This could be an in-joke/explanation of why the romance story isn't in the book - Mina destroyed all the written evidence!

** And almost having sex with him. And holding a loaded rifle to Jonathan while ''protecting the Count''. And actively aiding the Count's escape. And attempting to seduce Dr Van Helsing.

* It's very odd that Mina refers to Lucy as a "[[PuritySue pure and virtuous girl]]" the way she is in the books when she is portrayed in the movie as promiscuous and flirty ([[ValuesDissonance which is pretty scandalous for the time period its set]]). Hell, in the very same scene she makes this claim, Lucy is flirting with three men simultaneously. But given how [[SpoiledSweet a very wealthy British lady]] is best friends with a humble school mistress, it's possible that Mina sees Lucy for what [[HiddenDepths she is underneath]].

* Its very odd that Mina refers to Lucy as a "[[PuritySue pure and virtuous girl]]" the way she is in the books when she is portrayed in the movie as promiscuous and flirty ([[ValuesDissonance which is pretty scandalous for the time period its set]]). Hell, in the very same scene she makes this claim, Lucy is flirting with three men simultaneously. But given how [[SpoiledSweet a very wealthy British lady]] is best friends with a humble school mistress, its possible that Mina sees Lucy for what [[HiddenDepths she is underneath]].

* Mina's marriage with Jonathan is going to be ''awkward'' given the ending where she professes her love to the Count.

* Its very odd that Mina refers to Lucy as a "[[PuritySue pure and virtuous girl]]" the way she is in the books when she is portrayed in the movie as promiscuous. Hell, in the very same scene she makes this claim, Lucy is flirting with three men simultaneously. But given how [[SpoiledSweet a very wealthy British lady]] is best friends with a humble school mistress, its possible that Mina sees Lucy for what [[HiddenDepths she is underneath]].

[[AC: Fridge Horror]]

* Mina's YourCheatingHeart ways in this version of the story are more understandable with the fact the movie plays up Mina being sexually frustrated and Jonathan a wet blanket.

* Count Dracula is extremely eccentric and crazy, which I saw less as being due to his nature as a spawn of Satan and more due to his being mostly withdrawn from the world for hundreds of years. He is depicted with very hairy palms in his first appearance- this is a typical part of the vampire myth, but it's also part of another [[ADateWithRosiePalms myth]]... Now, he has some very attractive wives but he's obviously still very much in love with Winona Ryder... Could Dracula have started both classic myths in one fell swoop by being locked away in his castle, with his true love gone forever, for half a millenium? Stories about him would certainly spread in that time.

* Count Dracula's bizarre behavior during his time with Jonathan is very likely explainable by the fact he really hasn't dealt with regular humans in centuries (save his Romani mercenaries). Obviously, he has a little time to practice before he starts his seduction of Mina. It's also possible he observed Lucy's suitors, Jonathan, and others for a sense of "okay, how *DO* people interact nowadays?"

* There's a sequence in the film where Mina chucks pages from her diary overboard into the ocean, with a voice-over reading off text that is not in the novel ("Perhaps, though I try to be good, I am bad," etc). This could be an in-joke/explanation of why the romance story isn't in the book - Mina destroyed all the written evidence!

* Count Dracula is extremely eccentric and crazy, which I saw less as being due to his nature as a spawn of Satan and more due to his being mostly withdrawn from the world for hundreds of years. He is depicted with very hairy palms in his first appearance- this is a typical part of the vampire myth, but it's also part of another [[ADateWithRosiePalms myth]]... Now, he has some very attractive wives but he's obviously still very much in love with Winona Ryder... Could Dracula have started both classic myths in one fell swoop by being locked away in his castle, with his true love gone forever, for half a millenium? Stories about him would certainly spread in that time.

* Count Dracula is extremely eccentric and crazy, which I saw less as being due to his nature as a spawn of Satan and more due to his being mostly withdrawn from the world for hundreds of years. He is depicted with very hairy palms in his first appearance- this is a typical part of the vampire myth, but it's also part of another [[ADateWithRosiePalms myth]]... Now, he has some very attractive wives but he's obviously still very much in love with Winona Ryder... Could Dracula have started both classic myths in one fell swoop by being locked away in his castle, with his true love gone forever, for half a millenium?

* Count Dracula is extremely eccentric and crazy, which I saw less as being due to his nature as a spawn of Satan and more due to his being mostly withdrawn from the world for hundreds of years. He is depicted with very hairy palms in his first appearance- this is a typical part of the vampire myth, but it's also part of another [[ADateWithRosiePalms myth]]... Could Dracula have started both myths by being locked away in his castle, with his true love gone forever, for hundreds of years?