Asia Argento, fangs and more!
What a fantastic 3 hours I’ve just had.
Asia arrived on set and we talked all things Dracula for a while. Basically she took the role of Lucy because it wasn’t the lead role – she didn’t want another of her father’s movies resting completely on her shoulders. This way she could be far more relaxed about the fact that this is the first time she dies for Dario. She also mentioned her surprise at how little Thomas Kretschmann has changed since working together on The Stendhal Syndrome.
Halfway through our conversation Asia’s fangs arrived (pictures below!) – created by Sergio Stivaletti. So I was first in the world to see how she looked in them! Obviously terrific. Then Unax Ugalde arrived for his interview that went very well indeed. The Che actor really did his Stoker research and Dario loved his take on Jonathan Harker so much he gave him the part immediately. What that take is explores the darker side of the usually meek librarian. Unax is not the first person to allude to Hammer’s Horror of Dracula as a reference point either. Then I got the call I was waiting for – Rutger Hauer was waiting in his trailer to see me. I’m not going to paraphrase anything he said to me here because it was just so interesting and I want to do this great actor justice. So my job here tonight is done. I can now sit back and relax and watch Asia’s unusual demise in the dark, dank crypt of Argento horror.
An absolutely amazing night last night now I look back on it with perspective. Spending time with Asia is always a joy and I really don’t see her as much as I’d like to. She was in full Yutte Stensgaard/Lust for a Vampire mode throughout her scenes in the ‘Kisslinger Crypt’. Basically the action called for her to move in on Mina, in the crypt to pay her condolences over Lucy’s death. Shocked Mina realises Lucy has risen from the grave and has clear designs on her neck.
Dario wanted Asia feral, sniffing the air for human scents, blood, and virtually pouncing like a wild animal on her prey. It went like a dream, until the 3D tech man realized when she snarled you could see the metal brace holding her fangs together. That was soon fixed, although Asia claimed she was really scared to look at the scene in 3D, worried she may look too frightening. Fiore watching her sister’s every move assured her that wasn’t the case. Next up was the moment Van Helsing appears from the shadows with a crucifix made of twigs, the angles of which had to be precise to really pop out of the screen. I watched all of this on the 3D monitor and can equivocally say is does, in spades!
I left the set at that moment because Raffaele Apuzzo, one of the Visual FX crew (their company name is Rebel Alliance!), asked me if I wanted to look at some early transformation and gore footage. What was I going to say, no? All very promising, all pretty spectacular, especially one unusual staking…. Actually I’d been stalking Raffaele because he’s one of the people wearing a Dracula 3D VFX crew jacket complete with logo. Unfortunately no amount of bribing made him give it to me. In all my times on Dario’s sets, such merchandise is rare and at a premium. I just found my Trauma crew T-shirt again for the first time in 20 years, I still have The Third Mother (aka Mother of Tears) shirt and two decks of pokers sets. The one thing Dario has never let me forget is when I stole the Opera stage door sign from the Opera set. I think he wanted that for himself but I got there first before it burned to the ground. It’s been a long and tiring night, the Van Helsing action continues tomorrow.
Soon the entire cast and crew will make their move to the town of Ivrea where Castle Dracula is located. From all the pictures I’ve seen it looks perfect. And with production designer Antonello Geleng’s architectural adornments – many of which we’ve seen being loaded up tonight ready for the journey – that should be something else. Especially as Thomas Kretschmann has his main dialogue scenes there. Sadly my time with Dracula 3D is coming to a close so I won’t be going. Yet his turned out to be the only time Dario, Thomas, Asia and Rutger Hauer were all on set together and frankly that’s more than enough for me.
Source: Alan Jones
