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Everyone always goes on about it being one of the top vampire flicks, which, interms of blood pumping, adreneline fuelled, special efforts gore splattering wonderfullness, it is.

But, I am seriously miffed at how hollywood ahve managed to take one of my favouritest comic book heroes and turned him into a monster...one with and Ethical code (of sorts), but, in the eyes of the mundane, a monster none-the-less.

I started reading about this character in a series called 'Dracula Lives' a good many years ago and though they were in black and white, it seemed to lend that much more tension to the story.

The story was that blade was chasing Dracula all over the world, accompanied at times by an old guy in a wheeelchair (Jonathan harker), a werewolf and Dracula's grand-daughter.

Armed with little more than a bandolier of wooden stakes and a combat knife, he went after the Prince of Darkness. For me, thats a real heroic cause.

Then, in the eighties, Marvel got some new writers in and he got beefed up a bit, given some cool gadgets and new buddies, but, he still remained entirely human.

Then, vampyres started to becomes a bit of 'gothic-chic' in the nineties and the end reult was Blade the movie.

They took my hero and turned him into some kind of bullshit 'daywalking' vampire with super-techie toys and armour and martial arts and whatever else they could dream up to create a 'wow' factor in the cinemas.

Other than a brief mini-series, Blade was always a man and only a man, facing an enemy of supernatural propertions with odds of winning so astronomical, as to be nearly hopeless.

This isn't the only hero of mine hollywood has labotomised. Spider man, The Punisher (ok, that wasn't so bad) and many more have been practically castrated of many of their character flaws, the very things which made me feel for them.

Anyway, which do you think is better, the old Blade, or the new Blade?

What does the new Blade have that could possibly make hime a better hero?

Sorry you feel that way, hun.

I didn't really like them story-wise-- but costuming was fantastic.

Well im not familier enough with the old Blade to make an educated desicion. Infact i didnt even know that blade came from a comic...i will have to check it out.

Well, I know I shouldn't say anything political... but do you remember where the forefather of all vampires was found in Blade Trinity???

Vampires of Mass Destruction :-P

well, personaly, i don't think that anything can...but then again, i could be wrong

Well i didnt know about the old blade but i did know about the spiderman so i do know what you mean.

Well first of all, I going to have to get those comics. My only association with Blade was during the Midnight Sons story line in Ghost Rider, and I didn't learn much about him there.

I kind of rode the fence on the movies. I really liked the first one and Trinity was tolerable, but I didn't know how much the character had been butchered.

On the other hand thats what you have to expect with comic movie adaptations. The X-men never wore leather before the movie. Mystique wore clothes, and Toad didn't have the tongue, but the movies were still good.

At this point I'm rambelling and if I ever had a point I don't know what it was. Maybe just to enjoy it as a interpretation of a character that you love.

LOL @ Eviladam...

I was just posting that same thing here!

*grins*

I didn't know about the comic series but I do know what you're talking about. They shouldn't change anything that's from the comic books, even if it's to make them better. It seems video games have this problems too.

I hate to say it, but that's Hollywood for you.
They always take wonderful things, and mess them up.

i couldnt agree with you more, blade is one of the most overrated movies

Try to keep in mind that where Hollywood is a place, the major, motion picture studios are its life blood. They twist and adulterate almost everything they get their hands on as it is what they are told will sell, thus creating prrofit. Hollywood is big business and it is about the bottom line. I understaqnd your dislike of what they've done to Blade as a character and many others as well. My advice.... stop supporting them by watching their movies.

LOL @ Vampwriter...

I dont support them, I've been investigated for file sharing and abuse of my net connection already...I've only been back on for three weeks! LOL

But, yes, I do see what you mean.

My only wish here, is that Stan lee would have chosen a small, independant company to produce this, but, with the backing of his and Marvel's name, they might easily have secured enough funding to pay for high rate actors, screenwriters and effects wizards, so, it didn't have to be that way, is what I am getting at.

:(

I didn't think they were horrible, but, you are indeed right by saying hollywood twists things into something more.
-lover zani

Blade is one of my Fav movies. I know i am going to be bashed because of this. But I do not read comics. for one reason They are to small for me. I love long books.
But I do know that they changed Blade from a human to a half human half vampire.
But the beginning scene of the first Blade just was amazing. And it drew me to the movies. Well not the second.
With Hollywood they take anything from a comic or book and change it. So if you feel that strongly do not go see them.

But for me I love Blade and will continue to love the series.

Although LaLawood did make some pretty bad ass flicks they shouldn't of slashed the original comic book character's like they do.

These movies should be called something other then the super hero's real name: Like Tom Jane kick's a lot of ass, or something along those lines.

Don't get me wrong these so-called super hero flicks, (with the exception of a few,{ like Daredevil, why would anyone cast that idiot to do a cool movie I don't know} ) were pretty dam kick ass and well made, i would watch them over and over again.

See it seems hollywood is known for getting rights to certain stories and then they adapt them to what they think will make the movie flow more consistently...

They've done this with lots of movies not just the blade tri-quel...They did it to Interview With a Vampire ..They have done it to Qotd.... They did it to all movies based on something from book or comics ..

We the viewers thanks to trailers we see set our expectations high expecting to see some riveting stuff because we are familar with the base of the plot from reading said book or comic book..

I've learned that when it is being based off of someone elses work that there are gonna be alot of changes to the screen play adaption so i go in thinking ok while this movie is based off of said book or comic i expect there will be certain changes i don't agree with for flow of plot etc.. that way i don't end up wanting to scream my bloody head off when it doesn't fit exactly with what i read lol

I can remember first time i saw Qotd at the theater i was furious for the obvious blunders/lies in the screen play adaption ,went home got on the site for the studio hit the message boards and ranted to bloody hell and back about wtf did they do to the script? They butchered it ..Someone came in and said i never read the books so i don't know the actual storyline,but from what i saw i thought it was good..made me think hmm go see the movie again and see it from that persons perspective ....I did that a few days later,about a week to the day it got released my bf and i went to see it again and i acted like i never read the books ...at that point i understood that persons perspectives .He was right if i had not read the book i'd not known the obvious things that were changed in storyline adaption so it would've sat better with me ...I JUST WISH FOR ONCE HOLLYWOOD WOULD TAKE A RISK AND MAKE THE MOVIE BASED OFF OF BOOK AND /OR COMICS and do it to the tee of the original storyline ....it might flow well and make the customers seeing the movie content and they won't mind sitting for awhile cause they are getting the actual correct story not some butchered storyline .i hate when they try to make a character better and in the process of trying to make the storyline flow the upgrades actually takes away from the characters personality.Anyway i know blade had a comic book series i myself never read them but i do understand stabbs point of view and totally support him in how he feels .Why can't Hollywood just leave characters how they are in the original format of where they were taken from and portrayed.

yea just like the scooby doo movie.. made scrappy a fucking bad guy.. lmfao.. . hah if u have seen it.. lol i live with a lil kid what do u think..

As someone who used to be a big comic collecter when I was younger, I'm almost ashamed to say this, but I haven't had the pleasure of reading the Blade comics.

I wouldn't go nearly so far as to say that the Blade movies are the best, but I did find them entertaining, and I did actually like the idea of Blade being half vampire. It lends more to suspension of disbelief, in my opinion.

However, I do know what you mean about hollywood mutiliating an original work to make an adaptation. That's how I felt with the Queen of the Damned movie. As a big fan of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, I was excited for the follow up to interview. I was first pissed when I heard they were skipping Lestat entirely. Then when I saw the movie and they tried to squeeze some of the plot of Lestat into it, I became angry and disappointed. Mind you, I still thought it was a good movie.... but I think it could have been TWO GREAT movies.

The moral of the story? It really sucks when screenwriters and hollywood execs take it upon themselves to change existing work that people love, but the result can still have entertainment value, I think. And I'm done.

I'm sooo sorry your hero was changed into some false figure, I know how that feels. I also feel miffed that Hollywood thinks that all Vampires are goth, I'm a vamp and I don't even wear dark colors that often....I'm kind of sick of it. Even if i do keep the lifestyle, and am proud of what I am, I hate labeling!!! Sorry for my rant, and also I feel bad for you hon. I hope you'll feel better, because we all know Hollywood is fake!

Man what a miff come to think of it I do agree Blade is wayyy overrated I like them but they are not my favorite vampire movires.~NFA

I agree!! At least I'm not the only one....even if I did go on a rant....I've said too much...I'll shut up now....

I rmeber the old blade I remeber the new blade the sad truth is that once hollywood options a film eve if they have the best intentions the often just turn the story, characters and reality into makebelieve nonsense, if we believe in vampires than a man with knowledge and courage can hutn them sounds like good story. but who needs a story when you can cgi complete charatcers like the hulk.
I only thank the powers that be that hey can't and wont make Ironman into a hollywood movie.

Amen!! lol, I agree, and I also was utterly confused my Van Hellsing, what with all of the monsters of the gothic-horror novels of old....I think Hollywood is just trying to please the masses....but it often doesn't work.

well i liked the first, in fact its my fav movie, but the rest are kinda crap

That's awesome! After the second, I just lost interest....I love other movies though, and the SciFi channel has alot of amazing films!

Enlightening info. Thanks for that. I'd have to read the comic to see which Blade I prefer. But what has the new Blade that makes him a better hero? I'd say coolness. Wesley Snipes is just drop dead serious AND funny at the same time. Plus he's fantastic at martial arts. All the rest, the tech-stuff and gadgets don't mean much to me either. It's just for the wows and whees I suppose. Makeup for a Hollywood film.

that is why I opt to read than watch a movie (if I know that it was based on a book) because they tend to add too many details just to "entice" the media to go and watch it.. same as in the case of the Anne Rice novels.. the movies did not thrill me as much as the books (although I did swoon quite a bit over Brad Pitt) *LOL*

heh...Pandora4563,

If you have never read the comic format books, then, you are not losing anything by watching the movies, in fact, probably gaining a smile and a few ooohs...

:)

im sorry that the movies made u that angry but hollywood ppl are just out to find somthing that they can either make great or fuck up ya know....

LOL @ Batchyld...

You wanna know something? I have never read a single Anne Rice novel...

But, I did watch one of the most god awful movies ever in queen of the damned. It stank. From the dialogue to the poor digital imaging, it bored me to death and I like vampire flicks...lol

*ducks*

But, as with Blade, thats only my personal opinion!

Besides, most of these movies have a 'marketing strategy' which is clearly aimed at young adults, most of whom would not legally be allowed to view the movie in the cinema to even know about it, but yet, have a range of poseable figures for them to buy.

Am I a cynic of the movie industry in America's intentions?

Damn right I am. They spend tens of millions distorting a perfectly good fanatsy world, whilst work house slaves in China mass produce what is essentially disposable plastic crap for consumpion by a movie-going public only too eager to part with their hard earned cash.

*stops before rant kicks in...*

No,, feel free to rant, you're entitled to your opinions! Just vent, ok? Losts of love and luck with that!

FromNothingICome,

I see what you are saying about the entertainment value, but, for me, there is little more than surface emotions brought forth from even the most dramatic moments in the series.

The only plotline I found mildly intriguing was the introduction of his mother as a vampyre consort to his nemesis. It asked a lot of psyche questions, but, unfortunately, Wesley Snipes simply does not have the range of facial expressions neccessary to do such moments justice.

Now, if they had cast Morgan Freeman as Blade, it might just have saved the movie for me, as Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing did with Star Wars.

VampiricMuse,

Thanks for the sympathy vote! lol

I can't rant any more, I have to exert some controls over myself if I'm going to stay out of the gutter...

i thought they were ok except for the secon movie it was pretty stupid

LOL @ Vampiress!

I am certain that nothing on-screen could compare to your imagination! :P

I agree! She has one ZANY imagination!!

Unfortunately, Blade had always been one of the 'lower tier' comic-book characters.

When you look at the way other more popular properties have been translated to the big screen, you're lucky the film-makers didn't make him a white blonde from Sunnydale...

That said, I did enjoy the trilogy.
In terms of faithfulness to the source material, it wasn't exactly Sin City... but at least it wasn't League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

true enough LoneFox, I should count my blessings, I mean, they managed to write out a whole aspect of Spidermans' motivation in Gwen Stacy's disappearence from the movie version...

Am I just parting hairs here? :P


I felt it was more 'The league of Extraordinarily Bad Casting'...lol

again, I'll have to agree with you. Parting hairs?!? now I'm confused!

No, I don't think you're parting hairs at all.

A lot of this has to do with the script writers, and, more importantly, rewriters. They are the ones that can take a wonderful idea and fuck it all up.

One of the reasons that Sin City was so true to the comic book was that Frank Miller worked on it.

Parting Hairs = Overly Pedantic...

I think its an English term...lol

Got to say Hollywood does manage to balls most good things up. I really hate watching Movies that ive either read the book to or comic beforhand. I am always dissapointed and always get miffed at whats been changed and missed out.
As anyone who ever reads anything of mine will tell you , im a big big big Anita Blake fan and though id like to see it on the big screen really, im secretly relieved that LKHamilton wont give them the rights. I think i would have to commit mass murder if they bitched anita up.

LOL

Sky, Anita Blake? I really would never have thought so, no never at all!

*finishes really long thread*

No...er.

:P

I could be mistaken but I'm almost positive that Stan Lee wasn't the one profitting from the movies. I'll check into it, but I'm fairly certain that Stan Lee doesn't actually own the rights to his creations. Marvel does. I believe the case with Spiderman is as follows. Stan Lee creates for Marvel, who owns teh rights, Marvel sold the film rights.... etc, leaving Stan without a leg to stand on as far as production and artistic integrity goes. Again, I could be mistaken, but I'm fairly certain that he screwed himself when he originally contracted to have the characters appear in these comics, therefor allowing the larger company (Marvel) to do with what they will when it comes to films, etc.

As far as other movies that have come from books and comics and been ripped apart and changed... it happens all the time. Hollywood is the entity who makes the decisions, not the authors and artists. In the publishing process, a good agent will negotiate for the sale of film rights. If you, the author or creator sell them, you lose all control over what is done with them afterwards.

I think Hollywood is trying to put on a God complex...it's kind of pitiful what happened to Stan Lee's works...and what happened to him. Thus proving that BIC corporations are taking over, VIVA LA RESISTANCE!! lol jking....

Vampwriter,

I reckon that you might be right on that situation, but it would have been nice if it couls have gone the other way...

It's wishful thinking only...lol

vampwriter1369-

As I recall, after the first Spider-man film, Stan Lee successfully took action against Marvel (who spent much of the last 15 years or more buying back film rights to it's properties after selling them off to pretty much anyone with a camcorder in the 80's) and now receives a percentage of profits from all the movies based on his creations.

*looks for saffron robes and a disposable razor*

nice!

Hit send too quick

Also, on most Marvel films featuring his creations, I believe Stan Lee is credited as Executive Producer now?
I think he doesn't mind too much how his work is interpreted, he's just happy to see it on the big screen.

In direct contrast to poor Alan Moore, whose entire back catalogue seems to have been turned into a joke (though I have hopes for V For Vendetta)

Well I never read the comics but I did like the movies...

I hate them as well I find them disgusteing.

*Waits for someone to yell at her*

Well it's all about tastes.

dark brother.. that is supposed to be our little secret! *pinches you real hard* =P

but I agree with the Queen of the Damned movie.. I got to read the book and the movie was so way off!

Batt!! Hiya!

Sorry I missed you! grr.. too many windows on one thread..lol

You are right, having Frank Miller fully on board was probably the defining factor of that movie. I thought it was awesome. It was over before I wanted it to be, which is always a good sign!

:)

STABB- talking of Miller, have you seen this?

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=22081

*blinks*

300? Not sure if I made that one...but...

*prays for a 'Dark Knight Returns' movie, realises that will never happen...ends life*

Just saw a release date for "Ironman the Movie" for the summer of '07. Sorry guys.

*sets fire to his collection, regrets it, sets fire to himself outside Marvel HQ*

Hay stop!
Fire bad - beer good.

I can see what you're saying, but most of the time I think that the key to enjoying adaptation movies is to take them as they are and not get down to the nit-picking comparisons so much. (And I'm saying this on general terms, not just to the OP...since I've been guilty of this myself at times)

We're always tempted, if we've read the original material to compare, contrast and make judgements based on the authenticity. However, if taken on its own merits and flaws instead of trying to follow along with its original basis material, many times its found to be pretty darn good stuff. Hence why I've taken to not reading movie novels until after I've seen the movie....readint them beforehand just makes me feel as though I'm missing out on alot.

Just my two cents' worth...

Hollywood has a long history of ruining comic book characters. I'm not familiar with either version of Blade, not having read the series or seen the movie, but I'd say the old Blade is better just because of Hollywood.

In all honesty, I would take a deal on film rights to one of my creations. I've been told that it would be selling out but reality dictates that money makes the world go around and I would rather be able to profit from something than for it to never sell. I have kids and would love to make the paving in the future as smooth as possible.

but the thing is, most people do tend to read the book first before they decide to make it into a movie.. being a bookworm and a movie goer myself, I admit I am human enough to "notice" the details they add or omit from the actual novel/comic/etc and thus, it makes me think "what the... this didn't happen in the real story!"

they tend to do this to make the movie more enticing and sellable to the public.. still, before they would do such things, they would ask the writer's consent before "editing" the story to fit the "criteria" they are 'fishing' for.. so it's not really a matter of what is better and what is worse.. it's just a matter of "constructively comparing" two objects that may seem quite similar but are really quite different at certain angles..

Vampiress...I do the same thing myself. My husband and I went to see Narnia yesterday and, having read the entire series many, many times when I was growing up, I did find myself comparing how closely they followed the book's details. I cringed when I saw Jennifer Gardner cast to play Elektra in Daredevil (I remember ranting continously about "Elektra isn't BLONDE!!") And I grumbled about some of the details in the X'men movies (having been a loyal follwer of the comics during my high school years). And, as you said, it's only human that we do this.

I just don't advocate judging a movie solely on whether or not it followed it's original material to the letter. If it's a well-written, well-acted, enjoyable-to-watch piece of material that people who have never read the original material are going to enjoy, then why deem it a bad movie?

Of course, I'm not at all advocating that someone's not entitled to think this way or judge a movie how they see fit. I'm just interjecting my own opinion (for what it's worth) as to why I can't agree with it.

exactly... it's not really fair to think of which is better since one would be the "original" while the other would be a "copy.."

when I do get to watch a movie that was derived from a book I've read, I'd sit back, relax and clear my mind of what I've read and treat the movie as if it's a new story I've never gotten to reading before.. (but of course there's this nagging side of my brain that keeps jabbering as I watch.. I just ignore it while I'm still inside the movie theater) *LOL*

Hiya Falkyr,

I am not neccesarily saying that in the specific case of Blade that the film does not have its own merits.

What annoys me, no angers me, is that he is no longer the average joe putting his life on the line. He is a super monster killer who's afraid of nothing. Thats not a hero, thats a just a weapon to throw at things.

When did Blade in the movies ever think up a really clever plan beyond shooting and hacking everything in sight?

I see what you mean. I never read the Blade comics, so I didn't have them to compare it to. It would have been better, I agree, to have him actually do a bit more thinking and a little less "solving problems by beating the shit out of them". But hey, it was intended as an action movie, so I supopose the producers decided to go more for the "mindless violence" tact to make it more palpable to a wider audience.

Now you have me wanting to go read the comics..they sound pretty interesting.

If you can lay your hands on Dracula Lives from the seventies, you'll be doing good- I think there was only ever about 54 issues in the whole run. Then he got rolled into crossovers from there.

There is one mini series called the 'Midnight Massacre' where Blade does actually become a vampire and goes hunting >;) which is my pride and joy...LOL
(I know, I'm a gown man owning comic books, but I figure I have to give my kid one of the few pleasures I had in the world)

*just chuckles and glances over her shoulder at the boxes and boxes of comic books she's still holding onto from her high school days* ;)

Im not a fan of Blade, Conan was alright but I'm a huge X-Men Fan. Ive been a fan since I was about 5.

well i am happy u fell that way i dosent bother me at all

I haven't read the comics but i have seen the trilogy and i am a fan of it. You might be right regarding Hollywood not respecting the source but than they haven't created a bad one. I think that in terms of cast and special effects, costumes and tricks they have done great and they managed to keep th eplot together which is quite a big thing considering that in most of the cases when they use lots of special effects you expect the plot to be ruined.

they suck
i liked the comics better, gives more space for imagintion and the movies dont have enough elegance and mystery, everything is just thrown about.
whatever

the blade movies suck which pretty much i think all the vampire movies suck except dracula dead and loving it now that was a funny movie

Can't go wrong with Jessica Biel.

i collected comics when I was a child and do remember Blade. I think that originally he was a good character but I like the fact that they made him a daywalker. As far as the gadgets, come on. The movie came out in the nineties and the comic came ot in I think the 60's, so why wouldn't he have more futuristic weapons. I know I wouldn't track a horde of vampires with just a stake and a pint of holy water. Now as far as the 2 sequels, I thinks they sucked big green, slimy, wooly buggers! They were horrible.

Blade was a very theatrical movie and not really on target about Vampires and the way we live. Blade movies suck I agree.

Oooh I hate the Blade movies too - but I won't bore anyone with the reasons why lol

like u said, its good when it comes to all the blood, and shit, but other then that, i cant belive what hollywood has done

Hey... you can say whatever you want about the Blade movies. I love those movies and have all three of them.

sorry u feel that way but thats hollywood

basically its like we said before hollywood is all about money

I was never big into comic books, but I must say that the old Blade (second incarnation sounds like the one that could best keep my attention) sounds much better.

The first Blade film was alright, the second one a little better, and the third one better in terms of cinmeatography but horrid in terms of story.

I laughed bigtime at the Blade movies(they ARE supposed to be comedic right??? jk)..i only read a couple of comics as a kid with Blade in them,but yeah it's not surprising Hollywood decided to butcher and hack away at the original storyline...just wait til Blade becomes a God in Blade VIII lol....

Honestly, they are just movies made for entertainment value. They were not made to portray vampires accurately or to give a history lesson.
Besides, Jessica Biel is easy on the eyes ;)

Guess I'll have to try and dig up some old comics. If you had never read them would you feel the same about it? I've read many books that after reading have ruined the movie, but if I had never read the book who knows if I'd feel the same way.

i hate them too

In response to one of Vampwriter’s previous comments: I’ve researched a bit into the comic world, as I’m trying to get my own comic out there. To the best of my knowledge the big two(Marvel&DC) own all or at least most of the rights to any thing created by writers and artists in their employ.

Several big names (Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld ect) left the big two in the early nineties and formed Image comics a place for creator owned and controlled properties. To my knowledge once some one at Marvel or DC hands over a character then the company owns them untill all the copy rights expire and they enter the public domain. Final control for a character rests with the office from which the character was created. For instance Donna Troy (Wonder Girl, Troya) was created by the Wonder Woman office. She was used pretty heavilly in Green Lantern and Darkstars in the mid 90’s but had to be handed back over to the WW office when they wrote her back into the storylines, changing the character drastically.

Damn I need a socail life.

I honestly love the older black and white vampire movies best! I watched the first blade when it came out and the first 15 min of it I walked out of the room and never went back to finish watching it ....I do love vampire movies but that was soo stupid the blade movie.

I think the old comic book concept would have made a better movie. It would not have been easy to do though. I guess Hollywood like to take the easy way out too.

Any clue if Dracula Lives is available in graphic novel form? I would love to read that.

I think there are a couple of special editions I've seen around... I'll let you know if I fond one.

And the woman was Van Helsing's grand-daughter, not Dracula's- I got that confused...lol

My final thought on this is that the movie wasn't so bad as a story- I just wish that they had left the humanity that he had in him, in and left some of the explosions out.

:)