Musical Mondays Week 55 Rockula

[Cameron H. 23786]

Motion pictures can be called many things - movies, films, flicks - but how many can be truly called “Art?”

We watched:

[Cam Bert 8145]

I live in Japan and if you show people a picture of a vampire and ask what it is you'll get the response "It's a Dracula." I don't even think this is isolated to people that don't speak English. I'm sure you can go on the street show a picture of a vampire to people in North America and get "Dracula" as a reply. While not as a great level as the 'Frankenstein vs Frankenstein's Monster' debate (on a side note in Son of Frankenstein this is actually addressed by Frankenstein's son saying that people even took to calling it by his father's name and that's okay because he too was a 'son' thus taking the family name) it is not helped by films like this and Blacula and Bunnicula that make people think the generic term for vampire is "Dracula". That said "Rock-pire" is not as catchy as Rockula. Though he only really has one rock song. They could have easily called him "Hiphopula"

[Cam Bert 8145]

I think one of my favourite parts of the whole movie might be that fact that turning into a bat retains Hulk transformation rules that you will always retain some sort of pant or underwear regardless of size difference when changing back and forth.

[grudlian. 4725]

32 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

I think one of my favourite parts of the whole movie might be that fact that turning into a bat retains Hulk transformation rules that you will always retain some sort of pant or underwear regardless of size difference when changing back and forth.

I legit laughed so hard at his transformation. It was so stupid and perfect and punctuated with that fart sound.

The other part that I thought was genuinely funny was his reflection having different voices in the funhouse mirrors.

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

3 hours ago, Cameron H. said:

Motion pictures can be called many things - movies, films, flicks - but how many can be truly called “Art?”

We watched:

They spelled the actress' name wrong on this poster

[grudlian. 4725]

So, what is his reflection? Vampires can't normally be seen in a mirror and reflections don't have different personalities, talk back to you or dress differently. So, is his reflection a different dimension?

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

Also can the mirror alter ego also turn into a farty bat?

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

51 minutes ago, AlmostAGhost said:

Also can the mirror alter ego also turn into a farty bat?

No but he can turn into Billy Barty

[Cameron H. 23786]

1 hour ago, grudlian. said:

So, what is his reflection? Vampires can't normally be seen in a mirror and reflections don't have different personalities, talk back to you or dress differently. So, is his reflection a different dimension?

This is a great question. Especially, when you consider there’s a whole scene at the beginning where his mom complains that she can’t see her reflection. I mean, there’s a throw away line that it has something to do with the curse, but how exactly? And considering Mirror Ralph breaks free at the end, does that mean he’s Ralph’s twin brother or has his reflection been granted full autonomy?

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

5 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

This is a great question. Especially, when you consider there’s a whole scene at the beginning where his mom complains that she can’t see her reflection. I mean, there’s a throw away line that it has something to do with the curse, but how exactly? And considering Mirror Ralph breaks free at the end, does that mean he’s Ralph’s twin brother or has his reflection been granted full autonomy?

I think he's been granted full autonomy.  I'm not sure he appears every time Ralph looks in the mirror.  (He certainly seems to in the movie though but that's when Ralph is indecisive.)  Since Mirror Ralph came back like Elvis I'm wondering if he just showed up recently or maybe his mom put that "curse" on him around Elvis' time.  22 years from 1990 would be 1968 so maybe that's not the case.  His mom definitely had something to do with finally breaking the curse.  I'm just not sure what.

However this puts the "Mickey" music video in a whole new light.  That video came out in 1981 so maybe she finally had the money she needed to put her plans into motion.

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

Mirror Guy is such a main part of the movie, I can't fathom why they wouldn't even attempt to explain him

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

15 minutes ago, AlmostAGhost said:

Mirror Guy is such a main part of the movie, I can't fathom why they wouldn't even attempt to explain him

Mirror Guy is the main reason I wanted to watch this movie.  I knew Cameron was considering picking it and I might have if he hadn't.  (Now I get to pick my heart's desire movie when it's my turn.)  Anyway, I stumbled on this movie when I was flipping channels.  It was during the "United States of Beat" number and he was arguing with Mirror Ralph in the bathroom.  I had no idea what was going on but I knew it was bonkers.  I immediately flipped channels so I didn't see any more until someone picked it for Musical Mondays. Now I think it's great!

[grudlian. 4725]

14 minutes ago, AlmostAGhost said:

Mirror Guy is such a main part of the movie, I can't fathom why they wouldn't even attempt to explain him

At first, I thought it was just a lazy device to have him be able to vocalize his thoughts without VO. And it's been done before I think. Then he has two women with him. And he dresses differently. I'd probably let it slide if it was a funny enough joke. And vampires can't even see their reflection. Setting aside that the movie plays very loose with vampire mythology, something needs to be addressed for who the mirror guy is. 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I only had several problems with this movie.

• Stanley (Thomas Dolby) was just too off-the-wall for me.  He didn't seem like a bad guy or much of a villain so his "comeuppance" at the end didn't mean anything to me.
• Ralph didn't seem to woo Mona at any time.  He just took it for granted she would fall in love with him.  I understand he's done this multiple times but she hasn't.
• I wondered why Mona had to be reborn as someone else each time.  How could the curse ensure someone would have a baby right after Halloween and name it Mona?  Since things are different now is another Mona still born?  It would have to be since it was conceived well before Halloween.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I loved how his long haired band mate during “He’s the DJ, I’m the Vampire” was only onstage to give him high fives.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Okay, here’s my new Mirror Ralph theory: All vampires have sentient reflections, and the reason they never see a reflection, is because their mirror self is off living their own lives. 

But...that doesn’t really make sense either, because mirror Ralph complains about things being backwards. If he was a mirror person, you’d think he would be used to it. So...I’m back to not knowing.

I am curious as to where Mirror Ralph meets women. Does that mean there’s a woman out there without a reflection? Is she a vampire? Is she also cursed?

[grudlian. 4725]

20 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

Okay, here’s my new Mirror Ralph theory: All vampires have sentient reflections, and the reason they never see a reflection, is because their mirror self is off living their own lives. 

But...that doesn’t really make sense either, because mirror Ralph complains about things being backwards. If he was a mirror person, you’d think he would be used to it. So...I’m back to not knowing.

I am curious as to where Mirror Ralph meets women. Does that mean there’s a woman out there without a reflection? Is she a vampire? Is she also cursed?

Maybe his mirror self is just a lifelong Duck Soup type mirror gag on Ralph?

[grudlian. 4725]

Vampire lore generally holds that you stop aging from the moment you turn into vampire. But Ralph and his mother are vampires. So, what happened?

He wasn't born a vampire because he's 22. How did they both become vampires? Was it the same vampire attack? Did one turn first? Did one bite the other? What I imagine happened is his mother turned vampire first. She couldn't live without her son and turned him.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I love how quickly Ralph forgives his mother (on Mona’s behalf, too) after admitting that she’s been the mastermind behind 15 or so murders.

 

[grudlian. 4725]

12 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

I love how quickly Ralph forgives his mother (on Mona’s behalf, too) after admitting that she’s been the mastermind behind 15 or so murders.

 

Especially since he doesn't kill for blood. 

[Cameron H. 23786]

3 minutes ago, grudlian. said:

Especially since he doesn't kill for blood. 

That’s a great point. What exactly does he eat? Like I get they get blood bank deliveries, but he says he faints at the sight of blood. He’s also really fond of cooking with garlic. So, can vampires actually eat whatever they want and just choose to murder?

[WatchOutForSnakes 807]

My mirror theory: The mirror guy is a reflection of how Ralph wants to see himself. Mirror guy gets all the ladies, and gets laid (there was that whole bit about regular Ralph being a virgin). 

Theory number two: It's the Upside Down!

I loved this movie. Particularly the rap song. Oh heavens! Just pure delight. 

[grudlian. 4725]

48 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

That’s a great point. What exactly does he eat? Like I get they get blood bank deliveries, but he says he faints at the sight of blood. He’s also really fond of cooking with garlic. So, can vampires actually eat whatever they want and just choose to murder?

I only know this because Almostaghost and Polly told me but he gets blood delivered.

You bring up something that really frustrated me. He likes garlic. Crosses don't bother him. He can go out in the sun (with sun block). He has a reflection. Presumably he can't glammer because otherwise he'd win over Mona instantly. He's barely a vampire.

A lot of vampire stories play with or ignore some of the lore. That's fine. Sometimes it really adds some interesting depth. Rockula ignored pretty much all of it though. Some of it is needlessly brought up. The scene with him explaining he likes garlic didn't need to be there. The scene with crosses not bothering him didn't need to be there. The sunblock scene could have taken place at night (but I'm fine with it as a joke in a vampire movie). If you're going to break one major part of the mythology for your movie, you can't actively drop the rest of it too.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Cameron, I'm very angry at you right now. 

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

1 hour ago, grudlian. said:

You bring up something that really frustrated me. He likes garlic. Crosses don't bother him. He can go out in the sun (with sun block). He has a reflection. Presumably he can't glammer because otherwise he'd win over Mona instantly. He's barely a vampire.

This is why I just can't like this movie.  Sure there's some enjoyable things in its goofiness, but they just seriously WERE NOT TRYING.  The levels of "not trying" are unforgiveable.  You have to at least have one sentence about who the mirror guy is.  About why garlic, crosses, and killing aren't part of his makeup. There's nothing.  It just ignores common lore and I'm supposed to buy it?  In fact, it's so disparate from vampire lore, I'd argue he's NOT a vampire.  I don't know what he is exactly, but it's not that.  He just lives forever, has fangs, and can turn into a gross bat person.