"Come freely. Go safely; and leave something of the happiness you bring.”

I associate the King of the Vampires with the World's greatest Detective. Much like Holmes, Dracula denies the eternal sleep. It makes sense that the two are the most portrayed characters in film and television. It's hard to believe that there was a time when no-one had any knowledge of them- how on earth did they cope. 

What I love about Dracula is that immediate presence. It can be the lowest grade, under-budget film, if there's a character who utters the phrase "I am... Dracula", I'm instantly hooked. That quote conjures up such expectation, it is hard to refuse. There have been many great portrayals of the Count, but my absolute favourite is Sir Christopher Lee. His Dracula is unashamedly evil, he ceases showing any humanity, instead bursting into the room like a demon, the embodiment of Stoker's quote 'lapped in a storm of fury'. 

If Dracula were to be remade, I would love to see Peter Capaldi in the role. He has the height, the presence and that wonderful dusty voice. 

My version of Dracula stems from those early chapters, since the beginning is the best part of the novel. It takes some liberties, like being dressed in a purple robe (a medieval symbol of wealth), as opposed from donning all-black cloth. I prefer the Count as an old man, because it's scarier. You do not expect the feeble old man to hold such power. But, like all great horror, the most horrifying things are the unexpected terrors.

Because I do love the character so much, I do have sympathy for him. I don't need the overplayed past love-interest that so many adaptations jam down our throats. I prefer this one monologue he has in castle. This displays his isolation perfectly:

'"These friends" - and he laid his hand on some of the books - "have been good friends to me, and for some years past, ever since I had the idea of going to London, have given me many, many hours of pleasure. Through them I have come to know your great England; and to know her is to love her. I long to go through the crowded streets of your mighty London, to be in the midst of the whirl and rush of humanity, to share its life, its change, its death, and all that makes it what it is.”'