Dracula II: Ascension (2003) (V)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Patrick Lussier

Writers:

Joel Soisson (written by) &
Patrick Lussier (written by)

Release Date:

1 March 2006 (Spain)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

"Dracula II: Ascension" is a sequel to "Dracula 2000," with the ageless vampire again returning from apparent extinction...

Plot Keywords:

Wes Craven's Dracula | Dracula 2000 | Blood | Burnt Body | Decapitation

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Kroll	...	Twins of Evil
Jason Scott Lee	...	Father Uffizi
Craig Sheffer	...	Lowell
Diane Neal	...	Elizabeth Blaine
Khary Payton	...	Kenny
Brande Roderick	...	Tanya
Jason London	...	Luke
Chris Hunter	...	Corello
Tom Kane	...	Doctor (voice)
John Light	...	Eric
Stephen Billington	...	Dracula II
Nick Phillips	...	Officer Smith
John Sharian	...	Officer Hodge
Dragos Balauca	...	Altar Boy
David Gant	...	Old Priest
Roy Scheider	...	Cardinal Siqueros
Daniela Nane	...	Cat-Woman
David J. Francis	...	Jesus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vasile Albinet	...	Horseman
Silviu Olteanu	...	Young Priest

Directed by
Patrick Lussier

Writing credits
Joel Soisson		(written by) &
Patrick Lussier		(written by)

Produced by
W.K. Border	....	producer
Nick Phillips	....	executive producer
Ron Schmidt	....	co-producer
Joel Soisson	....	producer

Original Music by
Marco Beltrami
Kevin Kliesch

Cinematography by
Douglas Milsome

Film Editing by
Lisa Romaniw

Casting by
Sam Chandley
Carrie Hilton

Costume Design by
Oana Paunescu

Makeup Department
Daniela Busoiu	....	key makeup artist (as Dana Busoiu)
Cristina Catanescu	....	assistant makeup artist
Christopher K. Grap	....	special makeup effects artist: crew
Snowy Highfield	....	makeup effects sculptor
Marina Ionescu	....	assistant hair stylist
Steven Lawrence	....	special makeup effects artist
Viorel Militaru	....	prosthetic makeup artist
Mirela Nitu	....	key hair stylist
Gary J. Tunnicliffe	....	makeup effects designer (as Gary Tunnicliffe)

Production Management
Jack Skeets Gleeson	....	assistant production manager: Los Angeles
Bogdan Moncea	....	executive in charge of production
Jason Mundy	....	production supervisor: Los Angeles
Jake Myers	....	executive in charge of production
Ovidiu Stoia	....	production manager: second unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cris Andrei	....	first assistant director
Cris Andrei	....	first assistant director: second unit
Bogdan Barbulescu	....	second assistant director
Irina Bryson	....	third assistant director (as Irina Niculin)
Oana Ene	....	second second assistant director
Monica Lazureanu	....	second second assistant director
Gary J. Tunnicliffe	....	second unit director

Art Department
Gabi Bálint	....	swing gang (as Gabi Balint)
Adriana Bucataru	....	assistant set decorator
Mihai Buciumeanu	....	assistant property master
Crina Cartos	....	construction coordinator (as Crina Cartas)
Stefan Curelaru	....	assistant art director
Costin Dragan	....	assistant property master
Viorel Ghenea	....	property master
Adriana Iurascu	....	storyboard artist
Iasar Memedali	....	leadman/on-set dresser (as Iasar Memedari)
Petre Nicolescu	....	swing gang
Ciprian Oprea	....	on-set carpenter
Mihaela Poenaru	....	assistant art director
Florin Samoila	....	lead painter
Christian Simion	....	construction foreman (as Cristian Simion)
George Stanciu	....	set painter
Mihai Stanciu	....	set painter

Sound Department
Steve Baine	....	foley artist
Todd Beckett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alex Bullick	....	second assistant sound editor
Tony Currie	....	adr editor
Stanomir Dragos	....	sound engineer: post-production
Nelson Ferreira	....	dialogue editor
Peter Persaud	....	foley recordist
Jill Purdy	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Kevin Carter	....	special effects contact lenses
Lucian Iordache	....	special effects coordinator
Ionel Popa	....	special effects consultant

Visual Effects by
Chadd B. Cole	....	digital artist
Christopher Dusendschon	....	digital imaging: iO FILM
Jamison Scott Goei	....	visual effects supervisor
Adam Hawkey	....	digital film opticals: iOFilm
Ivo Horvat	....	digital artist
Sookie Park	....	digital artist
Kevin VanHook	....	visual effects supervisor
Pam Vick	....	digital artist
Chris Zapara	....	visual effects
Sean C. Cunningham	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Mariana Apostu	....	stunt player
Dicu Aurel	....	stunt player (as Aurel Dicu)
Florin Barcun	....	stunt player
Ferenc Berecz	....	stunt player
Gabi Burlacu	....	stunt player
Anne-Marie Caragea	....	stunt player (as Ana-Maria Caragea)
Nelu Caragea	....	stunt player
Nicu Constantin	....	stunt player
Zuzana Drdacka	....	stunt player
Marius Florian	....	stunt player (as Florin Silviu Marius)
Julian George	....	stunt player
László Imre	....	stunt player
Péter Katona	....	stunt player (as Peter Katona)
Laszlo 'Sancho' Mecseki	....	stunt player (as László Mecseki)
Domonkos Pardanyi	....	stunt player (as Domonkos Pardany)
Adrian Pavlovschi	....	stunt coordinator
Ken Quinn	....	stunt coordinator
Béla Unger	....	fight coordinator (as Bela Unger)
Mihai Ungureanu	....	stunt player
Fanel Ursu	....	stunt player
Vasile Albinet	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Gabi Burlacu	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Marius Florian	....	stunt double: Father Uffizi (uncredited)
Dicu Marian	....	stunt double: Jason Scott Lee (uncredited)
Vasilescu Valentin	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Raduta Adi	....	additional generator operator (as Adi Raduta)
Manole Bogdan	....	grip
Alessio Bramucci	....	best boy electric
Patrick Bramucci	....	gaffer
Pascu Cioc	....	electrician (as Cioc Pascu)
Calin Constantin	....	gaffer
Florica George	....	electrician
Ilie Georgica	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera (as George Ilie)
Catalin Grigoras	....	electrician
Cristi Grosu	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Gheorghe Ionel	....	grip
Adrian Ionescu	....	electrician
Marcu Ion	....	electrician
Radu Ion	....	best boy electric
Marcu Laurentiu	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Costel Musat	....	electrician
Vali Pal	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Emanuel Parvu	....	still photographer
Ionut Perianu	....	loader
Andrei Radulescu	....	video assist (as Andrei Rusu)
Raniero Raparelli	....	generator operator
Antonio Scaramuzza	....	Steadicam operator
Alexandru Sterian	....	camera operator (as Alex Sterian)
Vaclav Svehla	....	additional generator operator
Ladislav Szucks	....	additional generator operator (as Ladislau Szucs)
Ion Tincea	....	grip
Michael Tsimperopoulos	....	Steadicam operator (as Michail Tsimperopoulos)
Gheorghe Ursescu	....	electrician (as George Urescu)
Malek Vilem	....	additional generator operator

Casting Department
Rita VanderWaal	....	casting: USA (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mihaela David	....	wardrobe supervisor
Carmen Ilie	....	costumer
Aurelia Ivascu	....	costumer
Florinela Popescu	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Diana Negoitescu	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Kevin Banks	....	music editor
Michael Stern	....	scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Ion Balcan	....	driver
Costel Barbu	....	driver (as Barbu Costel)
Dan Brezeanu	....	driver
Gheorghe Ciocarlea	....	driver
Dragos Constantinescu	....	driver
Eugen Dinu	....	driver (as Dinu Eugen)
Ion Eremia	....	driver
Nae Ioana	....	driver
Gheorghe Ionel	....	driver
Marcu Ion	....	driver
Giancarlo Lanzeri	....	driver
Marcu Laurentiu	....	driver
Gabi Marin	....	driver
Cornel Nevala	....	driver
Gabriel Pop	....	driver
Sarmis Stamatescu	....	driver
Ion Stefan	....	driver (as Stefan Ion)
Petre Surugiu	....	driver
Marin Traian	....	driver
Dan Trica	....	driver
Mircea Tudor	....	transportation coordinator
Bobby Barbacioru	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Madalina Bland	....	assistant to director (as Madalina Simionescu)
Michele Boudreau	....	production accountant
Wes Craven	....	presenter
Simone De Camargo	....	post-production accountant
Clara Jacobs	....	production secretary (as Clara Gheorghiu)
Devin C. Lussier	....	computer consultant
Ruxandra Popescu	....	production accountant
Paul Serbanescu	....	production assistant
Cornelia Stefan	....	script supervisor
Ovidiu Stoia	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Castel Film Romania
• Neo Art & Logic

Distributors

• Art Port (Japan) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Video
• GAGA Communications (Japan) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Neo Digital Imaging
• Two Hours In The Dark (special make-up effects)

Also Known As:

Wes Craven Presents Dracula II: Ascension (USA) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence/gore and language.

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

UK:15 | Spain:18 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 | Japan:R-15 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Castel Film Romania

Goofs:

Continuity: The net that has been thrown onto Dracula when he's in the pool repeatedly moves up and down.

Quotes:

[Elizabeth is taking a blood sample from Dracula]
Dracula: Erzabet...”oath of God" in Hebrew. Is it not? The noble caretaker of the dead, giving names to the nameless, comfort to the damned, and now taker of blood.
[Elizabeth is surprised that Dracula has no more blood]
Dracula: What's wrong, bloodsucker? Did you think my blood would be limitless? Better that you protect what you already have than to seek more where there is none.

Movie Connections:

Follows Dracula 2000 (2000)

Another unbalanced trilogy

So the original plot outline of Dracula 2000 comes to light in its sequel, Dracula II: Ascension. Gripe #1 – as indicated by my summary, it's an unbalanced trilogy. Meaning? You get one stand alone film (Dracula 2000), and one two-part film (Dracula 2: Ascension & Dracula 3: Legacy) which go nicely together, requires the other to complete the idea, but really leaves the first one kind of hanging by its stand-alone, self-contained, lonesome. For other such trilogies, see also Star Wars (New Hope through Jedi), Back to the Future, and Matrix.

Unfortunately, Dracula II takes the path of Dracula 2000 and tries to throw a few shockers at the audience, making the same mistake of its predecessor in thinking that shocks and plot twists can replace decent story telling. Even worse, Dracula 2000 used up all the good twists. Jason Scott Lee as a butt-kicking priest? Um . . . that might be cool, and Lee's pretty cool. A film that gives action a back seat in favor of ‘resurrecting' Dracula and letting him subtly use/influence the people around him? I'm down with that. But the film is directed by the same man who did Dracula 2000, and well, Dracula 2000 had a lot more elements that could make it work and, well, you know where this heading . . .

Then I found myself asking questions like, what exactly do those priests do to the vampire bodies in the morgue? What is Father Uffizi's lighter fluid (or holy water, whatever it was) going to do to Dracula's corpse that hanging him in sunlight isn't going to do? If they do something else (not shown) like behead the bodies, why bother burning them?

Or how ‘bout: why wasn't Uffizi mentioned in the original film? Where's the Van Helsing offspring? Why must the actors do that hideously fake and unintimidating vampire hiss? And while they're at it, why do the `so liberating, blah, blah, blah' boastful speech when they turn? Why is this film so cliché in its setup?

I'm all for suspending disbelief for the sake of enjoying a film, but there comes a point where the clichés and questions add up beyond what you're capable of ignoring.

Dracula II: Ascension has 2 big twists to its plot. One is expected, typical of films like this, and incredibly lame - I never would have guessed who was in league with who, let's come out of the closet while we're at it. The second twist is actually very well executed, and much harder to spot. It would've been really great if they just ended the film and the series on that note instead of revving up for the third film, but I get the feeling that without the third film the writers would have opted for a happier, family friendly, resolution.

Oh well, we'll see where Dracula III leads.