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There are thousands of Dracula adaptations… but this one was never meant to be found. In 2014, a literary scholar unearthed a bizarre discovery: a 1901 Icelandic edition of Dracula that wasn't a translation at all. It was a completely different novel—with new characters, altered plotlines, and darker, more overt political themes. He translated and published it under the title Powers of Darkness. But just weeks later, another twist: a second scholar revealed that the Icelandic version was based on an even older, more thrilling Swedish manuscript—lost to history for over a century. Two scholars. Two competing versions. One haunting mystery: Who really wrote Powers of Darkness—and why? Join host and documentarian Iris Ichishita as she digs into literary secrets, forgeries, and forgotten histories in this gripping limited series. For more info and suggested reading, visit: https://orwhatevermovies.com/limited-series
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DRACULA GOES TO THE MOVIES Season Two concludes with Dracula's journey from page and stage to the silver screen, beginning with a mysterious Hungarian film that predates Nosferatu and has been lost for more than a century. Iris Ichishita and Dacre Stoker welcome filmmaker and film historian Dr. Gary D. Rhodes, author of Vampires in Silent Cinema and Tod Browning's Dracula, to investigate Drakula halála (Dracula's Death), a forgotten 1921 production that may hold the earliest cinematic portrayal of Bram Stoker's famous Count. From surviving photographs and newspaper archives to the surprising involvement of future Casablanca director Michael Curtiz, Gary pieces together a film that no known audience can watch today. The conversation explores how this early Dracula differed from Stoker's original, Florence Stoker's battle against Nosferatu, and the theatrical influences that helped transform the Count into a Hollywood icon. Along the way, they revisit Bela Lugosi's immortal performance, the competing English- and Spanish-language productions of Dracula (1931), and the question at the heart of two seasons of investigation: How much of the Dracula we recognize today belongs to Bram Stoker, and how much to the artists who reinvented him? EXPLORE MORE Powers of Darkness, Season One: Listen Here Dr. Gary D. Rhodes: Vampires in Silent Cinema | Tod Browning's Dracula Dacre Stoker: Official Website The Bram Stoker Estate: Official Website Or Whatever Movies: Official Website
Season Two pulls back the curtain on Bram Stoker's theatrical life and the possibility that Powers of Darkness began as an early, stage-inspired version of Dracula. Iris Ichishita and Dacre Stoker welcome Hollywood editor and The Vampire's Castle creator Sean Rourke, alongside John Eastwood, great-grandson of Edmund Blake, the first actor to portray Count Dracula in Hamilton Deane's authorized stage adaptation in 1924. From forgotten scenes and possible casting inspirations to theatrical clues hiding in plain sight, Sean makes the case that Powers of Darkness may contain traces of an earlier Stoker manuscript. John reveals how his great-grandfather helped establish Dracula's iconic stage presence, while exploring Florence Stoker's efforts to shape and protect her husband's legacy. Along the way, the conversation uncovers competing theatrical adaptations, a surprisingly different fate for Renfield, and the enduring influence of the Lyceum Theatre. Could the stage hold the key to one of Dracula's greatest literary mysteries? EXPLORE MORE Powers of Darkness, Season One: Listen Here Sean Roark: The Vampire's Castle John Eastwood: Wisdomia Group / The First Dracula Dacre Stoker: Official Website The Bram Stoker Estate: Official Website Or Whatever Movies: Official Website
Season Two delves into the secret societies, sinister rituals, and Victorian conspiracies that may have inspired the mysterious alternate Dracula , Powers of Darkness . What if the Count wasn't acting alone, but commanded a secret society with ambitions of world domination? Iris Ichishita and Dacre Stoker welcome Gothic literature scholar Dr. Tyler Tichelaar and The Allusionist host Helen Zaltzman to explore the hidden influences behind this darker version of Bram Stoker's classic. From Freemasonry and the occult to the secret languages of exclusive societies, the conversation examines how power, class, and fear shaped Gothic literature, and why a conspiracy of humans might be even more terrifying than a vampire. Along the way, they trace connections to French Gothic fiction, examine the strange journey from translation to adaptation, and revisit the enduring mystery: Could Bram Stoker have written a more dangerous version of Dracula ? EXPLORE MORE Powers of Darkness, Season One: Listen Here Dr. Tyler Tichelaar: Gothic Wanderer Helen Zaltzman: The Allusionist | Answer Me This Dacre Stoker: The Ally of Madness and Related Horrors | Official Website The Bram Stoker Estate: Official Website
Season Two travels to Transylvania to uncover the folklore that helped shape Dracula. Iris Ichishita and Dacre Stoker welcome Transylvanian-born tour guide and practicing Wiccan Nora Vintila. She traces back Bram Stoker's fascination with the writings of Scottish author Emily Gerard, whose journeys through the region introduced her to restless spirits, the evil eye, protective garlic, strange omens, and the legendary devil's school known as the Scholomance. The journey explores which traditions remain alive in Transylvania today, how "Nosferatu" may have emerged from a linguistic misunderstanding, and what Stoker borrowed, misunderstood, or transformed for Dracula. Along the way, Nora reveals how surprisingly close some Victorian accounts come to traditions still practiced more than a century later. Powers of Darkness, Season One: www.orwhatevermovies.com/limited-series Noa Vintila with Experience Transylvania: https://www.transylvania.se/en-gb The Ally of Madness and Related Horrors by Dacre Stoker: https://a.co/d/0chh6LX5 The Bram Stoker Estate: https://www.bramstokerestate.com Dacre Stoker: http://dacrestoker.com
Season Two of Powers of Darkness turns to the medicine, science, and unsettling ethics behind Dracula. Iris Ichishita and Dacre Stoker welcome physician and film historian Dr. Lokke Heiss to explore Bram Stoker's close ties to the medical world, including his brother Sir William Thornley Stoker, a prominent surgeon whose influence can be found in the novel itself. From Victorian vivisection and experimental brain surgery to Dr. Seward's treatment of Renfield and Van Helsing's willingness to look beyond conventional science, the conversation asks where scientific curiosity crosses an ethical line. And what if Dracula himself is the novel's true mad doctor, experimenting on Renfield, Lucy, and Mina without conscience or restraint? The investigation ultimately leads back to Powers of Darkness, where Dracula's experiments may extend beyond individual victims to society itself, revealing a story less concerned with science versus superstition than with what happens when knowledge is separated from humanity. Powers of Darkness, Season One: www.orwhatevermovies.com/limited-series Lokke Heiss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lokke_heiss/ The Ally of Madness and Related Horrors by Dacre Stoker: https://a.co/d/0chh6LX5 The Bram Stoker Estate: https://www.bramstokerestate.com Dacre Stoker: http://dacrestoker.com
Season Two of Powers of Darkness begins with Bram Stoker himself. Iris Ichishita and Dacre Stoker welcome Paul Murray, author of FROM THE SHADOW OF DRACULA: A LIFE OF BRAM STOKER , to explore the man behind the world's most famous vampire and the influences that shaped his work. Speaking from a Dublin house where Stoker once gathered, Murray traces the fingerprints he left across his writing, from Irish folklore and Scottish legend to the theater, modern technology, and the supernatural. Together they ask whether the mysterious POWERS OF DARKNESS sounds authentically Stokerian and consider a more personal question: was Bram happy with the life he lived? IN THE IMAGINATION OF BRAM STOKER is the starting point for a new season that follows Dracula beyond its creator, across countries, languages, disciplines, interpretations, and ultimately onto the screen, to discover what happens to a story once it leaves the hands of the person who created it. Powers of Darkness, Season One: www.orwhatevermovies.com/limited-series From the Shadow of Dracula: A Life of Bram Stoker by Paul Murray: https://a.co/d/0eZkDiIH The Ally of Madness and Related Horrors: https://a.co/d/0chh6LX5 The Bram Stoker Estate: https://www.bramstokerestate.com Dacre Stoker: http://dacrestoker.com
Iris and the main characters reflect on the wildest literary conspiracy in history, which may be just the tip of the iceberg. In an emotional conclusion with the key players.
Iris picks up pieces, confronts biases, and busts myths--to set us on course with those on the forefront of the Powers mystery, some of whom believe in a Stoker conspiracy and some who don't.
Iris goes back to the beginning to understand why we are where we are today. To better understand why Powers of Darkness is so important. If Stoker wrote Powers, then why? If he didn't, then who?
Iris drills down into her original theory. Starting with copyright and corroborated by Bram Stoker's experiences--with Whitman, Irving/Shakespeare, and his development notes for Dracula.
Maggie flies to England to walk in the footsteps of Stoker. The mystery is overshadowed by controversy. Preemptive research and translations suck the joy out of a long-awaited release.
Iris dives headlong into the Powers of Darkness mystery, bringing us up to speed on the discovery and counter-discovery, setting the stage for research and drama to come.
We all know and love Dracula . Though published 128 years ago, Dracula has captivated our collective psyche, infiltrating all aspects of pop culture. But in 2014 - the scholarly world of Dracula research was shaken when a new version of Bram Stoker's classic was found in Iceland… and soon after that, another version was found in Sweden. Join host and documentarian Iris Ichishita as she tries to unravel of the mystery of who wrote Powers of Darkness and why? For more info about the podcast and suggested reading visit: https://orwhatevermovies.com/limited-series/
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