Monsters Reawakened: Gothic Legends Clash in Penny Dreadful and Van Helsing

In the fog-shrouded streets of Victorian London and the jagged peaks of Eastern Europe, timeless horrors evolve, blending ancient folklore with contemporary fury.

Few spectacles in modern horror captivate quite like the resurrection of classic monsters, where dusty myths from Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley collide with high-stakes drama and visual spectacle. Penny Dreadful, the lavish 2014-2016 Showtime series, and Van Helsing, the 2004 Universal blockbuster, stand as bold testaments to this revival, each retooling vampires, werewolves, Frankensteins, and more into engines of narrative propulsion. This comparison unearths how these works modernise monster lore, pitting psychological depth against popcorn action while honouring their gothic roots.

  • Penny Dreadful weaves a dense tapestry of Victorian supernaturalism, emphasising emotional torment and feminist reclamation of monstrous femininity.
  • Van Helsing delivers explosive, globe-trotting adventure, transforming solitary fiends into a unified army of the undead.
  • Both innovate on folklore, yet diverge in tone: intimate dread versus bombastic heroism, revealing evolving cultural appetites for horror.

Victorian Nightmares Unleashed

The genesis of Penny Dreadful lies in the penny dreadfuls of 19th-century Britain, those cheap serials peddling tales of Sweeney Todd and Varney the Vampire. Creator John Logan transplants this spirit into a prestige television format, launching with explorer Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) hunting his kidnapped daughter amid London’s occult underbelly. Enter Vanessa Ives (Eva Green), a spiritualist entangled with demons, and Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett), an American sharpshooter harbouring lycanthropic secrets. Their alliance confronts Professor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), whose creature (Rory Kinnear) seeks companionship, and a cabal of vampires led by the seductive Evelyn Poole (Helen McCrory).

Season one crescendos in a mesmerising confrontation at a grand ball, where Vanessa’s possession by Lucifer manifests in hallucinatory sequences blending eroticism and terror. The narrative sprawls across three seasons, incorporating Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), werewolves, and witches, all rooted in public domain lore. Logan’s script elevates these archetypes: the Creature becomes a poet-philosopher grappling with isolation, echoing Shelley’s novel but amplified through Kinnear’s brooding intensity.

Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers, bursts onto screens two decades after the Universal monster renaissance of the 1930s, yet channels their spirit. Hugh Jackman stars as Gabriel Van Helsing, a Vatican enforcer amnesiac to his angelic origins, tasked with slaying Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) in 1887 Transylvania. Accompanied by friar Carl (David Wenham) and Romani princess Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), he battles a rogues’ gallery: werewolves, Mr. Hyde (an unrecognisable Shuler Hensley), and Frankenstein’s Monster (voiced by Michael Carter, played by Samuel West in glimpses).

The plot races from mountain sieges to stormy castles, culminating in a zeppelin showdown where holy weaponry and silver bullets fly. Sommers packs the film with nods to lore—Dracula’s brides seduce with vampiric grace, werewolves revert to human form under full moons—yet accelerates them into a non-stop gauntlet. Where Penny Dreadful savours atmosphere, Van Helsing prioritises kineticism, its 131-minute runtime a whirlwind of practical effects and early CGI.

Both narratives honour their mythic forebears. Penny Dreadful draws from Stoker’s Dracula in its epistolary hints and Mina Harker’s spiritual echoes via Vanessa, while Van Helsing literalises Helsing as a monster hunter predating the novel. Frankenstein’s presence in each underscores the creature’s evolution from tragic outcast to reluctant ally, a thread binding Romanticism to postmodern sympathy.

Productionally, Penny Dreadful’s £2 million-per-episode budget manifests in opulent sets recreating Whitechapel slums and Egyptian necropolises, filmed in Dublin’s Ardmore Studios. Van Helsing, budgeted at $160 million, leveraged Prague’s Barrandov Studios for Carpathian vistas, blending miniatures and wirework for werewolf transformations that still impress.

Monstrous Femininity and Masculine Fury

Penny Dreadful excels in subverting gender dynamics within monster myths. Vanessa Ives embodies the demonic feminine, her arc a battle against infernal suitors—Dracula and Lucifer—reclaiming agency through seances and exorcisms. Green’s portrayal layers sensuality with hysteria, drawing from Victorian fears of female sexuality as satanic. Lily Frankenstein (Billie Piper), reimagined as Brona Croft resurrected, rejects patriarchal control, leading a prostitute uprising that queers the monster narrative.

Werewolves in Penny Dreadful, embodied by Ethan’s pack, explore colonial guilt and repressed savagery, their transformations visceral with practical makeup by Nick Dudman, evoking An American Werewolf in London. Vampires shun caped aristocrats for feral hordes, their hives underground evoking urban decay.

Van Helsing counters with masculine bravado. Jackman’s Van Helsing wields crossbows and grappling hooks, a proto-Indiana Jones in leather duster. Anna Valerious fights capably yet serves as romantic foil, her werewolf brother Velkan (Will Kemp) a tragic brute. Dracula schemes with silky eloquence, his brides a whirlwind of claws and silk, but the film prioritises spectacle over psyche—Hyde’s rampage through Venice a highlight of Sam Hamm’s effects design.

Frankenstein’s Monster in Van Helsing aids heroically, his bolts glowing blue in lightning storms, a far cry from Penny Dreadful’s verbose lamentations. This divergence highlights cultural shifts: Penny Dreadful’s 2010s introspection versus Van Helsing’s post-Matrix action sheen.

Thematically, immortality curses both worlds. In Penny Dreadful, eternal life breeds ennui—the Creature’s quest for love mirrors Dorian’s portrait decay. Van Helsing treats undeath as viral plague, cured by sunlight and stakes, modernising folklore into blockbuster epidemiology.

From Fog to Fireballs: Stylistic Evolutions

Cinematography defines their tones. Penny Dreadful’s Rodrigo Prieto (seasons 1-2) employs candlelit chiaroscuro, fog machines, and slow pans over labyrinthine sets, evoking Hammer Horror’s intimacy. Sound design amplifies whispers and heartbeats, immersing viewers in psychological horror.

Van Helsing favours wide lenses and Dutch angles, John Schwartzman’s camera whipping through avalanches and bat swarms. Alan Silvestri’s score thunders with orchestral swells, contrasting Abel Korzeniowski’s brooding strings in Penny Dreadful.

Creature effects shine. Penny Dreadful’s vampires feature porcelain skin and fanged maws by Dudman, practical yet ethereal. Werewolf suits use animatronics for snarls. Van Helsing’s werewolf pack, by Stan Winston Studio, employs hydraulic limbs and fur mats, Hyde’s bulk a puppeteered marvel smashing gondolas.

Legacy-wise, Penny Dreadful influenced The Nevers and Carnival Row, its emotional monsters paving prestige horror. Van Helsing spawned a short-lived TV series and games, its mash-up formula echoing The Mummy’s success.

Critically, Penny Dreadful earned 93% on Rotten Tomatoes for its literate dread, while Van Helsing’s 24% belies cult appeal for unapologetic fun. Together, they illustrate horror’s bifurcation: artful introspection versus visceral thrill.

Mythic Threads and Cultural Resonance

Folklore anchors both. Vampires evolve from Slavic strigoi to seductive predators, werewolves from Norse berserkers to lunar afflicted. Penny Dreadful integrates Egyptian lore via pyramids and scorpions, Van Helsing nods to Romani curses.

In a post-9/11 world, Van Helsing’s holy war mirrors crusades against evil. Penny Dreadful probes imperialism—Murray’s African exploits birth horrors—reflecting 2010s identity reckonings.

Both challenge purity: hybrids abound, blurring human-monster lines, anticipating shape-shifters in modern media.

Ultimately, these works perpetuate monster evolution, from silent era shadows to streaming savagery, ensuring gothic myths endure.

Director in the Spotlight

Stephen Sommers, born March 20, 1962, in Jamestown, Michigan, emerged from Indiana University with a theatre degree, honing his craft in commercials and music videos. Relocating to Hollywood, he scripted The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), showcasing adventurous flair. Breakthrough came with The Mummy (1999), blending horror, comedy, and action into a $416 million hit, revitalising Universal’s classic.

Sommers directed Deep Rising (1998), a creature feature with tentacled horrors, and executive produced The Scorpion King (2002) spin-off. Van Helsing (2004) epitomised his style: lavish spectacle drawing Indiana Jones and Hammer influences. Post-Van Helsing, he helmed G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and its sequel Retaliation (2013), amassing over $1.5 billion box office.

His visual effects collaborations with Industrial Light & Magic and Stan Winston defined 2000s blockbusters. Sommers stepped back after G.I. Joe, focusing on writing like Odd Thomas (2013). Influences include Spielberg and Leone; his oeuvre champions pulpy heroism amid chaos. Filmography highlights: The Mummy Returns (2001, sequel escalating ancient evils), Van Helsing (2004, monster mash-up), G.I. Joe films (high-octane military sci-fi).

Sommers’ legacy endures in reboot culture, his Mummy trilogy inspiring 2017’s failed revival and animated series.

Actor in the Spotlight

Hugh Jackman, born October 12, 1968, in Sydney, Australia, grew up in a strict family after his parents’ divorce. A University of Technology drama graduate, he debuted in Correlli (1995) as a prisoner romancing a warden, earning a Logie Award. Wolverine in X-Men (2000) catapulted him to stardom, defining his career with nine portrayals across films and Fox’s series.

Jackman’s versatility shone in Les Misérables (2012), netting an Oscar nod as Jean Valjean, and The Prestige (2006) as rival magician. Stage triumphs include The Boy from Oz (2003 Tony winner) and Wolverine musical. Van Helsing (2004) showcased action chops, his athleticism honed by Cirque du Soleil training.

Further accolades: Emmy for hosting the Tonys, Grammy for The Greatest Showman (2017) as P.T. Barnum, grossing $435 million. Recent roles: The Front Runner (2018), Reminiscence (2021). Filmography: X2: X-Men United (2003, deepening mutant lore), Australia (2008 epic romance), Logan (2017, career-best farewell), The Greatest Showman (2017 musical phenomenon), Deadpool & Wolverine (2024, blockbuster return).

Jackman’s humanitarian work with UNHCR and evoX philanthropy underscores his grounded persona, blending matinee idol charm with dramatic depth.

Craving more mythic horrors? Explore the HORRITCA archives for timeless terrors reimagined.

Bibliography

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Skal, D. J. (2016) Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror. Faber & Faber.

Logie, J. (2014) ‘Creating Penny Dreadful’, Den of Geek. Available at: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/penny-dreadful/29992/creating-penny-dreadful-john-logan-interview (Accessed: 15 October 2024).

Wooley, J. (2004) The Big Book of Movie Monsters. McFarland.

Harper, S. (2004) ‘Van Helsing Review’, Sight & Sound, 14(8), pp. 45-47.

Botting, F. (2014) Gothic. Routledge.

Interview with Stephen Sommers (2004) Empire Magazine. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/interviews/stephen-sommers/ (Accessed: 15 October 2024).