Two Recent Nods to Welles

[Jeff Wilson]

I've seen and read two recent nods to Welles recently; the first is as a fictional character in novelist (and esteemed film critic) Kim Newman's latest book in his ANNO DRACULA series, which posits a timeline in which Dracula wins at what would have been the end of Stoker's novel and ends up forcing a marriage to Queen Victoria, wherein vampires become a part of society, for better or worse. The third book, DRACULA CHA CHA CHA, is set in the late 50s and includes Welles in a cameo appearance (real life and fictional characters from other works are frequently included, or alluded to). This latest volume, JOHNNY ALUCARD, is set in the 1975-90 time frame, and includes Welles in a larger role, struggling to make a film adaptation of Stoker's novel, which also takes the place of HEART OF DARKNESS as Welles' aborted first project at RKO before KANE. In you're into horror fiction, the books are excellent and well worth seeking out.

Also of note, though a more oblique reference, is the recent IFC miniseries THE SPOILS OF BABYLON, the conceit of which is that it's a late 70s miniseries in the tradition of the cheesy epics of that period and the early 80s. Each episode is opened and closed by the Wellesian author/director/writer/producer/etc Eric Jonrosh, played by Will Ferrell as a pompous, heavyset, bearded washout, swilling wine in a restaurant booth a la Chasen's. The miniseries itself (which is completely ridiculous and WAY over the top) is played by a game cast, which includes Toby Maguire, Tim Robbins, and others. The comedy will not be to every taste, and I find myself watching out of curiosity more than anything else (as an example, Maguire brings back a British wife after WWII, "played" by a mannequin with human voiceover - their child is a doll).

[Wellesnet]

According to Farrell the Eric Jonrosh character was inspired by the drunken Welles Masson outtakes:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainmen ... -1.1565636

Here's the mannequin-wife, with Kristin Whig. Pretty funny:
http://gawker.com/this-is-the-only-spoi ... 8Gawker%29