Sunday, January 31, 2016

In Cold Blood (1966)


In Cold Blood (1966)

50 years ago this month...
The book "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote was published.  The book was a non-fiction account of the murders of four family members in a small town in Kansas.  Capote spent six years in Kansas interviewing everyone involved, and when he wrote the book he he composed it in the style of a fiction novel with multiple narratives and points of view.  The book went on to become a pioneering work in both the "True Crime" and "Non-Fiction Novel" genres.

Convicted Killers Perry Edward Smith and Richard Hickock

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Spencer Davis Group - The Second Album

Released 50 years ago this month...
The Spencer Davis Group - The Second Album

The Spencer Davis Group - Keep on Running

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Batman, Episode 6 - Batman is Riled (1966)

Batman, Episode 6 - Batman is Riled (1966)

50 years ago today...
"Batman is Riled," the sixth episode of the Batman TV series, premiered on January 27th, 1966.  In this episode, The Joker defeats Batman several times using his own version of Batman's utility belt.  This emboldens the rest of the criminals in Gotham, sparking the largest crime wave in Gotham City history, and causing the public to lose faith in the Dynamic Duo.  However, Batman and Robin turn the tables on The Joker and use his new utility belt against him, apprehending the criminal clown and restoring order to Gotham City in the process.

Crime Wave Grows!
The Joker Issues His Diabolical Demands


Bat-Facts for The Joker is Wild:

Special Guest Villain: Cesar Romero as "The Joker"

Featured Bat-Gadget: The Joker's Utility Belt

Robin's Catchphrase: "Holy Safari!"

Weirdest Sign or Label: "Batman and Robin Foiled Again"

Onomatopoeias: "Awk!  Bam!  Crunch!  Eee-yow!  Crr-aaack!!!  Ooooff!"

Comic Book Origins:  Based on the 1952 story "The Joker's Utility Belt" from Batman #73, written by David Vern and drawn by Dick Sprang. 


The episodes "The Joker is Wild" and "Batman is Riled" were based on the 1952 story "The Joker's Utility Belt" from Batman #73, written by David Vern and drawn by Dick Sprang. 
Batman and Robin Plan to Defeat The Joker

More screencaps after the break...

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Batman, Episode 5 - The Joker is Wild (1966)

Batman, Episode 5 - The Joker is Wild (1966)

50 years ago today...
"The Joker is Wild," the fifth episode of the Batman TV series, premiered on January 26th, 1966.  This episode was the debut of Cesar Romero as "The Joker."  Romero's performance as the Joker seems to be heavily influenced by Frank Gorshin's manic, giggling take on The Riddler, but dialed down a notch or two. This Joker is laughing all the time, but seems more creepy and murderous than happy.  This episode features some nice props and set pieces, including a giant spring that The Joker uses to launch himself out of the prison yard with, a museum full of busts of comedians, and The Joker's secret hideout inside of an abandoned amusement park.

Batman Examines a Photo of the Crime Scene

Bat-Facts for The Joker is Wild:

Special Guest Villain: Cesar Romero as "The Joker"

Featured Bat-Gadget: Batman's Utility Belt

Robin's Catchphrase: "Holy macaroni!"

Weirdest Sign or Label: "To The Hall of Fabulous Jewels"

Onomatopoeias: "Crraack!  Ooooff!  Thwapp!"

Comic Book Origins:  Based on the 1952 story "The Joker's Utility Belt" from Batman #73, written by David Vern and drawn by Dick Sprang.
Cliffhanger Text:  "Could this mean curtains??  Will the identities of our Dynamic Duo be revealed to the whole world??  Is this the end of their career as crimefighters??  Can they avert disaster??  Answers... tomorrow night!  Same time, same channel!"
Crraack!  Ooooff!  Thwapp!

The Joker Invades The TV Opera Concert

More screencaps after the break...

Monday, January 25, 2016

Bat-Music #4 - The Musical Stylings of Adam West


Several of the Stars of the Batman TV series used their notoriety from the show to sell novelty records, or to try and launch a singing career.  In 1966, Adam West released a single as well as made several singing appearances on TV variety shows, trying to launch himself as a pop crooner, but a side career as a singer never really took off for him.  10 years later, he tried again, recording a pair of demos that were more Batman novelty songs than an actual attempt to become a singer, but the deal fell through and the songs were never commercially released, although they eventually surfaced on the internet. 

Adam West - Orange Colored Sky (1966)


Adam West - Miranda (1966)


Adam West - The Story of Batman (1976)


Adam West - Batman and Robin (1976)


Sunday, January 24, 2016

The Dream Master (1966)

The Dream Master (1966)

50 years ago today...
Roger Zelazny's classic science fiction novel "The Dream Master" was published.  The book tells the story of Charles Render, a "neuroparticipant therapist" who can enter into and control his patients' dreams, and then heal them of their psychiatric problems from within the dreams themselves.  He runs into trouble when he starts to work with a blind patient who wishes to be a neuroparticipant therapist herself.  Because she is blind, she doesn't have the necessary visual framework to construct dreams for her patients, and this is what she hopes to gain through her sessions with Render, but her desire to "see" through Render's mind soon starts to blur the lines between who is the Dream Master and who is the patient.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Amazing Heroes 5 Inch Retro Action Figures - Fresh Monkey Fiction (2016)

Fresh Monkey Fiction's Amazing Heroes

The Amazing Heroes are finally here!  I first wrote about these figures in March of 2014, back when the Kickstarter campaign was preparing to launch.  Well, fast forward nearly two years later, and the campaign was a success, the figures were produced, and they are now being shipped to all of their Kickstarter supporters around the globe.  If you weren't one of the Kickstarter supporters, you can still order them direct from Fresh Monkey Fiction's online store, where they should start shipping as soon as they have all of their Kickstarter orders filled.

The Amazing Heroes gather on top of Battle Mountain
If you're not familiar with these figures, they are 4.5" superhero action figures, done in a retro 1980's style.  If you're a fan of Mattel Secret Wars figures, Kenner Super Powers figures, or even Remco's Mighty Crusaders, then this is a line you should check out.  Most of the characters are public domain super heroes from the Golden Age of comics in the 1940s, as well as Captain Action, who first appeared as a 1966 action figure, and Mike Allred's Madman, who first appeared in the 1990s.

Madman tooling around in the Batmobile with Super Powers Batman, while The Black Terror and Secret Wars Spider-Man look on.
The figures come in collector friendly packaging.  The backer cards slide on and off, so the figures can be removed from the packaging, and then put back in, without damaging anything.  There are also several different cards to choose from.  There is a standard one-size-fits-all card that features small portraits of all the characters on the same card.  Then there are Artist Edition cards that feature the characters drawn by modern day comic book artists.  Finally there are Golden Age Comics cards that feature artwork from the original comics.

Madman, Champion of Mars, and Silver Streak in their Artist Edition packages
Some of the characters have accessories, or cloth capes.  All of the accessories fit in the characters hands very well.  Captain Action even has a removable hat.  And The Blank has an extra head, so he can be The Blank with a full head of hair, or one of his bald "mindless minions."  The capes seem to be high quality and hang nicely.  In fact, everything about these figures is really well done.  None of the figures I received have any paint flaws, stuck or broken joints, are any defects of any kind.  Even though I know these figures were a "labor of love" by the folks at Fresh Monkey Fiction, these are high quality, professionally made toys, absolutely on par with anything you can buy at your local toy store.  I am so pleased with these figures, they are everything I hoped they would be when the Kickstarter campaign first launched.  Now I'm eagerly awaiting Wave 2!  But let's not get ahead of ourselves... check out my photos of the Wave 1 figures, and let me know what you think of the Amazing Heroes.

More photos after the break...

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Them - Them Again

Released 50 years ago today...
Them - Them Again

Them - I Put a Spell on You


Them - I Can Only Give You Everything


Them - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Batman, Episode 4 - The Penguin's a Jinx (1966)

Batman, Episode 4 - The Penguin's a Jinx (1966)
50 years ago today...
"The Penguin's a Jinx," the fourth episode of the Batman TV series, premiered on ABC TV, January 20th, 1966.  It continued on from the cliffhanger that ended the previous episode, with Bruce Wayne in an incinerator deathtrap.  After Bruce escapes the trap, he and Robin attempt to predict The Penguin's next crime.  Unbeknownst to the Dynamic Duo, while Batman was unable to bug The Penguin's Umbrella factory, The Penguin was able to sneak a bug into the Batcave.  As a result, rather than predicting The Penguin's next crime, they are actually planning it for him, as The Penguin listens in.  The crime involves kidnapping a Hollywood actress who is shooting a film in Gotham, and holding her for ransom.

Batman and Robin Inadvertently Plan The Penguin's Next Crime
Eventually, Batman and Robin realize what has happened and use the listening device to convey false information to The Penguin and capture him.  The episode ends on a sad note, however, as the actress has fallen hopelessly in love with Batman, and is now doomed to a life of loneliness.

The Penguin and His Henchmen

"Fine Feathered Finks" and "The Penguin's a Jinx" were based on the 1965 story "Partners in Plunder" that appeared in issue 169 of the Batman comic book, written by France Herron and drawn by Sheldon Moldoff.
Bat-Facts for The Penguin's a Jinx:  
Special Guest Villain: Burgess Meredith as "The Penguin"

Featured Bat-Gadget: The Bat-zooka

Robin's Catchphrase: "Holy flypaper!"

Weirdest Sign or Label: "Secret Elevator to Umbrella Factory"

Onomatopoeias: "Pow!!  Ooooff!  Krunch!  Bam!  Zlonk!  Clunk!"
 
Pow!!  Ooooff!  Krunch!  Bam!  Zlonk!  Clunk!

More screencaps after the break...

50th Anniversary of The Ghost and Mr. Chicken


50 years ago today...
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was released in theaters.

Click here to read my review of this film:
http://misfitdaydream.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-ghost-and-mr-chicken-1966.html

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Batman, Episode 3 - Fine Feathered Finks (1966)

Batman, Episode 3 - Fine Feathered Finks (1966)

50 years ago today...
"Fine Feathered Finks," the third episode of the Batman TV series, premiered on ABC TV, January 19th, 1966.  This episode saw the debut of Burgess Meredith as "The Penguin."  Meredith played The Penguin like a Looney Tunes version of a James Cagney-style gangster, while waddling and squawking like a duck and mugging with extremely exaggerated comic facial expressions.  His portrayal of The Penguin was not as manic as Frank Gorshin's performance as The Riddler, but was equally as distinctive and memorable.

Batman and Robin Confront The Penguin
In this episode, The Penguin is released from prison after serving his sentence.  But rather than commit more crimes, he dumbfounds the Batman by instead pulling a series of exploding umbrella pranks.  Each prank seems like a prelude to a robbery, but then no robbery occurs.  Batman is frustrated, because he knows The Penguin is planning a crime, but he has no basis to arrest him.  So he goes undercover as Bruce Wayne, to plant a listening device at the Penguin's umbrella factory.  Thinking that Bruce Wayne is a rival umbrella manufacturer engaged in industrial espionage, The Penguin and his men capture Bruce and tie him up on a conveyor belt leading into a furnace.  The episode ends on a cliffhanger, with Bruce Wayne about to burn in a fiery deathtrap.

Batman Climbs a Giant Umbrella

Bat-Facts for Fine Feathered Finks:
Special Guest Villain: Burgess Meredith as "The Penguin"

Featured Bat-Gadget: The Bat Phone

Robin's Catchphrase: "Holy haberdashery!"

Weirdest Sign or Label: "Roof Top Umbrella Launcher"

Cliffhanger Text: "Oh, the irony of it!  The horror!  The flaming end of the Caped Crusader.  Can Bruce possibly escape??  For Batman's sake!  Keep your bat fingers crossed until tomorrow!  Same time!  Same channel!!"
Cliffhanger

More screencaps after the break...



Monday, January 18, 2016

Bat-Music #3 - Jan & Dean - Jan & Dean Meet Batman



Jan & Dean had a hit single in 1966 with "Batman," a song inspired by the Batman TV show, and apparently decided to cash in on it's success by releasing a full Batman themed album.  In addition to the single "Batman" it only features three other tracks sung by Jan & Dean (Robin The Boy Wonder, The Joker is Wild, and Flight of the Batmobile).  The rest of the album is filled out by two instrumentals by ace session musicians The Wrecking Crew (Mr. Freeze and Batman Theme), and a handful of comedy sketches starring Jan & Dean as "Captain Jan And Dean The Boy Blunder."  The sketches get old after a few listens, but the songs are a lot of fun.

Tracklist:
  1. Batman
  2. The Origin Of Captain Jan And Dean The Boy Blunder    
  3. Robin The Boy Wonder    
  4. A Vit-A-Min A Day    
  5. Mr. Freeze    
  6. The Doctor's Dilemma    
  7. A Stench In Time    
  8. Batman's Theme    
  9. A Hank Of Hair And A Banana Peel    
  10. The Fireman's Flaming Flourish    
  11. The Joker Is Wild    
  12. Tiger, Tiger, Burning    
  13. Flight Of The Batmobile    
  14. A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight

Jan & Dean - Batman


Jan & Dean - Flight of the Batmobile


Sunday, January 17, 2016

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence

Released 50 years ago today...
Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence

Simon & Garfunkel - We've Got A Groovy Thing Goin'

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Our Man Flint (1966)

Our Man Flint (1966)
50 years ago today...
"Our Man Flint" was released.  The film was a campy and colorful parody of the James Bond films, starring James Coburn as Derek Flint.  Flint takes James Bond's über-competence and cranks it up to a ridiculous degree.  He speaks 45 languages, is an Olympic medalist, and is an expert in everything from judo to ballet.  It's basically just one joke repeated over and over again throughout the film, but the film still works, largely due to the charm and star power that Coburn brings to the role.

Derek Flint's Exercise Routine
Galaxy Island Secret Headquarters

Our Man Flint Trailer



More screencaps after the break...


Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Batman, Episode 2 - Smack in the Middle (1966)

Batman, Episode 2 - Smack in the Middle (1966)

50 years ago today...
"Smack in the Middle," the second episode of the Batman TV series, premiered on ABC TV, January 13th, 1966.  It continues on from the cliffhanger of the previous episode.

Whamm!!  Kapow!  Urkkk!!  Zok!!  Biff!!!
Besides being only the second in the series, this episode is notable for being one of the few episode where a character actually dies, in this case The Riddler's moll, Molly.  It's also the first episode to feature the onscreen onomatopoeia during fight scenes, with words like "whamm," "kapow," "zok," and "biff" appearing onscreen as the characters punch and kick each other.  It also ends with Bruce Wayne ruefully wishing he could have "reformed" the female villain Molly, which will later be a recurring theme when Batman encounters Catwoman.

"I'd have reformed her all night long, Dick.  Reformed her like she had never been reformed before.  Alas, it was not meant to be."



Plot Synopsis for "Hi Diddle Riddle"
Batman is desperate after a long night of failing to find Robin, who has been kidnapped by the Riddler.  Finally The Riddler lures Batman into a car chase, supposedly with Robin in the passenger seat as his prisoner.  Batman disables the Riddler's car, rescues "Robin," and brings him back to the Batcave.  But it's not really Robin.  It's The Riddler's henchwoman Molly in a Robin disguise.  She pulls a pistol on Batman, only to discover that Batman had seen through her disguise, and secretly disarmed the weapon using the Bat Laser beam in his utility belt.

Molly panics and tries to escape by running into the Batcave's atomic power generator.  Batman tries to save her, but Molly falls into the heart of the atomic power source and is killed.

Batman then tracks down the real Robin and rescues him from The Riddler's clutches.  The Riddler and his gang escape, but Batman and Robin finally figure out their true target.  The Riddler returns to the Republic of Moldavia Exhibit at the Gotham City World's Fair, as seen at the beginning of the last episode.  The exhibit features a large stuffed mammoth filled with priceless Moldavian postage stamps.  The Riddler fills the pavilion with laughing gas to disable the crowd.  But then Batman and Robin burst out from inside the stuffed mammoth wearing Bat Rebreathers and get into a colossal fist fight with the gang.  Batman and Robin capture the gang members, but once again, The Riddler escapes.

The episode ends with Bruce Wayne mourning the death of Molly, before cheering up and helping Dick with his high school homework.

"Hi Diddle Riddle" and "Smack in the Middle" were based on the 1965 story "Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler" that appeared in issue 171 of the Batman comic book, written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Sheldon Moldoff.
More screencaps after the break...

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Batman, Episode 1 - Hi Diddle Riddle (1966)

Batman, Episode 1 - Hi Diddle Riddle (1966)
50 years ago today...
"Batman" premiered on ABC TV, January 12th, 1966.  The series quickly became a cultural phenomenon.  Children were able to watch it as a straight adventure series, while adults could appreciate it's camp sensibilities and dead-pan humor.  The series had a colorful pop art style that was unlike anything else on TV.  The series also had a huge impact on sales of Batman comics, as well comic books in general, and helped launch Batman into his current status as the most popular comic book character of all time.

Pow!  Bif!
The series was originally intended to be an hour long, but ABC only had two half-hour time slots available, so the episodes were split in two.  The first half would air on Wednesday, and end on a cliffhanger, usually Batman or Robin in some inescapable death trap, echoing the endings of movie serials from the 1940s.  The second half would air the following day.

Each pair of episodes would typically feature Batman and Robin squaring off against a super villain and his or her henchmen.  Frank Gorshin starred as The Riddler in the first episodes, and set the tone for all the villain actors to follow with his manic, giggling performance as the Prince of Puzzles.

 
"Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed."

This series, more than anything else, is the reason I became a huge fan of comic books, superheroes, and fantastic fiction in general.  I thrilled to the show as a child when it aired in syndication every day in the 1970s.  I vividly recall running around in my living room with a towel or sheet tied around my neck as a "cape," singing along to the theme song.  I took the adventures of Batman and Robin deadly seriously as a child and it practically killed me if I missed an episode, and didn't know how The Dynamic Duo escaped from their latest death trap.  Soon, I found myself seeking out every other superhero show I could find on TV: Superman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, The Super Friends...

Then one day, I must have been no more than three years old,  I accompanied my mother on a trip to the grocery store, and saw a spinner rack filled with colorful magazines covered with cartoon drawings of all of my favorite heroes from TV!  "What are these," I exclaimed!  They were comic books, and I insisted my mom buy me one even though I didn't yet know how to read.  And then I learned to read, because as much as I loved all of the exciting pictures of superheroes in the comics, I just had to know what they were saying in the word balloons that appeared above their heads.  And that's it.  I was done.  From that point on I was doomed to be obsessed with the most colorful and ridiculous elements of pop culture.  Comic books.  Rock and Roll.  Science fiction.  Action figures.  Robots.  Video games.  Monster movies.  Pop art.  Happily doomed, I might add.  It all began when Adam West and Burt Ward slid down their Batpoles, and magically emerged on the other end costumed as the most colorful and exciting characters I had ever seen... and probably ever will see, as impressions like that only happen once in a lifetime.

Frank Gorshin as The Riddler

Plot Synopsis for "Hi Diddle Riddle"
The episode begins at the Gotham City World's Fair, when a cake explodes at the Republic of Moldavia exhibit.  Inside the cake is a clue; a riddle that reads, "why is an orange like a bell?"  Police Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara, and other assorted law enforcement officials gather together to discuss the matter.  They quickly realize that this is the work of the criminal mastermind The Riddler, and that they are not equipped to handle him.  Using the red "hotline" telephone in Gordon's office, they phone The Batman for help.

Meanwhile at Wayne Manor, millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne is meeting with some members of one of his charities at his home, when he is interrupted by his butler Alfred, letting him know that he has a phone call on his hotline.  Wayne, along with his teenage ward Dick Grayson, retreat to Bruce's study and speak to Commissioner Gordon on the phone.  Then they tilt back the head of a bust of William Shakespeare on Wayne's desk, and press a button hidden within.  This activates a secret sliding panel behind a book case revealing two firefighter's type poles.  Bruce and Dick slide down the poles and emerge below in the Batcave as Batman and Robin.

Their investigation of The Riddler's clue leads them to an art gallery where they discover The Riddler pointing a gun at a man's head.  They quickly capture The Riddler, only to find themselves being photographed in the act by paparazzi.  Furthermore, they find that the "gun" was actually a lighter, and The Riddler was merely lighting the man's cigarette.  They realize they have fallen in to a clever trap by The Riddler, who is now pressing charges against Batman and Robin for assault and false imprisonment -- which means Batman and Robin would have to unmask to testify in court, effectively ending their crime fighting careers.

Later, while contemplating their dilemma, Batman and Robin find a clue in The Riddler's legal documents that leads them to the "What A Way To Go-Go" nightclub.  Because he is underage, Robin is forced to wait outside in the Batmobile while Batman goes in alone to investigate.  Inside the club, Batman orders an orange juice, then dances the "Batusi" with Molly, a pretty girl who is part of The Riddler's gang.  Too late, Batman realizes his orange juiced has been spiked with a sedative.  As Batman struggles to return to the Batmobile, Robin, left alone, is kidnapped by The Riddler.

As the episode ends, Batman is inebriated and helpless.  Meanwhile, Robin finds himself strapped to a table in The Riddler's lair, as The Riddler leans over him with a tray of scalpels, and the narrator intones:
"Will Robin escape???
Can Batman find him in time?
Is this the ghastly end of our Dynamic Duo???
Answers... tomorrow night!
Same time, same channel!
One hint -- the worst is yet to come!"

Will Robin Escape???
As for you, please tune in tomorrow, same bat-time, same bat-blog, when I'll be writing about episode 2 of Batman, "Smack in the Middle!"


More screencaps after the break...

Monday, January 11, 2016

David Bowie: January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016

Look up here, I’m in heaven
David Bowie, RIP: January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016

Bat-Music #2 - Neal Hefti - Batman Theme and 11 Other Hefti Bat Songs


Neal Hefti composed the classic Batman TV theme, but aside from that he didn't have anything else to do with the music from the series, but that wasn't going to stop him from cashing in on the 1966 Batman craze with an album of his own.  So for his album "Batman Theme and 11 Other Hefti Bat Songs" we have the two versions of the Batman theme to open and close the albums (the opening credits and closing credits versions) and sandwiched in between are 9 songs "inspired" by the Batman TV show.  The inspiration primarily is shown by the titles to the songs, rather than the music itself, which you would have a hard time associating with Batman if you listened to them out of context.

Tracklisting:
  1. Batman Theme    
  2. Evil Plot To Blow Up Batman    
  3. Sewer Lady    
  4. The Mafista    
  5. Holy Diploma, Batman -- Straight A's!    
  6. Eivol Ekdol, The Albanian Genius    
  7. The Batusi    
  8. Just A Simple Millionaire    
  9. My Fine Feathered Finks    
  10. Mr. Freeze    
  11. Jervis    
  12. Batman Chase

Batman Theme


The Mafista

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Fantastic Four #48


50 years ago today...
Fantastic Four #48 by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee hits the newstands, featuring the first appearance of Galactus and the Silver Surfer.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
50 years ago today...
"Dracula: Prince of Darkness" was released to the theaters on a double bill with "The Plague of the Zombies."

Drac Attack!
Dracula: Prince of Darkness is the third film in Hammer's "Dracula" series.  The first film had Dracula, played by Christopher Lee, squaring off against Professor Van Helsing, played by Peter Cushing, and ended in Dracula's death.  In the second film, Dracula remained dead, and the the film starred Cushing's Van Helsing fighting a new vampire threat. In the third film, Cushing is out, but Christopher Lee returns, as Dracula is resurrected to bite innocent necks once again.

Dracula Awakes!
Christopher Lee's performance in this film is unusual because he doesn't have a single line of dialogue.  Lee claimed that the dialogue in the script was so bad that he refused to speak it, although the screenwriter disputes this.  The screenwriter says the part was written with no dialogue.  Either way, it actually works really well in the film, and gives Dracula a mysterious, unknowable presence.  He seems more like some sort of evil force of nature than a human being.

"Pull my finger."
Dracula "dies" again at the end of this one, trapped under ice and drowning in a frozen-over lake.  However, after coming back to life once, it seems a safe bet he'll be back again in time for the next sequel.

More sreencaps after the break...