For a brief moment, we were treated to a glimpse into the decadence that is the Pattinson lifestyle when we were given an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Little Ashes. It seems that even after being marooned on an island for so long, the actor still has no better than one or two good outfits – and he certainly doesn’t bother to wear them all – which makes for some pretty embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions. But that’s about all the positive we can take away from this rather depressing piece of film. It feels more like a missed opportunity than anything else, and it’s one we’ll hopefully never experience. Because, honestly, who the hell wants to see Robert Pattinson jerk off? That’s what we want to know.

The Making Of Little Ashes

Filming Little Ashes was no easy feat. The project, which premieres this week in select theaters across the country, was actually shut down for a while after the production company behind it ran out of money. So, essentially, they had to start over from scratch. But all that red tape and re-casting surely didn’t deter producer Desiree Armand from persisting with her dream project. She was ultimately able to enlist some of the biggest names in the business, including one of the most recognizable directors in the world. But first, she had to find the man behind the infamous pseudonym.

Armstrong found him in a most unusual place. While traveling abroad, she came across a book on vampire mythology that included the story of Vlad the Impaler. Fascinated, she tracked him down to a small town in Transylvania where he lived out his days surrounded by mystery and monsters.

That’s where she found Vlad Tepes. And that’s the part that really interests us. For the purposes of this story, let’s just call him Vlad. And so, now that she had her heart’s desire, she had to figure out how to make it happen on a massive scale. And the answer, it seems, is blowing up sets and hiring a larger crew.

The Set Decoration

The sets for Little Ashes are stunning. Take a look:

  • The apartment – which is essentially the movie’s set – is decorated with such detail that you’ll feel like you’re walking into an authentic Tv series.
  • The staircase is a work of art, perfectly capturing the essence of classic movie noirs.
  • And what’s more, the entire place is stuffed with antiques, giving it a truly lived-in and cozy feel.

The most interesting part is that, throughout the entire film, we never actually see any of the sets. It’s always shot from a different angle, usually from above or outside the apartment building. But even still, the sets are such an important part of telling this story. Because, unlike so many movies, we never feel that we’re intruding on the action, or seeing something unreality.

Vlad The Impaler – An Important Character In An Unexpected Place

While the sets are amazing, it’s important to remember that this is still a movie about a man born in 1431 who became known as Vlad the Impaler. And even though he never actually appeared in the film, it’s still very much about his story. So, in that sense, it’s fitting that we should start by defining a few essential character details about him.

According to history books, he was originally a member of the royal family of Moldavia. And before we go any further, let’s just remind ourselves that “Vlad the Impaler” is a pseudonym that he adopted in his early years. Before he became king, he was often referred to as Vlad Tepes, or simply “Soninja,” which is the name of his mother. So, in effect, he wasn’t actually called “Vlad Impaler” until much later on – which brings us to our next point.

Born into a prominent family, he was the second son of King Radu of Moldavia. When King Radu died in 1451, it was assumed that Vlad would become the King of Moldavia. And he did, in fact, rule over this region of Eastern Europe for more than 30 years. But he had a very troubled relationship with Poland, and so he was forced to abdicate in 1481. He then went on to rule over a smaller principality until his death in 1491.

Although he spent the majority of his life in the public eye, Vlad had a very shadowy existence. He never married or had children, and even his fellow countrymen never knew the full extent of his dark side. His entire life was a strange mixture of decadence and secrecy. And that’s what we love about him.

Since Armstrong had such a specific vision for the character and the setting, she decided to use this opportunity to delve into Vlad’s turbulent past. And so, in addition to the already established fact that he had an addiction to blood, she decided to add another significant facet to his character: Vlad had a love/hate relationship with fire. He once said that he “was never fully satisfied with the results of [his] experiments, which is why [he] had [so] many accidents, and why [he] had to wear so many different masks in [his] lifetime.” Perhaps it was all the different faces that he had to put on over the years that led to this psychological trauma. Or maybe it was his guilt about what he considered to be his failures as a man and a king. We’ll never know the real answer, but we do know that he spent his entire life as a constant experimenter. And it’s an answer that perfectly summarizes his existence.

Who Wants To See A Vampire Movie?

The answer is probably most people. Vampires are incredibly popular these days. And it doesn’t seem that this interest will ever wane. So, what is it about vampire stories that we enjoy so much?

For starters, vampires are usually a pretty awesome sight. It’s not entirely uncommon for vampires to be depicted in a very positive light, and, as we’ve established, that’s certainly the case with Vlad. He’s not an overly aggressive creature, and he rarely even bites his victims. He’ll usually just leech off of them, which is a whole lot easier. Unless someone is a perfect match, of course. Then he’ll have to start drinking their blood, which is obviously a lot more disturbing. But nonetheless, a very beautiful thing to behold. Plus, it’s always nice to see a character that you can root for. Especially when he’s such a well-rounded character with so much to offer. And what’s more, even when he’s not in his right mind, he’s still a fascinating character to discover.

But it’s not just about the looks. We also really like how vampires seem to fit into popular culture in a way that isn’t entirely clear. Vampires are often associated with decadence and excess – all qualities that Vlad embodies – and that makes sense since most vampires, especially in the horror genre, tend to lurk in the shadows, and so they represent the dark side of the human condition. But there’s also an undercurrent of romanticism that runs through much of the interest in vampires. They’re almost always the reluctant romantic interest of some hapless human, and that’s partially because they’re usually associated with death and tragedy. But at the same time, that human is usually portrayed in a very positive light, which is why it’s so hard to resist the allure of a vampire. It’s very rarely an unabashedly happy ending when it comes to a vampire story. But that’s part of what makes it so fascinating. It’s the dichotomy between darkness and light, between good and evil, that makes it such an interesting and unique narrative device.

But beyond all of that, we like how vampires allow us to explore a world that we’re not usually privy to see. While other fiction authors might want to write about fantastical creatures or realms that we couldn’t possibly imagine, vampires allow us to see the everyday life of the wealthy and the well-bred, which makes it all the more captivating. It’s almost like taking a step back in time and seeing life as it is normally lived, only with a few alterations, of course. And that, in and of itself, is a beautiful thing.

An Opportunity To See A Rare Appearance By A Classic Actor

We’re not sure if this was a conscious decision on Armstrong’s part, or if it was just an unfortunate coincidence. But, for whatever reason, she decided to give us an early glimpse at what might be the last theatrical performance by one of the most famous English actors of all time. And who else but Sir Alec Guinness would headline such an excellent and historic collection of stories about Vlad the Impaler?