What makes a compelling villain? They certainly have to have something evil about them. But, they can't be all evil, or they risk becoming caricatures. When you think back on some of the best baddies throughout the history of media, chances are your favorite has a full-fledged, rounded characterization. For instance, Darth Vader might be the supreme evil of the galaxy, but we find out he's still a father with a heart, as he sacrifices himself to the Emperer to save Luke. The Emperor, by contrast, is less interesting, because he's one-dimensional in his badness.

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Bela Lugosi was only paid $3,500 for his role in Dracula

Dan Curtis, creator of Dark Shadows, knew how to use arch characters to gain an audience's favor. He made a career from taking monsters and shedding new light on them, allowing for deeper, richer storytelling, with more fleshed-out personalities. 

So, when Curtis prepared to make his own Dracula movie, it was this emphasis on depth that drove his creation. Curtis laid out his plan in a 1973 interview with the Associated Press. 

"It has to have more elements than those that frighten," Curtis said. "You must have certain human dimensions that make you care, or, in my opinion, it fails.

But it wasn't just sympathy that made his vampire different from past iterations. In Curtis' opinion, he also stood out from his horror peers in the way he wrapped up his stories.

"Anybody can make a horror movie," he said. "But not everyone can end one. You can go on and on with horror, but if you end it wrong that's all people will remember. That's why I'm better than anyone else. I can end it better than anyone."

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