I've recently become a big fan of the TV show THE BIG BANG THEORY which revolves around four nerdy scientists who revel in the minutia of their favorite spec fiction movies, books, and TV shows.

In keeping with the spirit of fellow geekdom, here are the Top Five Dracula movies of all time (in my opinion, of course.)

1. BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (1992) starring Gary Oldman as the Count (pictured above with Winona Ryder as Mina Murray Harker) and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.  The most faithful adaptation to the novel.  Although historical details about the real-life Vlad Tepes of Transylvania were added to the screenplay, I thought this was a good use of creative license.  Oldman has acting chops and turns in a marvelous performance as the famous count who never drinks wine.

2. DRACULA (1979) starring Frank Langella.  Directed by John Badman of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER fame.  Langella sizzles with sex appeal in this film based on the stage play.  Ooh la la!  Put the bite on me, baby!

3. TERROR OF DRACULA (1958) starring Christopter Lee.  A Britsh Hammer Films Production. I find Lee a bit wooden in this role, but his character's malevolence comes across forcefully.  Peter Cushing (Governor Tarkin in STAR WARS) as Van Helsing and Michael Gough (Alfred the Butler in the BATMAN movies) as Jonathon Harker round out the cast.

4. DRACULA (1932) starring Bela Lugosi.  A Universal Pictures Production.  Lugosi is the most parodied of all the Draculas, yet his performance is beautiful to behold and he was actually Hungarian, so his accent is real. 

5. NOSFERATU (silent movie era) starring Max Shreck as Count Orlock.  A truly frightening film where the Count is not portrayed as a romantic figure in the least.  Bram Stoker's widow sued the film makers for copyright infringement and won. 

So, who is your favorite Dracula of all time? 

I have good posture when I write.  Honestly, I do.  I sit up straight in my chair, I don't slouch over the keyboard or laptop, I prop my mouse arm on my chair's arm rest.  I'm an ergonomically sound writer.

Or so I thought until I injured my right shoulder girdle muscles three weeks ago at a fitness convention.  Writing became an exercise in pain, the injured muscles seizing up and spasming when I wrote.  I became hyperconscious of my posture and found it wasn't perfect like I'd thought.

With a book and short story deadline looming and a month of Group X classes scheduled to teach, I couldn't afford to take weeks off from writing or teaching to recover.  I also didn't want to go spend a fortune at the doctor's to be told: "Don't write and don't exercise and don't teach classes."  (By the way, don't try this at home.  Seek medical advice when you have an injury).

As an exercise specialist, I designed a program of exercises to strengthen and stretch my shoulder girdle.  And I pushed my desk chair aside and am having a ball--literally--using a stability ball (a giant inflated ball used in exercise classes) as a chair.  Being that it's round, it forces me to sit up straight if I don't want to roll off backwards.  And when I pause and think, I find bouncing up and down on the ball to be pleasantly meditative. 

Stability balls: not just for exercise anymore.