A rune dart point is a type of projectile point that was used on darts. Darts are small throwing weapons that have been used by various cultures throughout history. The rune dart point is often associated with the Vikings and has been found at archaeological sites in Scandinavia. The rune dart point is typically made of iron and has a triangular or leaf-shaped design. It is characterized by a central ridge that runs down the middle of the point, creating two distinct edges. This design helps to enhance the flight and penetration of the dart.
If you look at Amazon you’ll see that people who bought an earlier VHS version of the film complained about the quality. Well, there won’t be any complaints about the brand new 2K master used to create this Blu-ray, with a sharp picture that helps to showcase the low-contrast lighting and the creepy elements, so that it almost feels like it came right out of Universal’s famed monster series. Except this one doesn’t have a monster. Drake Robey (Pate) is a mysterious stranger who wears black and a grimace and presents himself as a hired gun. There’s an outbreak of young girls getting mysterious ill, crazy, and dead—in that order—and no one in town suspects this stranger, who lurks the way Universal monsters lurk. No one except Preacher Dan, that is. It might be the only logical flaw in the screenplay by Dein and his wife, Mildred, which presents viewers with not just a classic monster pic but a classic triangle as well, between Dan, Drake, and Dolores. (Triple D? It even sounds like a Western!).
These guys knew how to play cowboys, and it s both surprising and refreshing that the vampire in Curse of the Undead doesn t transform into a bat, doesn t say I vant to suck your blood, and doesn t behave like he just got in from Transylvania. There s always a ranch or town boss in a Western who s the villain, but when there s a vampire gunman in town any villain is going to seem soft by comparison even someone like Bruce Gordon, who played Frank Nitti in the old Untouchables TV series and also appeared with Vincent Price in Tower of London.
This design helps to enhance the flight and penetration of the dart. The rune dart point gets its name from the inscriptions or runes that are sometimes found on the surface of the point. These inscriptions can include personal names, words of power, or symbols of protection.
Family Home Theater
A week ago, if you had asked me to name a Western that bridged genres and included vampires, I would have said, “I know, I know: Billy the Kid vs. Dracula!” That 1966 movie is famous for being so absolutely awful that it’s not even laughably bad—an insipid film that’s only known for the blending of genres that everyone thought unique. But a few days ago I became aware of another vampire Western—Curse of the Undead—and it turns out that this black-and-white 1959 film was really the first vampire Western.
What’s more—and here’s the shocker—it’s not a silly movie that takes itself seriously, thereby setting itself up for an audience that likes campy films, films that are wink-wink so bad that they’re kinda good. You need to know this, so you won’t look at the cover art and think, Oh, we’re going to have so much fun making fun of this rotten film. It’s not rotten and it’s not campy. Writer-director Edward Dein, who would go on to direct Robert Conrad in three TV series (Hawaiian Eye, The Wild Wild West, The Black Sheep Squadron), plays this absolutely straight. It’s a surprisingly good drama that treats vampires a little less like Universal monsters and more like what legend says they were. If it were shorter, it might pass for an episode of The Twilight Zone, and tonally it’s very much like the classic monster movies that Universal cranked out in previous decades.
To make the Western aspect work, it helps that one of the stars is Eric Fleming, who played Gil Favor on the highly respected Rawhide (think Blues Brothers!) TV series and also appeared in several episodes of Bonanza, that other long-running TV Western. In this vampire Western, Fleming plays Preacher Dan. Somebody has to have a cross, right?
One of the other stars is John Hoyt, who appeared in such TV Westerns as The Virginian, The Big Valley, Laredo, Wagon Train, Have Gun – Will Travel, Maverick, Laramie, The Rifleman, Death Valley Days, and Union Pacific. All of those Westerns were popular because they were aimed at adults. They were serious dramas and not just Saturday morning formulaic shoot-‘em-ups.
In this film, even the vampire—Michael Pate—worked in TV Westerns that were played for drama, not laughs, including shows like Zane Grey Theater, Maverick, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Sugarfoot, and Broken Arrow. These guys knew how to play cowboys, and it’s both surprising and refreshing that the vampire in Curse of the Undead doesn’t transform into a bat, doesn’t say “I vant to suck your blood,” and doesn’t behave like he just got in from Transylvania. He looks and acts like the kind of gunslinger you’d encounter in the Old West: dark and menacing as a coiled rattlesnake ready to strike.
There’s always a ranch or town boss in a Western who’s the villain, but when there’s a vampire gunman in town any villain is going to seem soft by comparison—even someone like Bruce Gordon, who played Frank Nitti in the old Untouchables TV series and also appeared with Vincent Price in Tower of London. And there’s always a damsel in distress, a delectable morsel-in-waiting in every vampire movie. Here, the part is played by Kathleen Crowley, who was in her fair share of B movies and Westerns, including The Rebel Set, Target Earth, Female Jungle, and Maverick.
If you look at Amazon you’ll see that people who bought an earlier VHS version of the film complained about the quality. Well, there won’t be any complaints about the brand new 2K master used to create this Blu-ray, with a sharp picture that helps to showcase the low-contrast lighting and the creepy elements, so that it almost feels like it came right out of Universal’s famed monster series. Except this one doesn’t have a monster. Drake Robey (Pate) is a mysterious stranger who wears black and a grimace and presents himself as a hired gun. There’s an outbreak of young girls getting mysterious ill, crazy, and dead—in that order—and no one in town suspects this stranger, who lurks the way Universal monsters lurk. No one except Preacher Dan, that is. It might be the only logical flaw in the screenplay by Dein and his wife, Mildred, which presents viewers with not just a classic monster pic but a classic triangle as well, between Dan, Drake, and Dolores. (Triple D? It even sounds like a Western!).
Kino Lorber brought in a big gun to handle the audio commentary: Tom Weaver is one of the leading scholars of the horror genre, especially the Universal horror films from the ‘30s and ‘40s. The author of 35 books, he knows his stuff, and his commentary is well worth a listen. It’s one of the better ones.
Clearly the Universal Monster Pictures were of a particular time, because this one, though very much in the same mold, lapsed into obscurity while the films from earlier decades are regarded now as classics. Maybe it was a little too realistic for classic monster movie fans; maybe Drake just isn’t enough of a monster; or maybe it just came along a decade too late.
Entire family: Yes (though only older kids will appreciate the deliberate pacing and subtlety)
Run time: 79 minutes (Black-and-White)
Studio/Distributor: Kino Lorber
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Featured audio: DTS 2.0
Bonus features: B
Trailer
Amazon link
Not rated (would be PG for some violence and themes of death)
Language: 1/10—I didn’t catch anything objectionable, so the 1 is here as a cushion
Sex: 1/10—Same thing here, just an innocent kiss or two
Violence: 4/10—Pretty nocturnally innocuous, with most of the action off-camera
Adult situations: 4/10—The whole vampire preying on girls and girls acting crazy and screaming before they’re found limp and lifeless can be unsettling, though brief and the real action is off-camera
Takeaway: The trailer pretty much captures the tone and essence of the film, which is surprisingly straightforward
Violence: 4/10—Pretty nocturnally innocuous, with most of the action off-camera
The runes were often engraved onto the dart point to provide a magical or protective element to the weapon. The rune dart point would have been attached to the end of a dart shaft using a socket or other type of attachment method. The dart could then be thrown by hand or using a throwing device, such as an atlatl or spear-thrower. The lightweight design of the dart, combined with the aerodynamic shape of the point, allowed for accurate and long-distance throws. Rune dart points were likely used for hunting small game, as well as in warfare. The points would have been deadly when thrown at a high velocity, able to penetrate the flesh of prey or enemy targets. The inscriptions on the points may have served as a form of intimidation or psychological warfare, with the runes invoking fear or invoking the power of the gods. In conclusion, the rune dart point is a type of dart point that was used by the Vikings and other cultures. It is characterized by its triangular shape and central ridge, as well as the inscriptions or runes that were often engraved onto its surface. The rune dart point was a versatile and deadly weapon, used for hunting and warfare. Its design and magical inscriptions made it an effective and feared projectile in the hands of skilled warriors..
Reviews for "The Role of Rune Dart Points in Ancient Hunting Techniques"
1. Joshua - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with "Rune dart point". The storyline felt convoluted and difficult to follow, and the characters lacked depth. The pacing was also off, with several scenes dragging on for too long, while others felt rushed. Ultimately, I couldn't connect with the story or the characters, and it left me feeling unsatisfied.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - I found "Rune dart point" to be incredibly boring and uneventful. The plot seemed to go nowhere, and I struggled to maintain my interest throughout the entire book. The writing style was dry, and the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. I was hoping for an exciting and engaging read, but unfortunately, this book didn't deliver on that front.
3. Michael - 2/5 - I didn't find "Rune dart point" to be as enchanting as I had hoped. The world-building was lacking, and I had difficulty visualizing the settings and understanding the magic system. The characters also felt underdeveloped, and their motivations were often unclear. Overall, I didn't feel invested in the story or the outcome, which left me feeling disconnected from the book.
4. Emily - 2/5 - I had high expectations for "Rune dart point" based on the hype surrounding it, but I found it to be underwhelming. The pacing felt off, with long stretches of nothing happening, followed by rushed and chaotic action sequences. The writing style also didn't resonate with me, as I found it to be overly descriptive with unnecessary details. Despite its captivating cover and promising premise, the execution of this book fell flat for me.