Once Upon a Time in Transylvania

by Cameron A. Straughan

This series is the only official record of the controversial lost film 'Once Upon a Time in Transylvania'. Rumoured to have been made in 1969 by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco Bahamonde's administration, it somehow mutated into a bizarre, radical aberration eroding almost every pillar of his fascist regime. Ironic for a film produced in a strict right-wing, Roman Catholic environment, it is said to feature sex, copious violence, vampires, werewolves, anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism, ecological themes and socialist politics. All this made (somehow) right under the noses of Franco’s notorious censors. What follows here is a blood-soaked, surrealistic saga set in the early 1900's. When two ruthless American businessmen bring the promise of progress to a small Transylvanian village, violence and greed follow close behind. The target of their ruthless ambition is the lifeblood of the inhabitants - the forest. When company employees start meeting horrible fates, local superstition becomes all too real. An army of heavily armed bounty hunters is unleashed with two main targets: the Count, a vampire teetering on the last branch of his family tree, and Cedru - leader of the werewolves - whose ancient hunting grounds are under threat. As the violence escalates, the Count is forced to put aside a century long feud with the werewolves and act to save the forest against the shared threat

3 pages, ebook

First published November 21, 2014

About the author

Cameron A. Straughan is an award-winning writer. He was born in a small, conservative lake-side town whose motto was “don’t change anything” and its social machinations - and their impact upon him - would not be out of place in any given Morrissey lyric. A loner by nature, his endless hours spent fishing and exploring the local woods and waterways led him to a career as a fisheries biologist.

His career led him across Canada and down into New York – where he provided outdoor education for at-risk-youth. He slowly became more interested in the social and cultural aspects of science – in particular science communication. This led him to pursue two additional degrees - a Master of Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Education. For his Master’s Degree, he made a documentary on Algonquin Park wolves. As a teacher, he taught secondary science and biology, and primary school, for 12 years in England. He now works as a STEM teacher in a Northern Ontario First Nations school.

His vivid dreams, fascination with surrealism, love of photography and film-making, and professional experience with both scientific and technical writing helped develop his unique, clean, matter-of-fact visual style – where the commonplace is juxtaposed with the fantastic.

His blog, “Trapped on a Rock Floating in Space”, is a perfect encapsulation of his view of life and his desire to reach out and share ideas with similar-minded individuals. The blog’s tagline sums him up well: “The singular adventures of a lone traveller drifting through time, searching for peace, comfort and meaning.”