Horror of Dracula
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Movie Reviews of Horror of Dracula
Movie Review: One of the very best
Summary: 5 Stars
Hammer's groundbreaking 1958 version of Dracula (aka Horror of Dracula) is still one of the very best despite the many liberties Jimmy Sangster's concise and highly effective script takes with Bram Stoker's novel to whittle it down to an hour-and-a-half. It's not just the names that have been changed around and the cast of characters greatly reduced to Hammer's budget levels (admirably disguised here by Bernard Robinson's excellent production design). John Van Eyssen's Jonathan Harker is no longer a lawyer, but here is posing as a librarian to get into Dracula's castle with an ulterior motive - presumably on the grounds that the audience knows going in just what Dracula is so there's no point putting the hero through all that mystery when there's staking to be done. The budget doesn't stretch to the voyage and arrival of the ghost ship Demeter or even a Renfield for that matter, and this Dracula has no social interaction with his intended victims in Whitby or London - in fact, he never even leaves the continent. Nor is the vampire fascinated with Harker's intended - here he simply seeks her out as revenge. Yet the changes work surprisingly well, and even throws in a few good twists like the location of Dracula's hiding place.
Although he doesn't have much screen time, Christopher Lee is inspired casting, a feral, vicious creature rather than a Eurotrash smoothie while a very agile Peter Cushing makes a surprisingly physical Van Helsing, the final fight between the good doctor and the evil count surprisingly energetic and violent before the best of the studio's ashes to ashes, dust-to-dust finales. Although rather sedate by today's standards, this film still has a surprising degree of energy and it's easy to see why it made had such a profound impact on the horror genre for decades to come. The first colour version of the tale, it made a big selling point of being able to see the blood in all its vivid hues of red, although it also makes much play on the vampire's female victims being absolutely gagging for it (perhaps not so surprising with Peter Cushing and Michael Gough as the male leads), setting the groundwork for the tits'n'fangs formula that would become the studio's bread and butter over the next couple of decades. A surprisingly cheap picture, thanks to Bernard Robinson's elegant production design and fine direction from Terence Fisher before the drink got to him, it never looks cheap: if anything, it's rather seductively good looking. Unfortunately this is slightly compromised by Warners' widescreen DVD, which feels overcropped at 1.85:1 (the film was intended to be shown in 1.66:1) and there's also a slight wobble at the end of the closing credits.
Movie Review: Christopher Lee IS Dracula
Summary: 5 Stars
Lee's performance is still startling today. One minute he's a charming aristocrat, the next a wild-eyed animal - swift, strong, and single-mindedly hungry for blood. With no prosthetic make-up, his Dracula is scary because of the blood dripping from his lips, his bloodshot eyes and his demonic performance. When a crucifix comes out, he reacts like a cornered snake, and hisses in disgust. Here is a villain from Hell, clever, dangerous and evil. There's no moral dilemma - Dracula must be destroyed.
Although the film is fifty years old, Christopher Lee is still with us, still acting. While he's found a new fanbase as Saruman in Lord of the Rings and Count Dooku in the Star Wars franchise, he landed both roles because of the lasting impression of his Dracula films.
Lower down the cast, but also still with us is Geoffrey Bayldon. This actor often played far older characters. Here's he's a grey-haired porter, even though he was only 34! You may have seen him as the tour guide in Tales From The Crypt, creepy Max in Asylum and Theo the cloak-seller in The House that Dripped Blood. Like Lee, he's still working!
Likewise, the lovely Janina Faye as the little girl being pursued by the undead. Her scene with Van Helsing, as he protects her from the night's chill, is a lovely moment of calm amidst the horror. It's not easy finding talented child actors who act their age. I also enjoyed her roles in two Janette Scott movies The Day of the Triffids and The Beauty Jungle.
Christopher Lee starred as Dracula in six more Hammer films. They'd have used him more - but he was substituted by other actors when he put his foot down and avoided Brides of Dracula and The Legend of Seven Golden Vampires.
Horror of Dracula (as it was released in the USA) moved the character of Van Helsing into the spotlight, a character who's as virtuous as Dracula is evil. On the face of it, Van Helsing is an anti-hero, a man who digs up the dead and mutilates them, but played by Peter Cushing, he's not only pure, he's a polite and considerate gentleman as well. You couldn't find a better role model... who stakes vampires. It's a shame that modern audiences only know Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in the first Star Wars, because it was such an atypical role for a versatile and compassionate actor - my very favourite in the horror genre.
Movie Review: The BEST Dracula Film EVER!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Without a adoubt this 1958 film from Britain's Hammer Studios is THE BEST Dracula film ever made! Not a remake, loose or otherwise, of the Universal/Bela Lugosi film (as the notes on the DVD box states), but a completely new interpretation of Bram Stoker's novel. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are both brillant as Dracula and Dr. Van Helsing and the three women in the film (Melissa Stribling as Mina, Carol Marsh as Lucy and Valiere Gaunt as the vampire woman) are all great. For a film that was made for UNDER $200,000, the movie looks sumptuous. The framing on the anamorphic widescreen DVD appears a bit tight at the top and bottom with more information on each side, but the transfer is nice and bright, the picture is crystal clear and the colour is fine. The only extra is the original trailer (a little over 2 minutes long) and some poorly written notes on the Hammer/ Dracula series. A commentary with Chris Lee would have been nice or an interview, but anyone wanting to know Lee's views on the Dracula films could check out Anchor Bay's fine DVD releases of "DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS" or "SCARS OF DRACULA", if she or he hasn't already. But the film is the thing and I think too many DVD's lately have been loading TOO many extras on their disks and there is such a thing as overkill. All in all, a nice package. It's great to have this classic film on DVD. Just one note about the aspect ratio: I've seen this DVD on both a widescreen TV (16x9) and a normal 4x3 TV monitor and if you watch the letterbox version on a normal TV you see more of the picture. When viewed on a widescreen tv the picture is cut off at the top and bottom (as one reviewer mentioned, Chris Lee's head is cut off in one scene). When Dracula is talking to Harker at the beginning on a 4x3 tv you see all of Lee's head but it is partially cut off on the widescreen tv. Also in the scene when Harker is writing in his journal up in his room, at the bottom of the screen on a 4x3 tv, you can see in the background the fire in the fireplace, but on the widescreen tv I couldn't see it. Has anybody else noticed this?
Movie Review: One of Hammer's finest!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Horror of Dracula" may not be a faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic Gothic vampire tale, in fact far from it, but it is a fine take of Stoker's novel.In this version, Jonathan Harker goes to Dracula's castle at the beginning under the guise of a librarian, but he actually knows what Dracula is and his purpose is to destroy him. Unfortunately, he is killed by Dracula and the vampire goes to London to prey upon Harker's fiancee, Lucy Holmwood [yes, they changed the names too], and later on Mina Holmwood, Lucy's sister-in-law. It is left to Van Helsing [Peter Cushing] and Arthur Holmwood [Lucy's brother and Mina's husband] to destroy the monster.
Christopher Lee, in his first portrayal of the evil Count Dracula, may not have much screen time, but he makes the most of the limited time he does have. His Count is sensual and evil at the same time - exerting a hypnotic effect upon his female victims that have them eagerly disrobing for the count's pleasure [and fangs:)].
Peter Cushing does an amazing job as Dr Van Helsing, vampire hunter and his commanding presence and determination to hunt down and destroy the monster that is Dracula is so credibly done that I was cheering him on all through the movie.
The female victims are suitably beautiful and helpless in the face of Dracula's charm and manipulations, and though this movie doesn't exactly scream big budget, I thought the production values were pretty decent - the vivid colors, the sets and scenery all enhanced the movie experience.There is a genuine atmosphere of menace that is effectively conveyed via the creepy score and sets.
This is the first horror movie I watched [back on TV when I was ten] and I remember being so absolutely terrified that I slept with a pillow covering my neck for a long time afterwards! Watching it now, the terror effect may be somewhat diminished but my appreciation of the movie and the acting is very much intact. A must-have for fans of Dracula and especially Lee and Cushing.
Movie Review: Who Will Be His Bride Tonight?
Summary: 5 Stars
What a great introduction to Hammer Horror. This wasn't my first Hammer horror movie, but it is certainly one of the best, along with Curse Of Frankenstein.
Peter Cushing is perfect as Doctor Van Helsing, the vampire hunter. He sets the standard to which all others who play the role, tracking the vile contagion to its source. And Lee is perfect as Dracula. I hadn't seen this movie in a long time, and I had forgotten how little screen time Lee actually gets, but it certainly doesn't detract from the story. He presents a quite gruesome, yet seductive monster. The scenes where Dracula (Lee) is presented in his bloodlust are certainly frightening and vivid, and make a lasting impression on the viewer which seems to me one of the reasons why Lee doesn't get more screen time. We're shown the monster, and then taken back into the chase of the elusive creature, wondering where he'll strike next, who will be his next victim. We don't need his constant presence to know he lurking somewhere, waiting for the oppourtunity to strike again. The other characters hold their own, but Cushing and Lee are the real reason to watch this gem.
I don't want to give away the story, but rather let it unfold to the viewer, but I will say the ending is quite spectacular. Also, this movie is seeped with atmosphere, from the castle to the English countryside. One thing I really liked about this version was there were no transformations by Dracula. He never turned into a bat, wolf, etc. and that notion was presented as a myth of the vampire. There was one scene where Van Helsing and another were patroling the outside of a house, waiting for Dracula to appear, only to find out that he gained entrance to the house through non supernatural means. As I said, I don't want to spoil it, so watch and see. This movie may seem a little tame by today's standards, but it gave me the creeps. Seeing Lee as Dracula, especially when he had the bloodlust, is enough to give nightmares.