Horror of Dracula
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Movie Reviews of Horror of Dracula
Movie Review: The Definitive Christopher Lee Dracula film!
Summary: 5 Stars
Whenever Dracula in film is discussed, Bela Lugosi's name is mentioned first (rightly, as he first defined the character), but for three generations of viewers, Christopher Lee has been the definitive Count, and this film marked his debut, and best performance!The story is the basic legend; the vampire comes to England and wreaks havoc on two families, until his final confrontation with Van Helsing (Peter Cushing, in one of his greatest Hammer Films portrayals). The cat-and-mouse game between the two leads is brilliant, as Cushing spends most of the film one step behind Lee, trying to repair the damage while pursuing the Prince of Darkness. Lee, himself, is spectacular, his blood-glazed eyes defiant, his lust of flesh and blood insatiable! The film has liberal quantities of 1950's sex and titillation, and truly paved the way for the Vampire film of today.
Worth noting is the supporting cast of Hammer Film regulars, particularly Michael Gough (who would achieve fame years later as 'Alfred' in the 'Batman' films), as Arthur Holmwood, who incredulously watches his wife become one of the Undead, and spouts dialogue like "How could you SUGGEST such a thing??!!" when Van Helsing tells him a stake through the heart is the only option left for her. Campy, yes, but CLASSIC camp!
This is one DVD that should be an essential for any Lee, Cushing, or Hammer Film fan, and it is a cause for celebration that it has finally been released in this format.
Don't miss it!
Movie Review: Yes: Definitive
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a film which is of the type that is beyond criticism. Ideal viewing for Friday the 13th October. If you wanted to be picky, you could say that it creaks a little. Nevertheless, it also flows. Straightforward in style, it is extremely effective: much more so than the later attempts with their contorted struggles to extract extra sensation. Lee and Cushing are what they are: definitive Dracula and van Helsing. Perfect casting. The atmosphere is spot on. Victorian Gothic, where the slowness of some sections merely increases the dramatic power when Dracula gets into his stride, all glowing eyes and dripping fangs. The female victims are somehow aptly overripe, just ready for a depraved roll in the bedclothes with a smouldering sex-fiend and blood-sucker. Perfect candidates for addiction. Although Harker and the Holmwoods have English names, none of this takes place in England: note that, Sean! The innkeeper sells Gordon's Gin, but otherwise he's sort of Sussex Ruritanian. And so is the undertaker/mortician; dear old Miles Malleson. Well, we mustn't be too precise about exactly where this is happening --- it's all in the mind. Once I was out shopping with my young son, when suddenly I saw Christopher Lee, stalking head and shoulders above the other shoppers. Look! I said to my boy, there's Dracula! A terrific frisson shot through the crowd. This was in Harrods, London.Movie Review: Lee brought new life to the role
Summary: 5 Stars
Chris Lee has had a love-hate relationship with Dracula. He played him in a series of films (progressively WORSE) for Hammer Films, and was often very vocal because the works got farther and farther from Stoker's story. He did a Spanish version where he starts out with grey hair and moustache, and he felt it was a more faithful adaption. Interesting, but it really does not hold a candle to this first outing. The poor lensing and production quality was a stake to the heart to the Spanish version. Hammers production is lush in quality and colour, with the powerful, aristocrat Count (Lee) meeting Harker in his castle in Transylvania, then later flees to England to stalk Harker fiancé. Only, in seducing Mina and Lucy, he comes up against a formidable foe Van Helsing, wonderfully played by the late great Peter Cushing (the second pairing for the duo, the first Hammer's Frankenstein). They were super in their struggle, climaxing in their battle of good against evil swashbuckle style.
Lee was dynamically menacing, with courtly European grace and manners, and turned on the sensual magic that saw him soon recognised as a star world wide. The best of the Hammer Vampires, and despites Lee's often dismissal of the films and others for Hammers, it stands as a brilliant work.
At this price, it's a super bargain!
Movie Review: One of the best Dracula movies around!
Summary: 5 Stars
In the late 1800's in a young man named Jonathan (John Van Eyssen) gets employment from Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) as he finds out later that the Count is a vampire as later he escapes. However the count has an interest in his fiancee Lucy (Cara Marsh) in London to turn her into one of the undead and possibly her brother's wife Mina (Melissa Stribling) as her life is in danger, only Doctor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) can be the only one to stop this foul being.
One of the best Dracula adaptations this side of Dracula (1931), Nosferatu (1922) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). This is the second best besides 1931's movie, here Lee nails the role just like Bela Lugosi as it portrays Dracula as more real than just a guy with slicked down hair or a east Euro accent but more British. This exciting film established British horror studio Hammer besides "Curse of Frankenstein" to be one of the top notch horror movie studios in the world and Cushing was born to be Van Helsing. The acting is quite good and the score is just tremondous, this movie does Stoker proud as it shows Dracula being more vicious than Bela's role.
This DVD has a good transfer on picture and sound with few extras like Cast and crew index, trailer and summary on the production.
Movie Review: Christopher Lee IS Dracula!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was 7 in 1958, when this movie was released. Even at that age, I could sense something vaguely erotic about this film. I recently bought the DVD and instantly relived that feeling.
This film has the mystery and finesse of an old black and white film, but none of the over-done sensationalism of Technicolor which ruins a lot of horror films. There's something classy about the look of this production and the effortless way it seems to flow along.
The performances by all are first rate. Christopher Lee turns Dracula into a suave, well-mannered gentleman; this makes it all the more jarring when he later bursts into a room screeching just before the attack. At all times, there is this animal quality seething just below the surface that no other Dracula film seems to capture.
In this film especially, Christopher Lee's black-caped Count resembles one of Disney's animated creations, Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty. It's interesting that these two films were produced at roughly the same time.
One of my many favorite scenes in Horror of Dracula is the simplest--the camera moves (ACTUAL camera movement--NOT a zoom lens) in for a close up of the sepulcher labelled "DRACULA", over which drops of rich, red blood spatter down. Simple, direct and not overdone. Cool.