Horror of Dracula
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Movie Reviews of Horror of Dracula
Movie Review: Horror of Dracula (1958)-Color remake.
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw the Horror of Dracula in 1958 when it opened in New York at the old LUXOR Theater in the Bronx. The movie was very well received by many horror film fans including myself and the addition of wide screen color literally added to the scope of this Dracula remake by Hammer films. Note, this film is also available in DVD form in many collections.
The scenes which I found particularly frightening showed Chris Lee as the count in close quarters, fangs clearly visible, eyes red and blood shot and obviously in no mood to be trifled with. Peter Cushing was very good as Von Helsing destroying the count in the greatest decomposition scene ever filmed. I think the light in the counts eyes can actually be observed to wink out when he was overtaken by events.
The act of suddenly running towards the windows on the long table to pull down the curtains covering the sun, as well as the crossing of the silver candle sticks to fashion a cross was a stroke of genius and very well staged for Peter Cushing and the big screen. One negative comment, Hammer films almost never featured a decent musical score. Conversely, the scores included in Universal horror films were almost always magnificent and really enhanced their movie products.
Movie Review: Superb Hammer Vampire Tale With Christopher Lee's Unforgettable Count Dracula
Summary: 5 Stars
1958's "Horror of Dracula", is such a memorable film in so many ways and I still believe it is the benchmark against which all vampire films should be measured. A product of the famed Hammer Studios this film along with their earlier "Curse of Frankenstein", really put this smallish British film company on the map as the definitive producers of modern horror films, a title they held sucessfully right into the early 1970's. "Horror of Dracula", to me is a perfect example of the "Hammer product" whereby the old novel by Bram Stoker was updated and lavished with rich technicolour photography, stunning visual sets, and paired again two peerless horror performers in Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. All this of course was produced on a fairly limited budget and the film unexpectedly turned into a huge financial success upon release in 1958. "Horror of Dracula" forever after tied actor Christopher Lee to the character of Count Dracula which as the years passed often proved to be more of a curse than a pleasure to the actor. However Christopher Lee made the role his own and despite his brief onscreen time he created one of the most unforgettable modern horror characters in his interpretation of the urbane and sexually attractive Count DraculaMovie Review: Definitive version of the Dracula legend
Summary: 5 Stars
Terence Fisher's stunning 1958 adaptation of Stoker's famous novel is far and away the finest of several screen versions.
HORROR OF DRACULA has several points to commend it, all of which converge to make this a true masterpiece of horror cinema: First, Terence Fisher's strongly Christian mythological framework, rarely so brilliantly brought to the screen as it was here; second, Jack Asher's superbly atmospheric photography and lighting, bringing us the most memorable and carefully articulated images of vampirism of all time; third, Bernard Robinson's splendid sets; fourth, James Bernard's score, his most famous, complementing excellently Fisher's blend of fairy-tale, sexuality, horror and drama; fifth, Jimmy Sangster's intelligent script; and sixth, two sterling performances by relative newcomers to stardom, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
This film has haunted me since I first watched it at the age of ten, and it still weaves a powerful spell. Later versions have tended, perhaps inevitably, to be highly derivative, where the Hammer version set the tone for a whole genre of films, putting its stamp irrevocably on the face of Dracula and its surrounding mythology for almost half a century to come.
Movie Review: Hammer's First And Best Dracula Film!!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Horror of Dracula was Hammer Film's first Dracula film. It follows the novel by Bram Stoker loosely with several varations from Stoker's novel.
First, there is the ever present confusion of Lucy and Mina. In the HOD Lucy is Jonathan Harker's fiancee and Arthur Holmwood's sister, while Mina is Arthur's wife. In the novel it is Mina and Jonathan who are engaged while Arthur is courting Lucy who dies by Dracula's bite.
Second, in the HOD Jonathan Harker is turned into a vampire by Dracula in his travels to Dracula's castle to destroy Dracula.
Also the main events in the book occur in London, while in the HOD they occur somewhere on the European contenent.
All in all it is a classic movie, even though it doesn't follow the novel. Even the 1931 Bela Lugosi Dracula did not follow the novel but was based more on the stage version. Actually the only movie to closely follow the novel was 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Hammer Dracula films slowly started to go downhill after the Horror of Dracula, I think because of the screenwriters running out of ideas of how to resurect and destroy Dracula a different way each film.
Movie Review: Hammer's best
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the greatest Hammer film ever made. Starring the two mainstays of British Horror Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
Terence Fisher (the best Hammer director) directs with style and James Bernard produced a score that would be used in variations by many Hammer films over the years. For any musicians out there the chord Bernard uses to signal Dracula's presence is an augmented chord...
Christopher Lee is magnificent as Count Dracula. Bela Lugosi may have starred in the role first but Lee is vastly superior in every respect: He has more screen presence (helped by being 6' 5"), is better looking and most crucially unlike Lugosi he can act.
As Van Helsing Peter Cushing is mesmerising. Whether he is carrying out a blood transfusion or dictating into an early phonograph recorder, the script is delivered with absolute conviction. I always end up believing vampires exist after watching this film!
The ending to this film is perhaps the single greatest moment in the entire history of Hammer films. While the special effects look dated now the realisation of the ending is just a great piece of film making.