Plot: What’s it about?
After he is attacked by one Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen), Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) and one of his female minions dispatches the man, leaving him cold and dead. But this is not the end of Harker’s impact on Dracula, as the wily vampire has decided to venture to a nearby city, which happens to be home to Harker’s loved ones. The area is where Harker’s fiancee lives, as well as members of her family and if Dracula has his druthers, he and his vampire brides will feast upon them all. But someone else also happens to call the small town home, as Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) also resides there. Dr. Van Helsing is a scholar and has researched vampires quite a lot, so whenever he starts to see the signs of an arrival, he takes it upon himself to rid the area of the vampires that have moved in. But even as Dracula feeds upon the locals and gains strength, can he manage to overcome the assault of Dr. Van Helsing?
This is one of the best vampire movies of all time, thanks to Hammer Films’ great production sense, some excellent direction from Terence Fisher (The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Devil Rides Out), and of course, the presence of horror icons Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. As was Hammer’s trademark, Horror of Dracula has immense atmosphere and effective visuals, which is crucial in horror cinema, especially eerie vampire pictures. Lee shines as Dracula and Cushing is superb as Van Helsing, but the rest of the cast is also quite good, including a host of beautiful women in revealing costumes. Add in Fisher’s tight direction and Horror of Dracula really comes together, creating a vampire film that would not only stand the tests of time, but also continue to impress genre fans for decades to come. Hammer is sometimes knocked for a slow pace in exchange for atmosphere, but in this movie, Fisher keeps things shuttling ahead at a brisk pace, so even if you’re not a Hammer devotee, be sure to give this one a chance. I recommend this release to genre fans, though Warner hasn’t done much in terms of supplements.
Although he would assume the role on many occasions afterwards, this was the first spin as Dracula for horror icon Christopher Lee. Of course, he would go on to portray Dracula on screen more times than any other performer, but this was his maiden voyage. Even so, Lee comes off as a seasoned professional and nails the part, giving a performance that shines and really delivers on what Dracula should be like. Lee isn’t as reserved as Lugosi was and in the process, ushers in a more fierce, animalistic Dracula. I still hold Lugosi’s effort to be the definitive turn, but Lee is awesome here and more than establishes himself as one of the finest actors to take on the cape of the elusive vampire. Other films with Lee include The Satanic Rites of Count Dracula, The Wicker Man, Horror Express, Scars of Dracula, and The Bloody Judge. The cast also includes Peter Cushing (The Beast Must Die, The Vampire Lovers), Valerie Gaunt (The Curse of Frankenstein), and Melissa Stribling (Ghost Ship, Crucible of Terror).
Video: How does it look?
Horror of Dracula is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The image here looks acceptable, but it is obvious that time has taken a toll on the materials, which is understandable, as the movie was made in 1958, after all. The print has some minor debris and scattered grain, but looks clean on the whole, though softness is the real issue here. The visuals have a softened texture, which lessens detail and causes a less sharp, often less than impressive image, which is sure to let some folks down. But it looks better than previous video editions, so fans should be somewhat pleased here.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is about what you’d expect from a 1958 mono option, a little rough around the edges, but still solid. The years have caused some imperfections, such as hiss and a tad of distortion in some scenes, but it all still pans out well enough. The music has some slight muffled tones in a handful of cues, but remains acceptable, while sound effects are a little thin, though that’s expected in this case. The dialogue is mostly clear and clean, with only a few tinny instances, so no worries on that front. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, production notes, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
