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Horror of Dracula
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by Warner Home Video
Sales Rank: 48242
Price: $9.94
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After Hammer Studios' tremendous success with <I>The Curse of Frankenstein</I>, they struck a deal to adapt Universal's catalog of classics and set their sights first on <I>Dracula</I>. Christopher Lee removes the monstrous makeup from the earlier film and makes his entrance as an elegant, confident, altogether seductive Dracula, a frightening figure of flashing eyes and erotic allure. Peter Cushing, with his hawklike profile and piercing eyes, turns his rationalist intensity to Van Helsing: man of science as crusading vampire hunter. Director Terence Fisher and screenwriter Jimmy Sangster make a few changes to Bram Stoker's tale; gone are Renfield, Transylvania, howling wolves, and transformations into bats. The Count is an old-world aristocrat firmly ensconced in a castle in England and Van Helsing a crusading vampire hunter who plots his demise with an elaborate plan. This is the first film to really mine the erotic appeal of vampires: Dracula seduces Mina and Lucy like a devil tempting good to the dark side through sex--more suggestive than explicit, but daring for 1958. Lee is electric as the ferocious Count, despite his limited screen time, and Cushing turns Van Helsing into a virtual swashbuckler of a hero, leaping and diving through the climax like an aging action hero. Cushing reprises his role in <I>The Brides of Dracula</I>, while Lee absented himself from the series until 1966's <I>Dracula: Prince of Darkness</I>. <I>--Sean Axmaker</I>
Viewer Reviews
"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.
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