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Title: Jess Franco's Count Dracula (Special Edition) (2007) |
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Review of Jess Franco's Count Dracula (Special Edition)
- Count Dracula is a highly atmospheric adaptation of the classic Bram Stoker novel directed with panache by auteur Jess Franco (Venus in Furs The Diabolical Dr. Z). Screen icon Christopher Lee (Horror of Dracula Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings) portrays the titular Count Dracula who flees the cold confines of his Carpathian castle for the shores of England where he must feed on the blood of beautiful Lucy (Soledad Miranda Vampyros Lesbos) and Mina (Maria Rohm 99 Women) in order to grow youthful and stay alive. Also featuring excellent performances by Herbert Lom (The Ladykillers) as Van Helsing and Klaus Kinski (Nosferatu the Vampyre) as Renfield as well as an ominous score by Bruno Nicolai (Eugenie de Sade The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave) Count Dracula is presented for the first time on DVD in the U.S.System Requirements:Running Time: 97 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR UPC: 030306812793 Manufacturer No: DVD8127
Product Description
- Jess Franco, the Spanish director known for soft-core films featuring vixens in various precarious situations, successfully incorporates Bram Stoker's Dracula into his repertoire with Count Dracula. Starring Hammer's Dracula Christopher Lee, this film is unrelated to the Hammer films, to its credit. This film may be the most accurate telling of Stoker's classic vampire story, so faithful is it to the novel, even to include many of the book's lines in the script. With an array of truly Gothic, medieval sets, and a cast well-versed in horror, including Klaus Kinski (Werner Herzog's Nosferatu) as Renfield, and Soledad Miranda (Vampyros Lesbos) as Lucy, Count Dracula authentically captures Stoker's careful blend of physical monstrosity and sexual fetish to portray the Count's quest for eternal life. For example, few vampire films besides Franco's take time to feature Lucy and her lover Quincy's blood transfusions that reinforce blood's metaphoric connection to sexual desire. Moreover, Maria Rohm plays Mina Harker with the proper innocence to serve as a foil character to her promiscuous friend, Lucy. Dr. Van Helsing, in this film, gets ample opportunity to sleuth vampirism. Franco relays the story of this Transylvanian count who leaves his castle in the Carpathian mountains for a house in England by accentuating the sexual aspects of the plot, which is what any Franco fan would hope for. Additionally enlightening is this DVD's featurette, in which Franco describes his theories about vampire films. --Trinie Dalton
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Comments for Jess Franco's Count Dracula (Special Edition)
- Posted on 2008-06-19
Classic Horror
Classic telling of the Brom Stoker story.Well worth veiwing; it has atmosphere, and Christopher Lee.
Score: 3
- Posted on 2008-05-28
Jess Franco's Count Dracula
Atmospheric as promised. Christopher Lee is great as Dracula. It's the
worst dubbing I've ever seen. If they're going to the trouble of putting
this on DVD with a great build-up the least they could is re-dub it. If
you are considering buying this I'd say rent it instead.
Score: 2
- Posted on 2008-02-05
Christopher Lee IS the modern day king of the Vampires
One can argue that Christopher Lee's portrayal of the undead count is one of filmland's best. Famous for the Hammer series of Dracula films , Lee is directed by Jesse Franco, who's attempt at telling the tale as Bram Stoker intended falls flat in some areas. Lee's Dracula has always had a menacing aura about it, filled with lust and evil, but here we find a more subdued count with less screen appeal than in previous incantations. The supporting cast is weak (excluding Herbert Lom whose presence is always powerful) with no real substance. Klaus Kinski plays a crazy, but odd part. Maybe it's just that I am so used to Lee in Hammer's versions, with the great sets, costumes and heart punding musical scores,that I just can't get out of this film what his previous films bring. Lee has portrayed the count on film more times than any other actor. Unless you are a die-hard Lee or Franco fan, skip this one and get the entire Hammer collection of Dracula films, you won't be sorry! I gave this film 3 stars only because it is Lee as Dracula, and watching him act is always a treat!
Score: 3 - Posted on 2007-11-14
Has to grow on you
Jess Franco's version of the legendary story by Bram Stoker is highly recommended for horror fans, (especially those of Paul Naschy), but I'm not going to lie to you, I wasn't impressed by my first viewing. But I've found many movies to be like that; they have to grow on you. Still, the musical score is excellent, and only used in certain moments, and the babes playing Lucy and Mina are worth the viewing too. In conclusion, I give it ****.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2007-11-12
As Dracula says: BLEH!!!
Wow, um..I think this was an attempt at a movie that didn't quite make it. I know that there are those who say "hey, it's low budget and it's good," but you know what? I own many a low budget film and they can pull you into the story and wow you even without all those fancy SFX. Franco's Dracula though, disappoints all the way until you reach the end.
Th film claims to closely follow the book. The is true until Harker discovers Dracula sleeping in his scary coffin. Then he jumps out a window and it's downhill from there. Again, as I said, I can appreciate low budgets, but don't make your film worse because of it. We find in Franco's work, close-ups on REALLY fake plastic spiders, a bat on a string, stuffed animals supposedly coming to life though they never actually "move," and countless "night-time" shots filmed during obvious daylight. Why draw close attention to your lack of budget? You could very easily play around these objects, but Franco choses not to.
There are also a few odd plot lines and technical garbage that don't add up. First, the movie is supposed to take place in England, but is obviously shot in Spain. I don't believe the film is supposed to be dubbed, but the audio is off on many parts. In terms of plot: Van Helsing for some reason, randomly has a stroke (though nothing is really said about it), Renfield is a mute and is pointless for the film, and why is Johnathan Harker, who was found in Romania, sent to Van Helsing's in England? Wouldn't he be cared for in Eastern Europe somewhere? How do they even know he's from England?
Anyway, for the good parts: We get to see Christopher Lee do his Dracula thing. That's honestly all I can say about it. Unless you really have the urge to see this movie, don't. At least rent it before you buy this thing. I wouldn't even recommend it to the die hard Dracula fan. Sorry Jess.
Score: 2