Dracula - Single Disc

Difficult not to use superlatives on this one. This is probably the perfect horror movie, forever impossible to duplicate. I guess a lot of the success of the film owes to his director Terence Fisher, who creates a mood of death and desolation. The first twenty minutes of the movie in this respect are extremely successful, in a hieratic, almost silent environment where there is very little dialog. As spectators, we are discovering, like Harker, the lair of the vampire. To be fair to Fisher though, he is helped by the amazing production values of the film, and the work of the genius production designer Bernard Robinson. Then there is Jimmy Sangster's very efficient screenplay...and of course, there is an amazing cast: Cushing, possessed and determined as the relentless vampire hunter, Michael Gough (unfairly badmouthed by everyone on the Blu-Ray!) as his help in the vampire quest and the legendary performance of Christopher Lee in the title role, who became an overnight legend thanks to this part. This cascade of compliments wouldn't be fair if one forgot the very effective music of James Bernard, the ground-breaking special effects by Phil Leakey and Sydney Pearson, and these very sexy "Hammer babes" appearing in full force here for the first time. I'll single out my favorite, the very sexy (albeit not for long) Valerie Gaunt, who was already haunting "The Curse of Frankenstein". Overall this is a classic film, one of the best Hammer movies ever made, and a triumph for Terence Fisher and the whole crew. The Blu-Ray almost brought tears to my eyes: I saw this movie first on the third channel in France more than 20 years ago, in the monthly TV show called "La Dernière Séance" where French rock singer Eddy Mitchell (not his real name!) presented two "popular" movies back to back (westerns, scifi, horror, thrillers) the bulk of them from the 1940s-1960s period. Seeing "Dracula" in 2012 is borderline unsettling, as Harker, Dracula, van Helsing, Minna have NEVER looked more "real": the restoration by Hammer is a real immersing experience and you will "live" this film the way you never thought you could before. Very moving as well to watch these legendary Japanese scenes, long believed to be lost, and who really emphasise the meaning of the film. A really great moment, the feeling of discovering a lost treasure. The extras are overall fine but Rigby was a bit overwhelming in the commentary - and Hearns had problems muscling his way through. Please note that the commentary offers different entries depending on whether one watches the 2007 BFI restoration of the 2012 Hammer one. The documentary was very good and it was great of Hearns to invite the whole gang of Janina Faye, Meikle, Newman, Sangster and Kinsey. I know Chris Lee is missing but it does not matter much. Film buffs all over the UK will relish reading the shooting script - somewhat different from the final result on screen but fascinating. But for me THE massive gem in this list of extra is the towering analysis of the movie by Christopher Frayling, giving here a lecture which is at the same time fascinating and insightful. Well, I guess that now that we have "Dracula" on B-Ray at that level of quality, we can safely die...

I understand the irritation/sensitivity of the person who discovered the lost footage in Japan and his criticism of reviewers on Amazon who have not seen the blu ray yet but are issuing negative opinions. I have seen it and may I reassure him that the vast majority (95%) of the mainstream internet reviewers of this title, who were issued with preview copies, have given excellent accounts of the transfer, prior to its official release on March18th. So the less than positive ones on Amazon are not the consensus. As I say, I have seen a review copy of the film ( so he and Matt are not the only ones) and yes, it does seem very impressive and far better than "The Curse of Frankenstein" disk recently released. The image is clear with generally good definition, black levels and colour, as the original camera negatives were used ( Unlike "Frankenstein" which was taken from the best of source materials available as I believe the "negatives" etc have deteriorated too far, and is clearly far from perfect in terms of either definition or "grain".) The previously cut sequences are not of such solid video quality, as they came from a very water damaged Japanese source print long thought lost - but it's good to have them all the same - so thanks to our colleague for discovering them. They are however alternative takes it seems to me rather than extended sequences of the footage originally in the films. The seduction scene is in fact shot from a different angle to the release print and although very brief, more effective. Despite the "controversy" over colour "grading" I thought it was impressive and am led to believe it is much closer to the film maker's original intentions than the later "high colour" DVD releases. The audio is good too, despite it's dated source, and does not suffer in the same way the opening sections of the Rasputin blu ray did. It is presented in its original format with no pseudo surround. The extras are fascinating, particularly the short censorship section and Christopher Frayling's very informed section on The Demon Lover.. I would recommend you upgrade to this version - arguably one of Hammer's very finest. However I was very happy with the original DVD box set releases of these early Hammer films and in fact prefer that version of "The Curse of Frankenstein" to the recent blu ray release. Still, this transfer of "Dracula", although not quite in the league of the " Quatermass and the Pit" blu ray, is still very good. Read any of the mainstream reviews on the web if you require a fully professional detailed analysis as several provide screenshots of the additional footage too.

Hammers greatest film arrives on blu-ray with a wealth of extras including a couple of previously unseen scenes discovered on a Japanese archived print. However, this new transfer comes with a caveat.... in many scenes, the film sports new revisionist color timing which largely obliterates the beautiful, colorful lighting and rich photography seen in all previous home video and film versions up to the 2007 BFI restoration (actually mostly done by Warner Bros)in favor of a darker, strongly blue color timing. Depending on how one feels about this issue, it may impact one's enjoyment of the film to a small degree. I do have the Blu-ray release and can address directly the talked about issues regarding color timing without bias with the new transfer and comment on the extras which add greatly to this release. My original review didn't really clarify the fact I had a copy in hand and I feel I needed to expand on my comments and perhaps temper my overall opinion based on repeated viewings. First and most importantly, yes, most of the pre-release frame caps on several internet represent to a degree the new "bluer" color grading. The thing is, this color grading is *not* an across the board "tinting," it's very scene specific, notably in many of the scenes represented by posted screen caps. Most of the daytime or brightly lit scenes look acceptable, it's just certain night time or indoor scenes feature clearly heavy handed "new" color timing. Another result of the revised color grading is faces or other lighter objects (look at the clouds in the opening titles) often take a pinkish hue vs the much more natural color grading of any previously seen version on film or home video. Color saturation isn't as strong as in previous home video releases as well, something which is addressed in the Restoration feature. IMO, it's not nearly as bad as it originally appeared to be, but perhaps more problematic than any revisionist color grading (and it is, there's no denying that fact) is the significantly darker quality of the transfer than any previous home video release. Obviously, the decade old Warner Bros dvd release is a bit to bright and on the warm side but I think the BFI went too far in the other direction. In some scenes, detail is unacceptably lost in murky blacks and subtracting the fact this is the film's first home video presentation in HD, it's not a huge step up in fine detail over the previous WB dvd release. One of the unexpected improvements in this release is the audio which is much more robust and full without drawing attention to itself. All said, if you're buy / no buy decision is based purely on the quality of the transfer, I'd still recommend it despite some misgivings. But there's much more.... The "found" Japanese footage is worked into the original cut nicely - especially considering just how awful the footage's condition was in it's original state. The audio isn't a smooth merge when the Japanese footage cuts in, but overall, it isn't a jarring transition and especially the holy grail scene of Dracula clawing a bit of flesh off his face during his death and perhaps more importantly, Cushings additional reactions (he shuts his eyes at one point) adds greatly the the films climax. The extra features are really well done and present a bounty of information for even the most seasoned of Hammer fan. Predominantly, there's a feature on the BFI's restoration where Ben Thompson of the BFI discusses and directly addresses how they came to the overall "look" of the film for the restoration and this home video release. He states "I felt in controlling the overall look of the (color) grade, the most genuine thing to do given the lack of materials was to not push the saturation bias to emulate an (IB) print for example.... we didn't want to put much of a signature that might suggest we're trying to look like an Eastmancolor or IB print .... Really just trying to emulate what I saw on the check print from the camera neg (from Warner Bros which the had produced a new IP used to make the 2002 era dvd?)." That feature goes into detail the work done to digitally restore the damaged Japanese footage and as a whole, the feature is a fascinating and revealing look into the kind of work and decision making processes involved in current film restoration and home video presentation. Another interesting bonus feature is basically the last half of the film taken from the unrestored Japanese footage which had burned in subtitles on the right side. Oddly, the Lucy staking scene looks like an alternate take and is severely cut compared to the UK/US version. As the footage unspools in all it's chewed up, scratchy, skipping glory, the frame almost organically breathes as the image ebbs and flexes in a visceral way today's digital medium can never match. It's Grindhouse at it's best. All in all, despite my misgivings and this thread's rather unfortunate title, the overall package is far from a "Epic Fail." I still am greatly disappointed in the new color grading and darkness of the film itself on this Blu-ray and will hold on to my old dvd, in large part, the effort by key individuals into making this release more than the sum of a clearly classic film makes this a recommended buy.

The first Gothic horror I saw in the cinema, a pre-general release print in 1958, and for shock value, atmosphere, pace, music, set design and real excitement, still the best. Cushing's performance, methodical calm punctuated by bursts of frantic and athletic activity, is the highlight of his movie career (he came to Hammer after much experience in television, where in the early 50s he was one of the BBC's leading actors) and Lee's performance is shockingly powerful, the civilised host turning into a bloodthirsty animal, much more so than any of his subsequent appearances in the role. A highlight of post-war British cinema, admirably, intelligently and lucidly described in one of the extras by Sir Christopher Frayling. Other extras include details of the restoration, and the recently discovered footage from Japan, now incorporated into one of the two restorations on these discs, and amply illustrating the difficulties of the restorers' task. A glance at the packaging suggests a booklet, but alas the small print indicates that this is with PDF-DVD only. A very great pity. This "new", albeit very brief, footage has been one of the main selling points for this 3 disc set, and the implication is that the film is now finally complete. It will probably not become any more complete, but only the final reels were found in Japan, the rest having gone in a fire, and it is not unreasonable to suggest that other material from earlier scenes in the film, not included in the final British release print, might have once existed. I have always remembered, from my original pre-general release viewing, the scene of the vampire woman's staking, shown in shadow.Here we cut away from the silhouette as soon as the first blow is struck, but I remember seeing, still I think in silhouette, a shower of blood spout up as soon as that blow is delivered, then the cutaway. For many years I wondered why I had never seen it again, until I heard of the stronger version for Japan. The colour work on the restorations is immaculate, and the prints well illuminated. Two moments of horror which generally go unmentioned. 1 When the vampire woman is thrown to the floor by the count after trying to vampirise Harker, we see her snarl viciously at the camera: at first it seems she is snarling at the count in frustrated anger, but following the eyelines in the next shot, it is clear her venom is directed at Harker--all she is concerned about is drinking his blood. 2 When, back at his castle, the count is interrupted in his attempt to bury a screaming Mina, although we aren't shown the soil landing, his final shovelful is clearly directed at her screaming face, the most contemptuous of throw-away gestures!

I'm a big fan of the Hammer films especially Horror of Dracula as it's known in the U.S. brilliantly written script, brilliantly Directed by Terence fisher and of course two of Hammers best actors Christopher Lee, Peter cushing so when i found out that Hammer's Dracula was being released on Blu-ray i knew i had to buy it immediately, and i did i bought it on March 18 the day it was released this Blu-ray is a 3 Disc set, Blu-ray Disc plus 2 DVD'S, Disc 1 has both 2007 & 2012 versions, Disc 2 has all the special features it's the first time this film has been released on blu-ray so i watch the blu-ray first, the 2012 version the picture and audio is beautiful, perfect widescreen format, the 2 added scenes from the Japanese version complete the film so well it was emotional watching it and then i watched the 2007 version i didn't understand the difference between the 2 versions so i watched with audio commentary apparently the 2007 version is the U.S. version but the main title has been altered to the U.K. title that's the only difference cause back in 1958 when this movie was screening, Universal was still screening the original 1931 version so warner bros changed the title to Horror of Dracula to avoid confusion apart from that, both 2007 and 2012 versions are pretty much the same in my opinion so i really couldn't tell the difference, you'll have to buy a copy to Judge for yourself but anyway the Distributors added both versions on Blu-ray and DVD for fans i also have the region 1 DVD U.S. release by Warner bros which is the same as the 2007 release except for the added footage now to the special features. a brand new 30mins Documentary about the making of the film has been made, excellent Documentary aswell i've watched it more than once already screenwriter Jimmy sangster has been interview aswell as Janina faye who played Tania in the film plus film critics and other Hammer film Historians it's Disapointing that Christopher Lee wasn't interviewed for some reason i would've like to hear his thoughts on the film the highlight of the Doco is Jimmy sangster he explains alot about the making of the film, the budget, how the script was written etc a Great Documentary for any Hammer film fan the 2nd Doco is about the film's restoration to blu-ray quality and about how the lost 2 scenes were intergrated in the film very interesting Documentary the 3rd Doco is about the Censors of British cinema back in 1958 and how it effected Horror of Dracula film this was interesting aswell but i couldn't see the point, as a hammer film fan i've researched that info on the internet anyway but for first time fans watching the blu-ray version it will be interesting for them. the special features are also on Disc 2 of this set, so if you don't have a blu-ray player the DVD'S are included anyway but the Blu-ray version is much better quality than the DVD, the people involved really did clean the film up transfering to blu-ray quality this film is an absolute classic, still fresh today 45 years later, incredible, still one of the best ever Hammer films made the scene where Christopher lee shows his closeup of his fangs and blood, still scary, hell of a Good thriller. so for any Hammer horror fan i definitely recommend buying this blu-ray/dvd set and watching the blu-ray version and if not, then you can watch the 2 versions on standard DVD.

You know the movie, one of Hammer's finest (though to the true aficionado there's no such thing as truly bad Hammer movie), so there's no need to comment on that. So this version of it then, the blu ray from Hammer/Lions Gate, how does it rate, especially after the slightly disappointing, but still essential, Curse of Frankenstein release? Well, I'm pleased to report it's trebles all round, because this edition of THE Hammer classic is a ungainsayable triumph. There are two versions of the film itself - first, the 2007 BFI restoration, i.e. the buffed up original English cut that has played since its 1958 release. Then there is the re-vamped (sorry, couldn't resist) Hammer version which re-instates footage originally removed from the English release to mollify the censor. The restored footage, comprising additional shots from two key sequences, was only relatively recently discovered and recovered from a badly damaged Japanese print. When you view the unenhanced footage from the Japanese print (one of the many worthwhile extras here) and then watch how the additional footage has almost seamlessly been woven into the new Hammer version, you can fully appreciate and salute the work of the restoration team. (I note that the discoverer of this footage has posted his own review here, castigating the ill-informed muppets who posted `reviews' of a blu-ray package before it had been released, without having seen the restoration but instead basing their comments on some screen shots. Well said sir, and thank you for unearthing this filmic treasure - any chance of locating a version of The Mummy with the tongue removal?). Both versions of the film look wonderful in high def; not pin sharp, no, like some bloodless CGI effects fest, as that was not intended or needed to convey the fairy-tale steeped in dread atmosphere. They are easily the best version(s) of the film yet seen, and the only issue is whether you want to luxuriate in the familiar `censors cut' BFI version or treat yourself to the Hammer version which will allow that extra frisson of pleasure during the seduction of Mina and disintegration scenes. The rest of the package is equally enjoyable. There is the expected making of documentary, using the now well established format of knowledgeable talking heads (Marcus Hearn, Mark Gatiss) alongside the one (or occasionally two if we're lucky) remaining members of the cast, in this case Janine Faye, who apart from Christopher Lee (sadly not involved) is now the only surviving member of the cast. The documentary also utilises footage of an interview with an elderly Jimmy Sangster in which he ruefully acknowledges that, even then, he was one of a few classic era Hammer people who are left. Another highlight is a fascinating half hour `chat' about the film by cultural historian Christopher Frayling. In it he pays due tribute to Jimmy Sangster's innovative, if budget motivated, approach to the material, and floats the deliberately provocative idea that the film is really about the Holmwood's marriage. There are two additional featurettes, one on the censorship problems that the film encountered in England and the other about the discovery, restoration and integration of the Japanese footage. This presumably now clears up the perennial myth about Hammer having deliberately shot `stronger' versions of their movies, or at least certain scenes, for the Japanese market and milder ones for us. It appears that Hammer simply had their sole preferred version, from which the English censors then cut what they thought was unsuitable for English sensibilities, while Japan (and other overseas territories) simply got the original uncut version. (But there was that topless Hazel Court shot for the European cut of Man Who Cheated Death, wasn't there. I'm confused again now.) Anyway, doesn't this suggest the possibility that the Japanese archive may hold full uncut versions of other Hammer movies. Please investigate, O Hammer high ups. In the meantime however, this glorious package will keep us going.

My copy which I pre-ordered a couple of weeks ago, turned up this morning. I spent the early part of the afternoon watching the numerous extras about the restoration, and listening to some of the many stories surrounding the original production which is now 55 years old. Moreover, it was good to listen to at least two of the participants of this amazing production, the scriptwriter, Jimmy Sangster, and the actress Janina Faye who spoke of her experiences which she can recall even though it was such a long time ago. She also admitted that she never actually viewed the film until 1996 and realised what a good film it actually is. Of course, die-hard Hammer fans will agree totally with Janina, for make no mistake, it is a classic, one of the best Hammer productions ever. This three disc edition is a fantastic buy; there is a digital copy, as well as the remastered Blu-Ray edition, and the restored sequences, made possible through months of hard work by the digital restoration team, certainly enhance this film, allowing Hammer fans for the first time ever to see these sequences, which may only last seconds, but they add so much to the overall impact of the film. Film historians will welcome the many extras, some running just for a few minutes, whilst a couple of others run for about 30 minutes or so. I particularly enjoyed the revelation that only one sound stage actually stood in for at least three major scenes; notably the main hall in Dracula's castle; the gardens containing the tomb of Lucy Holmwood, and the room where the final demise of Dracula takes place. The production team just moved the furniture around, used screens to hide the background, and in the gardens, just simply littered the area with vegetation, possibly bought from a local garden centre. Fascinating stuff! They certainly know how to make films in those days on flimsy budgets. As for the final print, it is very good indeed. Not as sharp as it might be, although if it had been, it might have compromised the atmospheric conditions of many of the scenes for which the film is renowned. Good soundtrack as well, with clear dialogue, and the music score composed by James Bernard thunders throughout the opening credits which has also been remastered. An essential buy of a great Hammer classic.

An enjoyable film but not (as many reviews across Amazon have opined) the best screen adaptation of Dracula, an accolade I would bestow upon the BBC Louis Jourdan version. Why? The BBC version is not only (much) more faithful to Stoker but also takes the time to develop the characters. This Hammer flick races along and we get little insight into the being that is Dracula. Many would argue that Jourdan lacks Lee’s presence and menace. Perhaps. But Lee doesn’t really ‘play’ Dracula (especially in the latter films), he more mimes the character, like a silent movie actor. Lees’ Dracula is a series of facial expressions (mournful, angry, lustfully excited), posses and hisses! This film also suffers from some hammy acting (‘oh no, it’s horrible’) and plot holes. The introduction of light-hearted scenes (the undertaker, the border guard) kill any sense that a serious and frightening tale is being recounted. Having watched them all recently, I feel that Prince of Darkness (made 10 years later) is a more gripping tale and the best Hammer Dracula.

主に仕様、特典について述べます。 ご購入まで特典内容を知りたくない方はお読みに為らないで下さい。 英国で活発にBD化が進んでいる英国娯楽映画の殿堂、ハマーフィルムの大傑作です。 本作は本邦封切時に日本（極東）版を劇場観賞したファンしか知らない映像を追加した2012年レストア版が収録されているのが特徴です。 古い怪奇映画ファンには今迄のソフトには収録されて居ないドラキュラの写真をご覧になった事が御有りだと思いますが、その一部が復元された嬉しい仕様となっています。 この件の紆余曲折に関しては石田一氏・編著「モンスタージン１」に詳しく掲載されています。 加えて2007年版の旧レストア版も丸々収録されており、比較検討が可能です。 BD1枚、DVD2枚の3枚組で、BDには本編2種と特典が、DVD１には本編2種、DVD２には特典のみが収録されています。 BDはリージョンＢ、DVDはリージョン２ながらビデオ方式がPALですので、再生環境にはご注意を。 特典は以下の通り。 １．「DRACULA REBORN：THE MAKING OF A HAMMER CLASSIC」2012年製。約30分。 脚本家、ジミー・サングスター、 作家；ジョナサン・リグビー ハマーフィルム史家；マーカス・ハーマン 小説家/評論家；キム・ニューマン 女優；ジャニナ・フェイ（少女ターニャ役） 男優/脚本家；マーク・ゲティス 作家；デヴィッド・ハックヴェイル 作家；ウェイン・キンゼイ 上記メンバーによる｢吸血鬼ドラキュラ｣の映画史的価値やハマープロ、キャスト/スタッフに関する詳細な談話。 ２．「RESURRECTING DRACULA」2012年製。16分55秒。 今回の目玉である、日本（極東）版にのみ収録された映像を再発見、追加したレストアに付いてのドキュメンタリー。 ３．「THE DEMON LOVER：FRAYLING ON DRACULA」2012年製。27分42秒。 作家/文化史家のクリストファー・フレイリング氏による詳細な本作評。 ４．「CENSORING DRACULA」2012年製。9分15秒。 ハマーの恐怖物は本作も含め英国では「X指定；成人向け」のレイティングで有った事は有名ですが、全英映画検閲機構（British Board of Film Censors）による当時の審査の様子を収めています。 ５．「Unrestored Japanese Reels 6-9」35分。 前記東京国立近代美術館・フィルムセンターのアーカイブから発見された焼失を免れたリールの未リストア版を収録。 フィルムの傷、音声ノイズは多い物の貴重な資料です。 ６．短編映画「THE WORLD OF HAMMER. “Dracula and the Undead.」1990年製。24分51秒。 元々はTV放映用で、日本では2003年にエス・ピー・オーから発売された「ハマーフィルム怪奇コレクションDVD-BOX V ‾クリストファー・リー編‾」他に特典として収録されて居た物と同内容です。 ハマー製吸血鬼登場作品のネタバレを含む名場面集。 「吸血鬼ドラキュラ(Dracula)」1958 「吸血鬼ドラキュラの花嫁(Brides of Dracula)」1960 「吸血鬼ハンター（別名・キャプテン・クロノス・吸血鬼ハンター）(Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter)」1972 「吸血鬼サーカス団(Vampire Circus)」1972 「凶人ドラキュラ（Dracula Prince of Darkness）」1965 「ドラゴンｖｓ7人の吸血鬼（The Legend of The Seven Golden Vampires）」1974 「ドラキュラ復活・血のエクソシズム（The Scars of Dracula）」1970 「吸血鬼の接吻(Kiss of The Vampire)」.1962 ７．｢JANINA FAYE READS STOKER」12分18秒。 2012年2月18日、フリッカークラブで開催された「Dracula at the Vault festival」で行われたジャニナ・フェイ（本編の子役タニア役）によるブラム・ストーカー版の朗読の様子。12分18秒。 ８．「スティル・ギャラリー」10分46秒。 約100枚収録。 5秒毎に写真が切り替わります。バックには本編のサウンド・トラックが被さります。 ・音声特典は 本編のみ、Marcus Hearin & Jonathan Rigbyによるオーディオ・コメンタリー付きです。 ・字幕 聴覚障害者用の英語字幕のみです。 特典はＢＤ、ＤＶＤ共通ですが、ＤＶＤ2にのみ、ＰＣに挿入すると復元された撮影台本とハマーの記録家、ロバート J．Ｅ．シンプソンによるライナー付きブックレットがPDFデータにて観る事が出来るとジャケットに有りますが、筆者のPCではデータの存在が確認出来ませんでした。 英国製らしく、愛情と気合が入った素晴らしい内容です。 個人的にはジェームズ・バーナードの伝記を書いたハックヴェイルの音楽とキンゼイによる美術の分析が興味深かったですが、特典には英語字幕無しの為、語られている内容の理解度が薄く、残念です。 後、ご存命なのに、現在のクリストファー・リーのインタビュー類が収録されて居なかったのも惜しかったです。 映像、音声共に良好ながら、画質はＤＶＤも美しい為、ＢＤを観て驚く程向上している印象は受けませんでした。 ともかく、我が国も大きく関連した歴史的盤なので、Blu-Rayは是非とも邦盤を特典込みで発売して欲しい作品です。

Hier gibts wirklich keine Abstriche, die weltweit längste Fassung auf dem Medium bluray zu besitzen, den Dracula Film, der wohl bis dato jedes Horrorfilmherz höher schlagen lässt. Zum Bild: gestochen scharf und liebevoll gemastered kann es auf erschwinglichen HD LED TV's voll punkten, die zusätzlich restaurierten Szenen (Dracula verführt Mina und seine Tötung durch Van Helsing) wurden auch sehr zeitaufwendig und sorgfältig von einem japanischen Print, lückenlos in diese bluray Veröffentlichung eingefügt. Man hat mehrere Fassung zur Auswahl, die erst vor 2 Jahren restaurierte und etwas längere Sonnenlicht-Desintegrierungsszene ist nun endlich nach so vielen Jahren endlich komplett verfügbar, aber mich allein fasziniert der Hauptdarsteller: Christopher Lee ist einfach Graf Dracula!! Obwohl erst 36 Jahre alt, wurde er zur unsterblichen Ikone des blutsaugenden Fürsten der Dunkelheit und machte ihn weltberühmt und ließ immer wieder die Damenwelt bei seinem Erscheinen auf der Leinwand erschauern... (naja zumindest früher war das so). Lee spielt dann (in der Original-Hammer-Reihe) nach sechs weitere Male den Grafen, konnte aber in keinem der Fortsetzungen an den Erfolg von diesem Dracula Film anknüpfen. Das lag sicherlich auch am Drehbuch. Schon in der Fortsetzung weigerte er sich zu sprechen, da die paar Dialoge die man ihm schrieb, zu lächerlich erschienen. In der 1968 entstanden zweiten Fortsetzung (Draculas Rückkehr) wird er gar in der deutsche Synchro von Gert Martienzen gesprochen, der eigentlich üblicherweise die deutsche Feststimme von Louis de Funès war. Aber als der Knochen dann fast völlig abgenagt war, verlegte man sogar den Schausplatz weg vom viktorianischen England in die Neuzeit und ließ Lee gar gegen ausgeflippte Hippie-Teenies antreten... Hier stimmt die Spannung, die Atmosphäre, das Timing. Die Effekte, sehr hart für die damalige Zeit, deshalb wurden alle Dracula Streifen in den Kino prompt mit einem bösen X - Zertifikat ausgestattet, welches bedeutet das nur Erwachsene an der Vorstellung teilhaben konnten. Wenn man dann heute sieht, daß gerade dieser Film eine FSK - 12 Freigabe bekommen hat, dann sieht man doch wie die Zeit sich gewandelt hat. Bin wirklich begeistet von dieser Veröffentlichung, umso mehr, da sehr viele Extras die kleine Bluray zieren, die zusätzlich einen sehr interessanten Aufschluß über die Restauration, die Zensur und natürlich das Making-of, sowie diverse Infos über die britischen Hammerstudios geben. Also für die 20 € kann man hier nur sagen: zugreifen!! jw

Excellent old Dracula movie. I have a book with a title of "One Thousand Movies You Should Watch Before You Die", and this Dracula movie is listed in the book.

Outstanding collection of supporting videos and, of course, the Blu-Ray of "Dracula" restored is excellent. Especially interesting among the bonus features is "The Demon Lover" commentary by Christopher Frayling. Frayling's analysis of the film story and underlying "Dracula" novel is the best, most penetrating I have ever seen.