Horror of Dracula
by Terence Fisher
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Product details
Actor: Carol Marsh, Christopher Lee, Melissa Stribling, Michael Gough, Peter CushingDirector: Terence Fisher
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Running Time: 82 minutes
Release Date: 1993-12-13
Audience Rating: Unrated
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Studio: Warner Home Video
VHS Movie Reviews of Horror of Dracula
Movie Review: Classic Hammer Horror!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This British-produced film, the first Dracula film from Hammer Studios, is brilliantly directed by Terence Fisher and is a true classic in the long-standing tradition of Hammer Horror. The story is slightly different from the original novel and also from the Bela Lugosi 1931 version, in that the budget only allowed for the story to take place basically within the same area of land. Arriving at Castle Dracula, Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) meets the Vampire Prince (played wonderfully by Christopher Lee), but does not survive his experience unscathed. His undead corpse is found by friend Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing, once again turning in a strong performance and playing off Lee very well), and Van Helsing releases Harker's soul. He then travels to the town Harker lived in and informs Arthur Holmwood (Michael Gough) and his wife, Mina (Melissa Stribling) as well as Holmwood's sister, Lucy (Carol Marsh). A series of occurrences bring Dracula to the town, where he vampirizes Lucy and she is found out and released also by Van Helsing. Then, Mina begins acting strange, and Van Helsing begins to suspect the Prince of Darkness has something to do with it. A climactic chase, the confrontation between Dracula and Van Helsing and the terrific ending really highlight this stellar production. The DVD of this production is a bit bare-boned when it comes to special features, with only a trailer and cast and production biographies, but it is still a true classic 50 years after its original release. I do highly recommend seeing this one and getting it if you can find it. 4 3/4 stars out of 5. Movie Review: A Bloody Good Tale
Summary: 4 Stars
In the 1950s, the classic horror monsters of old had been abandoned in favor of the more trendy atomic monsters. Most of these new monsters were giant bugs or lizards, which naturally have no personalities or psychological motivations for the destruction they caused. Many of the actors who were featured in the classic horror films had passed away, Boris Karloff being the great exception. And no one had seen the likes of vampires, werewolves, or zombies for some time. British audiences, who had no taste for large mutant vermin wreaking havoc on major cities, craved the gothic horror films that had once been so prolific in the 1920s, `30s, and `40s. But then came a sign f hope when a small English studio, Hammer Studios, released their first horror film, The Curse of Frankenstein, in 1957. A year later they would surpass that film with their take on the Dracula mythos.
It's ironic, but many of the best Dracula films are those that stray from the original Bram Stoker novel. Take for example the classic 1931 Tod Browning film, which starred B?la Lugosi as Dracula. That particular film was based more on the Hamilton/Deane stage play than on Stoker's novel, and yet it's probably the most iconic and most beloved Dracula film ever made. So it may be said that a film about the infamous vampire count doesn't necessarily need to be faithful to the novel in order to be considered a great film. With that in mind, I passionately recommend the Hammer Studios' 1958 film, Horror of Dracula.
Intrepid vampire hunters Jonathan Harker and Dr. Van Helsing set out to destroy the most deadly of vampires, Count Dracula. While Jonathan goes ahead to Dracula's castle under the false pretense of serving as Dracula's librarian, he is bitten by a seductive vampire and then imprisoned by the fearsome Count himself. When van Helsing arrives, he releases Jonathan from the cruel fate of the vampire, by driving a stake through his heart. But Count Dracula has disappeared, so van Helsing returns to England. There he goes to the home of the Holmwoods, where Jonathan's fianc?e, Lucy, has been suffering from a bizarre sickness that resembles anemia. Lucy, it turns out, has been bitten by a vampire and soon she dies from blood loss. But later there are sightings of Lucy walking through the streets and attacking little children. Obviously she has become a vampire herself. Van Helsing hunts Lucy down and he realizes that Dracula has come to London. With the help of Lucy's elder brother, Arthur Holmwood, Van Helsing dispatches Lucy, once again with a stake through the heart. While Van Helsing and Arthur search for Dracula, Arthur's wife, Mina becomes Dracula's next victim. With the hopes that Dracula will come after Mina again, Van Helsing and Arthur use her to lure him out of hiding. Dracula, always at least one step ahead of his opponents, strikes again. After discovering Dracula's hiding place, Van Helsing and Arthur chase Dracula back to Transylvania where they must confront Dracula in order to save Mina from damnation.
Like all of Hammer's horror films, Horror of Dracula was made on a tight budget. The film featured all of the hallmarks of the Hammer films including melodramatic acting, suspenseful music, a thrilling story, campy humor, and generous helpings of voluptuous damsels in distress and dastardly villains. Directed by auteur horror filmmaker Terence Fisher, Horror of Dracula is the first in a series of great Dracula films released by Hammer Studios.
The cast includes the inimitable Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing and the venerated Christopher Lee as the snarling Count Dracula. Other cast members include Michael Gough as Arthur Holmwood, Melissa Stribling as Mina, and Carol Marsh as Lucy.
Though the story barely resembles Stoker's and the characters have been switched around and shuffled to the point that they lose their original identities, the film remains a classic among horror fans. Some might complain about the changes in the plot, historical inaccuracies, continuity errors, or the flat dialogue, but Horror of Dracula has its strengths as well. First of all, you can't deny that whenever Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee appear in the same film that the result is magic. Secondly, Terence Fisher revolutionized the horror genre with his wining combination of bloody violence and lustful antics. Most importantly, the film is just fun to watch whether you're a diehard film fanatic (like myself) or just a casual moviegoer.
In conclusion, Horror of Dracula is truly a classic.
With this year marking the 50th anniversary of the film, you would expect Warner Bros. to re-release Horror of Dracula in some special commemorative edition, but they have announced no plans to. For this reason and this reason alone, I give this DVD 4 stars. It deserves an elaborate 2-disc set!
Also recommended:
The New Annotated Dracula by Bram Stoker, edited by Leslie S. Klinger
Hammer Horror Collection
Hammer Horror Series
Dracula - Prince of Darkness
Scars of Dracula
Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter
The Hammer Story
Movie Review: dracula reborn
Summary: 5 Stars
Horror of Dracula, Hammer films
This masterpiece of English film making form the then infant Hammer studios, took unknown actors Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing as the count & Vampire hunter & they made a smash hit! All over Britain & later North America too!
The music Set design lighting is perfect at setting the mood.
& the plot is full of tension as Dracula makes his way across Europe with the good Dr. Vanhelsing not far behind.
A real beautiful gothic experience!
Review by Martin Goodman
Movie Review: I will forever end this man's reign of terror
Summary: 5 Stars
Hard to believe this was made 50 years ago. Superbly acted and directed, there is a raw energy that really permeates from the screen. It's filled with relentless action, unbridled suspense, plus a dark, foreboding atmosphere. This loose adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel sets the standard for romantic gothic horror.
Van Helsing vs. Count Dracula
Brace yourself. These two square off in an intense rivalry filled with hatred and determination. Peter Cushing shines as the confident hero, a spectacular performance. He's fearless, intelligent, and relentless in his quest to eradicate this looming presence of evil.
Christopher Lee matches him step for step in a perfect portrayal of the almighty bloodsucker. He has limited dialogue, but he illuminates this savage vibe with a majestic dignity. Plus he posseses that seductive charm that makes him all the more frightening.
One of the finest renderings of the Dracula theme. Don't miss it.
Movie Review: 'The Terrifying Lover Who Died Yet Lived !'
Summary: 5 Stars
Along with 'the Wicker Man' this is the finest British thriller ever made.
A big accolade but one it deserves. It made me jump out of my seat as a child, the scene where Christopher Lee bursts in, and starts throwing luscious Valerie Gaunt around. Despite my mother having histrionics, and warning me not to tell my teachers that I'd been up late watching horror movies, it set me up for a lifetime of wonderful (and occasionally vile) film experiences. Whether you're a horror fan or not, this is a cracking, lightning-paced, sexy, gothic joy-ride.
The plot is bare-basic (and is detailed elsewhere) so 'Dracula' relies on atmosphere, beautiful visuals and superb acting, particularly Peter Cushing who, despite delayed entrance into the action, is completely believable as the single-minded vampire nemesis Van Helsing.
I read somewhere that Cushing had, in the writers opinion, 'an elegant, yet soulful screen presence'. I'm in agreement. He holds the attention totally when he's on screen, similar with Lee but for different reasons. While Cushing is a better actor, Lee makes an unforgettable impression, and looks genuinely other-worldly.
The music track is sensational. James Bernard. One of 'scores'(sorry!) he did for Hammer during a rewarding (for us!) 20 (another score! Sorry again.) year association with them, and there's not many better than this one. Surprisingly subtle at times, but lets rip with that familiar and startling theme when needs demand.
Quality scenes tumble over themselves, most memorable, and disturbing for me are the ones in the windy, leafy cemetery, where one of Count Lee's female victims, resurrected as an undead, attempts to seduce a child into the joys of vampirism. The tension is at breaking point until a timely intervention by Dr Van Cushing saves the day.
Director Terence Fisher was on dangerous ground here, albeit implicating rather than visualizing, and doesn't it tell you plenty about the mind set of Trevelyan and his minions down at the censors board, who apparently missed the suggestive nature of these scenes, preferring to concentrate on stakings and other such trivialities. Perhaps it was the fact that the child was a girl that foxed them. Same sex and all that(well it was the 50's!)
The ending too is spectacular. A literal reading of the Church's final funeral rites, set to a pounding music and acted out to perfection by two of dear old Blighty's finest. Awesome. Once seen, never forgotten.
Despite being reviled on release for it's sex and violence, nowadays, 'Dracula' is perfect family entertainment of the rainy, Sunday afternoon variety. (After you've been to church of course, can't be too careful!) And don't forget to look out for the comedy-actor colossus, Miles Malleson who sparkles as a bumbling undertaker.
They certainly don't (and have no interest in trying to..) make 'em like this anymore, so treasure this one.
Summary of Horror of Dracula
After Hammer Studios' tremendous success with The Curse of Frankenstein, they struck a deal to adapt Universal's catalog of classics and set their sights first on Dracula. 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 The Brides of Dracula, while Lee absented himself from the series until 1966's Dracula: Prince of Darkness. --Sean AxmakerGeneral Video
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