Thursday, October 26th, 2006

DRACULA 75TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

A Review





DRACULA ignited the horror film in 1931 with an eerie look and feel that was different from that which American audiences had previously seen. Reprising his stage role, Bela Lugosi set the standard for which all future vampires would be judged with his portrayal as the smooth, seductive, 500 year old vampire. Long in the shadow of FRANKENSTEIN, released the same year, and criticized by film historians as slow moving and talky, this new 75th Anniversary Edition might have you looking at the film in a whole new light.


For this release, the film was remastered and you can see the difference immediately in the opening credits. The pops and hisses that have covered the soundtrack in previous releases, including the Legacy Collection, and largely gone and the picture is also much brighter and cleaner. This will probably be as close to seeing it as it was in 1931 that we will ever get. This alone would have made this disc a must purchase even if you owned the film already but the extras really make it shine:


DISC ONE


Lugosi: The Dark Prince – a tight 36 minute documentary tribute to Bela Lugosi that through clips and interviews with filmmakers such as Joe Dante and Film Historian Steve Haberman explores his career. It shows that Lugosi was an excellent actor who gave it his all even in the most dubious of productions. (Perhaps if more actors and filmmakers had those same Lugosi ethics, film and television would be a lot better than it is.) It is noted with great irony, that Martin Landau won an Oscar for imitating him and yet he did not receive much acclaim during his life. (New)


Monster Tracks – pop up facts about the making of DRACULA that can be read while watching the film. With this feature, you can get many of the facts divulged in the commentaries but you do not have to sacrifice listening to the film’s actual soundtrack (new)


The Road to Dracula – an excellent fact filled documentary that covers the complete history of Dracula from the book to the film and beyond and features interviews with Bela Lugosi Jr., Forrest J. Ackerman and others. (Previously released)


Feature Commentary with Film Historian David J. Skal – an acknowledged expert on the film, Skal’s commentary is rich with facts and highly enjoyable to listen to. (Previously released)


Feature Commentary with Steve Haberman, Screenwriter of Dracula: Dead and Loving It – given the credit listed I was expecting some jokey maybe even spoof like commentary. Instead this was an excellent, thought provoking commentary. It has long been claimed including by David J. Skal that the simultaneously shot Spanish version was the technically superior of the two films. Haberman makes a spirited and convincing case that the Browning version is the superior and visually more complex version and deconstructs scenes throughout the film to show what Browning did and then explains what happened in the Spanish version. I recommend that you listen to both commentaries and then decide for yourself. (New)


Score by Philip Glass Performed by the Kronos Quartet – as the film was largely devoid of music except for the opening credit, Glass was commissioned to create an original score for the film. Musically interesting but at times overpowers the dialogue, it actually changes the feel of the film. I think it was the film’s good fortune not to have a score as the silence adds to the eerie, otherworldly feel of the film. (Previously release)


DISC TWO


DRACULA (1931) Spanish Version with Introduction by Lupita Tovar Kohner – this version stands on its own merits but the real fun is in seeing the differences between the two versions. At the end of the day, which is the superior film can be decided in one word.... Lugosi.


Universal Horror – a fascinating 1998 documentary narrated by Kenneth Branagh that covers the history of the studios from its early days through the golden age of horror in the 30s and 40s and features interviews with a galaxy of people including Ray Bradbury, Forrest J, Ackerman, Carla Laemmle, Sara Karloff, Faye Wray, Gloria Stuart, David J. Skal and others.

1 Comments:

1. Kudos on the horror fan newsletter.
   Wealth of information that is fun to go through!

   Though the spanish version did not have Lugosi I find it superior to the english version.  The spanish version with Lugosi cast in it would have made it absolutely fantastic!!

   Posted by Piri  on  10/27  at  08:14 AM

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