HORROR OF DRACULA

 

Horror of Dracula Movie Review

After his buddy Harker (John Van Eyssen) is unsuccessful at killing Count Dracula (Christopher Lee), Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) sets out to take on the monster himself. Coming out in 1958, this was the first time Lee played Dracula and Cushing played Van Helsing--as a result of the box office success and critical acclaim it would receive, Hammer, the company behind the movie, would bring both actors back as their respective characters many times in the years to come. As this movie shows, it is a fine formula, with both actors doing outstanding jobs here. Dracula purists may be turned off somewhat, as the movie, while clearly based on the novel, does take many liberties in steering away from it--interestingly, a lot of this was done for budgetary purposes, as the company did not invest enough money into the making of the film to afford a lot of special effects. The special effects we do have are, well...

I'll let you decide

The pace of the movie is decent, but does tend to slow at times. As for the stars, Lee has under ten minutes of screen time, and Cushing doesn't show up until about a third of the way through the film--thankfully, the supporting cast is strong enough to carry the rest. This movie is also credited for transforming the character of Dracula--and vampires in general--to more sexy beings--take from that what you will. The movie is shot wonderfully, and is certainly one of my favorite Hammer offerings. 

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 7

Horror of Dracula Movie Trailer