An Exercise In Nonsense

A Disappointing Continuation

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

How do you review a film which is not only over 85 years old but is widely regarded as an utter masterpiece of early Hollywood cinema? I guess you should start at the beginning ... Chances are if you were to do an impression of the Count, you'd be inadvertently mimicking Lugosi's shining role as the vampire in pursuit of fresh blood while playing a cat-and-mouse game with vampire hunter Van Helsing.This was, of course, not the first film to be based on Bram Stoker's novel - Nosferatu (1922) and the lost Russian film Drakula (1920) borrowed plot points and the vampirical villain, but neither were could use the copyrighted contents of the book. The 1931 film was, however, the first talking Dracula film, meaning that Bela Lugosi (originally from modern-day Romania) invented the Count's accent everyone copies today.Lugosi's successful, if ultimately tragic, career in horror (alongside the likes of Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney Jr) can be traced back to the original Broadway adaptation and subsequent film held in such high regard today. Even when Dracula is uncentered in the shot as one of five characters on a balcony at an opera, he still commands the screen (as you can imagine he surely would've done on stage four years before).Dwight Frye also gives an intense performance as solicitor-turned-slave Renfield. His descent into submissive madness might be considered a bit campy these days, but that laugh on the ship gives me goose bumps every single time I hear it.Interestingly, there's no music in the film with the exception of the classic Swan Lake opening titles. When it's meant silent in Lucy or Mina's pitch black bed chamber, it's totally silent and much tenser than it might've been with a soundtrack. A version was released in 1998 with an orchestral score written by Philip Glass - the music in this version of the film (now the most viewed) is subtle and does its job admirably without too much distraction from the original directorial intentions.While the film is not scary anymore (in 1931, it surely would've been) it's worth a watch for the technical advancements it shows (including a simple tracking shot which was revolutionary at a time of static cameras) and its significance to film and the horror genre. No-one can deny its impact.Many of the film's lines have passed into folklore, Dracula's voice is rarely altered, and his slicked-back appearance became the standard for vampires since. It's not just part of our pop culture; it might just be the earliest inclusion in pop culture full-stop ... and it's still relevant nearly a century later. Best Quote: "For one who has not lived even a single lifetime, you're a wise man, Van Helsing."

Like so many early talkies, Dracula plays like a stiff amateur stage play that happens to get captured on film. The more movies I see from the early talkie years the more I'm amazed Hollywood survived. It certainly went about 12 steps backward from the height of the silent era, in terms of camera movement, photography and even acting. Lugosi's goofy stare is creepy at first, but each time Browning trots it out it gets closer and closer to camp. Henfield over-acting his craziness, Harkar immediately grating on my nerves, the dames being indistinguishable from one another. And the talking, the talking, the talking. Dracula doesn't hold a candle to Nosferatu. It's not even in the same league.

Interesting movie, loaded with little details that are easily missed if you are not paying very close attention to them. i was first introduced to Dracula while watching Abbott and Costello. it was funny to see that the original Dracula had reprises his role in the Abbott and Costello movie. the Dracula in this movie however is a little darker and truly encompasses the meaning of being a monster film.

"Dracula" is a classic character in itself, Bela Lugosi's portrayal of this famous character will continue to be my favorites. This was truly a role he was born to play, the way he carries himself with such sophistication and completely memorizes his audience. The scenery was stunning and Dracula's castle was absolutely breathtaking, and made you get the vibe it was trying to give off. While the acting and scenery were fantastic, it was very slow, and I felt like most parts dragged more then others, and it personally made me lose interest very quickly. However overall, the film was pretty amazing. This film will continue to be a classic and put all the remakes to shame.