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Rating:  - dracula reborn
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
Rating: - I will forever end this man's reign of terror
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.
Rating: - 'The Terrifying Lover Who Died Yet Lived !'
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.
Rating:  - Classic Dracula
I saw this film when it first came out in 1958 and I was 14 years old. Then it was just called Dracula. To me it has to be one of the first British movies that was totally exciting while being terrifying at the same time. It's still a classic though obviously terror has reached new heights since then. I like how the women victims were full bodied and not skimpy skinny teenage things.
Rating: - ...the best vampire movie ever made!
This is the movie that redefined how vampires would be portrayed on the screen for all time. Christopher Lee makes the character his own. No one before or since has injected so sinister a villain with so much charisma and sex appeal. Peter Cushing is perfect cast as the vampire hunter Van Helsing. No collection is complete without this cinematic gem.
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