Bram Stoker's Dracula (Collector's Edition)

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant but flawed .......2007-09-13

I've waited and waited for this collector's edition while scoffing at the bare-bones release for the better part of a decade. Come on, this is legendary director Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of the most iconic vampire story of all time, surely they could do better. Well, my prayers have finally been answered. 30+ minutes of deleted scenes (which I hear are quite good), director's commentary, a documentary; this is what I'm talking about! The cover is rather silly, as if someone caught Drac without his makeup on and he's shielding his face from the camera, but it's the movie that counts, right?

The film itself is a visual masterpiece that suffers both from it's overwrought, big-budget nature and it's annoying lack of faithfulness to the original work. I mean, if you're going to call it "Bram Stoker's Dracula" the least one could reasonably expect is for the story to stick as closely to the book as possible. The biggest chink in this film's shiny armor is the baffling romantic story that is shoehorned into what was a classic horror yarn. I'm not talking about the romance between Mina and Jonathan, nor Lucy and her suitors -those were in the book- but the romance between Mina and the undead monster that kidnapped her fiance, raped and murdered her best friend, and then brought her back as a soulless creature that feasts on children in the night. Not a good foundation for any relationship. And let's face it, the whole "vampire searching for his reincarnated lost love" storyline is a terrible cliche that never fails to make a film drag. This was a bad move on Coppola's part that compromises the film's integrity in an attempt to appeal to the Anne Rice set. The time spent on Mina and Dracula's romance would have been much better spent on sequences that were left out of the film, such as Drac's wolves tearing apart a mother who comes looking for her child who was stolen in the night by the vampire and Jonathan Harker's attempt to end Dracula's life with a shovel while he sleeps in his coffin; two of the most memorable scenes in the novel (though I've heard the latter, at least, is available as a deleted scene).

The performances are uneven at times, but are overall quite good. Keanu Reeves will always be Keanu Reeves, but his performance doesn't detract from the film as much as it could have since his blandness certainly helps the Mina-loves-Dracula story seem a little more believable. Anthony Hopkins gives an enthusiastic performance as iconic vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing; commanding at times, and at other times bizarre and off-putting. There is a scene which was deadly serious in the book where Van Helsing is attempting to explain the gravity of the threat Dracula's influence poses and Hopkins delivers lines like "We are dealing with forces beyond all human experience, and enormous power. So guard her well. Otherwise, your precious Lucy will become a bi+ch of the Devil! A whore of darkness!" to Lucy's lover while attempting to suppress hysterical laughter. Real classy, Abe! Not much needs to be said about Gary Oldman; he is an unbelievable actor who goes so far into his characters that he is often unrecognizable. As the 19th century vampire lord who has lived for centuries, this one is no exception. Wynonna Ryder plays Mina with an interesting mix of innocence and sexual curiosity and though she comes off as clueless, I'll let it slide since she wasn't the brightest bulb in the book either. Dracula's three brides are portrayed in very memorable fashion: seductive, beautiful, and terrifying. Perfect.

Other than the few major quibbles I've discussed, "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is the most faithful and visually impressive Dracula adaptation to date. There are scenes that will thrill, repulse, titillate, and creep you the hell out, sometimes all at once. While it fails to capture the charm, iconic performances, and legendary status of the original "Dracula" (still my favorite vampire film) this is a worthy update and, with the bonus features, this is an no-brainer for horror and vampire fanatics. If you haven't seen this film you've missed out on a unique, visually staggering, and atmospheric take on the greatest vampire story ever told and you shouldn't hesitate to pick this up.

FINALLY- I've been waiting for this for years!.......2007-09-03

Certain scenes from promo materials & in the script never made it to final editing- Harker swinging a shovel at Old Dracula springing from his crypt, Harker's escape from the Brides, Van Helsing holding the Brides' heads- plus I've heard there's LOTS of Tom Waits' Renfield scenes that have yet to be seen. Between this & the DVD of BBC's COUNT DRACULA with Louis Jourdan, this Halloween is gonna rock!

This collection's edition DVD features incldue.......2007-08-29

Number of Discs: 2
Special Features:
· Video introduction by Francis Ford Coppola
· Audio commentary by Francis Ford Coppola
· Documentary
· Deleted scenes
· Trailer

Almost A Classic.......2007-08-24

I Love Almost Everything About This Film.
Beautiful Sets. Beautiful Costumes. Beautiful Cinematography.
Great Adaptation Of The Story. Great Acting. Except...
Please Notice That Whenever KEANU REEVES Appears On Screen, The Air Is Totally Sucked Out Of The Film!
Could He PLEASE Have At Least A Little Energy?
If You Can Make It Through His Time On The Screen Without Passing Out Or Throwing Something At Your TV, As A Dracula Fan, You Should Enjoy This Film.

GREAT VAMPIRE FILM OF THE DECADE.......2007-08-08

I LOVE FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA AS A DIRECTOR AND HE MADE A OUTSTANDING FILM ABOUT BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA HE'S A SUPERMAN WHEN IT COMES TO FILM I LOVE ALSO THE PERFORMANCE OF GARY OLDMAN IN THIS FILM HE ALSO APPARES IN HARRY POTTER AND HE'S A GREAT ACTOR . PLUS YOU COULD NOT FORGET WYNONA SHE'S EXCELLENT AND SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS AS VAN HELSING AND KEANU REEVES AS JOHNATHAN HARKER THE MOVIE HAS A GREAT CAST SO I JUST DON'T GIVE IT 5 STARS BUT THE WHOLE 100 STARS [GREAT FILM RECOMMENDED] YANELYS

Average customer rating:

A beautifully shot film that much like Dracula, has no soul!
Great costumes and set design cannot overcome an overblown,poorly acted film in "Bram Stoker's"????DRACULA
Good, but not great
Dracula the Painting: As Beautiful and Boring as Art Can Be
All time favored

Bram Stoker's Dracula
Starring: Gary Oldman , Winona Ryder , Anthony Hopkins , Keanu Reeves , and Richard E. Grant
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0800177177
Release Date: 1997-10-07

Amazon.com

With dizzying cinematic tricks and astonishing performances, Francis Coppola's 1992 version of the oft-filmed Dracula story is one of the most exuberant, extravagant films of the 1990s. Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder, as the Count and Mina Murray, are quite a pair of star-crossed lovers. She's betrothed to another man; he can't kick the habit of feeding off the living. Anthony Hopkins plays Van Helsing, the vampire slayer, with tongue firmly in cheek. Tom Waits is great fun as Renfield, the hapless slave of Dracula who craves the blood of insects and cats. Sadie Frost is a sexy Lucy Westenra. And poor Keanu Reeves, as Jonathan Harker, has the misfortune to be seduced by Dracula's three half-naked wives. There's a little bit of everything in this version of Dracula: gore, high-speed horseback chases, passion, and longing.

Customer Reviews:

A beautifully shot film that much like Dracula, has no soul!.......2007-08-29

With the talent involved in this one, it should have been great, but with all the attention on the look of the movie, they forgot to give the creature a soul. Gary Oldman is also a very poor Dracula, and along with Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder give the film no one to care about. Still the film looks good! JUST NO LIFE INSIDE!!!!

Great costumes and set design cannot overcome an overblown,poorly acted film in "Bram Stoker's"????DRACULA.......2007-08-07

I'm sorry, but what was this mess? Was it a "penny dread" melodrama, a comedy,a spoof....what it was not was "Bram Stoker's" novel for sure! I had every intention of being dazzled and well-involved with this film starring a well-known cast and top director (Coppola) and Executive Producer (Michael Apted). Upon getting into the film I started to feel amused at just how ridiculous the whole movie was, and I started to actually wonder if this was meant to be a serious and faithful rendering of Stoker's book, or was this intended to simply gross me out with wooden acting, bad dialogue and some of the most inane makeup and special effects that I have ever seen? I still am not sure what the final intention was, but I can firmly say that this was not the book, and it was terrible.Style (if that is what you want to call what we have here!) cannot win out over substance! Gorgeous costumes (really?), and supposedly great set design (it looked like community theatre) simply cannot, in my mind, make up for terrible acting (Ryder and Reeves accents and line delivery is positively laughable) and a story so far removed from what was supposed to be Bram Stoker's. The film should have been called simply COPPLOLA'S DRACULA and not give any credit to Stoker. Stoker would have declined any connection to this film!.That aside, the film is overblown, pretentious and does not succeed in scaring or creating any suspense.The story is as chopped up as any screenplay I have yet to see (James Hart wrote HOOK...hmmm!).A truly major disappointment despite any Awards it may have received.Cannot be recommended in the slightest. I will give anyone my copy who wants it as long as you pay for the shipping!

Good, but not great.......2007-08-02

This early 1990's version of the classic Bram Stoker story has a lot going for it. The director is Francis Ford Coppola who made The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. Combine this with a cast including Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves and you'd have thought this was a recipe for a masterpiece - sadly not I'm afraid.

Although visually its very impressive, especially in the excellent first half hour, in general the whole thing is hugely overblown and in a lot of cases over-acted. I am a big fan of Anthony Hopkins, but in the key role of Van Helsing he just overplayed his part too much. A little less ham please Sir Anthony. However, its unfair only to level criticism at one actor. In general this applies to the whole cast. Gary Oldman although not as bad as Hopkins has the same problem. Perhaps we should blame Coppola.

Lets be positive though. The music score by Wojciech Kilar is excellent and I bought the soundtrack recording of this when it first came out. In many ways his score is reminisant of James Bernards great scores for the Hammer Dracula films. Furthermore in comparison to the truly awful 'Van Helsing' (2004) this IS a masterpiece. So this is a good film, with some flaws yes, but very entertaining nevertheless, and I have bought it.

Dracula the Painting: As Beautiful and Boring as Art Can Be.......2007-07-30

Here's a formula that should make an absolute masterpiece:

Take the best book ever written in its genre, hand it over to an Oscar winning director, make brilliant casting decisions, then stir for a couple of hours. Alas for Bram Stoker's Dracula, a dish with all the right ingredients that just, well, overbaked in the oven or something.

Here's the good news: the movie LOOKS great. Really great. And the first ten minutes--which are, easily, the best ten minutes in the movie--are just as nightmarish and bloody as any fan of horror stories or vampire tales could want. Furthermore, the performances are excellent, espcially Gary Oldman's, Winona Ryder's, and (believe it or not) Keanu Reeves.

But, boy, outside the written page, does this story ever drag. Hopkins and Waits (as Helsing and Renfield) gamely overplay their parts in a lost attempt to liven the movie up, but they become more distracting than diverting. Make no mistake, this was a deliberate art piece, eye-candy ad nauseum, and anyone trying to unearth a little energy from the flat landscape of this movie simply disrupts the director's misguided vision.

I felt like I was watching one of the paintings in Rowling's Harry Potter books. Sure, they move, they talk, they're enchanting--but they're not really alive. And so it goes for yet another disappointing adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel of subtle terror. The subtlety just doesn't translate to the big screen. So sad.

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire novel "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy.")

All time favored.......2007-07-30

Thsi is still my all time favored. I look at it as a love story. I gave mine away. I think I need to buy it again and keep it.

Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Set, No Problems Viewing
Very Interesting
Should have read the other reviews before purchasing.....
Night Creatures
hammerseries

Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)
Starring: Hammer Horror Series
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009X770O
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Description

Hammer Films, one of the most celebrated horror studios in the history of cinema, presents 8 classic horror films in one collection. From Dracula to Frankenstein, werewolves to phantoms, the Hammer Horror Series showcases some of the most terrifying monsters in the history of cinema and features legendary performances by Peter Cushing, Oliver Reed and Janette Scott.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Set, No Problems Viewing.......2007-08-03

I purchased this set when it first came out, about two years ago. I put it away for several months, as it was to be a Christmas present. Then I began reading all the negative reviews about these disks freezing up. As a result, I didn't bother opening the set and figured it was money down the drain.

Several months ago I decided to check these disks to see if at least some of the disks would play. Lo and behold, every one of the eight films played fine and looked gorgeous to boot. I cannot believe that my set was the only one produced without flaws. I agree with another reviewer that people who have problems with these disks may be trying to play them on a cheap DVD player. If you bought your player for $30 or $60, for god's sake break down and buy a decent one.

It's true that this set contains no extras, only the 8 movies. It's also true that the disks are double-sided, which means you have to be extra careful not to damage them. But the films look better than they ever have, and they are all terrific movies (including Paranoiac and Nightmare). How on earth anyone can complain about getting 8 fine films in gorgeous transfers for so little money is beyond me.

My purpose in writing this review is to put out the word to folks who might want to buy this set but are afraid to: As long as you have a decent player, these movies play fine. Ignore the naysayers, buy the set, and enjoy!

Very Interesting.......2007-07-03

This collection contains eight movies that propose a different kind of suspense and horror. The most of them are filmed in color, but there are two (Paranoia and Nightmare) that were done in black and white. Although the temes are classic of the horror movies( vampires, werewolfs, etc), the style of the cinematography is different.

If you like the good horror films, this is an excellent choice.

Should have read the other reviews before purchasing............2007-06-06

I was so excited when my Hammer Horror Series DVDs came in the mail yesterday. But when I started watching it last night, during Curse of the Werewolf, it completely froze up. I should have read the other reviews of this before purchasing. I didn't even bother to watch any of the other films because I finally read all the negative reviews and am just going to send it back. I truly hope Universal has changed from DVD-18 to DVD-9, because I was really anticipating watching these!

I hope the problem has been fixed by this time.

Night Creatures.......2007-05-13

Remembered from my youth, really enjoyed catching up with it again. I could not get my player to play without the subtitles but it didn't spoil it.

hammerseries.......2007-04-11

save your cash.this is a letdown collection.don't misunderstand:that's not to say that hammer studios failed to live up to their usual great standards concerning the horror movie genre;it's the powers-that- be that determine which movies go into a particular collection.no studio makes great movies with every attempt;hammer's no exception to this rule.there's really only one good movie in this collection(evil of frankenstein):brides of dracula is also passable.everything else...junk.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Superbit Collection)

Average customer rating:

A beautifully shot film that much like Dracula, has no soul!
Great costumes and set design cannot overcome an overblown,poorly acted film in "Bram Stoker's"????DRACULA
Good, but not great
Dracula the Painting: As Beautiful and Boring as Art Can Be
All time favored

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Superbit Collection)
Starring: Gary Oldman , Winona Ryder , Anthony Hopkins , Keanu Reeves , and Richard E. Grant
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005R23X
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Amazon.com essential video

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format.

Customer Reviews:

A beautifully shot film that much like Dracula, has no soul!.......2007-08-29

Great costumes and set design cannot overcome an overblown,poorly acted film in "Bram Stoker's"????DRACULA.......2007-08-07

Good, but not great.......2007-08-02

Dracula the Painting: As Beautiful and Boring as Art Can Be.......2007-07-30

All time favored.......2007-07-30

Thsi is still my all time favored. I look at it as a love story. I gave mine away. I think I need to buy it again and keep it.

Hammer Horror Collection (The Curse of Frankenstein / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave / Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed / Horror of Dracula / The Mummy / Taste the Blood of Dracula)

Average customer rating:

Hammer Productions- 6 Legendary Classics of Gothic Horror!
oldie but goodie
Killer Hammer Collection
When horror films had stories.
the rebirth of gothic horror at the movies

Hammer Horror Collection (The Curse of Frankenstein / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave / Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed / Horror of Dracula / The Mummy / Taste the Blood of Dracula)
Starring: Peter Cushing , Hazel Court , Robert Urquhart , Christopher Lee , and Melvyn Hayes
Director: Terence Fisher , and Freddie Francis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Horror | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0001FVEAY
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Description

A collection of horror classics from Hammer Studios. Six films that feature horror stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing-- Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Frankenstein Must be Destroyed, Horror of Dracula, The Mummy, Taste the Blood of Dracula.

Customer Reviews:

Hammer Productions- 6 Legendary Classics of Gothic Horror!.......2007-04-26

The legendary British film studio, Hammer Productions began its climb to the top of the horror film genre with its Technicolor release of "The Curse of Frankenstein." Teaming Peter Cushing with Christopher Lee for the first time- the result is pure movie magic and the beginning of what was to become a beautiful friendship. As well as a great time for movie going gothic horror fans as Hammer began churning out one classic after another. This set of Hammer horror includes:

"The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957)
Baron Victor Von Frankenstein, (Peter Cushing) is in prison for murder and trying to evade the guillotine. While there he tells a priest how he and his mentor, Paul Krempe, (Robert Urquhart) had performed many scientific experiments, eventually leading to the resurrection of a dead body. Due to an accident, that damages the brain intended for Frankenstein's creation, the experiment goes horribly wrong. Instead of the intelligent being Frankenstein set out to create- a hideous monster (Christopher Lee) rises from the laboratory table! The baron's obsession and the monster's homicidal nature cause the deaths of several of those around them. Finally the Baron is confronted by an enraged monster about to throw Victor's fiancée Elizabeth, (Hazel Court) from the castle parapet. The DVD release has a clean transfer and the audio is vibrant. Great use of color and the studio sets and costuming are used to full advantage to set the gothic atmosphere to perfection. The beginning of Hammer's rise to the top of the Horror genre and the first of many classics to come!

"Dracula Has Risen From The Grave" (1968)
When his castle is exorcised, Dracula (Christopher Lee) plots his revenge against the Monsignor (Rupert Davies) who performed the rites by attempting to make the Holy man's young niece, Maria (Veronica Carlson) his bride. Great story and very enjoyable performances by the entire cast make this entry in Hammer's `Dracula" series a real treat!

"Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed!" (1969)
Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is once again working with illegal medical experiments. Together with a young doctor, Karl Holst (Simon Ward) and his fiancée Anna Spengler (Veronica Carlson) they kidnap the mentally sick Dr. Brandt, (George Pravda) to perform the first brain transplant ever!

"Horror of Dracula" (1958)
After Jonathan Harker (John Van Eussen) attacks Dracula (Christopher Lee) at his castle, the vampire travels to a nearby city, where he preys on the family of Harker's fiancée. The only one who may be able to protect them is Dr. Van Helsing, (Peter Cushing) Harker's friend and fellow-student of vampires, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost! The first in Hammer's "Dracula" series and possibly "the best" gothic vampire movie ever made! Lush visuals, great atmospheric music and studio sets, along with outstanding cast performances make this Hammer's crowning jewel of gothic horror!

"The Mummy" (1959)
Three British archeologists (including Peter Cushing) discover the grave of an important Egyptian female priestess (Yvonne Furneaux) who has died about four millennia ago. But when they open it a bad curse falls on them for having woken up the mighty "Guard of the Grave" (Christopher Lee) who was buried with the priestess. Hammer once again proved its ability to bring a classic horror story to vibrant life! "The Mummy" is perfectly wonderful in it's story telling, costuming, studio sets, and the cast performances are superb!

"Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970)
Three elderly distinguished gentlemen are searching for some excitement in their boring lives and get in contact with one of count Dracula's servants (Ralph Bates). During a nightly ceremony they restore The Count (Christopher Lee) back to life. The three men kill Dracula's servant, and for revenge the Count makes sure that the gentlemen are killed one by one by their own sons. An original ideal for Hammer's `Dracula" series makes this one quite enjoyable. Ralph Bates really puts in a fine performance as Dracula's devoted servant- he's so believable!

"THE HAMMER HORROR COLLECTION" is a great box containing some of the Production Studios finest. If only a volume 2 or even a volume 3 would have followed! Hammer Studios truly set the bench mark for the gothic horror genre, and as of yet, no other studio has come close to meeting Hammer's success!

oldie but goodie.......2007-01-10

I have wished for this series for a long time. I got it at a reasonable price in a very short time.

Killer Hammer Collection.......2006-12-13

You cannot go wrong with Hammer Horror of any type, however, this collection beats all the other Hammer collection thats out there today. If you want great horror, then this collection is the best to start off with any true Hammer fan. Cushing and Lees best work to date. Highly Recommended!!

When horror films had stories........2006-05-14

In the last 25 years, we've been bombarded with horror films designed to shock rather than scare. We have Jason, a mindless murderer back from the grave, Freddie, a murderer who haunts our dreams, and Chucky, a little doll who likes to kill people. I'm not saying these newer films are bad. They're just not as good as the older ones.

Case in point, the horror films released by England's Hammer studios from the late 50s into the 70s. All of these films have villains, murderers and shock. But they also have interesting stories. They're not mindless.

This gem of a collection is a great starting point for somebody interested in owning Hammer horror films. There are other Hammer films out there besides these, but these are some of the best.

The Curse of Frankenstein. This is where it all started. Peter Cushing is excellent in his sinister portrayal as Victor Frankenstein, and Christopher Lee is an admirable monster.

The Horror of Dracula. Peter Cushing is back, and is great this time around as Van Helsing. Christopher Lee plays the infamous count for the first time.

The Mummy. This is the best remake of the Boris Karloff original. Lee stars again, this time as Kharis, a resurrected mummy out for revenge against those who desecrated his beloved Ananka's ancient tomb. Peter Cushing is one of the people he wants to get even with.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. Perhaps Cushing's most sinister stint as Dr. Frankenstein, this time stopping at nothing to make history in the science of brain transplants.

Dracula Has Risen From the Grave. Lee's third stint as the evil count, this time using a priest to exercise his agenda of death and destruction.

Taste the Blood of Dracula. Lee's fourth go-around as the blood-sucking monster, this time seeking revenge against the three men who murdered his disciple.

All of these films are beautifully presented in anamorphic widescreen. The colors, particularly the red, stand out.

the rebirth of gothic horror at the movies.......2006-04-22

this fantastic collection of the best hammer horror movies is just what the true horror movie fan has been waiting for. from frankenstein,dracula,and the mummy you get them all. while the hammer frankenstein movies are fun and i love them,i think the dracula films are the best the studio ever did. the dracula's always had the greatest deaths for the count and the one's in this set are the best. the one shot cushing&lee mummy is also one of the best mummy movies ever(right behind karloff's mummy)and a true treat. the transfers are great and the colors,so important to the hammer movies are like new. set back and let some of the masters of horror show you how it should be done.

The Curse of Frankenstein / Taste the Blood of Dracula

Average customer rating:

What Was the Point
HAMMER HEADS
a good hammer house double feature
Great Bargin But Why ?

The Curse of Frankenstein / Taste the Blood of Dracula
Starring: Christopher Lee , Geoffrey Keen , Gwen Watford , Linda Hayden , and Peter Sallis
Director: Peter Sasdy , and Terence Fisher
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009UZG5A
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Description

You can't keep a good monster down - a point proven in The Curse of Frankenstein, the film via which Hammer Studios revived Gothic horror in an era dominated by sci-fi scarefests. In the first of many fright-film collaborations, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing star in a tale about the family whose grasp of life's secret has monstrous consequences. Next, Lee dons the cape of the notorious evil one in Taste the Blood of Dracula. Society bigwigs cheat on their wives during a night out, but there's no cheating death when they try too late to back out of ceremony that revives the Count. Sink your teeth into this one, horror fans!

Customer Reviews:

What Was the Point .......2006-01-08

"The Curse of Frankenstein" is The Best of Hammer's Frankenstein Series But Why Pair this with "Taste the Blood of Dracula" one of the worst in Hammer's Dracula Series now I would Have Got This If instead of "Taste" maybe "Horror of Dracula" Where's The fun in this

HAMMER HEADS.......2005-09-07

CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN has the distinction of being the first Hammer production to achieve notoriety and popularity. The initial entry in the several sumptiously produced, overly melodramatic entries, this horror flick finds Peter Cushing as the dedicated if somewhat demented scientist who wants to create his own being. The luscious Hazel Court (Masque of the Red Death) plays Elizabeth, Frankenstein's naive fiancee and veteran character actor Robert Urquhart is the stalwart friend Paul. Future Dracula himself Christopher Lee steps in as the monster, but he's vastly underused and not all that frightening. We've become so immune to true horror during the last fifty years that a film like CURSE OF FRANKESTEIN seems hopelessly dull. But it's the production values and the sincerity of the actors that have made these Hammer movies such classics.
The second film, TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA, made in 1970 is reputedly one of Lee's least favorite Dracula films. Playing out like a kind of drawing room mystery, it's tale of revenge overshadows the terror of its vampire roots and leaves Lee with little to do but appear menacing from time to time. Still, with its vibrant colors and sincere cast, TASTE is far better than many of the 2000 vampire sagas. Overall, if you are a fan of those unique Hammer films of the 50s through the 70s, you'll want this in your collection. The transfer is quite good.

a good hammer house double feature.......2005-09-01

This is a good package of the curse of frankenstein and taste the blood of dracula they are both widescreen the way i like them too bad it didn't include extras the one i got is a 2 sided disc wish they would just make them like all the dracula's in order on double discs and all the frankensteins in order and all widescreen with extras would be nice if they remixed them with dolby surround good movies for haloween or a hammer collector.price was reasonable too.

Great Bargin But Why ?.......2005-06-30

This will be a strange deal I mean "Curse of Frankenstein" was Good But why "Taste the Blood of Dracula" this would have been Great If they had put instead of "taste" maybe "Horror of Dracula" or "The Mummy" I am going to get this only because the case which Holds my Copy of "Curse of Frankenstein" is banged up on the inside,the holder for the disk was broken when I first Got it Back in 2003 Great Deal but Could have Been Better

Average customer rating:

Not what I had expected....
worst acting ever.
good movie
Dracula's curse
An edited version of an Italian min-series that updates Dracula to the Budapest of today

Dracula's Curse
Starring: Patrick Bergin , Giancarlo Giannini , Hardy Krüger Jr. , Stefania Rocca , and Muriel Baumeister
Director: Roger Young
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000F7NF
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Customer Reviews:

Not what I had expected...........2007-04-29

Rented this for a Saturday nite chiller thriller. I realize this was a tv
movie from Europe with a limited budget but putting a modern spin on
this classic tale didn't have much bite. I couldn't get past the way
these actors came across, felt like they were reading their scripts to
each other. There really wasn't much in the scare dept. a few good sets
here and there doesn't make a good film and this one fell short in every
way. Three stars is more than it deserves.

worst acting ever........2006-09-05

i'm only 15 minutes into this film and i'm finding it hard to keep watching.

this is quite possibly the worst acting/directing i've ever seen in a movie.

good movie.......2006-07-27

It was a rather faithfull version to the book, althought the action takes place not in england but in budapest

Dracula's curse.......2005-11-18

What can I say about this film? The characters simply do not have any personality. And to be honest, I just don't like any movie that only has an absolute evil, an absolute good and nothing in bwteen. It is a good movie if you just want to know the plot, but then why not just watch the 1992 version of Dracula. The only reason I give it 2 star is because the story is pretty close to the original novel.

An edited version of an Italian min-series that updates Dracula to the Budapest of today.......2005-10-30

"Dracula's Curse" is a 102-minute truncated version of the 163-minute Itallian television mini-series "Il Bacio di Dracula" ("The Kiss of Dracula"), which retells Bram Stoker's gothic horror story in the modern day setting of Budapest. This time Jonathan Harker (Hardy Krüger Jr.) is an investment banker working in Eastern Europe who has become engaged to Mina Murray (Stefania Rocca), and is celebrating with his friends, English diplomatic official Arthur Holmwood (Conrad Hornby), businessman Quincy Morris (Alessio Boni), and the funny loving Lucy Westerner (Muriel Baumeister). After the ball and a quick spin in his new sports car, Harker has a late night meeting the Vladislav Tepes (Patrick Bergin), who wants Harker to work for his "uncle." Meanwhile, at the local insane asylum, Dr. Seward (Kai Wiesinger) is dealing with one of his patients, Roenfield (Brett Forest).

Of course those well-versed in the lore of vampires in general and Dracula in particular will recognize the variation of Vlad Tepes as being the name of the "real" Dracula of history, the Wallachian prince known as the Impaler. What threw me at first was the whole bit about Dracula's uncle, because the whole idea that Dracula becomes younger as he gets new blood that we have seen in the past (e.g., "Bram Stoker's Dracula"), is abandoned this time. Not only does Bergin play both Tepes, we go back and forth from the younger to the older throughout. This becomes problematic because the older Vladislav is the more imposing and interesting figure of the two, especially since the younger one smacks too much of James Bond at time. At least the older one has something of a Romanian accent (most of the time, anyhow).

The basic narrative of Stoker's novel is intact, with the other glaring difference besides bringing the story a century into the future being that Abraham Van Helsing is now replaced by Dr. Enrico Valenzi (Giancarlo Giannini). He proves to be the one character that works well in the 21st century, mainly because the teleplay by Eric Lener and director Roger Young allows him to discuss the existence of vampires from a 21st century perspective. However, the resent of the vampire hunters are just young plastic types who would rather be partying, driving fast cars, or running around half-dressed in the middle of the night. There are times when I was reminded of "Dark Shadows," but this soap opera is not as compelling. The authority that Valenzi holds over the group ends up being by default, because he is smarter than all of them put together. Well, the guys, for sure, since Mina has some moments.

Granted, we are watching a mini-series that has had an hour chopped off of it, and I have seen what that has done to even great mini-series like "Shogun" when that sort of butchery happens. So it could well be that "Il Bacio di Dracula" in its entirety is superior to "Dracula's Curse." Then again, it could be that what was cut was more of the soap opera elements that disengage our interest. Ultimately, the paradox of "Dracula's Curse" is that while it indeed convinces us that a modern retelling of the original Dracula story can work, this movie version of the mini-series does not carry it off. For every scene that makes you sit up because things are getting interesting and well-played, there are two scenes where things are going backwards (often involving characters floating and/or Bergin opening and closing his cape). The end result is that while this version is of some intellectual interest, "Dracula's Curse" lacks enough of a pulse for it to be anything more than a curiosity to fans of vampire flicks.

Average customer rating:

ENJOYABLE EURO-CAMP TRASH GEM....
Titillating Italian vampire tale looks great on DVD
Oddly effective

Playgirls & The Vampire
Starring: Walter Brandi , Lila Rocco , Alfredo Rizzo , Maria Giovannini , and Tilde Damiani
Director: Piero Regnoli
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000JMPH
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Description

Made in 1960, Piero Regnoli's "The Playgirls and the Vampire" is one of the earliest Italian horror films. After skipping out on an unpaid hotel bill, a busload of curvaceous showgirls is forced off the road by a thunderstorm. They prevail on the hospitality of a nearby castle, where the reclusive Count Kernassy nearly orders them away--until he sees Vera, a leggy dancer who's a dead ringer for his beautiful ancestor Margherita! Unfortunately, Vera is also attractive to the Count's 200 year old, bloodthirsty ancestor--who's a dead ringer for his descendant!

Customer Reviews:

ENJOYABLE EURO-CAMP TRASH GEM...........2002-09-12

Hilariously awful movie about a busload of showgirls and their disreputable manager who break down outside a spooky castle after running out on their hotel bill. Little do they know the hospitable count who owns the castle is a vampire. The girls wander around in various states of undress and practice their tacky "dance routines" while the count eyeballs them and his spinsterish housekeeper mutters snide remarks. One girl falls prey to the vampire and comes back in the nude! Wearing nothing but fangs, she attempts to vampirize the manager. The heroine becomes the object of the vampire's lust because she resembles his long lost lover. Of course it all wraps up neat and tidy. There's no gore but lots of cheap lingerie and atmosphere. This is a wonderful example of sixties EuroTrash at it's most silliest. I love this movie on terms that are hard to explain to the uninitiated. It's released by Image and the print is good and the soundtrack adequately clear so you can relish the cheesy dialogue and psuedo-atmospheric sets. No budget, bad acting, bad dubbing and the script sounds like it was made up as they went along. Servicable b&w photography works well, the ENERGY is there and the earnestness to put over a Gothic horror movie in a spooky castle despite the frequent lapses into tasteless cheesecake is what endears this one to me. The people who can appreciate this flick on it's own terms, like me, know who they are and I hope they enjoy it as much as I do. It's a lot of fun and a true Euro-shlock classic.

Titillating Italian vampire tale looks great on DVD.......2002-02-17

Having been fairly unimpressed by the censored, interrupted-by-a-dozen-commercial-breaks version of this (Curse of the Vampire) on USA channel years ago, I was curious to see how the original would hold up. Perhaps I've simply matured, but uncut and uninterrupted on disc, Playgirls is much more entertaining than I remembered. The plot is standard issue: a bus carrying a troupe of showgirls breaks down, stranding them at the castle of one Count Kernassy (Walter Brandi [Slaughter of the Vampires, Vampire and the Ballerina]) who reluctantly allows them to stay the night, whereupon they move in and sponge off of him seemingly indefinitely. The movie provides some occasional unintentional amusement, but it's certainly no Bad Film atrocity; it's competently produced and fairly absorbing, if you're not too demanding of the logic of the script. There are a number of "wandering the castle corridors at night" scenes (requisite in Italian horror films), a few effective shocks, some icky-cheesy gore effects when a vampiress gets staked, the bloodsuckers all sport highly visible pearly fangs (de rigeur for movie vampires after Horror of Dracula), and convincingly creepy gothic atmosphere is generated throughout. Fashionistas will no doubt marvel at the eccentric '60s wardrobe (Lila Rocco sports a very mod checked coat and the Count favors pinstripe and plaid suits over flowing capes). As expected, the dubbed vocal performances all have that annoying stuttering cadence that Euroshock and kaiju eiga fans know and love. The 'Adults Only' sequences that we've waited years to see amount to a few scenes with barely-discernable nipples glimpsed through very sheer nighties, one quick topless shot, and a mildly sexy striptease, to her undies, by one of the 'playgirls.' Somehow she manages to remove about a half dozen undergarments without actually getting naked! It's hard to believe Richard Gordon made any money at all with this on the grindhouse circuit; its definitely not for the trenchcoat-and-kleenex crowd. Although not as horrific or sexy as one might wish, Playgirls and the Vampire still provides plenty of camp entertainment value, and is essential viewing for students of early-60s Italian horror films such as I Vampiri, Black Sunday, Castle of Terror, Atom Age Vampire, etc.
Image's DVD is unspectacular but quite presentable. Thirteen chapter stops are listed on the main menu screen, and a pretty decent-looking trailer, with no dialog or narration and marred only slightly by some light speckling and vertical scratching, is included. The source print used for the feature actually looks surprisingly good, with generally excellent brightness, contrast, grayscale, shadow/highlight detail, and sharpness. There is some light speckling throughout, but no other notable physical damage. The Dolby 2.0 mono audio does reveal deficiencies in the source soundtrack, particularly a relatively soft but nearly constant hiss, and some sporadic crackling and popping, but the music, sound fx, and dialogue tracks are reasonably clear. All in all a very nice addition to the film library of any aficionado of Italian horror.

Oddly effective.......2000-12-02

PLAYGIRLS AND THE VAMPIRE is actually quite an eerie and atmospheric horror film, if you can get past the out-of-place striptease scenes and the talentless dance scene. Though the story is pretty run of the mill (sexy showgirls trapped in a castle of evil), the cinematograhper and director actually create some fairly tense moments. Throw in the overly-used element of the "scientist looking to cure an age-old evil" and you have a fun night at the movies! The DVD is wonderfully compiled and chaptered, including the trailer at the end of the film. The picture quality is quite clear and articfacts minimal. The soundtrack, however, is terribly dated with lots of cracks and pops. This is ideal for any lover of Italian horror.

Average customer rating:

Wow! What a cool movie!
I...I...I actually liked it!

Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse
Starring: Rhett Giles , Tom Downey , Christina Rosenberg , and Eliza Swenson
Director: Leigh Scott
Manufacturer: The Asylum Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EQ5V1I
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Customer Reviews:

Wow! What a cool movie!.......2006-06-20

I wasn't expecting much out of this low budget vampire flick, but half way through I forgot that I wasn't watching a big studio movie. Cool characters that were well acted, fight scenes where you can actually see what is happening, and great looking monster effects combine to make a film definitely worth watching. This movie has more plot and character development than the last ten Hollywood blockbusters I've seen combined. Definitely worth a look.

I...I...I actually liked it!.......2006-05-16

I love monster hunters. I should say that right off the bat. Stories concerning those brave mortal souls who venture out to kick the livin' crap out of all things dark just give me a thrill. When I first heard about Dracula's Curse I was hesitant. It boasted to be a film about monster hunters, yet, it is decidedly B and, for the most part, I NEVER rent straight-to-vid/produced on a shoestring budget movies. I just don't. They usually turn into a T&A fest and it's just boring and stupid.

Not so with Dracula's Curse. I'm not going to lie to you. It's shot on video, some of the acting is cheesy, a few of the makeup effects look like Wal-Mart Halloween masks, and the action scenes are anything but believable. However, with all that said, I really enjoyed this movie. It had heart, it had great central characters who were deep, interesting, and watchable. Like any good vampire hunter movie, this one has a descendent of Van Helsing, but he's so much more different than any Van Helsing I've ever seen that I was surprised, moved, and begging for more. There is a lot in this movie and, for the most part, all the character arcs and storylines fit together into a seamless whole. This is an intelligent spin on the vampire/ hunter relationship and I, for one, am dying for a sequel.

Average customer rating:

Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse
Starring: Rhett Giles , Tom Downey , Christina Rosenberg , and Eliza Swenson
Director: Leigh Scott
Manufacturer: Edi Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MV8A9K
Release Date: 2007-06-05

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