Dracula (1931) [HD]

75th ANNIVERSARY BATS & THISTLES RERELEASE VS. THE OTHER TWO
Soooo fellow geek classic monster collectors, tell me, does this sound familiar? You are perusing various sites and store DVD racks and you stumble across these 75th Anniversary editions of DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN and your geek heart starts palpitating at the thought of digitally restored version of these films and you get all excited and you start deciding which comic books you'll give up this month to buy these instead.......but then you remember you've bought the last TWO previously released DVD versions of these films and now you wonder if these are worth it? OK....well...maybe this is kind of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. I bowed to temptation because, well....Universal has me with their monster releases from way back....period.

Soooo.....as it is obligatory when one has bought three releases of the same d@mn film, I sat down with them all and ran them through to decide which was the best of them. It is without question IMO, that the DRACULA 75th DVD is...

One of the Finest DVD Presentations I've Ever Encountered
This DVD is the "Jewel in the Crown" of the classic Universal horror films released in that format. It includes a quality print of the Bella Lugosi DRACULA, with options to play the film with Philip Glass' recent soundtrack; the so-called "Spanish" DRACULA starring Carlos Villarias; and a fascinating documentary hosted by Carla Laemmle, who has a bit role in the Lugosi DRACULA and who was niece to Universal studio head Carl Laemmle. There is also an audio track by David J. Skal, production notes, and the like.

The Lugosi DRACULA is somewhat problematic. DRACULA had been previously (and illegally) filmed as the silent NOSFERATU, and a later stage adaptation proved a staple of the British theatre. When the stage play at last arrived in New York, the title role fell to Bela Lugosi. Although Universal optioned the material, studio head Carl Laemmle was not enthusiastic about it; although European films were comfortable with the supernatural, American films were...

Excellent Dracula Disc
This DVD is a real treat for fans of Lugosi and Dracula. This disc has 3 "versions" of the 1931 film Dracula. The first is the original Lugosi version with restored extended groaning at the end when Dracula dies. The 2nd version is merely the original with an added modern score. The third version is a spanish version that was filmed on the same sets with spanish-speaking actors after the american crew had packed up for the day.

The image quality is the best it has ever been although somewhat grainy at the beginning of the film. The DVD has an excellent optional running commentary as well as a great documentary film explaining the genesis of Dracula and its transition from book to stage to screen. Finally, this DVD has a nice selection of movie posters, lobby cards and stills as an added feature.

This disc is a collector's dream!

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