Dracula (1979)

Dracula (1979) (see below for trailer and preview images)

Directed by
John Badham

Screenplay by
W. D. Richter
 
Based on: Dracula (1897 novel, Bram Stoker), Dracula (1924 play, Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston
 
Starring:
Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence, Kate Nelligen
 
Budget $12.164,000               Box Office $31,235,812
 ​
IMDb 6.5/10               Rotten Tomatoes 59%            Metacritic NO DATA
 

So, I have to start this off and be completely honest, I have never watched an actual ‘Dracula’ movie.  Vampire movies, yes, but Dracula himself, no.  So, I didn’t have any preconceived ideas as to what to expect from this film.
 
Just as the graphic novel I have (Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Roy Thomas), the beginning is sort of haphazard and unclear.  It is very slow moving and honestly, I expected more, I don’t know, Dracula action, I guess.  I don’t know how to put it.
 
One thing that really threw me off was that there was a lot of focus on wolves in the beginning.  I was sitting here trying to figure out if I was watching a werewolf movie or a vampire movie.  The howling of the wolves seems to play a big part.  Although, you always kinda expect Dracula to be a bat, or turn into one.
 
Now, in this film, Dracula has killed everyone onboard and enters England, appearing to be, of course, a man of extreme wealth.
 
He immediately sets his sights on the daughters of those that are helping him set up his England home, a dreadful looking castle only befitting a character such as Dracula.  The people helping Dracula are the famous Van Helsings.  I know this name to be that of vampire hunters so, this is not a good situation for old Dracula.
 
The rest of the film is Dracula’s pursuit of his prey and the chaos that follows.
 
Again, the strangest thing was that they had Dracula scaling the sides of buildings as if he were Wolverine or his brother Victor.  I’ve never heard of Dracula being anything close to a werewolf type beast.  He’s always changed form into a bat, which DOES happen in this film, but it’s almost like a side note, when I would think it would be of great importance to the Dracula character himself.  Plus, I think I just expected more blood-letting, considering it was a vampire film.
 
In this film, Dracula also has some sort of half living lacky that is like a butler, but with no refinement at all.
 
Donald Pleasence is the father Van Helsing.  He’s fantastic in the role.  I miss Donald Pleasence.  What a great guy on screen in horror, ya know?  He just has this calmness about him even when he’s freaking out, he’s still got it more together than anyone else in the situation.
 
I will say the final showdown is a gnarly one.  But I am not going to give any details.  You’ll have to see for yourself.
 
RATINGS
3.5/5 Stars