In this vampire love story, the only survivor of a ship wreck, Count Dracula, is discovered on the beach by young Mina Van Helsing, who is visiting her friend Lucy Seward. Lucy, her fiancé Jonathan Harker, and her father Dr. Jack Seward (who runs the local asylum) try to make the Count feel welcomed in England. The Count quickly takes the life of Mina, and then proceeds to romance Lucy, with the intention of making her his Queen. Soon after the death of Mina, the Sewards call her father Dr. Abraham Van Helsing to come to their home. As Lucy falls deeper under the spell of the Count, Dr. Van Helsing almost immediately comes to understand that his daughter fell prey to a vampire and discovers the culprit to be none other than the Count himself. So, Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, and Harker work together to foil the Count's plans to take Lucy away to his native Transylvania.
This is basically another Hammer movie, even shot at Shepperton Studios.
This one stars Frank (DIARY OF A MAD HOUSEWIFE) Langella, Laurence (MARATHON MAN) Olivier, Donald (THE MUTATIONS) Pleasence, Kate (WITHOUT A TRACE) Nelligan, Trevor (IVANA TRUMP'S FOR LOVE ALONE) Eve and more.
A ship is wrecked near Whitby in England. Upon inspection, there is no one aboard except the tied and slain captain, a gruesome sight...
It doesn't take long before Dracula's creeping around, looking for a victim. And, what's better than little Mina Van Helsing!
Soon, Lucy goes to the Count's place for a trist. Man, the place is
dripping with atmosphere!!
Love blooms from a little ol' bite into a big ol' pile of crazy bliss an' stuff!
Jonathan Harker uses every trick in the book to try and get his precious Lucy back!
Man, I just love this shot, reminds me of someone!
Love this shot too, Van Helsing and Harker, in a quick little boat, catch the ship carrying the Count and board it.
They find Lucy and the Count in their coffin, it's time to end the madness!
As always, easier said than done, especially when dealing with monsters! Distracted, Van Helsing waits just a second too long and ends up with the stake through his own gut!
Jonathan is somehow able to hook Dracula on a hoist and the Count is slung up a long mast into the sunlight... And gets baked alive!
Lucy returns to normal as Jonathan looks up at the withered Count.
But, we hear the Count give out a howl as he drifts away from the ship and into the air, disappearing from sight. Lucy weeps for her lost love! That's it for today, check back Wednesday for even more junk for you, here, at The Dungeon!!..
Gorgeous yet haunting music score by the one and only John Williams. One of his best in a jam-packed decade of magnificent work by him.
ReplyDeleteIt's based on a 1977 Broadway theatrical revival of a 1924 adaptation of Stoker's novel.
ReplyDeleteThe original Broadway production launched Bela Lugosi's American career and served as the basis for the 1931 Universal movie!
The 1977 revival starred Langella, and later, Raul Julia in the title role!
It's noted in particular for the production design and sets by illustrator Edward Gorey, which, sadly, wouldn't have translated well to the movie screen but looked really kool on stage!
(I saw it in 1978!)
http://goreyana.blogspot.com/2018/06/dracula-set-design-original-artwork.html
Trivia: a 1978 London production of the play, using Gorey's set designs, starred Terrance (General Zod) Stamp as Dracula!
This is my second favorite Dracula adaptation, after the 1931 movie. Frank Langella exuded lust and evil, and Kate Nelligan does a wonderful job as Lucy. Kudos to the entire cast, to be honest, and yes, this comes across as a high-dollar Hammer film. One of my favorite horror movies of all time!
ReplyDeleteThanks guys, great comments - What I remember about this movie is, I went to see it with the wife and kid at a drive-In theater in Fresno, and after about 20 minutes in, we pulled out, asked for our money back and drove home - The reason was, by 1979, Fresno was growing like crazy and the drive-in screen was facing the city, the lights were so bright, you could not see the movie, the lights flooded it out. I'm pretty sure it closed soon thereafter.
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