Movies •Books •Music •Food •Tv Shows •Technology •Politics •Video Games •Parenting •Fashion •Green Living •more >

Lunch » Tags » Movies » Reviews » Dracula: The Legacy Collection » User review

Dracula: The Legacy Collection

Universal Home Entertainment's 2-disc Legacy Collection DVD featuring the five original Dracula films.

Edit Topic

< read all 1 reviews

"I... Am Dracula"

Dec 22, 2008

by Count_Orlok_22
posted in The Vampire Historians

Rating:

Universal Studios' horror films have been considered by many film historians and movie lovers to be among some of the greatest films of the horror genre. Part of what makes them so appealing is their small-budget charm, their eclectic cast of character actors, their Gothic environments (all of which were created on the backlot), and their memorable movie monster characters.
This wonderful collection gathers together five of Universal's classic horror films. This particular set focuses on Dracula. The films in this 2-disc set are:

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula

Dracula - 1931
Béla Lugosi is immortalized as Count Dracula in Tod Browning's classic horror film, which is considered by many to be the first sound horror film (Universal had had success with horror films during the silent age as well).
Starring Béla Lugosi, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, Helen Chandler and David Manners.

Carlos Villarias as Dracula

Dracula (Spanish Version) - 1931
Director George Melford's Spanish-language version of Dracula is a technical triumph but it lacks a talented cast with the exception of the sultry Lupita Tovar.
Starring Carlos Villarias, Lupita Tovar, Pablo Alvarez Rubio and Barry Norton.

Gloria Holden is Dracula's Daughter

Dracula's Daughter - 1936
The first sequel to Dracula is an erotically charged (by the standards of the time it was made) suspense tale about the Countess Marya Zaleska, Dracula's daughter, who seeks to end her vampirism with the help of a psychiatrist.
Starring Edward Van Sloan, Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden and Marguerite Churchill.

Lon Chaney, Jr. as Count Alucard

Son of Dracula - 1943
Dracula's son, Count Alucard (Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards) falls in love with a young woman in the bayous of the south but her fiancée uncovers his scheme and vows to save her from Alucard's clutches.
Starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Louise Albritton, Robert Paige, Evelyn Ankers and Frank Craven.

John Carradine as Dracula

House of Dracula - 1945
Dracula, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster all come together in a mad romp of monstrous mayhem when The Wolf Man and Dracula seek out a doctor to cure them of their blood thirst.
Starring John Carradine, Lon Chaney, Jr., Glenn Strange, Martha O'Driscoll, Lionel Atwill, Onslow Stevens, Jane Adams and Ludwig Stossel.

Dracula: The Legacy Collection

Disc One includes the original Dracula film along with numerous bonus materials. Some of those materials are: "The Road to Dracula" documentary, poster montage, theatrical trailer, an interview with Van Helsing director Stephen Sommers, audio commentary with David J. Skal and an optional score by composer Philip Glass.

Disc Two: Side One includes the 1931 Spanish Version of Dracula with an introduction by star Lupita Tovar Kohner. Also includes the 1936 sequel Dracula's Daughter. There are two theatrical trailers as bonus material.
Disc Two: Side Two includes the 1943 film, Son of Dracula and the 1945 film, House of Dracula.

All of these films are classics in their own way and I highly recommend this set to fans of classic horror films. However I must warn people that the audio and picture quality varies from film to film. Unfortunately, Universal does not have the original negative prints of many of these films, which makes restoring them properly almost impossible. But with the five films that are showcased in this 2-disc Legacy Collection and numerous special features, this DVD is still a worthy addition to any film fan's library.

What did you think of this review?

Helpful

Thought-Provoking

Fun to Read

Well-Organized

Post a Comment

Scotman October 22, 2009

Well written review, very detailed. But why FOUR stars??

Count_Orlok_22 October 22, 2009

Like I've said on my Amazon review, the films get a 5, but the features (most of which can be found on other sets) and the quality of the sound and picture could be better. I'd love to see them fully restore these films, but Universal's old prints were destroyed in a warehouse fire years back.

show text editor

reply to this comment

Follow this review

woopak_the_thrill October 19, 2009

I didn't know there was a Spanish version....nice review, bro. methinks it be time to review the ASWANG...

Count_Orlok_22 October 22, 2009

The myth or a film?

woopak_the_thrill October 22, 2009

the myth....there was an episode in DESTINATION TRUTH where they became so creeped out but didn't see anything. Guess what? the ASWANG'S familiar was staring right at them on camera and they didn't even know it.

show text editor

reply to this comment

Follow this review

About the reviewer

Count_Orlok_22
Ranked #10

Member Since: Dec 16, 2008
Last Login: Jun 7, 2012 07:25 PM UTC

Consider the Source

Use Trust Points to see how much you can rely on this review.

Nosferatu, A Symphony of …

Dracula (Universal Home E …

Nosferatu, A Symphony of …

Dracula (1931 film)

rate more to improve this

Recent reviews by Count_Orlok_22

Nature, Adventure, and Friends of All Kinds: Kenneth …
a review of The Wind in the Willows

A Transformation of the Soul: Dickens' Great Holiday …
a review of A Christmas Carol

Dracula: Bram Stoker's Gothic Horror Classic - The …
a review of Dracula (novel)

see more reviews

About this movie

Wiki

For the first time ever, the original Dracula film comes to DVD in this extraordinary Legacy Collection. Included in the collection is the original classic, starring the renowned Bela Lugosi, and three timeless sequels, featuring such legendary actors as Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine and others. These are the landmark films that inspired an entire genre of movies and continue to be major influences on motion pictures to this day.

Disc 1

Run Time: 1 Hours and 15 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English)
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Picture: Full Frame (1.33:1)
Black & White