Dracula (1958 version) (5 Stars)

While watching "Dracula" today I wondered how it was received in 1958 when it was first released. Were the audiences prepared for what they saw? Did they know Bram Stoker's novel, of were they only acquainted with the 1931 film version? The purists who knew the book must have been shocked. So many things have been changed. It's not just deliberate changes, such as the film taking place in Bavaria instead of England. There are also blunders, such as getting the names of Mina and Lucy mixed up. Compared with the novel, the 1958 Dracula film is a mess. And yet, if judged on its own merits, it's a masterpiece. Christopher Lee is terrifying, much more than Bela Lugosi.

It's terrifying to see Christopher Lee appear at the top of the stairs. He's an imposing figure.

It's also terrifying to see him at the door.

Peter Cushing was the ideal choice to play Doctor Van Helsing. (We aren't told his first name in the film). He's a perfect gentleman in clothing and manners. His quiet, polite manners conceal the fact that he's capable of staking sleeping vampires without hesitation.

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are usually mentioned in the same breath by horror fans. They appeared in more than 20 films together, most of them horror films. In my opinion, their best joint performance was as Count Dracula and Doctor Van Helsing. Their respective performances bounce off one another.

Despite strongly deviating from the novel, this is one of the most powerful vampire movies ever made.

Success Rate:  + 13.4

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