Horror of Dracula | 
| Director: Terence Fisher
Actors: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $3.65
You Save: $6.33 (63%)
New (49) Used (27) from $2.94
Rating:  136 reviews
Sales Rank: 11170
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dvd, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 82 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: WARD11499D
ISBN: 0790768100
UPC: 085391149927
EAN: 9780790768106
ASIN: B00006G8K0
Theatrical Release Date: May 8, 1958
Release Date: October 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
After Hammer Studios' tremendous success with The Curse of Frankenstein, they struck a deal to adapt Universal's catalog of classics and set their sights first on Dracula. Christopher Lee removes the monstrous makeup from the earlier film and makes his entrance as an elegant, confident, altogether seductive Dracula, a frightening figure of flashing eyes and erotic allure. Peter Cushing, with his hawklike profile and piercing eyes, turns his rationalist intensity to Van Helsing: man of science as crusading vampire hunter. Director Terence Fisher and screenwriter Jimmy Sangster make a few changes to Bram Stoker's tale; gone are Renfield, Transylvania, howling wolves, and transformations into bats. The Count is an old-world aristocrat firmly ensconced in a castle in England and Van Helsing a crusading vampire hunter who plots his demise with an elaborate plan. This is the first film to really mine the erotic appeal of vampires: Dracula seduces Mina and Lucy like a devil tempting good to the dark side through sex--more suggestive than explicit, but daring for 1958. Lee is electric as the ferocious Count, despite his limited screen time, and Cushing turns Van Helsing into a virtual swashbuckler of a hero, leaping and diving through the climax like an aging action hero. Cushing reprises his role in The Brides of Dracula, while Lee absented himself from the series until 1966's Dracula: Prince of Darkness. --Sean Axmaker
Product Description
The chill of the tomb wont leave your blood for hours.. After you come face-to-face with dracula! Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/06/2005 Starring: Peter Cushing Carol Marsh Run time: 82 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Terence Fisher
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| Customer Reviews: Read 131 more reviews...
 Hammer's Best Horror Movie. February 17, 2009
James Simpson (USA)
One of the top ten Horror movies of all time is this 1958 classic that revolutionized the genre.
Changing the plot drastically from Stoker's novel and the early Lugosi version,the result is a lightning paced film that is pure,gothic excellence.
All the performances are very well constructed and delivered to add to the film considerably,but the leads create two of the most memorable ever seen in the genre.
Christopher Lee is a truly frightening Count Dracula,more animalistic and imposing than earlier portrayals with an emphasis on sexuality.
Peter Cushing delivers the defintive portrayal of Dracula's arch nemesis,Van Helsing,proving more than a match for the bloodthirsty Count,even engaging in hand to hand combat at one point!
The use of Gore and the emphasis on sex gives the story a more visceral punch that the earlier adaptions lacked and makes for a more powerful experience,that few of it's imitators will understand how to meld as well.
The film's ending is justifiably one of the greatest in film history accompanied and accentuated by the wonderfully,bombastic score by James Bernard.
This is also probally the best film of Horror and Hammer director,Terence Fisher,who creates a wonderfully gothic Technicolor classic.
The only unfortunate thing is the DVD does not do the film justice,offering a so-so Letterbox print of the film and being almost a bare bones release with nothing of interest to the fan.Hopefully,Warners will release a better DVD of this cinema essential in the future.
Quite Possibly The Best Dracula Film February 7, 2009
Craig Connell (Lockport, NY USA)
I'm not a big fan of horror films but I was very impressed with this one. It looks great on DVD, too, and it's tough to beat this price. You get a very good transfer and an excellent film for under seven bucks!
This is a solid re-telling of the Dracula story with some legitimate thrills provided to the viewer along with pretty photography and sets and a tasteful lack of blood.
Story-wise, they might have embellished some of the action scenes and made Dracula a little more powerful. (I can't see him feeling a regular human being which he did here in the end.) Other than that, it's a well-done movie with no exaggerated characters, nice colors.......one of the better Dracula films ever made, just maybe the best. It's that good!
It also features two of the best classic 'horror" actors of all-time: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. It's highly recommended, particularly for people who might be hesitant to watch a "Dracula" film. I'll think you'll like this version.
One of Hammer's finest! November 11, 2008
z hayes (plano,texas)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
"Horror of Dracula" may not be a faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic Gothic vampire tale, in fact far from it, but it is a fine take of Stoker's novel.In this version, Jonathan Harker goes to Dracula's castle at the beginning under the guise of a librarian, but he actually knows what Dracula is and his purpose is to destroy him. Unfortunately, he is killed by Dracula and the vampire goes to London to prey upon Harker's fiancee, Lucy Holmwood [yes, they changed the names too], and later on Mina Holmwood, Lucy's sister-in-law. It is left to Van Helsing [Peter Cushing] and Arthur Holmwood [Lucy's brother and Mina's husband] to destroy the monster.
Christopher Lee, in his first portrayal of the evil Count Dracula, may not have much screen time, but he makes the most of the limited time he does have. His Count is sensual and evil at the same time - exerting a hypnotic effect upon his female victims that have them eagerly disrobing for the count's pleasure [and fangs:)].
Peter Cushing does an amazing job as Dr Van Helsing, vampire hunter and his commanding presence and determination to hunt down and destroy the monster that is Dracula is so credibly done that I was cheering him on all through the movie.
The female victims are suitably beautiful and helpless in the face of Dracula's charm and manipulations, and though this movie doesn't exactly scream big budget, I thought the production values were pretty decent - the vivid colors, the sets and scenery all enhanced the movie experience.There is a genuine atmosphere of menace that is effectively conveyed via the creepy score and sets.
This is the first horror movie I watched [back on TV when I was ten] and I remember being so absolutely terrified that I slept with a pillow covering my neck for a long time afterwards! Watching it now, the terror effect may be somewhat diminished but my appreciation of the movie and the acting is very much intact. A must-have for fans of Dracula and especially Lee and Cushing.
Christopher Lee's Greatest Horror Role November 9, 2008
Robert Holmes Weymouth
This film marked a new beginning for vampire movies being in color and actually showing stakings. Christopher Lee was savage and yet sexual in his approach to his victims, combining the suaveness of Bela with a beastial attitude. "Dracula" as this film is known in the UK, was a great success for Hammer Films and led to six sequels. The cast is well chosen and they play their roles to the hilt. I believe this is the best Dracula movie ever made. I highly recommend it to anyone.
THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS November 2, 2008
JESSICA'S DAD (Trichur East, Kerala State, India)
Horror of Dracula
SAW THE MOVIE, ONCE AGAIN, FROM MY DAD'S COLLECTION. CHRISTOPHER LEE IS CINEMA'S GREATEST COUNT DRACULA. SCENE AFTER SCENE STAYS IN THE MEMORY: HARKER(JOHN VAN EYSSEN)ENTERING THE TOMB OF THE SLEEPING VAMPIRE WOMAN, AND DRIVING A STAKE INTO THE BEAUTIFUL CREATURE'S HEART; AS THE STAKE ENTERS, A WELL OF BLOOD GUSHES INTO THE CAMERA AND, TERRIFYINGLY, SHE IS TURNED INTO A HIDEOUS OLD CRONE, AS DEATH FINALLY OVERTAKES HER. HARKER LOOKS UP IN TRIUMPH, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE SUN HAS NOW GONE DOWN, LEAVING HIM TRAPPED WITH DRACULA. IN AN ENDING OF SHEER CINEMATIC MAGIC, CUSHING USING A CRUCIFIX CREATED OUT OF TWO CROSSED CANDLESTICKS, FORCES LEE INTO THE POOL OF SUNLIGHT. THE COUNT DISINTEGRATES HORRIBLY, UNTIL ALL THAT IS LEFT ARE SOME STRANDS OF HAIR, SOME DUST, AND THE CRIMSON SIGNET RING OF DRACULA REFLECTING THE SUNLIGHT.
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