Favorite version of "Dracula"

[Kemaiku]

Had to go with DRACULA 1958 aka THE HORROR OF DRACULA. Not exactly faithful to the book but a damn fine climax. Plus Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing!

Random thoughts
Why was DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE on the list. It's not an adaption of the novel.

With the exception of PAGES FROM A VIRGIN'S DIARY I own every movie on this list. Cool or sad?

Indeed, the 1958 version has one of the best Van Helsing/Dracula confrontations of any of the Dracula movies.

"Risen from the Grave" I guess is just there because its one of the better movies, included for choice but true its the beginning of a separate branch or "series" of films.

And as I said before, I own a lot of them myself. Plus many other non-Dracula Vampire movies. Including Ultraviolet unfortunately...

 

[ClayinCA]

WTF??!! ITS ON DVD AND NO ONE TOLD ME???!!!

Hey Sephiroth, Duckula is on DVD.

 

[ktanner3]

Had to go with DRACULA 1958 aka THE HORROR OF DRACULA. Not exactly faithful to the book but a damn fine climax. Plus Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing!

Random thoughts

Why was DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE on the list. It's not an adaption of the novel.

Because there have been SO many adaptions of this character that I had to use Wiki . I haven't seen every single one of those versions to know which ones are like Stoker's novel and which ones aren't. Besides, most of them strayed off the original source so I don't see why that would be a problem.

Everyone should go watch the 1931 Spanish language version. Its only fault is the lack of Bela. In every other way it is superior.

Agreed by most who have seen it. That's the benefit you get when you get to check out the earlier crews dailies and try to top what they did.

The Glass score for Dracula '31 is on all the DVD versions. It's not good on any of them but it is there.

My opinion on that is the same as most others. It just drowns it out. It's like trying to watch Star Wars with John Williams music playing loud thoughout the actor's dialogue. Very distracting.

The Coppola version might have topped the list but the love story just betrayed the novel too much. Dracula's character was thoroughly assassinated when he cried like a baby over Mina's "Dear Drac" letter.

I was never too keen on the "romance" angle that some interpretations did with it.(then again I'm a guy who never likes to watch romance) Frank Langella's version in 1979 was similiar.But with Coppala's version there was so much other good stuff going on along with Oldman's incredible performance that I was able to look past the soppy garbage.

With the exception of PAGES FROM A VIRGIN'S DIARY I own every movie on this list. Cool or sad?

Neither. Just a big time fan of all things Dracula.

I must admit that I'm curious to see some of the others on the list because the only ones I've seen are the 1931(both),1979 and 1992 versions.

 

[Kegek]

I must admit that I'm curious to see some of the others on the list because the only ones I've seen are the 1931(both),1979 and 1992 versions.

Nosferatu (1922) is one of my favourite films; and is widely considered one of the definitive vampire films. I watch it every Halloween, without fail. Strongly recommended to anyone who hasn't seen it and isn't perturbed by the fact it's a silent film (if you haven't seen a silent film before, trying something like Metropolis first is recommended).

 

[ktanner3]

Okay I've seen Bram Stoker's Dracula hundreds of times and I just noticed a continuity error. When Seward sits down after falling,Quincy is still holding his hat. When Seward gets up, he pulls Quincy's hat from underneath and apologizes for sitting on it.

 

[Mike Farley]

Because there have been SO many adaptions of this character that I had to use Wiki . I haven't seen every single one of those versions to know which ones are like Stoker's novel and which ones aren't. Besides, most of them strayed off the original source so I don't see why that would be a problem.

No worries. I dig "Risen", just curious about it's inclusion.

I was never too keen on the "romance" angle that some interpretations did with it.(then again I'm a guy who never likes to watch romance) Frank Langella's version in 1979 was similiar.But with Coppala's version there was so much other good stuff going on along with Oldman's incredible performance that I was able to look past the soppy garbage.

I'm fine with it in the Langella film since that version wasn't pretending to be an accurate adaptation of the novel. And honestly, regarding Coppola's Dracula, I can look past it for the most part too.

I must admit that I'm curious to see some of the others on the list because the only ones I've seen are the 1931(both),1979 and 1992 versions.

I would definitely recommend THE HORROR OF DRACULA (just DRACULA to the Brits). Also the Luis Jordan version is very good, albeit with some cheesy early video effects. Also the Jack Palance version since it is very much the template the James V. Hart ripped off for his script to the '92 version.

Oh, Hell...just watch 'em all. The Bergin version is the only one I don't actually like.

 

[Kemaiku]

Actually for the benefit of anyone who hasn't checked out the British "Hammer Horror" series the titles go:

Original Continuity:
The Horror of Dracula
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Brides of Dracula (No Christopher Lee, but has Cushing and is set between 'Prince' and 'Risen')
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
Taste the Blood of Dracula
Scars of Dracula

New Continuity:
Dracula A.D. 1972
The legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (No Christopher Lee but "shape shifting" is used to explain it, Cushing returns)
The Satanic Rites of Dracula