Horror of Dracula

One of a long line of movie adaptations of Bram Stoker's novel, this 1958 color update of the b&w Universal classic (starring Bela Lugosi) from Britain's Hammer Films is--unlike many of the studio's schlocky sequels--at least faithful to the spirit if not the details of the book. Christopher Lee cuts a sinister figure as the Count, and Peter Cushing makes for a dogged Doctor Van Helsing, while director Terence Fisher does a functional job with the over-lit soundstage settings (making the production appear very low-budget and much a product of its era). For its age, the film looks and sounds very good: except for minor signs of wear in the opening credits, the print transfer is clean, while the monophonic sound is free of any noticeable hiss. Other than the trailer and brief production notes, there are no extras. Primarily of interest to serious vintage horror film fans, this is an optional purchase. [Note: also newly available from Warner, at the same price, is Fisher's 1957 Hammer production The Curse of Frankenstein.] (T. Rich) [Blu-ray Review—Jan. 1, 2019—Warner, 81 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $21.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1958’s Horror of Dracula features a fine transfer with DTS-HD 2.0 audio, but no extras. Bottom line: this Hammer classic sparkles on Blu-ray.]