- Dracula AKA Horror of Dracula Movie Review (1958 Film)
- Hammer Horror Film
- Directed By Terence Fisher
- Music By James Bernard
- Starring Christopher Lee ; Peter Cushing ; Michael Gough ; Melissa Stribling
Here is my Dracula aka Horror of Dracula movie review. Hammer horror films, I love them and Dracula (1958) is no exception and for those in the US it was known as Horror of Dracula.
Plot
This is based on Bram Stokers novel of course, Jonathan Harker arrives at the castle of Count Dracula near Klausenburg, to take up his post as librarian. Inside, he is startled by a young woman who claims she is a prisoner and begs for his help.
Dracula then appears to greet Harker and guide him to his room, where he locks him in. Jonathan starts to write in his diary, and his true intentions are revealed: he is a vampire hunter and has come to kill Dracula.
A few days later Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) arrives in Klausenburg, looking for Harker. I won’t give anymore away but it’s a well known story. It’s good vs evil or Van Helsing vs Dracula, a classic tale.
Cast & Music
Christopher Lee is commanding as Count Dracula, a role that would define him in the eyes of many. Along with the great Peter Cushing these two actors elevate this film to another level.
It has a terrific score by James Bernard which gives an uneasy feel and dramatic feel. Great stuff!!! There is something about horror movies made around this time and before that modern films just can’t match.
Blu-ray – Dracula aka Horror of Dracula Movie Review
It looks great as do most Hammer films, but this film has now been restored and looks even better. So pick it up on Blu-ray if you want to see it at it’s very best, but the good news is eventually all the versions on tv or Netfilx or wherever you watch will end up with the restored version .
Some people have complained about the film grain being removed, however I think the right balance has been achieved. Maybe because of these few complaints it has resulted in no more Hammer films coming out on Blu-ray at the time of writing.
It would be ashame as these need both restoring and releasing on Blu-ray, I think more people would complain iff the put the grain back in.
As always the company restoring the film has to strike a balance and I think they choose the right one. Come on and release the rest…
Conclusion
A lot of the Hammer films also benefit from having the great actors that are Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Dracula (1958) has both of these actors. Quite honestly this film is a timeless classic and well worth watching. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen it and it never becomes boring.
Where these films score better than some of their modern counterparts is they know what they are trying to achieve, a good scary story well told and well acted. The trend after the Hammer films became to show more and more gore and some of these films pulled this off well. I guess you can’t make films like Hammers Dracula anymore which I think makes them even more special. Who knows we may be talking the same way about the Saw films, but I somewhat doubt it, but you never know!
So maybe consider adding Hammer’s 1958) version to this years Halloween movies to watch list, I know I will! Now what other horror movies should I add to my list? Well I will be adding some more horror reviews and a Halloween special soon as I continue the countdown to Halloween.
Dracula (1958) blu-ray is available now from Amazon.
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Popcorn Cinema Movie Rating:
Dracula aka Horror of Dracula (1958)
MOVIE RATING: OUTSTANDING
BLU-RAY RATING: VERY GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Dracula (1958) Film Trailer
Check out the movie trailer for Hammer’s Dracula (1958)
I hope you are enjoying our recommended movie series, as the good news is we have plenty more on the way…
Final Thoughts: Dracula (1958)
That concludes my Dracula aka Horror of Dracula movie review. Do you like Hammer films? Have you seen this one?
Don’t forget to check out my horror review of The Innkeepers (2011) starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy and Kelly McGills or take a look at Popcorn Cinema Show’s 10 Must See Halloween Movies list.
Feel free to add a comment and let us know what you thought of Hammer’s Dracula or the Horror of Dracula movie review let us know how many movies have you seen from our recommended film review series.
Happy Halloween!!!
Summary: Dracula aka Horror of Dracula (1958) (Hammer Film)
Movie title: Dracula (1958)
Movie description: Hammer Films version of the classic Dracula story
Duration: 82 mins
Director(s): Terence Fisher
Actor(s): Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling
Genre: Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Rating
Summary
Hammer doing what it does best, horror!
Pros
- Hammer Fillm
- Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee
Cons
