Classic Dracula Triple [DVD]

Good little set this, containing four films including the original with the peerless portrayal of Dracula by Bela Lugosi being accompanied by its simultaneous "twin" the Spanish version filmed on the same sets at the same time with an entirely different cast (and feel, as this was filmed overnight after the English language version had been filming all day). A very interesting insight into 1930s Hollywood and worth it for that alone. Also included are "House of Dracula" and "Dracula's Daughter" (which is possibly more Dracula than you might ever need) and the "Dracula" disc does contain bonus material which isn't mentioned in the product descriptions above. Completists might prefer the Universal Monsters Legacy collection, but if you aren't fussed about that, this is a nice, tidy package of the best of the Universal Dracula series.

This is fantastic, I bought this collection to see the original Bela Lugosi feature after reading Dracula: Asylum: Asylum Bk. 1 (Dracula (Dh Press)) which credits his peformance with being the influence for the book's characterisation of Dracula.

The Lugosi feature is great, it was interesting the extent to which it was like a theatrical or stage performance, there arent really any special effects with a lot of action happening off set, being implied or left up to the imagination of the viewer. Which is something I think modern films can suffer for not trying to do sometimes. There was some odd inclusion of armadilos at one point and imagine that this must have been a touch of the strange or eerie some how.

The second feature The House of Dracula is interesting, Dracula being no longer played by Legosi but by a gent in a top hat, this was interesting to me because I remember a board game called The Vampire Game which protrayed the vampire in the exact same way and wondered the origin of that imagery. The movie is a solid monster mash production, what begins with Dracula seeking a cure for vampirism from a Dr. dealing in pioneering experimental medicine gradually manages to include, The Frankenstein's monster (who just turns up in the mud in the basement), The Wolf Man who is similiarly seeking a cure for his condition and integrates a sort of Jekyl and Hyde or Mad Scientist aspect too. There's even an angry mob which storms the castle. I had to remind myself that all this would have been very new and not in the least cliched or boardering upon parody at the time of production.

This movie features one of the most ridiculously easy vampire kills I've ever seen, although Dracula doesnt seem to put up much of a fight or be that deadly an opponent once anyone knows they are dealing with a vampire and how they're killed. Funny thing about this movie is that despite all the monsters trooping in together in a way that seems funny and implausible there's a great "medical diagnosis" of how Dracula is immortal, how Talbot turns into a wolf during the full moon etc. this aspect of the film is pretty much unrivalled, except perhaps in Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend (S.F. Masterworks), its really a great piece of screen writing.

The third disc includes two features, a spanish production of the original Dracula movie with a different cast shot at the same time as the original hollywood production and after it was done shooting for the day, and Daughter of Dracula. This final feature was a lot more interesting than I had imagined it would be and acted not half badly, picking up from where the original vampire film ends, Van Helsing is, unreasonably, apprehended by police in the prescence of two dead bodies one of whom he admits to driving a wooden stake into. Van Helsing is given a choice, hang or be committed, its to him in the sanitorium that the movie returns once the bodies and injuries of women suggest there's a vampire on the loose again. Ultimately its not the slayers who undo the vampire in this feature but a jealous "thrall", ie enslaved servant, who feels betrayed and sure that someone is going to take his place as a betrothed of Dracula's Daughter.

I've not seen the legacies production to compare it, it was on offer at the same time I bought this at the same price in a promotion in ASDA over halloween and there was no question, three movies for the price of one? Definitely go for the triple. I recommend this to fans of classic cinema and monster movies. They're peerless productions in their own way and its great to see them available.

on this classic 3 dvd set you have 4 movies
Dracula 1931 English version . Bela Lugosi
Dracula 1931 Spanish Version .Carlos Villarías .Lupita Tovar /with english Subtitle
Dracula's Daughter 1936 . Gloria Holden
House of Dracula 1945 . Lon Chaney Jr
4 classic movies for the price of 1 what a great deal .if your looking for
Dracula 1931 Spanish Version .with english Subtitle .this is the dvd set too buy