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US Mall 1 - Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series)
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List Price: $26.98
Our Price: $12.29
Your Save: $ 14.69 ( 54% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Starring: Bela Lugosi
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Universal
EAN: 0025193102225
Format: Black & White
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Universal Studios
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2006-09-26
Running Time: 179
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 1931-02-14
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: "There are far worse things awaiting man that death"--Dracula
Comment: I bought this 2-DVD set for a friend and ended up liking it so much I got one for myself. It is an excellent tribute to the Bela Lugosi classic. You can watch this film many different ways on this collection. The classic version, one with a different musical score (by Philip Glass performed by the Kronos Quartet), with two different commentaries, and with "monster tracks" which are pop-up text of informational tid-bits on the different players and scenes. Not only that but this collection also includes the Spanish version which was filmed at the same time as the Tod Browning classic (Browning's crew filmed in the daytime, the Spanish was filmed at night using the same set). The quality of this set is superb down to every detail--including the appropriate music accompanying the selection screen and the case that looks like a handsome, hardcover book on the shelf. It offers additional documentary extras as well which I will describe in the review as most have seen the film and are probably wondering if this version is worth owning (IT IS!).
The commentaries were conducted by film historian David J. Skal and author & screenwriter for "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," Steve Haberman. Both commentaries are very well-done and obviously were planned out, written ahead of time and rehearsed. I enjoyed the Skal commentary the most. He gives background information (sometimes gossipy) on many of the actors, production crew, and film techniques. He includes symbolism and cultural references used in the film and also reveals scenes that were cut from the original script. Haberman focuses more on motion picture politics which I did not find as interesting. He also does not follow the scenes like Skal does, except to point out the ways in which the Spanish version is inferior to the English version. The Spanish version here includes an introduction by Lupita Tovar Kohner, who played the female lead.
In two main areas, Skal and Haberman disagree. Skal prefers the Spanish version for its innovative filming techniques while Haberman believes Browning's version is more effective on all levels. They also have completely different takes on a piece of cardboard attached to a lamp in Mina's bedroom. Skal believes it was an oversight while Haberman defends it as "set dressing." I tend to side with Skal as, if the item was used to show the character was shielding the light of the lamp as she slept, it probably wouldn't look so shoddy. This was a mansion with wealthy people. Why would this rich socialite use a ripped piece of cardboard to create a night light?
Several documentaries are included in this set. The tribute to Bela Lugosi "Lugosi: The Dark Prince," covers his film career. It would have been better if it also presented some info on what he was like as a person and not just his characters, especially since his son is included in another documentary on this set and could have shed some light on his father's personality. "The Road to Dracula" was hosted by Carla Laemmle, the niece of Universal owner Carl Laemmle who spoke the first words in the film in the stage coach scene. It goes into the history of the novel by Bram Stoker and its adaptation to stage and screen. This documentary includes a recreation of sorts of Prof Van Helsing's final curtain speech that was later removed from the film.
"Universal Horror" is a very interesting and rather lengthy documentary that covers many of the scary films put out by Universal in the 1920s and 1930s and includes freaky scenes from such films as "The Phantom of the Opera," "The Man Who Laughs," "The Black Cat," etc. I liked the inclusion of scenes from early silents. It also reveals secrets to special effects found in "King Kong" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and "The Invisible Man." Film historians who were kids back in the day talk about what these films meant to them and the reactions of audiences at the time. Bela Lugosi Jr. talks about his famous father in several clips in this documentary. And if all that were not enough, you also get to see a collection of posters and stills. This 75th Anniversary set has so much to offer and is so well-done that I recommend it to any Dracula/horror film fan even if they already have a copy of Dracula.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Piano Music on the Main Menu
Comment: I think the other reviewers have said it all about this edition. It's a solid version of a great film.
Does anyone know what the piano music accompanying the DVD's main menu is (and where I can find it)?
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Best Possible In 1931
Comment: If you follow my reviews, you know that the 1979 Frank Langella / Sir Laurence Oliver version is my unchallenged favorite version. But it is probably most fair to rate this version without comparing it to the phenomenal 1979 version which would come 48 years later. As the Anglican Church felt the "King James" was the best available Bible available in 1611, they felt the "English Revised" was the best one available in 1885. Renfield goes to conduct some real estate business with Count Dracula; but he is surprised at the sympathy and fear he is getting from people in the area. (Nice suspense) Renfield then meets Dracula (Lugosi) who appears to be a decent host. But there is an early sign of horror when Dracula is especially interested when Renfield cuts his finger. Considering the limited resources back then, the scenery is really well done. Once in England, we see that Renfield has become a servant of Dracula, and it doesn't take long for Dracula to start killing people. We are then introduced to Jack Seward and Jon Harker. (Jon is engaged to Jack Seward's daughter Mina.) Mina's friend Lucy is killed which leads to more suspense. (Granted, we as the audience know who is killing everyone, but there is a creepy suspense as to us wondering when the characters will find out.) We then meet Van Helsing (played well by Edward Van Sloan). Van Sloan portrays him as an interesting character who has unusual knowledge that he tries to use only when the people may be ready for it, or situations are dire enough for them to have to know. (Van Sloan does not make him the eccentric heavy drinker he is in the book.) Harker is a real skeptic, but Mr. Seward is understandably more open because he is concerned over his daughter Mina's failing health. Interestingly, we see that the good in Renfield is fighting to come out, but he is also afraid of what Dracula may do to him. (Nice suspense that allows us some sympathy for Renfield.) We then see that while Harker is a skeptic, he can be convinced with the right evidence. I don't want to ruin the movie for those of you who haven't seen it, but the climax is done reasonably well, and it leaves us with a slightly open ended conclusion. The 1979 version with Frank Langella, Sir Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence, Trevor Eve, and Kate Nelligan version will always be my favorite. But I do feel that the 1931 Lugosi version was the best one available in 1931. It remains my 2nd favorite version, and a lot better than a lot of so called Draculas that recently came out.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lugosi is inspired, but DRACULA S##KS
Comment: If Frankenstein gives you the underground creeps, and The Mummy keeps your nerves all wrapped up, while Creature From The Black Lagoon makes you search for dry land, this ancient version of Dracula has lost it's bite. Bela Lugosi literally sustains the sense of creepiness all by himself in one of the most unlikable casts ever assembled for a Universal horror picture classic. Nothing is deadlier for a horror tale where the so called good guys are achingly so intolerable in character and demeanor, it would be a virtual pity if Dracula didn't have his way with most of them indeed. Nina is a sniveling grown up woman with a childish wimpering voice that needs to be silenced by someone. Please help us here, Bela. The manly hero is a push over rich boy sweating beads for his dear Nina, while running amuk in the final scene calling her name in no uncertain terms. Van Helsing is why I stay at home in the states, I do not require an irritating foreign tongue which makes me long for home. His demise would be if Bela told him a hefty joke to crack that cemented mug of his. To top everything off, this tale is based and formed from a stage version, not utilizing the great cinema features of sight and sound. Walt Disney would have had a straight jacket fit! Some of the lighter sets appeared the future home of I LOVE LUCY. No doubt, Bela is unsurpassed in his Dracula facade, which made his presence and attitude legendary to everyone on planet earth, but the movie itself is grinding, even compared to much better hits of the day.
A few key moments do not a movie make.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Gothic horror at its finest
Comment: Tod Browning did more than perhaps any other filmmaker to develop the "horror" genre, and this Gothic horror masterpiece is one of the crown jewels in his filmography.
Perhaps the first genuinely "supernatural" American horror films (previous American horror films always explained away the existence of spirits or demons by attributing the scary goings-on to escaped mental patients or psychotics). Universal was perhaps the perfect studio to produce this film, as the large influx of German talent in the late 20s had created a house style at the studio perfectly suited to such a film. The atmospheric, Expressionist cinematography by Karl Freund is one of the most memorable aspects of the film. Browning's direction is solid, although he is still clearly uncomfortable with the requirements of making a sound film (his best work had been in silents, and his most memorable sound films were those in which he was able to direct non-talking sequences). Still, Browning's distinct touch is evident throughout the film, creating a much more genuinely terrifying, menacing sense of horror than the slightly more sympathetic and even at times campy horror found in the work of James Whale.
As with many talkies made between 1930 and 1932, there is very little underscoring throughout the film ("Swan Lake" is used memorably under the opening titles). While some consider this a deficiency of the film, it's important to remember that Browning dictated the lack of music to heighten the atmospheric sound. There is a version with a score composed by Philip Glass, running under most of the non-talking scenes, which lacks the taste that one usually associates with that composer.
"Dracula" stands as a seminal film in the development of the horror genre, of great interests to genre fans and film historians alike.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: "There are far worse things awaiting man that death"--Dracula
Comment: I bought this 2-DVD set for a friend and ended up liking it so much I got one for myself. It is an excellent tribute to the Bela Lugosi classic. You can watch this film many different ways on this collection. The classic version, one with a different musical score (by Philip Glass performed by the Kronos Quartet), with two different commentaries, and with "monster tracks" which are pop-up text of informational tid-bits on the different players and scenes. Not only that but this collection also includes the Spanish version which was filmed at the same time as the Tod Browning classic (Browning's crew filmed in the daytime, the Spanish was filmed at night using the same set). The quality of this set is superb down to every detail--including the appropriate music accompanying the selection screen and the case that looks like a handsome, hardcover book on the shelf. It offers additional documentary extras as well which I will describe in the review as most have seen the film and are probably wondering if this version is worth owning (IT IS!).
The commentaries were conducted by film historian David J. Skal and author & screenwriter for "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," Steve Haberman. Both commentaries are very well-done and obviously were planned out, written ahead of time and rehearsed. I enjoyed the Skal commentary the most. He gives background information (sometimes gossipy) on many of the actors, production crew, and film techniques. He includes symbolism and cultural references used in the film and also reveals scenes that were cut from the original script. Haberman focuses more on motion picture politics which I did not find as interesting. He also does not follow the scenes like Skal does, except to point out the ways in which the Spanish version is inferior to the English version. The Spanish version here includes an introduction by Lupita Tovar Kohner, who played the female lead.
In two main areas, Skal and Haberman disagree. Skal prefers the Spanish version for its innovative filming techniques while Haberman believes Browning's version is more effective on all levels. They also have completely different takes on a piece of cardboard attached to a lamp in Mina's bedroom. Skal believes it was an oversight while Haberman defends it as "set dressing." I tend to side with Skal as, if the item was used to show the character was shielding the light of the lamp as she slept, it probably wouldn't look so shoddy. This was a mansion with wealthy people. Why would this rich socialite use a ripped piece of cardboard to create a night light?
Several documentaries are included in this set. The tribute to Bela Lugosi "Lugosi: The Dark Prince," covers his film career. It would have been better if it also presented some info on what he was like as a person and not just his characters, especially since his son is included in another documentary on this set and could have shed some light on his father's personality. "The Road to Dracula" was hosted by Carla Laemmle, the niece of Universal owner Carl Laemmle who spoke the first words in the film in the stage coach scene. It goes into the history of the novel by Bram Stoker and its adaptation to stage and screen. This documentary includes a recreation of sorts of Prof Van Helsing's final curtain speech that was later removed from the film.
"Universal Horror" is a very interesting and rather lengthy documentary that covers many of the scary films put out by Universal in the 1920s and 1930s and includes freaky scenes from such films as "The Phantom of the Opera," "The Man Who Laughs," "The Black Cat," etc. I liked the inclusion of scenes from early silents. It also reveals secrets to special effects found in "King Kong" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and "The Invisible Man." Film historians who were kids back in the day talk about what these films meant to them and the reactions of audiences at the time. Bela Lugosi Jr. talks about his famous father in several clips in this documentary. And if all that were not enough, you also get to see a collection of posters and stills. This 75th Anniversary set has so much to offer and is so well-done that I recommend it to any Dracula/horror film fan even if they already have a copy of Dracula.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Piano Music on the Main Menu
Comment: I think the other reviewers have said it all about this edition. It's a solid version of a great film.
Does anyone know what the piano music accompanying the DVD's main menu is (and where I can find it)?
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Best Possible In 1931
Comment: If you follow my reviews, you know that the 1979 Frank Langella / Sir Laurence Oliver version is my unchallenged favorite version. But it is probably most fair to rate this version without comparing it to the phenomenal 1979 version which would come 48 years later. As the Anglican Church felt the "King James" was the best available Bible available in 1611, they felt the "English Revised" was the best one available in 1885. Renfield goes to conduct some real estate business with Count Dracula; but he is surprised at the sympathy and fear he is getting from people in the area. (Nice suspense) Renfield then meets Dracula (Lugosi) who appears to be a decent host. But there is an early sign of horror when Dracula is especially interested when Renfield cuts his finger. Considering the limited resources back then, the scenery is really well done. Once in England, we see that Renfield has become a servant of Dracula, and it doesn't take long for Dracula to start killing people. We are then introduced to Jack Seward and Jon Harker. (Jon is engaged to Jack Seward's daughter Mina.) Mina's friend Lucy is killed which leads to more suspense. (Granted, we as the audience know who is killing everyone, but there is a creepy suspense as to us wondering when the characters will find out.) We then meet Van Helsing (played well by Edward Van Sloan). Van Sloan portrays him as an interesting character who has unusual knowledge that he tries to use only when the people may be ready for it, or situations are dire enough for them to have to know. (Van Sloan does not make him the eccentric heavy drinker he is in the book.) Harker is a real skeptic, but Mr. Seward is understandably more open because he is concerned over his daughter Mina's failing health. Interestingly, we see that the good in Renfield is fighting to come out, but he is also afraid of what Dracula may do to him. (Nice suspense that allows us some sympathy for Renfield.) We then see that while Harker is a skeptic, he can be convinced with the right evidence. I don't want to ruin the movie for those of you who haven't seen it, but the climax is done reasonably well, and it leaves us with a slightly open ended conclusion. The 1979 version with Frank Langella, Sir Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence, Trevor Eve, and Kate Nelligan version will always be my favorite. But I do feel that the 1931 Lugosi version was the best one available in 1931. It remains my 2nd favorite version, and a lot better than a lot of so called Draculas that recently came out.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lugosi is inspired, but DRACULA S##KS
Comment: If Frankenstein gives you the underground creeps, and The Mummy keeps your nerves all wrapped up, while Creature From The Black Lagoon makes you search for dry land, this ancient version of Dracula has lost it's bite. Bela Lugosi literally sustains the sense of creepiness all by himself in one of the most unlikable casts ever assembled for a Universal horror picture classic. Nothing is deadlier for a horror tale where the so called good guys are achingly so intolerable in character and demeanor, it would be a virtual pity if Dracula didn't have his way with most of them indeed. Nina is a sniveling grown up woman with a childish wimpering voice that needs to be silenced by someone. Please help us here, Bela. The manly hero is a push over rich boy sweating beads for his dear Nina, while running amuk in the final scene calling her name in no uncertain terms. Van Helsing is why I stay at home in the states, I do not require an irritating foreign tongue which makes me long for home. His demise would be if Bela told him a hefty joke to crack that cemented mug of his. To top everything off, this tale is based and formed from a stage version, not utilizing the great cinema features of sight and sound. Walt Disney would have had a straight jacket fit! Some of the lighter sets appeared the future home of I LOVE LUCY. No doubt, Bela is unsurpassed in his Dracula facade, which made his presence and attitude legendary to everyone on planet earth, but the movie itself is grinding, even compared to much better hits of the day.
A few key moments do not a movie make.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Gothic horror at its finest
Comment: Tod Browning did more than perhaps any other filmmaker to develop the "horror" genre, and this Gothic horror masterpiece is one of the crown jewels in his filmography.
Perhaps the first genuinely "supernatural" American horror films (previous American horror films always explained away the existence of spirits or demons by attributing the scary goings-on to escaped mental patients or psychotics). Universal was perhaps the perfect studio to produce this film, as the large influx of German talent in the late 20s had created a house style at the studio perfectly suited to such a film. The atmospheric, Expressionist cinematography by Karl Freund is one of the most memorable aspects of the film. Browning's direction is solid, although he is still clearly uncomfortable with the requirements of making a sound film (his best work had been in silents, and his most memorable sound films were those in which he was able to direct non-talking sequences). Still, Browning's distinct touch is evident throughout the film, creating a much more genuinely terrifying, menacing sense of horror than the slightly more sympathetic and even at times campy horror found in the work of James Whale.
As with many talkies made between 1930 and 1932, there is very little underscoring throughout the film ("Swan Lake" is used memorably under the opening titles). While some consider this a deficiency of the film, it's important to remember that Browning dictated the lack of music to heighten the atmospheric sound. There is a version with a score composed by Philip Glass, running under most of the non-talking scenes, which lacks the taste that one usually associates with that composer.
"Dracula" stands as a seminal film in the development of the horror genre, of great interests to genre fans and film historians alike.
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