First of all, this is my sixtieth blog entry! Hooray!
Anyway…
When I wrote about The Monster Squad, I made it very clear just how much I love the Universal Monster franchise. It’s amazing to me that one studio was responsible for bringing so many iconic monsters to the big screen.
So, of course, no series of entries on Halloween movies that I write would be complete without one of the original Universal Monster movies rearing its head.
Grab your crosses and stakes and put on your turtlenecks, because we’re about to face…
Dracula (1931)!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s the trailer…
I first saw Dracula on Svengoolie, and boy, was I excited to see it! (I’m always excited for Svengoolie, but that’s beside the point.)
If you want to see the film, you have a couple of options: Sven recently showed it again (with a new score), and it will rerun Saturday, October 31, on WCIU. Also, Turner Classic Movies is showing it in theaters on Wednesday, October 28, in a double feature with the Spanish-language version of the movie (with English subtitles), which was filmed at night with a different cast and crew using the same sets. I went to the double feature on Sunday, and I loved seeing all the similarities and differences between the two films.
Here’s the basic, spoiler-free rundown…
Dracula (1931)
Plot: Mr. Renfield travels to Transylvania to close a real estate deal with Count Dracula, who plans to move to London, but all is not as it seems…
Villain(s): Really?
Scare Factor: The scares are very different from what you’re used to seeing in horror films, so it’s hard to predict how scary you or any kids you know may find this one.
Gore Factor: You see blood once in the entire film.
Family-Friendly Factor: There’s no swearing, and any minimal suggestive content that adults may infer will go way over kids’ heads.
Quick! Run while he’s stuck in the web!
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! Spoilers lurk beyond this point!
