Rating: 
Summary: The Final Monster party at Universal!
Review: House of Dracula is an enjoyable classic monster film. Onslow Stevens is quite good as the compassionate, but mis-guided scientist who trys to "cure" Dracula, the Wolf Man and The Frankenstein Monster as well as his lovely, but Hunchedbacked, assistant, the ravishing Jane Adams. Quite an ambitious agenda for one film! The results are mixed, Dracula can't stop preying on pretty nurses and is dispatched by the good doctor. However Dracula, played very well by John Carradine, reverses a transfusion and curses the doctor with some of his blood. The doctor performs an operation and cures Lon Chaney Jr. of the Werewolf curse. Tragically, Dracula's blood turns the good doctor to evil and he revives the Frankenstein Monster and kills his pretty nurse before he is gunned down by the now ex-Wolfman. Lionel Atwill (always a welcome addition to these films!) is electrocuted by Frankenstein before the monster is consumed in the flames of the laboratory. This movie whatever its faults certainly doesn't drag!! All this and more happens in a brisk 70 minutes. What I don't understand is why Universal hasn't released "House of Dracula" on DVD with its other classic monster films? I have the VHS tape above as well as the Laserdisc release of 1995. Both show a print that is quite well preserved. So where is the DVD Universal???????? I would like to complete my collection~and get a few more as gifts!! My brother and I watched these as kids growing up, far better than the often sexually explicit "Slasher Flicks" that today's pre-teens are watching!! When our parents were that age movies like "House of Dracula" were what they watched at the Saturday afternoon Matinee. I am sure they would also love to see it again as well. I can only hope that Universal "digs it up", before the next full moon or at least in the near future for a DVD release!
Rating: 
Summary: Bela is so charming!
Review: I bought this movie because I remember seeing it as a child and loving it. Since then I have forgotten about it and then I came across this and I had to have it! I'm not interested in the other "B" movies that are provided. I am perfectly happy with just watching Bela in all his glory. I would watch the others if Bela were in them but maybe one day when I'm bored I'll check them out. I've owned this film for about a month and I have maybe watched it 15 times already. I just can't keep my eyes off of Bela. He's charming, elegant and old fashioned (ex. "Miss Mina, may I call later and inquire how you are feeling?" sigh swoon)My absolute favorite part of this film is when Van Helsing shows Dracula the mirror with which he cast no reflection. One second, Dracula is calm and composed and as soon as Van Helsing shows him the mirror Dracula smashes the mirror and his whole face changed from pleasant to anger and hatred within a split second. Wonderful acting Bela! I haven't seen such wonderful acting in the newer films. The look in his eyes was so terrifying. The DVD transfer doesn't bother me because I don't remember the original therefore I have nothing to compare to. I don't even notice any imperfections. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates horror movies that don't shove special effects and such in your face.
Rating:
Summary: So-So Release of Genre Greats
Review: I give this collection a solid four stars for the release, finally, of all the Universal Dracula films, which includes the essential "House of Dracula", but not perhaps for the reason you might first expect (more on that in a moment). All five are in a very nice double-disk jewel case. The only reason I didn't give it a fifth star is the obvious lack of extras, including some that were on the earlier double-feature Univeral set of "Dracula's Daughter" and "Son of Dracula". Granted, the missing extras from the original double-feature release were only Production Notes, but even this was better than nothing at all. Or in this case, only the theatrical trailers. Also, for such an anticipated release as "House of", why were there no extras? But this is perhaps minor, when fans like myself have been hoping for some time for this final chapter in...Dracula's life? Nope, in poor Larry Talbot's cursed life.Yep, that's why I love this movie so much. Out of all the Universal Monsters, only Lon Chaney Jr. played the same creature in every movie it appeared, and only he played the tortured soul of Larry Talbot. And with the release of "House of Dracula", Larry finally hits a home run. He's cured of the curse, he kills the bad guy, and he gets the leading lady. For many of us who loved all the Univeral wolfman films, seeing Larry finally getting his "Happy Ending" is like reading the last in a series of very satisfying novels. This movie packs all the Univeral Monsters into a plot that's much more complex than some of the earlier films, and includes the return of some beloved Univeral characters actor, like Lionel Atwill. The picture quality of all the films is, for the most part, clean and satisfying. There are some signs of age that you would have thought Universal could have completely cleaned up, but to me they seem minor. The sound is sharp and clear. The new score by Philip Glass for the "Dracula" dvd (it includes both the new score, and the original 1932 score) adds a whole new dimension to watching it. I also love the new sound effects in the main menu, with wind rustling, and bats squeaking and fluttering. Included on disk one are a few of the extras from the original dvd release, like "On the Road to Dracula", and an audio commentary by film historian David J. Skal. There are theatrical trailors for all the films, and a newly remastered audio track. And for those anticipating the release of "Von Helsing" in theaters this year, there is an original, short-running, behind-the-scenes documentary on disk one.
Rating:
Summary: Universal Horror Classics -Boris and Bela Still the Best!
Review: I salute Universal once again, with another great trio of horror sets. However, We still need on DVD the Lugosi-Karloff film series. We must have: The Black Cat, The Raven, The Invisible Ray, Black Friday, The Body Snatchers and throw in as a special treat Bela's Murders of the Rue Morgue. Would love to see the commentaries and other extras with these classics. Universal can you hear me? Come on you have a goldmine here. What are you waiting for? You don't need to wait till next Halloween. Do the right thing!
Rating: 
Summary: ¿I am Dracula¿.
Review: I very much enjoyed this movie. My problem isn't the movie it self. It's the DVD transfer.
I thought that they could have done a much better job, then what was represented.
The reason I say that is because there are so many great ways they have now. So that they can clean up an old movie. Even something like Dracula and I could tell that they really didn't try to do so.
Also the movie comes in a beautiful DVD package. However, I find it difficult to open.
Not only that but the defects on both discs are rather annoying. I was disappointed that my computer got infected with the DVD for a while. So I had to restart it and start from were I was last off.
I was kind of ticked off to because I was enjoying the movie very much.
I almost hop that they will rerelease the movie to a better set.
However, the movie it self was great to watch, and I really enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: First disc has problems, second disc is excellent
Review: I would have given this 2 disc set a 5 star rating if it wasn't for problems with the transfer of Dracula that is used on the first disc. The picture looks worse than the previous release and Dracula's extended groans at the end of the film after being staked are missing...but they can be heard on the commentary track! If you have the previous DVD edition of this film, keep it. It's definitely preferable to this version. The best reason for buying this set is the second disc. It's a double sided disc that contains the Spanish version of Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, Son Of Dracula and House Of Dracula. It's great to be able to own all four of these classic films on one disc, and the transfers are more than acceptable for films of their age. Other reviewers of these Legacy sets have commented on problems with the packaging and I echo those concerns. I found it very difficult to remove the second disc from the packaging. The problem is definitely with the disc as I put the first disc in that side of the case and it was easy to remove. I found it easier to put the second disc in a seperate DVD case rather than return it to its original packaging as I would rather not risk cracking the disc by continually trying to force it out of its place in the snapper case.
Rating:
Summary: PEOPLE! GET OVER IT!!
Review: I've been a monster fan almost 50 years, and grew up watching all the Universal stuff on TV, and of course have seen 'em countless times since. There's nothing wrong with the quality of this Dracula that 999,999 people out of a million would have any real issues with. The picture is fairly crisp, and doesn't detract one iota from enjoying the film.
Also, say the experts, the film eliminates some of Lugosi's groans (you still get one)at the end. OH, NO! Those absolute butchers at Universal! How dare they just utterly destroy the film like that?!! Get real, folks, and get a life while you're at it. You're talking about a few not-so-authentic-sounding grunts lasting 5 seconds if that. The film is just fine with or without 'em. Honestly, if you can't enjoy Lugosi's Dracula here without those few seconds, you may want to consider therapy, because you have some sort of obsessive-compulsive thing going on.
The additional films are the usual 2nd-string Universal fare, although the Spanish Dracula has its moments ... but it's still not equal to the English version. Daughter and House both have a few moments, too. Son is, unfortunately, laughable, especially the end.
So do you need to own this? If you're really a monster fan, you already do.
Rating:
Summary: DRACULA: THE LEGACY COLLECTION
Review: In celebration of VAN HELSING, Universal has pulled out the classic monster movies and given them the royal treatment that has been long overdue to them. This is the DRACULA box set, featuring five movies that tell the immortal saga of the count.
1. DRACULA (1931)
Count Dracula(Bela Lugosi)purchases Carfax Abbey in London and brings his newfound slave Renfield(Dwight Frye)with him. Dracula sinks his teeth into the necks of Lucy Weston(Frances Dade)and Mina Seward (Helen Chandler). Before the count can claim them as his brides, he must battle Jonathan Harker(David Manners)and Professor Abraham Van Helsing(Edward Van Sloan), Dracula's legendary nemesis.
While there have been film versions more true to the Bram Stoker novel, this film remains the definitive vampire movie of them all and opened the doors for future classics. Tod Browning, while a mechanical director, definetley succeeds in creating a strong mood. Karl Freund, the cinematographer, delivers a taste of some of his finest work. Though other actors have played the role since this film, none have had that charisma or power that Bela Lugosi brought to the role. He showed for all time who Dracula is. The essence of evil incarnate. Manners, Dade, and Chandler are rather dull. Frye is stark raving brilliant in the role of Renfield, and Van Sloan is, to me, the true manifestation of Van Helsing.
JUDGEMENT: 96
2. DRACULA (1931 Spanish Version)
Count Dracula(Carlos Villaris)purchases Carfax Abbey in London and brings his newfound slave Renfield(Pablo Alvarez Rubio)with him. Dracula sinks his teeth into the neck of the beautiful Eva (Lupita Tovar). Before he claim her as his bride, the count must deal with Juan Harker(Barry Norton)and Professor Abraham Van Helsing(Eduardo Arozamena), Dracula's legendary nemesis.
Filmed alongside the Browning-Lugosi version, the film used the same sets and script, but had a completley different cast and crew, and also changed some scenes. In all, the film is technically superior to Browning's. George Melford, the director, is much better with sound and the camera angles are more fluid. As for acting, Lupita Tovar is far more lively than Helen Chandler, and Pablo Rubio is even crazier than Dwight Frye. On the other hand, Eduardo Arozamena is not as convincing as Edward Van Sloan, and the rest of the supporting cast is average. Villarias, though good all throughout, lacks the charisma and striking appearance of Lugosi. He tries, but never matches the Hungarian star who showed how a vampire should be played for all time.
JUDGEMENT: 89
3. DRACULA'S DAUGHTER (1936)
Countess Marya Zaleska(Gloria Halden)arrives in London shortly after her father is killed. Professor Van Helsing(Edward Van Sloan)is arrested for the murder of Dracula, and fails to convince authorities that Dracula was a vampire. Dr. Garth(Otto Kruger)is asked to help Van Helsing, yet he doesn't believe it. He becomes acquainted with the countess and her servant(Irving Pichel), but soon begins to suspect that the bark is not worse than the bite.
Though it is the only entry that doesn't have Dracula in it, it's still a surprisingly strong film. It takes the dark gothic elements of DRACULA and combines them with the witty and demented elements of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and creates a film that, while not as strong as either of those, is definetley worth a watch. As the Countess, Gloria Halden perfectly captures the essence of Lugosi and having seen pictures of them together, they arguably look like family. As the doctor, Kruger fills in nicely and does well with the material. Van Sloan is also back in the role that made him famous. Pichel is a bit rigid, and I would've rather had someone else play the part. But I wasn't there.
JUDGEMENT: 95
4. SON OF DRACULA (1943)
Katherine Caldwell(Louise Allbritton)has invited Count Alucard(Lon Chaney, Jr.)to her home in Louisiana. However, her fiancee Frank Stanley(Robert Paige)is troubled by the domineering count. Claire Caldwell(Evelyn Ankers)is also worried about Kate. Then, Frank kills her. However, he claims that he shot the count, but the bullets just went through him and killed her. He soon learns that Kate planned to marry the count so she could become his vampiric bride. The count is the son of the legendary Count Dracula, and he has come to find new blood, with only two professors to stop him.
This third official entry in the series is when the character shows signs of slowing. The film is enjoyable, but severly lacks in areas. The acting is mostly dull, though Frank Craven and J. Edward Bromberg do a nice job. Lon Chaney, Jr. seemed ideal for the count(his father Lon Sr. was originally going to play Dracula in 1931), but he delivers one of his weakest performances to date, lacking any energy and or charisma.
JUDGEMENT: 70
5. HOUSE OF DRACULA (1945)
Seeking a cure for his bloodsucking tendencies, Count Dracula(John Carradine)searches out the help of Dr.Edelman(Onslow Stevens)for a cure. Believing Dracula to have a blood disease, he suggests injections of normal blood. At the same time, the doctor searches for a way to cure Larry Talbot(Lon Chaney, Jr.)of his lycanthropy. And in the middle of it all, the Frankenstein Monster(Glenn Strange)is found. But when a transfusion goes wrong, the doctor himself becomes a monster.
At this point, the horror genre was really hurting, but not enough to stop making quality projects. H.O.D is a fun film that provides pure popcorn entertainment. Stevens has some good moments as Dr. Edelman, going from in control to crazed. Carradine, as always, is excellent as Dracula. So good that he comes close to matching Lugosi. As always, Chaney, Jr. is tragic and powerful as Talbot, even though he only goes through one transformation in the whole movie.
JUDGEMENT: 88
EXTRAS
DRACULA comes with a commentary track by David J. Skal, who provides insightful info on the film. THE ROAD TO DRACULA, hosted by Carla Laemmle, is also a strong extra. The Spanish Version of Dracula has an introduction by Lupita Tovar, the star. She briefly talks about the movie and compares Carlos Villarias and Bela Lugosi. DRACULA also comes with the score by Phillip Glass, that can be chosen to be played during the movie. I personally find the movie far more satisfying without any music.
OVERALL
With the film that arguably opened the doors for a new breed of horror and established one of the most imitated actors in Hollywood, as well as the Spanish take and three strong sequels, this is only slightly weaker than the FRANKENSTEIN box set, but strong nonetheless.
OVERALL JUDGEMENT: 88
Rating:
Summary: Fangs for the memories, Universal Studios
Review: It is unfortunate that this collection of Universal Dracula films were only released in this mega-DVD collection as a means of promoting the film Van Helsing, but the important thing is that they were released - including the inimitably weird House of Dracula on DVD for the first time. This collection inspired its own kind of bloodlust in my Dracula-loving heart, and I imagine all fans of Dracula and Universal's classic monsters movies of the 30s and 40s have either already purchased this set or are saving up the money to do so. Just look at the bounty of riches included here: the original 1931 classic Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, which you can view with both its original score as well as the modern score composed by Philip Glass and performed by the Kronos Quartet; the incredible and technically superior Spanish language version of Dracula; Dracula's Daughter (1936); Son of Dracula (1943) starring Lon Chaney, Jr.; House of Dracula (1945); an original documentary, The Road to Dracula, discussing the making of the English and Spanish versions of the original film; a commentary by film historian David J. Skal on the original film; theatrical trailers for the films; and, last and certainly least, a look at how the original Dracula franchise influenced director Stephen Sommers in the making of his new film Van Helsing. I waited a long time to watch the Spanish version of the Dracula, and it lived up to its reputation. A much more complete and compelling version of the film, aided by an additional half hour running time, this movie equals or excels the English language version of the film in all ways - except, of course, for the performance of Bela Lugosi, who simply is Count Dracula. As for the Lugosi version, I'm torn between the two scores. As a traditionalist, I tend to favor the original score, but certain scenes, particularly those involving Dracula's predatory approach to his victims are made much more powerful with the addition of the Glass score. Either way, though, Bela Lugosi is the main attraction, and his iconic performance defines Count Dracula to this very day. The three Dracula sequels vary in quality, none of them living up to the reputation of the original. Dracula's Daughter takes the story in an interesting direction, giving us a vampire who seeks help in freeing herself of the Dracula curse, and Gloria Holden gives a formidable and nuanced performance as the daughter of the Count. Son of Dracula, on the other hand, pretty much lays an egg in my opinion. The only interesting thing about this movie is the debate over the true identity of the Count - is he Dracula? the son of Dracula? a relative of Dracula? In the end, it really doesn't matter, but it seems obvious that the blood of Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula certainly doesn't run in the veins of "Count Alucard" because this new bloodsucker on the block isn't the smartest vampire in the castle. Many Dracula fans will of course be aware of the fact that Lon Chaney, Sr., was the original choice to play Dracula in the 1931 film; his death opened the way for the relatively unknown Bela Lugosi to take on the role he had already played hundreds of time on stage. In Son of Dracula, Lon Chaney, Jr., gets the chance to don the cape; Chaney earned his spot of fame in the Universal monster pantheon, but he didn't earn it as the Count - his performance is nothing short of boring, aided not one iota by a surprisingly weak script from the hand of Curt Siodmak. The addition of House of Dracula to The Dracula Legacy Collection is a very big deal, for this is the first time this film has found its way to DVD. House of Dracula is a really weird film, as this sequel of sorts to House of Frankenstein features not only Count Dracula, but Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man as well. John Carradine plays a quite pedestrian Count Dracula, while Lon Chaney, Jr., plays the Wolf Man; Frankenstein's monster is played by Glenn Strange, but the monster plays only the most minor of roles in the story. The action takes place in Vasaria (wherever that is), where Dr. Franz Edelman (Onslow Stevens) is pursuing his own rather wacky scientific experiments, placing great hope on some new kind of spore he is growing in his private little hothouse. Both Count Dracula and Larry Talbot (the Wolf Man) come seeking his help; Talbot's wish to banish the Wolf Man manifestation from his life is understandable, but Dracula's reasons for seeking help are never made clear. In the course of trying to help these two special patients, Edelman runs into the body of Frankenstein's monster in a cave underneath his sanitarium (in a rather ho-hum fashion, no less). As you might expect, this association with three monsters turns out to be a bad thing, leaving Edelman in a pretty bad fix himself. It's somewhat difficult to take this movie seriously, but it does provide some wacky good fun in a campy sort of way. There is a slight risk involved with purchasing The Dracula Legacy Collection, but the rewards are worth the risk. Just be careful opening the case - even if both of the DVDs (one of which is double-sided) remain in position, you are likely to find a little knob underneath each one just dying for the chance to scratch a disc.
Rating: 
Summary: "House of Dracula is the 1# most enjoyable of Universal B's
Review: My FAVORITE 40's Universal Guilty Pleasure Horror. It's the most fascinating and innovative of the 40's portfolio. Superstition takes a back seat to scientific experimentation conducted to "cure" the famous monsters of Universaland. It anticipates the surgical horrors of Franju, Franco's ORLOFF series, Cronenberg. It is, in a way, the first "modern" horror film as chemistry and bio-pathology replace peasant hokum. Larry Talbot is just great, no whining in this one; he's a rather dashing werewolf and we have the supreme satisfaction of seeing him finally cured. The real masters are Robinson and Fulton who create a visual liquidity of hynotic travelling shots often following the poetic morphing of the DRACULA bat. Yes, the DRACULA bat. Carradine is undoubtedly the most poised, elegant and articulate DRACULA in the cinema history of that character. It's also satisfying to see the Frankenstein monster put out of his lugubrious rage. It's that rare thing, a horror movie about ideas, about what a horror movie really can be and what it can mean to us in a real time technological-historical context--encompassing World War II, Freud, Hitler and the development of psychotropic medication. When I see those credits melt onto the view of the oceanside castle I know I am in the HOUSE OF DRACULA. (Only for Guilty Pleasure viewing) Rating: 2-1/2 out of 5 Grade: C 79%
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