Rating: 
Summary: Erotically thrilling
Review: Though it's not really true to the original story, it is very well done. I vehemently disagree with other reviews that denegrate the performances of Sir Laurence and Trevor Eve. They both gave quite a lot to their roles and as for Dracula himself-if that's dead I can hardly wait!
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Summary: the Dracula !!!
Review: While not strictly accurate to the original book, it manages to capture the feel of it in a way that the later films did not. Even if you are not a horror fan do give this a try. It is not that gory but it is very well acted and Langella is perfect as Dracula - even better than Lee !!
Rating: 
Summary: A good Dracula movie, but a touch out-of-sorts
Review: Langella is Dracula!!!! Let me say that to get it out of the way. The rest of the movie was a little funky. Laurence Olivier (an excellent actor) is far too hammy. Renfield is a putz. Harker is, Harker is boring. Mina is far too frail to be interesting. The only really good parts of the film are the attraction between Lucy and Dracula, and the final confrontation.
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Summary: Nine years and I'm still turned on by Langella's Dracula.
Review: Having never seen Langella's Broadway characterization, I cannot compare them. Having seen every other movie version Dracula I possibly could, however, Langella is the embodiment of the attraction of evil. He looks the part, he acts the part. Those eyes, those eyes....Bela finally met his match. A supporting cast of his caliber would have been wonderful. But for me, the fiery love scene could not have been handled any better. The man is totally sexy just as Dracula is totally sexy. I have it in my library to heat up those long and dreary winter nights.
Rating:
Summary: Rip-roaring Gothic melodrama
Review: The first thing you'll notice about the DVD version of John Badham's "Dracula" is the almost total absence of color. In fact, to all intents and purposes, this Technicolor film is now a black and white production! Apparently, the director felt his movie would play better this way on TV. Go figure. Anyway, the film itself is a rip-roaring Gothic melodrama, designed and photographed with a visual flourish that may seem old-fashioned and melodramatic, but it compels attention in a way that almost completely eluded Francis Ford Coppola's take on the legend thirteen years later. The script retains the basic structure of Stoker's novel whilst adding enough fresh ideas of its own to keep boredom (bred of familiarity) firmly at bay. For instance, Dracula's comeuppance during the climax is a million miles from his fate in the book, but it works here on purely cinematic terms. Frank Langella's rather unfortunate pompadour hairdo detracts from the power of his performance as the Count, but his deceptively romantic interpretation is fully in keeping with the film's approach. Lovely score by John Williams, too.Though the DVD packaging promises the film has been "Formatted for 16x9 TVs", don't be fooled - the disc is simply letterboxed at 2.15:1. It looks OK (except for that irritating lack of color, of course) and Gilbert Taylor's rich Gothic compositions are preserved with crystal clarity. Sound is Dolby Digital Surround. Be advised that Universal/Image STILL haven't sorted out legal wrangles over some of the incidental music in the original film. As a consequence, this is the same "home video version" as all the others, with some music rescored.
Rating:
Summary: I Beg To Differ....
Review: Ignore all the folks vetching and GET the DVD if you can find it... I've seen every version of this thing from it's incarnation as a Bway play, it's airing as a film in the theatre, on cable, the VHS, and DVD, and there is NO difference in color or quality from the way it was done on screen. Yes, there was some BRIGHT color on screen but it was NOT throughout the whole film. The b&w thing was done INTENTIONALLY and it was that way in the original cut. The revamped Hamilton-Deane stage play upon which the film is based had Edward Gorey type sets in B&W with touches of brilliant red. The film follows this in a smaller way with a more downplayed coloring scheme. The reason you see the brighter colors only part of the time is because it was the director's way of getting the same effect as the stage sets. Misty B&W period look for most part, then a sudden change to bright color... IMHO, it WORKS. It's eerie, and it's effective... As for Langella, I think perhaps of all his fine performances this is the one for which he will be most remembered and justifiably so. His was a unique Dracula, a passionate Dracula, and yes, IMHO,one of the BEST Dracula's I've ever seen, and I've seen them ALL. I like a lot of them, Lugosi, Lee, Jourdan, and Oldman in particular. For Pre-CGI the effects are excellent and for once they do harken back to the folklore which inspires the vampire legend besides. The horse in the graveyard for instance is straight out of Rumanian myth... (Mina's being a moldering corpse is intentional I think too. The director is making a distinction between "prey" and "love interest" here. Mina is basically FOOD, whereas Lucy, Dracula wants to make his bride. The inference here is that there is a difference and the blood exchanged between Lucy and Dracula makes her more like him. Mina, poor thing is simply destined to rot until someone stakes her....She's the "tradtional" vampire of folklore, and I was truly creeped out by her makeup job actually...It was unusually horrific for the time period in which this film was made...) There are some nice touches in this film, and I honestly feel it holds up well some 25 years later. It's still a favorite, and justifiably so...In terms of acting it far surpasses the FFC 92" Dracula, and though it's not as showy it's still every bit as enjoyable to watch now as it was when I first saw it in the theatre. It's a bit grainy in DVD, and I'd surely like to see a better transfer and maybe a cleaned up and completely restored soundtrack, but otherwise? I wouldn't change a thing, and I certainly would NOT want it colorized to make it all perfectly even. It just wouldn't be the same "Dracula" at all... Morrighan
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Summary: " I need.....I need"- Dracula
Review: Ok, so this isn't exactly the most scariest Dracula movie, but perhaps this is the most romantic. Frank Langella ( sp?) takes the role of the infamous Dracula and does a pretty good job. One thing I liked about Frank's performance was his eyes, he has very mysterious-like eyes that draws you right in. Dracula in this movie is much more romantic and this time instead of Mina, he goes for her friend, Lucy. Laurence Oliver would starr as the ever loving Van Helsing. While Donald Loomis would starr as Doctor Seward.
The DVD quality is nice and clear like usual, and the sound is a little hard to hear at some times. The DVD also includes some good special features which is a treat for anyone who enjoys this movie. Feature commentary by Director John Badham. " The Revamping of Dracula " which includes interviews by the cast, director, producer, and composer, John Williams. Recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a movie straightly about Dracula's romantic side.
Rating:
Summary: Post Mortem
Review: From the earliest days of cinema, Bram Stoker's classic tale of Dracula, has been told and retold in many incarnations over the decades. Going from the ultimate portrayal by Bela Lagosi, through Francis Ford Copola's interpetation with Gary Oldman, to the spoof from Mel Brooks with Leslie Neilsen--it's all here. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, which brings me to the 1979 version of the story, based on the stage play by Hamilton Deane and directed by John Badham, while it does have its share of campiness, I still think the film has gotten a bad rap over the years and is underated.
High atop a foggy seaside cliff lies a foreboding asylum, home administered by Doctor Jack Seward (Donald Pleasence) who runs it, and his beautiful and free-spirited daughter, Lucy (Kate Nelligan). The doctor and Lucy have taken in Mina (Jay Francis), a weak and sickly young friend of Lucy's, whom they are attempting to nurse back to health. On a dark and gloomy night, a torrential storm ravages their coastal home and a ship crashes on a nearby murky shore. The only survivor of the shipwreck, is a seductive and mysterious young man named Dracula (Frank Langella). The debonaire count charms the willing and nubile Mina (Jan Francis), who is soon discovered dead from mysterious causes. In horror, Mina's father Van Helsing (Sir Laurence Oliver), soon arrives, only to discover the real identity of the suave and beguiling count, just as he has picked his new bride, the lovely Lucy.
Badham directs, relying on atmoshere to help get us through the campy stuff. The dirctor is aided in his efforts by a superb ensemble cast filled with credibility and chemistry, for a horror spectacle like no other. Langella, reprising his take on the count from the stage, is better than most give him credit for. The icing on the cake for me, is composer John Williams' lavish score--an underrated effort as well.
The DVD boasts a very informative feature length audio commentary with Badham. It's a well rounded track with lots of tidbits about the production. The documentary The Revamping Of Dracula is a nice retrospective with comments by Badham--some repetetive, screenwriter W.D. Richter, Langella, and Williams, among others. A photo gallery of on set and promo stills tops off the disc.
Dracula-1979 may not be the best incarnation, in terms of what's expected, but it's still highly watchable and fun.
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Summary: Predatory Menace Rehabilitated as Romantic Hero.
Review: Three different film adaptations of "Dracula" arrived in theaters in 1979, and they couldn't have been more dissimilar. "Love at First Bite" was a spoof. "Nosferatu the Vampyre" was a remake of the first extant Dracula film in the expressionist/romanticist style. At first glance, this film takes the most straightforward approach. "Dracula" is loosely based on the famous Hamilton Deane play that also served as a basis for the 1931 film version of "Dracula" starring Bela Lugosi. Like Lugosi, Frank Langella played Count Dracula on stage before starring in the film. This is a much embellished and adulterated version of the Deane play, though. A ship carrying cargo from Eastern Europe runs aground in Whitby, England. Everyone on board is killed except a passenger, Count Dracula (Frank Langella), who is found washed up on the beach by a young woman from a nearby estate, Mina Van Helsing (Jan Francis). Shortly after the Count installs himself in his new home, Carfax Abbey, Mina dies mysteriously. Mina's friend, Lucy Seward (Kate Nelligan), who lives nearby and is engaged to a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker (Trevor Eve), becomes irresistibly attracted to Count Dracula. The murder of a young child forces Mina's father, Dr. Van Helsing (Lawrence Olivier), and Lucy's father, Dr. Seward (Donald Pleasance) to confront the possibility of vampirism. Together with Jonathan Harker, they set out to destroy Count Dracula before his menace spreads.
Viewers familiar with Bram Stoker's novel or Hamilton Deane's play will notice that the characters have been switched around once again. Dracula's ability to move freely during daylight hours and to transport himself as fog, both found in the novel, have been restored. But this version of "Dracula" departs from both novel and play in more significant fashion. Frank Langella's Count Dracula is a romantic hero, not evil incarnate. Writer W.D. Richter and director by John Badham have transformed "Dracula" from gothic horror into gothic romance. The two genres had much in common in the 19th century. But gothic romance is, if anything, less credible than horror, and "Dracula" suffers from serious bouts of campiness. Count Dracula is a handsome, refined seducer of women who invite him to suck their blood. He isn't a predator, but a man who seeks eternal love with a vampire bride. The themes of the novel and of previous Dracula films have been abandoned. But Count Dracula's new heroism contradicts itself. We see Dracula eviscerate innocent people. He transforms Mina into a hideous ghoul who murders babies. These are horrific scenes, perpetrated by a character who is supposed to be tragic and sympathetic, in the middle of an extravagant gothic romance. And I can't imagine why Mina's vampire is grotesque, while Lucy's is beautiful. Vampirism never had any ill effect on a woman's looks in Stoker's novel or in any other adaptation. Why director John Badham should want Mina to be hideous is entirely mysterious.
For fans of the "Dracula" novel or character, this film is significant for its departure from traditional themes. Frank Langella's rewritten Count Dracula has entered the popular consciousness. But "Dracula" is too campy and too confused to be a good film. It doesn't seem to know what it's trying to say -or else it refuses to fully commit to its ideas. Recommended for Dracula connoisseurs.
The DVD (This refers to the Universal UMVD disc only): Bonus features include a "Photo Gallery", a making-of documentary, and an audio commentary by director John Badham. The "Photo Gallery" features drawings of set design, onset photos, and publicity stills. In the documentary (38 minutes), entitled "The Revamping of Dracula", Frank Langella, John Badham, producer Walter Mirisch, and screenwriter W. D. Richter tell the story of the film's conception and creation. Director John Badham provides a detailed audio commentary about the actors, problem-solving, and various aspects of shooting the film. Captioning is available in English, subtitles in Spanish and French.
Rating:
Summary: Dracula
Review: I remember seeing this movie for the first time when I was in the 11th grade. My friends and I loved it and went to see it 3 times. I bought the VHS version of the movie a few years ago and couldn't wait for the DVD version to be released. The color is just as I remember it - dark and moody. I wouldn't want to see it alive (no pun intended) with color - it would spoil the mood. The name of the movie is DRACULA - it should be spooky. Glad to see it was finally released on DVD.
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