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Summary: I bid you Welcome ... to the Wonderful World of DVD
Review: Here's a prime example of what DVD can do better than any other video format to date! On one small disc are three (count 'em, THREE) separate versions of Bram Stoker's classic vampire tale ... and you don't have to flip the disc or fast forward through any one of them to access the others. As icing on the cake, there are a wealth of bonus supplemental materials that are also readily available at the touch of a remote button. Phenomenal! ... and a user-friendly convenience that could never be achieved on Beta, VHS, 16mm, LED, or LaserDisc.Although the Lugosi "Dracula" has taken a critical drubbing in recent years as a somewhat stodgy, stage-bound production (at least in the London and Whitby sequences), it is still remarkable for the acting of Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye, and - especially - Lugosi whose interpretation of the vampiric Count both made and defined his film career. Lugosi uses his hands exquisitely throughout the movie, and his beautifully resonant voice at times vibrates like a finely pitched string instrument. It's a virtuoso tour de force performance that ushered in the first cycle of Universal Horror talkies. (Quick! Who won the 1930-31 Best Actor Oscar for which Lugosi was not even nominated? Answer: Lionel Barrymore, for playing Norma Shearer's father in "A Free Soul". Go figure!) The second incarnation of the film is the Lugosi version with a new electronic musical score by Philip Glass. Whereas the original release version suffered by having too little orchestration, Glass has gone to the other extreme, leaving very few passages without some background accompaniment. And he unwisely chose to eliminate the use of "Swan Lake" during the main title sequence ... better that he would have kept that familiar introduction, and used it as a springboard to his own composition. Glass' effort is not as successful as the newly recorded scores for the MGM-Thames Television restorations of silent classics like "The Crowd", "The Wind", etc., mostly because his musical passages don't always properly underscore the on-screen action, and thus frequently come off as obtrusive and remote. The nicest surprise on the disc is the inclusion of the Spanish-language "Dracula", shot simultaneously with the English-language classic, but with a totally different cast and production team. The print is pristine, sharp and clear, without the fading and flickering that plagues the English transfer. Enjoyable for its own sake, the Spanish "Dracula" also offers valuable insight into the nature of creative choices when compared to its English counterpart ... note the liberal use of dry ice whenever the Count's coffin is opened; the expanded use of the Transylvania Castle set; and the different presentation of the insane Renfield in the cargo hold of the Vesta. The supplemental materials are all just great - loved the reminiscences by producer Carl Laemmle's niece Carla, and the photo gallery was quite nice, if not as extensive as the gallery presented on the MCA Encore Edition LaserDisc. My one major complaint was the absence of any recent interviews with the (English version's) romantic leading man, David Manners; although he died in December 1998, Manners was quite lucid up until his death, and could have contributed invaluable comments about this film, as well as the previous Universal DVD release of "The Mummy" (1932). That (major) disappointment aside, this is still an almost flawless disc, and a must-have for any connoisseur of the DVD format.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant Start, and nothing less.
Review: The first 20 minutes of this film are brilliant. Purely brilliant. Nothing can compare with the sense of gothic horror and mystery the viewer experiences during the journey to Dracula's castle, and our interview with the first vampire. I watched the beginning in a dark room, just after the sun had set and the lands about my house were shrouded in darkness. It's an experience I'll never forget. As I have said twice before, pure and simple brilliance, and nothing less. Unfortunately for the expectant viewer, the film begins to slowly slid after the first 20 minutes. A real shame, since, if the entire film had been as excellent as the first 20 minutes, this would indeed be a timeless classic. The movie is worth viewing, if only for the first part. The price of the film is worth that alone. The DVD itself is wonderful. It comes with three different versions of the movie: one the original, the next with a new (but horrible) score, and the last with a completely different Spanish version of the film which is longer and, in some people's opinion, much better. I'll comment on the Spanish version since it seems to be a pretty popular one: I personally didn't like it very much. The detail is better, as is the quality, but the actors really killed the movie. Who can compare with Lugosi? The actors are simply terrible. Even the beginning scenes can't save the film. Still, it's interesting to see, in spite of the poor actors. The extras included on the DVD are OK. The documentary is pretty lame, and I've heard better commentaries before (such as "The Wolf Man".) Still interesting for those vampire fanatics out there. All in all, I would definitely purchase it. No matter how bad most of the movie might be, it's still a horror classic, and the beginning anyone could like. Buy it for that.
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Summary: This is what all archival DVDs should be like
Review: Although Dracula (1931) is the poorest of the early Universal classics (it's as creaky as a coffin lid compared to the The Mummy, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, and The Black Cat), this speical edition DVD is the best of the recent releases of the Universal Horrors for a number of reasons: 1) The Documentary. Skaal goes into great depths on the legend of Dracula and the various incarnations that lead up to the movie that cemented the vampire tale forever into our collective pop culture minds. The interviews with Lugosi's son and people who personally knew Dwight Frye and Hamilton Deane add a touching dimension to the documentary narrative. No other Universal horror documentary quite gets to the bottom of its movie's initial appeal and archival history the way this does. 2) Skaal's commentary. Again, insightful, clear, detailed, and willing to criticize the film's many faults without simply harping at it. Skaal obviously loves the film, but knows it is flawed and wants to explain to us how to got that way. 3) The music. The new score by Philip Glass (the original release had almost no music at all, typical for early sound) improves the film tremendously. It almost seems like an entirely new movie, fresh and thrilling. 4) The Spanish version. Everything you've heard about it is true. It is excitingly directed, filled with innovative camerawork and delightful surprises that explain much of the plot holes in the English version. Some of the performances aren't great (Carlos Villarias doesn't have Lugosi's charisma), but the energy is far greater than Browning's English version. The brief introduction by star Lupita Tovar-Kohner is also interesting and gives viewers a great glimpse into the early days of sound, when rival Spanish productions were common. I can't recommend this DVD enough; it shows that the format can do wonders for archiving old classics and making them live for a new generation. Even when the classic is somewhat . . . creaky.
Rating: 
Summary: Dracula: Lugosi's Famous Classic
Review: Dracula (1931) is the best of the Universal classics. The Mummy, Frankenstein and others aren't that great in comparison to this film. Unfortunetly, because of its ancient age (1931), this film is slightly unwatchable because it is so dated. Lugosi is great, and everything is superb- but the age, black and white picture, disortion and quality (even in special editions) tones down its classic stance. Worth buying, but those looking for a not-so-tedious, slightly dated (but entertaining) Lugosi film should get The Devil Bat (1941) which may just be superior to this masterpiece of classic Universal terror.
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Summary: A Thrilling Movie, but it's somewhat uneven.
Review: Bela Lugosi gives the performance of his career with DRACULA, made in 1931, it starts off as really chilling film but then kind of bogs down when the story moves to London. The climax encounter between Dracula and Dr. Han Hesling is somewhat uneventful. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee made it more realistic with the Hammer production of Dracula in 1957. Ultimately Dracula is a handsomely crafted story but is somewhat inferior to James Whale's FRANKENSTEIN, also made in 1931.
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Summary: Bela Lugosi's Best
Review: ... This DVD is second to none with its added extras and bonusmaterials. ... I thought the picture quality was remastered unbeleivably well. It did not show its age I didnt think and the added spanish version is a real treat. A must for all classic horror picture fans. ...
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Summary: The REAL Dracula
Review: I have seen most versions of Dracula and other vampire movies and Bela Lugosi is the best. His legend is secure thanks to the original sucess of this movie. The gothic scenery is spectacular and Universals new DVD containing both the spanish version and the Lugosi version are a must. Lugosi is handsome, charming and hypnotic. A wonderful horror classic.
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Summary: BLOOD...
Review: WELL... IN IT BELA PLAYS A MAN OF RESPECT AND EVIL! THE MOST FAMOUS VAMPIRE OF ALL COUNT DRACULA.HE TAKE THE BLOOD OF MEN THAT FALL UNDER HIS SPELL.
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Summary: The Blood is the Life
Review: This movie now seems very dated, much more so than Frankenstein which was made in the same year. There are four reasons for this: (1) the lack of music; (2) the fact that it was adopted from a stage play; (3) jerky editing; and (4) that ridiculous bat! Nevertheless, this was undoubtedly a great movie of its time. The vampire myth has always struck a deep chord in the human heart. Nowadays we tend to associate it with the idea of seduction, sexuality, and infected blood. Originally these legends can be seen as a distortion of Christianity, but by the 1930s when this film was made ideas of blood and vampirism had very strong political resonances. On the right there were ideas of racial or 'blood' purity while on the left the vampire was a symbol of the capitalist, sucking blood from the people, reducing them to lifeless zombies. With his tuxedo, cape, and top hat, Dracula seems to fit this role. The strong point of the movie is the acting with Dwight Frye convincing in the difficult role of Renfield. But of course the charismatic center of the film is Bela Lugosi as the charming count, perhaps the best piece of casting in Hollywood history. He is well served by an excellent script which supplies him with juicy lines like "I never drink . . . wine!" to sink his teeth into. Indeed, so mesmerizing is his performance that this old shaky film sometimes looks like a lost snuff movie of the 1930s.
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Summary: Lugosi's moment of triumphant!
Review: This the first of Universal's horror cycle was haunting mesmeric gothic chiller in its time. Now it's stale and dated no thanks to the pedestrian direction of silent filmaker Tod Browning. The first twenty minutes are superb set deep in the Transylvania with its excellent cobwebbed castle and creepy characters, but the second part set mainly in the drawing room of Dr Sewards sanitarium are yawn inducing. But try to put this aside and enjoy the inimitable Bela Lugosi in his greatest role by far. His voice, gesture and stature make him a perfect Count, and no one else since has has exerted such a mesmeric power over the audience. Even when seen today and the opening lines spoken by Bela " I am Dracula " have you rapt and you believe him. Lugosi was simply born for the role. Unfortunate the film wasn't better. Dwight Frye is delightful as the deranged Renfield. But the other members of the cast are somewhat annoying, most notably the iritating David Manners who played many a romantic lead in numerous Universal horror films of the era. Helen Chandler as Mina isn't much better. But after all this was a landmark film and will never be forgotten thanks to Lugosi.
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