Here we go, I have never seen this, so I am excited. Good to finally see a Bela Lugosi film. Well, I have an Italian language copy. OK, got my brand new DVD, fingers crossed that it’s in English.
The guy with the mustache is fabulous. He warns of Nosferatu. Some young strapping gent is going up to Castle Dracula, and this awesome dude is warning him of bats and vampires. This dude is stubborn, he insists on going at night, so this lady gives him a crucifix necklace. These town folks know what’s up.
We see some coffins opening up. There he is!!!! Look at him with his ladies of the night. The driver drops this guy off and he ain’t staying. There’s another driver though, and he is awesome looking. A+ for creepy looking people. I enjoyed the bat flying with the coach. So this guy comes into the castle, more sweet bats out, and some armadillos, and there’s Dracula walking all suave down his stairs. Dracula welcomes him, but now he doesn’t have his luggage thanks to the scared driver. Ohhh, so this is Renfield. Good to know. Dracula has a nice place. Renfield has brought a lease for Dracula to sign, and Dracula wants to leave tomorrow evening. Renfield with a paper cut or apparently a paper clip cut, and man, Dracula is creeping up, but then he sees the crucifix and shies away. He offers Renfield a delicious drink. Dracula will leave him for the night.
The ladies are on the prowl, all 3. Renfield checks outside, and there’s a bat, and Renfield collapses. The ladies get closer, because they are gold diggers, but they ain’t messin with no broke n____. Dracula shoos them women to the side.
Aboard the Vesta, bound for England
Well, we have Renfield calling Dracula “Master” while on the boat and letting him know the sun is down. Renfield watches over Dracula’s coffin. The ship’s crew got worked at night. The people who find the crew also find Renfield and determine that he has gone crazy. Fair nuff.
London
At night, some girl is selling flowers, and Dracula approaches her, and bites her….sexually. The lad is discovered, but Dracula doesn’t give a F___. Dracula is at some orchestra performance and is making this maid his mind-controlled bitch. Dracula introduces himself to Dr. Seward, the head doctor of the sanitarium where Renfield is held. Dr. introduces Count to Lucy, Mina, and John Harker. Well, Dracula kinda creeped them out.
Lucy likes the idea of being a countess, and who can blame her. Ohhh man, she pulled the curtain open to get slightly undressed, which is the gratuitous sex shot of the film for the ’30s. Dracula comes up in his bat form and creeps up on a sleeping Lucy. Rape her……. and no. Damnit.Well, at the hospital, the transfusions aren’t helping.
At the sanitarium, Martin takes a spider away from Renfield who is clearly upset. Martin is pretty awesome. The doctors are discussing what is happening, determine it isn’t human. Good call gents. They decide that it must be a vampire. The smart guy in the room is Van Helsing, and he is intrigued by Seward’s patient (Renfield). Renfield would like to talk to him. Renfield wants to be sent far away. Renfield is pissed off at some herb that Van Helsing has and warns Seward of Mina’s fate. Dracula tells Renfield some stuff telepathically, and Renfield begs him not to.
Dracula visits Mina, and she recounts the story, John. Van Helsing and Seward are there. They try to tell her that it was just a dream. Van Helsing wishes to check her neck, and sure enough, she has marks from the morning after the dream. Dracula shows up to talk to Seward. There was a funny bit about what could have caused this, and the maid immediately says Count Dracula to introduce him. John is not happy with Dracula. Van Helsing notices that he can’t see Dracula in a mirror. John’s pants and boots are fabulous.
Van Helsing goes to show Dracula the mirror, and Dracula swats it away all pissed. Dracula tells Seward that he doesn’t like mirrors, and told him that Van Helsing will explain, and then he leaves. Van Helsing explains that Dracula is their vampire.
Outside, Mina walks to Dracula and he wraps his cape around her. Renfield shows up with the doctors, and he’s a creepy little bastard. Renfield begs them to take Mina away. Renfield sees a bat and says that he is loyal to his master. Renfield denies knowing a Dracula. The maid comes in screaming. Something bad has happened, the maid faints from Renfield being crazy, and he crawls to her, and the men are checking on Mina.
Lucy is outside wandering. So they are talking about a lady in white, and it’s Lucy. Mina is all worried about what’s happening. John is hellbent on taking Mina to London. He is hellbent on being bossy, and Van Helsing wants her wearing the wolfbane at night to keep Dracula away. John has some high water pants, and a great vest. Dr. Seward is telling John that Van Helsing is right basically. Van Helsing says that they need to put a stake through his heart. Of course, Renfield shows up again, because nobody keeps an eye on him. Renfield tells them what happened. “Dracula is in the house.” Martin cracks me up.
Dracula confronts Van Helsing. Dracula says that his blood is now flowing through Mina. This is a great confrontation. Dracula is trying to use his Jedi mind tricks on Van Helsing. So Darth Vader is basically Dracula. Van Helsing doesn’t fall for it. It’s all about the wolfbane and the crucifix. Loved that. Mina doesn’t want to stay in her room, and Mina and John tell the lady, Grace, to leave them be. There’s a bat by them, and John is swatting at it, and Mina is like talking to herself, then denies it. Mina’s eyes are fucked up, and John finds it strange. She goes to suck on him, and Van Helsing intervenes. She won’t look at the crucifix. Mina tells John about Dracula forcing her to drink blood. Martin is trying to shoot the bat, and then he tells the maid that everybody is crazy.
Dracula is back, and he is mind-controlling the nurse, and she takes down the wolfbane and lets Dracula into Mina’s room. Dracula has Mina, Renfield is on the loose yet again. Unreal. Renfield shows up at the castle where Dracula and Mina are, and Renfield is happy. Dracula looks pissed, and Renfield begs for his life, and Dracula killed Renfield. Van Helsing and John are trying to break into the castle. They hear her scream. They break-in, and find the coffins. You guys got a stake with you? Nope, he is breaking the coffin lids to make a stake. Awwww, he is killing poor Dracula, and Mina is feeling some pain. John comes to Mina, she appears fine, and she and John walk upstairs happy.
End film.
I really enjoyed this. Bela was awesome. It puts so much in perspective after all of these years. It was incredibly fun, Renfield was the all-star of this film in my opinion, but all did very well. It is definitely a film horror fans should see and it’s very short.
Final rating: 6.6
All the pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are the property of:
Universal Pictures (A Tod Browning Production) (as Universal Pictures Corporation)
Please go find a copy and support the creators.