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I wish I had kept my original VHS edition, as the DVD and Blu-rays have the John Badham color revision. Extremely muted colors, whereas the cinema edition had a warm golden look. That said, the various earlier VHS editions were color timed differently as well. Some looking more rich and golden than others.
As far as romantic Dracula films go, I'll take this over the Coppola version any day.
I saw this in the cinema in 1987. Kind of a Little Rascals meet The Monsters concept. Very funny in parts, but what I appreciate most is the representation of these classic characters.
The Frankenstein Monster (Tom Noonan) looks great. The filmmakers couldn't copy Jack Pierce's makeup up due to Universal owning that look, but it's a pretty good compromise.
I love that they avoided making him Hulk green and went for dead flesh tones. So many representations of the classic Frankenstein Monster incorrectly depict him as green it's long become the norm.
Actually, it's a little known fact the make up Jack Pierce used on the various actors who portrayed the Monster was a Max Factor greasepaint called "sky-gray". A non gloss blue/gray tint that only looked greenish under certain lighting. More teal than green. Pierce used the same greasepaint years later for the color film CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS, and THAT is the correct color of the Frankenstein Monster in those films.
Tom Noonan was great here, though as was Duncanr Regehr's Dracula. He had in interesting look as well not 100% copying Lugosi. If I had to nitpick anything it's the stand up collar being lined in red. IMO, that makes his cape look more like a Halloween costume Dracula cape. Only a minor quibble and Regehr made an excellent Dracula.
Just as well. Probably a generational thing. I was about those kids' ages at the time and the classic horror films played on television fairly often then. Today's younger audiences might not be as well versed in Universal studios monster knowledge.
Today, they'd probably make Dracula look like he did on Buffy or something.
WAXWORK directed by Anthony Hickox and starring Miles O Keeffe as Dracula.
Patrick Macnee has a significant part, and John Rhys-Davies plays a werewolf.
I've never seen Waxwork, but now must track it down. I like Miles O Keeffe. The legendary Tarzan from the Bo Derek film.
That s right, he was Tarzan seven years earlier, the only actor to play both Tarzan and Dracula as far as I know.
Also he was in SWORD OF THE VALIANT with Peter Cushing and Sean Connery.
Professor Paris Catalano (Christopher Plummer) investigates vampire murders committed during the 1786 carneval in Venice.
It is available on Youtube and I am planning to see it this weekend.
It was apparently Winona Ryder who brought the script to Coppola s attention.
Gosh I hate, hate, HATE the Coppola version.
It reminds me of the '67 CASINO ROYALE.
We have several variations of Bond, but not one (including Niven) that I ever felt was really James Bond.
To me, the Coppola film feels like a version of DRACULA without Dracula, instead replacing Stoker's creation with the historical Dracula.
Although the film won Oscars in the costume and make up departments, I'd be far more impressed had the designers made Oldman look like the character in the novel: clad in black without a speck of color, and long white mustache, instead of the outlandish attire he sports in the film.
Apparently, Eiko Ishioka had actually not seen any vampire or Dracula films prior to designing the clothes and was given free licence to create whatever she wanted for The Count.
To me, that's like being the costume designer on a Superman film and unfamiliar with his cape/tights and \S/ shield.
Although the film does contain some scenes and characters that are usually missing from other versions, I find the Jess Franco COUNT DRACULA, the Jourdan version, and to an extent, the Palance DRACULA to feel closer in spirit to the novel.
I love the fact Coppola chose to avoid CGI. Very much classic effects. Wonderful miniature work. Also everything shot on sound-stages, with the exception of he sequence where he meets Mina in the street.
I get really torn about this version.
Amazing score, Monica Bellucci, great sets, Monica Bellucci, memorable cast, Monica Bellucci and wonderful atmosphere. I just really wish Oldman had been given a few more scenes where he looks like a classic Dracula, or at least been reproduced accurately to the novel's description. If any version called for Stoker's description of the Count this would have been it.
The Palance version also has a reincarnation love story element. Dan Curtis said he ripped off his DARK SHADOWS story arc for that.
I have to be in the mood for the Coppola film. I like it very much, but it just doesn't feel like a Dracula movie to me as most other versions.
Considering the approach was to indeed make him Vlad The Impaler then it is perfectly justified in giving the younger Dracula the Vlad look.
I personally prefer the cinematic Count to be a cross between the clean shaven Hamilton Deane image and Stoker's version.
I like the gray outfit when he meets Mina.
I'd rather see the novel adapted faithfully for a change. And have a Dracula that looks like the one from the source material.
Christopher Lee in Jess Franco's COUNT DRACULA to date still seems to be the only actor who has had that opportunity to be made up to resemble the character as described. Reasonably faithful adaptation as well, but I think Lee best described the film itself as "indifferent". I like it a lot, but don't pop it in nearly as much as his Hammer outings. Has an low budget quality about it, and filmed in Spain as opposed to England.