Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Its pretty...

It's not a bad telling of Bram Stoker's story... and there are some fine performances, most especially (in my opinion) that of Tom Waits! Keanu gives a performance as good as any he gives, as well as Winona. I don't consider either of them strong performers... they basically play themselves, but you know what you're getting. Oldman and Hopkins play it over the top (not like Waits however) as they should have, every one else were just sort of... eh?

I like it, but honestly only bought it to fill in my collection of vampire movies. August 27, 2008

Bram Stoker's Dracula : ( Blu-Ray Review ) Stop the Blu-Ray Hate!

For months people have been complaining about the visual quality of this particular Blu-Ray title. I'm a Blu-Ray enthusiast and I do enjoy this film so I wanted to find out for myself if all the attacks about it's visual quality had merit. Here are my thoughts...

I bought the Superbit Collection standard DVD of this movie and compared it to this Blu-Ray version. For me, it's a no-brainer, the Blu-Ray is superior. The Superbit version actually looks more garish and brighter than any version I've seen before, be it on TV or VHS. The overly bright colors give the movie a fantasy feel. Rarely did the night scenes in the castle look dark or disturbing. It was all very garish, color wise.

In this Blu-Ray version, Coppola's people, acting on his instructions, toned down the color scheme and made it darker, far more sinister and realistic. I enjoyed the look of the film very much. Those night scenes in the castle are eerie and dangerous in comparison to the overly bright Superbit version. The movie has a more horror like atmosphere to it. In a couple of short scenes, the color is drained and the picture has a nearly black and white look to it. It's strikingly beautiful. On Blu-Ray, instead of the garish haze, the color of Dracula's wardrobe for instance, blood red, leaps off the screen unlike the Superbit DVD.

Although most of the scenes don't have the sharpness or detail you've come to expect from Blu-Ray, I still say it's a very good purchase. Obviously this movie is not going to look like the Blu-Rays of Pixar's Cars or Blade Runner or 2001: A Space Odyssey. I didn't expect it to. The audio quality is just fine. Top notch. Some of the most hilarious features on this Blu-Ray are the multi-language tracks. They have Russian, Romanian and several others. I speak Russian and had a blast watching Dracula in Russian! It's goofy watching Keanu Reeves in Russian at first but soon enough you realize this is very high quality dubbing. Not done as some afterthought at all. Very nice.

The special features have many documentaries and of course Coppola's commentary. This Blu-Ray certainly warrants a purchase for those who like the film. If you're unsure because of the controversy of the color scheme, I suggest buying the Superbit alongside the Blu-Ray and contrasting them for yourself. Perhaps you'll like the Superbit DVD better. Compare them on your widescreen TV in a dark room at night and I think you'll find the Blu-Ray is a better experience. Yes, there is grain and dirt and the picture is not perfect by any means. It's an older catalog title. If it doesn't get a full on restoration, it's not going to look any better than this.

Now, as to the movie itself. I always enjoyed this Coppola treatment of Dracula. The atmosphere and art direction, the costumes, sets, music are all first class. The script, acting and pacing can be a bit stiff. That and Keanu Reeves hamper this movie. It's still about as good as "Interview with the Vampire" or any of the other big-budget Hollywood vampire spectacles. Don't forget that vampire movies are typically all exploitation and titillation with nothing remotely serious about them. I can point to dozens of examples. How about "John Carpenter's Vampires" for one? Or the abysmal "Blade" trilogy for another?

The fact that Bram Stoker's Dracula and Interview with a Vampire take things a tad more seriously than 95% percent of vampire flicks counts for something. The ultimate vampire film is yet to be made but Gary Oldman's portrayal of Dracula makes him one interesting bloodsucker! August 5, 2008

Blu-ray Audio

There are many reviewers who have already discussed the artistic merits (and more) of this film - I thought it was amazing from the first time I saw it in a theater. My question is about the audio on the Blu-ray edition. I have a superbit version of this film and on my system, the audio is much more pleasing on the standard DVD. I wonder if anyone else has noticed that the levels and EQ in some parts of the film leave a lot to be desired - compared to other releases or even the special features... July 20, 2008

"I Am The Last Of My Kind" ~ Diseases Of The Blood, The Green Fairy And Other Gothic Romances

The '92 cinematic release `Dracula' is a dark, exceedingly eerie and surprisingly romantic gothic rendering of the Dracula mythos containing a magnificent performance by Gary Oldman as the infamous Count D.

While `Dracula' incorporates all the usual horror elements the horror fan has come to expect from a bona fide horror classic (creepy monster(s), marvelous special effects, lots of blood, etc...,) it raises itself to a higher level supplying its audience with an intelligent, insightful script and conveying a sympathic portrait of the lovelorn vampire.

Going a step further into the darkness, I'm deeply impressed by the directors (Francis Coppolas) ability to create a truly demonic atmosphere to the film that seems to ooze from the screen and permeate the viewing area of the audience. Ultimately one can't help but ponder the possibility that such unearthly beings might actually exist. July 15, 2008

Bram Stokers's Dracula

I thought Gary Oldman was great. The movie was horrible. I had just finished reading the book and was so excited to see the movie. The first scene of the movie was wrong. What a horrible interpretation. If they wanted to make the movie based on the book, how can they ruin the main plot? Dracula and Mina Harker were never in love. The book in my opinion isn't even about Dracula. It's about the love between Jonathon and Mina. Mina's love for Dracula though-out the movie was stupid. Such a great story. Cant anyone get it right? July 10, 2008

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