The Bottom Line: These collections are meant for the die hard fan who wants "all" the films, not just the hit. But from a film history standpoint, these are interesting.
boudica_'s Full Review: Dracula: The Legacy Collection
Some of the classic Black and White Universal Studio's horror films from the 1930s and 40s they released under a special collection called The Legacy Collection. This collection focuses on the classic Dracula and the films it spawned, or as I call them the "Sons of" movies in the Dracula vein. (pun intended)
These collections were themed movies, about 4 to 6 films in each collection, that were focused around the one "big hit" and it's "Sons of" features.
Dracula features the original classic staring Bela Lugosi in the role he never got out of. This is a classic. No horror collection is complete without this original film. It is the story of blood lust, love and the daemons we harbor within ourselves. Love this film, it is a classic Fang Feature, and I personally think Bela was the King of the Vampires. "Children of the Night..."
The collection also includes Dracula in the Spanish Version. Both films were made at the same time, and it is so different. The same sets were used, the same script, but using different actors. See, they made the English version during the day, and then filmed the Spanish one at night. There is an introduction that explains it all in English. But the film is in Spanish. Interesting Dracula, btw, he is very classy. My Spanish is good enough that I made it through most of the film. It's an interesting version. If you are Spanish speaking, you will appreciate it.
In the "Sons of" films, we have Dracula's Daughter and Son of Dracula. OK... bland. Sorry - very bland. Not much more I can say. Gloria Holden looks the part well, but the plot plods and plods and this movie moves slower than traffic on the LA Expressway at rush hour.
Lon Chaney Jr. is the "Son of" and we have a "Southern Version" that limps. Yes, this movie moves to Southern USA. While Lon Chaney Jr makes a fine Wolf Man, this Dracula is tortured, in the wrong place and the supporting actors are a joke.
The last one is amusing, if nothing else. We do have all the "monsters" here in House of Dracula featuring Lon Chaney Jr as the Wolf Man and John Carradine as the Count, as well as Frankenstein's monster and the usual mob chase scene. I found it funny, but I don't think it was meant to be. Carradine is the stiffest Dracula I've ever seen, really. Stiff... And they sliced some footage of Karloff into the film. I understand it is from the "Bride of" movie. I caught that one!
Quality wise, these films are cleaned up, the sound is very good and overall the appearance of these films is remarkable. There are also extras, like the making of the film, theatrical trailers, stills, and film history. This is a two disk set with a double sided DVD.
The original is well worth it, and if you are Spanish speaking, this collection is worth it for a good Spanish version of Dracula. But the "Son's of" are not really all that great, and are good only from the standpoint of it "completes" the collection.
For the first time ever the original Dracula film comes to DVD in this extraordinary Legacy Collection. Included in the collection is the original c...More at NBC Universal
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.