Count Dracula (1970 film) Arrow Player Review

Count Dracula (1970 film) Arrow Player Review

This slice of gothic horror from writer/director Jess Franco can now be experienced like never before, from its mix of performances by Christopher Lee as the Count, Herbert Lom as Van Helsing, Soledad Miranda as Lucy, Maria Rohm as Mina, and Klaus Kinski as Renfield to its sumptuous cinematography and eerie Bruno Nicolai score.

Directed and co-written by Jesús Franco, and based on the infamous novel DRACULA by Bram Stoker, 1970’s COUNT DRACULA sees Christopher Lee step into the lead role, as he had done previously and far more successfully for Hammer Productions, Herbert Lom as Van Helsing, and an oddly subdued Klaus Kinski as fly-eating Renfield. At the time of this international co-production’s release this was advertised as being more faithful to the source material than any previous adaptations.

Filmed on a low-budget COUNT DRACULA has the aesthetic nailed – sets and costumes are both perfectly rendered – but it is devoid of the thrills. There are no scenes aboard sea vessel the Demeter, a poorly rendered bat and a scene that is so poorly executed, where the stuffed animals come to life, that it ends up as both absurd and unintentionally humorous rather than scary. Even the usually dependable Christopher Lee looks, for the most part vacant, as if he is not sure where he is or indeed whether he wants to be there.

Count Dracula is available on ARROW from 20th September.