Rating the “Dracula” Franchise – flickchart: the weblog

Hearken to them, Flickcharters of the evening! What rating they make! Sure, it’s that day once more: the ninth annual Halloween Flickchart Horror Franchise rating is right here.

Final 12 months we started a sub-project of working by the entire basic Common horror franchises, beginning with the Wolf Man movies. This 12 months, we flip to arguably probably the most well-known and iconic determine in all of horror literature and horror cinema: Depend Dracula! Vampire fiction stands proper alongside zombie fiction as one of the vital visited horror subgenres, and the blood-drinking aristocrats of the monster world have had a number of surges of recognition all through the many years, resulting in numerous takes on the fabric from Anne Rice to Stephen King to True Blood, Twilight, and The Vampire Diaries.

But it surely all actually begins with Dracula. Whereas probably not the primary vampire (the idea traces again into the folklore and mythology of a number of cultures), it was Bram Stoker’s novel that served because the definitive work and centralized the lore in a extensively accessible format, just like how J.R.R. Tolkien would outline western fantasy together with his famed The Lord of the Rings. Stoker’s titular Depend moved vampires from purely monstrous to one thing extra difficult. Depend Dracula is a refined man of tradition, with a gentlemanly suave making him alluring and sultry.

It’s this attribute, above the concern of crosses, working water, and the necessity to drink blood and sleep in coffins that actually formed vampires within the collective acutely aware. This dichotomy of lustful attract and monstrous needs has run by most vampire fiction ever since.

Whereas there are actually 100 totally different movies that includes Dracula on Flickchart, this text will confine itself to these produced by Common. A future definitive rating of all Dracula movies could come sometime, however that may be exterior the scope of this Common mission. For the primary time we should characteristic a number of repeat movies, as Dracula appeared alongside the Wolf Man in some movies from The Wolf Man rating.

9. Van Helsing (2004)

Whereas the Marvel Cinematic Universe has turn out to be the go-to definition of a cinematic universe, Common beat them to the punch by many many years. Although the early iterations had a free definition of canon, they had been nonetheless crossing their monsters over. However even earlier than the MCU, Common had schemes of reigniting the shared monster idea, and it culminated in Van Helsing.

Banking on Hugh Jackman‘s star energy on the time, the movie takes the motion method by turning the famed vampire hunter from Stoker’s novel right into a grumpy but wise-cracking hero who has to group up with Kate Beckinsale and David Wenham to tackle the evil schemes of Depend Dracula. That includes Frankenstein’s monster as an essential plot level, in addition to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Van Helsing seeks to channel the shared monster vitality of yesteryear.

Sadly, director and author Stephen Sommers turned in a sloppy work. With a generic script, horrible results, and an general lack of information about why the Common monster movies work, Van Helsing is a drag. Helsing will get naked characterization, seemingly written as an amnesiac just because Jackman’s Wolverine was one, and there’s an totally unsatisfying decision to that thriller. Jackman is charismatic sufficient, however even he can do little with this paltry materials. Kate Beckinsale appears simply as misplaced, and Wenham tries to channel an Igor-like sense of goofy humor because the Q to Helsing’s Bond, however is usually unmemorable.

The introduction sequence of the movie is a enjoyable throwback to the ending of Frankenstein, however that’s about the place the enjoyable ends. The motion is generic, Richard Roxburgh‘s Dracula is forgettable, and the plot and characters go away little so that you can sink your tooth into. Not one of the foreboding sense of horror is on this film, and it’s best left forgotten as a relic of its period.

World Rating: #6,616
20/100 on Flickchart’s Dracula filter
Wins 25% of its matchups
4261 customers have it of their prime 20

8. Dracula Untold (2014)

Seemingly not happy with the failure of Van Helsing, Common tried once more to reboot the Common monsters as a shared universe. This time, it adopted on the success of the MCU. However as soon as once more, they didn’t seize the viewers creativeness. Common truly removed the shared universe connections in Dracula Untold earlier than launch, considering they might do higher with The Mummy (spoiler: they didn’t).

Dracula Untold is yet one more generic motion movie bereft of any compelling components or any understanding of why Common monster movies work. This one goals to be an origin story for Depend Dracula, casting Luke Evans as Vlad “the Impaler” Dracula and making him a noble hero who takes on vampirism as a strategy to save his individuals from the evil invading pressure that’s the Ottomans. There are actually no plot twists or turns previous that. That single sentence so completely describes all the things that occurs that it’s merely unhappy.

The script makes an attempt to have some inside conflicts for Dracula within the type of being tempted by his darkish powers and having a seeming brotherhood with the Ottoman chief, performed in a hilariously over-the-top flip by Dominic Cooper (who additionally appears to be like scarily like Evans). However neither of those components are significantly compelling. Cooper is barely within the movie, and there isn’t any actual temptation for Dracula due to how damned noble the movie makes him. All the pieces he does is written to be so clearly justified that it doesn’t really feel like significant battle within the slightest.

The movie additionally fails as an motion story. The concept of a strong vampire mowing down troopers like Dynasty Warriors doesn’t appear to be an thought completely bereft of potential. However the filmmakers couldn’t appear to consider something previous having him always flip right into a swarm of CGI bats and punch individuals. The motion scenes get boring in a short time and really feel low-effort. Since these are presupposed to be the centerpieces of an motion movie, their failure rapidly pulls the complete factor down.

This one will get gentle bonus factors for the obscure makes an attempt at historicity and letting Charles Dance lend his gravitas to the unique vampire that cursed Dracula. No less than it isn’t as horrendously silly as Van Helsing, but it surely commits the sin of being extraordinarily bland. It lacks intriguing photographs, memorable battles, or depthful characters. And as soon as once more, it isn’t scary. Attempting to make a Marvelized model of a horror character simply looks like a incorrect method.

World Rating: #13,705
37/100 on Flickchart’s Dracula filter
Wins 38% of its matchups
5 customers have it of their prime 20

7. Home of Frankenstein (1944)

We reviewed this movie in The Wolf Man rating and have largely the identical ideas this time round. Whereas it needs to boast that it’s the primary main crossover movie for Common, it so completely separates the parts that includes every monster in order to really feel like two totally different movies mashed collectively. Your complete first half of the movie is the one portion to characteristic Dracula, and he’s resurrected and vanquished earlier than Frankenstein ever walks throughout the display screen.

Examined as a Dracula movie, it’s a reasonably bland outing for the Depend. A mad scientist breaks freed from jail and recruits a hunchback to assist him, they usually simply occur to come across a touring showman who in some way has the corpse of Dracula. They kill the showman, revive Dracula, and try to bend Dracula to their will. John Carradine‘s first go because the well-known Depend has not one of the gravitas of Bela Lugosi, and he truthfully isn’t given a lot to do. The movie additionally has his destruction happen purely as a result of Dracula forgets to get out of the solar in time, making the Depend appear like a idiot.

Aside from the occasional neat shot right here and there, and Lon Chaney‘s presence as Larry, Home of Frankenstein is essentially a drag of a film. On condition that Common needed to piece this collectively in a haphazard method, it’s not shocking that it merely doesn’t work. Whereas it truly has some respectable photographs, not like the 2 extra trendy movies, it isn’t actually any much less bland than the 2 movies beneath it.

World Rating: #4,100
14/100 on Flickchart’s Dracula filter
Wins 40% of its matchups
7 customers have it of their prime 20

6. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

The comedy hijinks of Abbott and Costello don’t appear probably the most pure match for horrific monsters, however they had been underneath contract with Common, and utilizing the entire studio’s property to generate profits gave the impression to be Common’s precedence even again within the 40s. Abbott and Costello famously hated the idea, and it made the manufacturing fairly troubled. Nonetheless, this was one of many highest-grossing movies in the complete Common roster and it appeared to click on for individuals.

The satirical parody appears to overly mock Common’s personal monsters to a degree the place one wonders what the purpose is meant to be. Abbott and Costello handle some humorous moments right here and there, and the script has some good jokes. But the complete movie is so goofy in tone that it feels low stakes and missing in consequence.

So far as Dracula goes, that is the one time Bela Lugosi ever formally reprised his function. Like within the different crossover movies, Dracula is used because the schemer, manipulating the opposite monsters and people to perform his obscure ends of ruling the world or some such. It’s enjoyable to see Lugosi again within the function, and he’s by no means requested to do something too overly comical, not like The Wolf Man and Frankenstein. For followers of Dracula, this movie in all probability does the least harm to his character.

The movie is humorous sufficient that it isn’t completely a slog. It has the potential of being one thing iconic in its personal method. However Abbott and Costello’s resistance to the topic and a script that doesn’t get as sharp and wry because it might maintain this movie again, even when it does give us one final good hurrah for Lugosi’s Dracula.

World Rating: #1,372
5/100 on Flickchart’s Dracula filter
Wins 33% of its matchups
42 customers have it of their prime 20

5. Son of Dracula (1943)

In contrast to many of the different Common monsters, Dracula by no means actually obtained direct sequels. Dracula doesn’t present up within the two official follow-ups to the unique movie, no less than indirectly. In that method, Dracula‘s sequels are maybe probably the most intriguing of the bunch. Son of Dracula is the second sequel. Directed by Robert Siodmak, it options Lon Chaney Jr. of all individuals as Depend Alucard, this movie’s model of the vampiric depend. Lengthy earlier than Castlevania, this movie requested you have a look at what the identify spells backwards.

Among the many extra attention-grabbing selections, Son of Dracula is about within the southern United States and follows Katherine Caldwell as an heiress to a Louisiana plantation. She has been secretly relationship Depend Alucard and invitations him to the USA and marries him the place he appears to rapidly take over her life. Makes an attempt by Katherine’s ex-boyfriend to kill him fail and it appears his energy is absolute.

Whereas the movie appears to bear the everyday discovery of the vampire and hunt him down plotline, Son of Dracula provides a few intrigues to the script and takes the story in some surprising instructions. Mixed with Siodmak truly having some visible aptitude, Son of Dracula seems to be a reasonably intriguing movie. Chaney doesn’t fairly have the grandeur that Lugosi has, however his personal strengths as an actor render Depend Alucard into an attention-grabbing character. And Siodmak, who would go on to direct some notable movies noir, demonstrates his mastery of the digicam with some putting visuals.

There are elements of Son of Dracula which are goofy and melodramatic. Such is the wrestle when you have got actors of various abilities in these movies. However given how poorly a few of these movies are made, Son of Dracula stands out for its moody atmospheric moments and never unhealthy particular results. With some tweaks, this might need surpassed even the unique.

World Rating: #7,520
25/100 on Flickchart’s Dracula filter
Wins 37% of its matchups
1 consumer has it of their prime 20

4. Home of Dracula (1945)

The second Home movie stays the higher one. Mashing up the entire Common creatures once more, Home of Dracula is a semi-sequel to Home of Frankenstein, although is maybe the closest movie as to really following the occasions of the earlier movie. This one is titled options the titular Depend as far more of a driving pressure than in Home of Frankenstein. John Carradine returns within the function and offers his finest efficiency, if once more not as iconic as Lugosi’s.

Whereas as soon as once more centering on a mad scientist’s interactions with the corporate of Common monsters, Dracula’s pressure of will turns into a serious characteristic… as does his shocking need to be cured of vampirism. If there’s something this movie does properly, it’s demonstrating how the entire varied circumstances of the creatures are curses that they need to be rid of. Dracula clashes with the physician, who instantly searches for a strategy to destroy Dracula, which fuels the movie’s drama.

Director Erle C. Kenton makes this movie distinct as a consequence of its sturdy Val Lewton-inspired images and sense of ethical battle. It is a movie that understands the darkness of monstrosity and represents it within the visuals of the movie and within the conflicts every character faces. This method is damage by the truth that not one of the characters have significantly compelling characterization, and Dracula’s personal need for a treatment is barely explored. However that the movie makes such overtures in any respect makes it extra compelling than many chunks of the Common catalogue. That is the closest Common received to doing the mashup film proper.

World Rating: #3,889
12/100 on Flickchart’s Dracula filter
Wins 40% of its matchups
1 consumer has it of their prime 20

3. Dracula’s Daughter (1936)

With Dracula‘s success, and that of Bride of Frankenstein, Common started to appreciate that its troop of monsters may very well be fairly profitable. Sequels might maintain the cash flowing. Common subsequently rushed into manufacturing a sequel to Dracula, although the titular Depend’s demise on the finish of the primary movie offered an issue. What adopted was a sophisticated rights battle for a chapter faraway from the Stoker novel to make use of as an adaptation.

Paradoxically, regardless of this large rights battle, trendy scholarship finds that the movie bears little resemblance to that chapter, and extra to the novel Carmilla, one of many first British works to take care of a lesbian relationship. And certainly, the lesbian undertones of Dracula’s Daughter have fueled a lot of the scholarship on this movie within the many years since its launch, reasonably than its content material as a follow-up to Dracula.

On the floor stage, the movie follows Countess Marya Zaleska, a daughter of Dracula and vampire herself who seeks to be freed from her father’s affect; even from demise he appears capable of pressure her into darkness. Edward Van Sloan returns as Van Helsing, renamed as Von Helsing for no clear purpose. Funnily, he begins the movie underneath arrest and should attempt to persuade the policemen that he simply slayed a vampiric depend reasonably than a rich baron and his servant.

The plotting from there’s considerably naked, as Von Helsing is shoved apart in favor of the Countess’s makes an attempt to treatment herself of vampirism or to beat the temptations of feasting on blood. However the movie has attracted consideration due to director Lambert Hillyer‘s route and selections that contain Dracula’s daughter taking a younger girl underneath her wing and ultimately succumbing to her need to feast upon her. One can guess the purpose of this metaphorical storytelling, particularly when wanting on the method Hillyer frames the photographs.

This isn’t only a post-release studying, both. The Manufacturing Code Administration seen it throughout manufacturing and made notes about particular dealing with of the scenes to keep away from questionable implications. Opinions had been break up between those that seen the undertones and condemned them, those that didn’t discover, and people debating whether or not the movie is pro- or anti-lesbian.

None of this is able to actually matter if the movie wasn’t shot properly, and fortuitously the ability of those sequences and Gloria Holden‘s efficiency makes all of it work. Regardless of the tasteless seek for a treatment that leads in the direction of little, it’s the implications of the plot and the imagery that actually makes this movie tick. Whereas these hoping for extra of the particular Depend can be upset, one can credit score this for being a genuinely artistic sequel and an try to do one thing totally different.

This movie virtually obtained a remake, as this 12 months’s Abigail started growth as one. Started is the important thing phrase, as anybody who has seen Abigail is aware of that it bears primarily no resemblance to Dracula’s Daughter. Its legacy stays its personal.

World Rating: #4,164
16/100 on Flickchart’s Dracula filter
Wins 38% of its matchups
6 customers have it of their prime 20

2. Dracula (1931)

Whereas not the primary monster movie produced by Common, Dracula is definitely the primary one that may be credited for being actually iconic, and it was arguably the beginning of the trendy horror style in movie. Director Tod Browning first made his foray into sound footage two years earlier, which led to his relationship with Bela Lugosi. The manufacturing of their earlier movie was troubled by a few of Browning’s odd selections, however it could be these odd selections that received Browning concerned with producing an adaptation of the Stoker’s famed story.

Nonetheless, there have been a number of curious detours alongside the best way. First, this movie isn’t a direct adaptation of the novel, however reasonably of a stage adaptation. Rights points made straight adapting Stoker’s novel tough. Additional, Lon Chaney (senior) was initially solid as Dracula, and it was solely his demise from lung most cancers that prevented him from showing within the function. As a result of Lugosi taking part in the half on stage for years, he was the clear subsequent alternative. Whereas unhappy for Chaney, it opened the best way for what’s the most iconic horror efficiency of all time.

Lugosi’s tackle the Depend continues to be the movie’s defining characteristic. He embraced the movie’s willingness to intensify his and the character’s Japanese European-ness. His supply of Stoker’s iconic dialogue instantly left an impression, one that also lingers within the mind of individuals practically 100 years later. From his facial expressions to physique language and fierce nature, he nonetheless defines the character.

Regardless of the enduring nature of the function, Dracula is not any masterpiece of a movie. Maybe as a consequence of Browning’s reported lack of enthusiasm for the mission following Chaney’s demise, the storytelling of Dracula can really feel a bit inert. It offers a rushed rendering of the novel’s plot, combining characters in an unsatisfactory method and turning into greater than a bit staid after Dracula reaches England. Many scenes are shot at broad angles and have actors standing round and speaking with little visible motion happening.

That’s to not say Browning’s directorial efforts are completely fruitless. Dracula does characteristic some attention-grabbing visuals, together with the notable pushed zooms onto Lugosi’s face as Dracula wields his vampiric telepathic powers. These photographs of sunshine throughout his eyes are iconic and have been imitated within the many years since. The broad angle shot of Dracula in his cobweb-filled citadel greeting Renfield instantly conjures ambiance.

Regardless of being the vampire movie, it funnily options no transformation right into a bat or rat, no chunk marks on a sufferer’s neck or flowing of blood, or not one of the darkness one would possibly affiliate with darkish energy of a vampire. It’s a stale rendition of the story in that regard. It options intertitles and silent scenes of newspapers, seeming to bear hallmarks of the silent period in ways in which maintain it again. Dracula is much from a masterpiece, regardless of its well-known nature and Lugosi’s sheer charisma. Nonetheless, it stands above many of the remainder of its franchise for the strengths it does have, and it’s only topped by one different movie….

World Rating: #635
2/100 on Flickchart’s Dracula filter
Wins 48% of its matchups
134 customers have it of their prime 20

1. Dracula (Spanish) (1931)

The king of the listing comes out of a really distinctive pattern in Hollywood within the Nineteen Thirties. International markets had been already a key a part of the underside line for Hollywood studios within the 20s. As talkies turned outstanding, Hollywood confronted the wrestle of exporting these movies, as they might not merely change the language within the intertitles as they might with silent movies. Hollywood solved this downside by using the identical units, costumes, and script from their English-language productions, and easily bringing in actors who might communicate the mandatory languages. By the tip of the 20s, Common was particularly targeted on Spanish-language cinema.

This is the reason this model of Dracula took place. Whereas it’s ostensibly only a different-language model of the Browning movie, and is usually included as a bonus characteristic on bodily media releases of Dracula, it’s completely its personal expertise. Directed by George Melford as an alternative of Browning, it was filmed at evening when Browning’s crew left for the day, making it actually the creature of the evening.

Possibly as a result of it was filmed at evening, or possibly due to Melford’s larger enthusiasm, the ultimate product is superior to the extra well-known model. Melford doesn’t tempo his movie as lackadaisically as Browning’s. He brings scenes to life with a extra enthusiastic and concerned solid. Melford’s digicam is extra dynamic, shifting amongst the units with extra different and attention-grabbing photographs, not content material to easily sit at a large angle as is usually the case in Browning’s movie. This extra creeping method lends the complete movie a stronger and sinister ambiance. Lupita Tovar actually shines as Eva Seward, the movie’s personal riff on the primary love curiosity of the protagonist. She is sultry and tempting, making Dracula’s pursuit of her tackle a darker, extra sexual undertone.

That’s to not say it compares favorably in each facet. Regardless of the general higher cinematography, there’s arguably no shot as iconic as Browning’s close-ups of Lugosi’s eyes. In truth, this movie’s makes an attempt at replicating these photographs underscores the most important detriment: no Bela Lugosi. Whereas Carlos Villarias‘ tackle Dracula isn’t horrible, it additionally isn’t significantly sturdy. In using the road between over-acting and powerful presence, Villarias falls over it and comes throughout as reasonably hokey, like a comedy movie’s model of Dracula. He’s onerous to take critically as a menacing menace, particularly whenever you examine him to the pure gravitas of Lugosi. These close-ups of Villarias’s eyes as he makes use of his psychic powers lack the mystique of the English model.

When you do lose Lugosi, Dracula‘s Spanish model makes up for it in different methods and stands as one of the best Common movie to characteristic Dracula. This movie isn’t an all-time nice, as Dracula movies are surprisingly a weaker wing of the Common Monsters world. However for one of the best, most moody tackle the fabric, look no farther than this oddity.