Horror of Dracula (1958)
**** (out of 4)
Hammer's classic adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel took the Universal approach but mixed in blood, violence, sexuality and of course vivid color. Everyone is familiar with the story as Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) tries to track down Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) and put an end to his evil ways before he gets his teeth into Lucy (Carol Marsh). I know a lot of people can go on and on about the various changes Hammer did to the story but I say so what because many of them are for the better. Dracula isn't one of my favorite horror characters and I've never been a major fan of Hammer but I think this is perhaps the best version done with the vampire. A lot of the credit has to go to the three main people: Lee, Cushing and Fisher. If you took the at times over bearing music score down a few notches this here would be a near perfect film. I think the updating of the material is rather flawless and this is mainly due to the terrific cast. I think Lee's Dracula isn't that undead creature that we saw in so many previous films but instead he's someone you really would fear. Lee's large frame makes for a very energetic Count and I think his height really makes the character someone to fear. The more athletic nature is another major plus and this is put to perfect use during the first attack on Jonathan. Cushing also delivers a wonderful performance as Van Helsing and I'd probably add that he's the best actor to ever play the role. You can't help but believe everything Cushing says as he's so believable in the part that he actually makes you believe everything that is going on. The two of them, when on screen together, create some real magic and really make this film something special. Fisher's direction is also at the top of its game as he handles the material perfectly and I love the way he keeps the action fierce and pounding. The film runs a very fast paced 82-minutes and there's really not a weak moment to be found. There were countless vampire movies before this one and there have been countless afterward but HORROR OF Dracula deserves its place in horror history as it was certainly something of a breakthrough for the genre and one that holds up very well today.
