Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Dracula 2000 Blu-ray Movie Review

Thirteen years ago, my colleague Marty Liebman covered Echo Bridge Entertainment's BD-25 of Dracula 2000. To read Marty's thoughts on the film and his impressions of the transfer and audio presentation, click on the link.

Vampire hunters.

Dracula 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Scream Factory's new release of Dracula 2000 has arrived on this MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50 (disc size: 44 GB). The picture appears in its original theatrical exhibition ratio of about 2.35:1. Director Patrick Lussier approved the image source's 4K scan, which derives from the original camera negative. The Echo Bridge transfer from 2011 that Marty covered cropped the Super 35's anamorphic framing down to 1.78:1 (as was common with EB titles) and presented it in only 1080i. A year later, Echo Bridge rectified the AR problem with a proper Scope presentation in 1080p as part of a Miramax Double Feature release that paired Dracula 2000 with Dracula II: Ascension. This dual-feature disc was later reissued by Lionsgate and Paramount.

In an interview with David Rome of Cinefantastique that appeared in the magazine's February 2001 issue, Lussier described the movie's appearance: "It's surreal, but it's kind of like super-real. It's very exaggerated moonlight, exaggerated colors, things that push the envelope especially with Dracula around. [We| tried to do strange extremes at night, [to show] that kind of terror that night is, yet still being able to see around the edges." Scream's transfer handles the dimly lit shots very adeptly. For example, see the medium shot of Dracula (Gerard Butler) approaching in screen capture #25 and the thieves surrounding the Count's coffin in #20. Cinematographer Peter Pau lights Mary (Justine Waddell) from atop a crane at Lafayette Cemetery in Screenshot #14. The intended moonlight effect on the side of Mary's face and her shadow on a tombstone comes across well. Similar low-key lighting is set on Abraham Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer) in #13. Contrasts are generally excellent. Flesh tones look natural with no evidence of color tweaking. While Dracula 2000 is quite a dark film, colors pop in various lighting conditions. For example, see the mahogany wood panels and the painting in Van Helsing's office (#s 12 and 16). Moreover, you can see some of the glitter in the décor on the colorful float in the Mardi Gras parade in frame grab #s 21 and 22. The artificial lighting gives the colors a big pop.

In addition to watching Dracula 2000 in my home theater, I also scrutinized the picture shot by shot on a 4K monitor. I couldn't spot a single age-related artifact on the DI or any video defects. If this disc has a weakness, it's that the video encode could maybe have benefited a little from a maxed-out bitrate. The rough average bitrate is still pretty healthy at 32000 kbps but could have been higher if Scream had moved the extras (i.e., the non-commentaries) to a second disc. Still, I couldn't detect any compression or noise-related issues. My video score is 4.75/5.00.

The 99-minute feature has received a dozen scene selections accessible both on the menu and via remote.

Dracula 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround track (2346 kbps, 24-bit) and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo downmix (1749 kbps, 24-bit). I primarily focused on the 5.1 mix for this review. This is a frequently hyperactive track. When there is a lot movement going on within the frame during the Hong Kong-style action scenes, there's sometimes a reverb from front to rear speakers. Other sonic-heavy scenes feature discrete sound f/x on the satellites and bass coming out of the .LFE.

Marco Beltrami's score is a major part of the film's sound mix. I didn't realize until reading Daniel Schweiger's liner notes to Varèse Sarabande's score album for Dracula 2000 how diverse and wide the musical palette is for the whole score. Two orchestras were employed: the Hollywood Studio Symphony and the Skywalker Sound Orchestra. Beltrami worked in tandem with Buck Sanders, an expert of synthesizers and rock music. Sanders drew on a large digital sample library that Beltrami combined with traditional and Middle Eastern instruments. The 5.1 mix accentuates Beltrami's precise scoring for the wall-to-wall and rooftop action scenes. Brass, drums, percussion, and Sanders's samplers (e.g., a pipe organ) stand out prominently on the recording. Iranian singer Mamak Khadem performs solos that immediately reminded me of Lisa Gerrard's vocals for Hans Zimmer on Gladiator. I believe either Lussier or Beltrami (perhaps both) mentions in at least one of the extras that since Ridley Scott's epic had been released earlier that year, Gerrard's work caught their attention and served as the inspiration for the choral performances.

Spoken words are sometimes delivered (intentionally) with a softer tone by the characters. So, I'd recommend having the volume raised on your receivers at least a little above calibrated listening levels so you don't have to adjust the sound often between dialogue-centered scenes and more action-oriented scenes. Just don't have it raised too high so it scorches your ears during the louder sequences!

Optional English SDH accompany the feature.

Dracula 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Scream has taken nearly all the extras from Buena Vista Home Entertainment's R1 DVD (ca. 2001) and included them on this BD-50. Missing are storyboards for eight different segments drawn for the film. Echo Bridge's Miramax Double Feature from 2012 ported over the storyboards along with a commentary, an original featurette, and deleted scenes. Scream has recorded a recent commentary track with two movie critics and filmed new interviews with three of Dracula 2000's filmmakers.

• NEW Audio Commentary With Film Critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham - Higgins and Dunham are both big fans of Dracula 2000. They deliver an enthusiastic appreciation and reappraisal of the revisionist vampire film. This isn't a historical commentary on the vampire genre. Higgins and Dunham speak more broadly on what the movie and its depiction of Dracula does differently than other cinematic takes on the character (without citing many examples). They give some scene analysis. They also talk about what was going on in pop culture around the period of the film's release. This is a good but not great commentary. This track has several short gaps. In English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary With Director Patrick Lussier and Screenwriter Joel Soisson - this feature-length track with Lussier and Soisson was originally recorded for Buena Vista's DVD. Lussier is the primary commentator with Soisson chiming in fairly often. The pair dive into Dracula 2000's shoot, sharing many anecdotes about the production, cast, and fellow crew members. This is a scene-specific track. Lussier and Soisson recall what went on with the actors, effects, et al. while the scenes play. On some occasions, they merely describe what's happening on screen. Overall, a very good, if not always engaging, commentary. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW True Evil Cannot Die: Directing Dracula 2000 – An Interview With Director/Editor/Co-Writer Patrick Lussier (47:09, 1080p) - Lussier speaks about his love for Hammer horror and Dracula, storyboarding Dracula 2000, casting the film, actors and their performances, action scenes, and how the project evolved from initial concepts to the final release version. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Beyond the Reach of Death: Designing Dracula 2000 – An Interview With Production Designer Carol Spier (22:53, 1080p) - Spier joins the off-screen Daniel Griffith on a Zoom call to discuss filming locales and sets she designed for Dracula 2000. She describes in detail the process of constructing sets (interior and exterior) for the production in Toronto and New Orleans. This is a better interview with Spier than the one she gave about her work for Carrie (2013), which is included on Scream's 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Forever Be Contained: Scoring Dracula 2000 – An Interview With Composer Marco Beltrami (15:04, 1080p) - Beltrami briefly goes through Scream and other Dimension Films productions he scored prior to working on Dracula 2000. He discusses the ideas he had for Dracula 2000 that he shared with Lussier, the ancient instruments he chose, combining those instruments with modern sound elements, "Mary's Theme" and other themes he wrote, and scoring sessions. Beltrami also offers his philosophy for the "structure" of film scoring. Musical cues from Beltrami's score are placed on a separate track (sans any dialogue and f/x) from selected scenes they accompany in Dracula 2000. These play intermittently between his talking points. In English, not subtitled.

• Deleted Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary (7:32, upconverted to 1080i) - four omitted scenes with optional commentary by Lussier and Soisson. The filmmakers explain where they were originally placed in an earlier cut of the film. The scenes are presented in non-anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (192 kbps). Unlike the DVDs, these don't have scene titles on the extras' menu. In English, not subtitled.

• Extended Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary (8:36, upconverted to 1080i) - three extended scenes excised from the release version. They also come with optional commentary by Lussier and Soisson, who describe the makeup of the scenes and techniques used. The scenes appear in non-anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (192 kbps). Please note that image quality varies in the first scene between Van Helsing and Dracula. Unlike the DVDs, these don't have scene titles on the extras' menu. In English, not subtitled.

• Vintage Behind-the-Scenes Featurette (8:46, upscaled to 1080i) - an EPK featurette produced to promote Dracula 2000. We hear from director Patrick Lussier, executive producer Wes Craven, producer W.K. Border, producer/co-writer Joel Soisson, and executive producer Marianne Maddalena. Also interviewed are actors Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick, Justine Waddell, Danny Masterson, Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, and Johnny Lee Miller. The behind-the-scenes footage and interviews are displayed in 1.33:1. Clips from the movie appear in 2.35:1 non-anamorphic widescreen. In English, not subtitled.

• Auditions (8:41, upscaled to 1080i) - these are audition tapes featuring Gerard Butler, Colleen Fitzpatrick, and Justine Waddell. Each act out scenes from an early version of the script. This videotaped footage is of VHS quality. It appears in 1.33:1 and what looks like letterboxed 1.85:1. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:20, upscaled to 1080i) - Dimension Films' original theatrical trailer for Dracula 2000. The trailer is cropped to 1.33:1 and hasn't been restored. It has a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix. In English, not subtitled.

Dracula 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dracula 2000 is primarily set in the present (ca 2000), but it also incorporates and blends in story material from the Victorian era and a biblical story set a few thousand years from the contemporary tale. The result is a mixed success. While this is far from a great vampire film, it's an enjoyable romp that's entertaining for both Hammer Horror fans and devotees of Dimension's horror titles from the mid-1990s and early 2000s. Scream Factory's 4K scan of the OCN and digital color grading look excellent on this mint 1080p transfer. The a/v encoding could have been better with higher bitrates, but the disc still looks and sounds marvelous. Scream has produced a new commentary track and three recent interviews to complement vintage extras. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.