7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.7 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
The legendary bloodsucker stakes his claim on a British estate in search of new blood.
Horror | 100% |
Drama | 7% |
Fantasy | 3% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.2:1
See individual releases
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Take a moment and imagine what modern horror would be without Universal Pictures. Without founder Carl Laemmle and his vision for the future of cinema, or his son Carl Laemmle Jr., who inherited the keys to the studio kingdom in 1928, when talkies were rapidly displacing silent films and promising groundbreaking new strides in moviemaking and the movie-going experience. Without early horror pioneers like Tod Browning, James Whales, Karl Freund, George Waggner or Jack Arnold. Without iconic creature actors Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Claude Rains, Lon Chaney, Jr., Elsa Lanchester or Ben Chapman. Without Dracula, the indispensable 1931 classic that left a more lasting mark on vampire movies and lore than any other vampire film before or after (save Nosferatu). Or Frankenstein, which pushed boundaries, shocked audiences and has been received with overwhelming enthusiasm ever since. The Mummy, bold in its atmosphere and unforgettable in its tragic romance. The Invisible Man, which features some of the most astonishing special effects and perhaps one of the most unnerving depictions of mounting madness of the era. The Bride of Frankenstein, a complex, wickedly funny, altogether unpredictable sequel that in many regards surpasses its predecessor. The Wolf Man, a once-chilling character drama that examines the frailty of man and the beast within. Phantom of the Opera, though more a twisted love story than a traditional horror picture, a film that nevertheless caused some theaters to stock smelling salts in in the event that a moviegoer fainted upon the removal of the Phantom's mask. Or Creature from the Black Lagoon, which frightened audiences above the water and below with a scaly monster unlike any they had seen before. Needless to say, modern horror, and really the genre in whole, would be completely different than what we know.
Dracula features an excellent 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer minted from a masterful restoration of the original nitrate film elements. There are minor issues -- inherent print fluctuations, lingering scratches, tiny white flecks and specks, and the occasional faint vertical line (some brief, some extended) -- but, considering the amount of effort, expertise and man-hours that went into cleaning up the source without sacrificing detail, none of it is a deal breaker or even that much of a distraction. Otherwise, there aren't any problems to report. Contrast is dialed in beautifully, black levels are rich and inky (yet aren't prone to crush or obscured shadow detail), the integrity of midrange grays is intact, and grain is both filmic and refined. Edges are crisp and clean too, without any significant ringing or halos to worry over, and textures have been preserved. Moreover, I didn't notice any artifacting, banding or aliasing, and there weren't any signs of detrimental noise reduction, overzealous artificial sharpening or any other technique contrary to the faithfulness of the restoration and subsequent presentation.
In some ways, the condition of the original audio elements posed an even greater challenge. Universal's two-channel DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track is quite remarkable regardless, even though its shortcomings -- chief among them a noticeable noise floor -- are a bit hard to ignore. Prior to the completion of the restoration, the original audio was hobbled by an even nastier noise floor, one that amounted to a harsh hiss that took its toll on the clarity of the dialogue and effects. That clarity has been restored and rejuvenated, dramatically so, despite the fact that the results aren't exactly ideal. That said, there's little, if anything, the film preservationists working on the project could have done to improve the audio further, meaning theirs was a legitimate case of tough, lesser of two evils decision making. To their credit, they chose wisely. Cinephiles and purists will be more than willing to ignore the noise floor (as they should), especially when it's really the only price to pay for what is easily the best the film has ever sounded.
Dracula, the first of Universal's Big Three Horror Icon pictures (the other two being Frankenstein and The Wolf Man, kicks off the Universal Classic Monsters: Essential Collection in style. The film still delivers, its meticulous restoration and faithful video transfer are the highlight of the disc, its DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix is almost as impressive, and its supplemental package is light on tricks and heavy on treats. Dracula will no doubt earn a standalone release sometime in the not-so-distant future, and this disc will stand strong, whether it's purchased as a part of Universal's must-have Classic Monsters collection or on its own.
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Dracula / Warner Archive Collection
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2014-2016
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