Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Dracula and Son Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 7, 2022

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 2.

When is Dracula not Dracula? When Christopher Lee, obviously famous for playing that character, insists on "stretching" his range (and/or fangs) by frankly playing the character under a different name, as kind of comically happens at least a couple of times in this appealing second go round from Severin Films of some of Lee's European output. This sequel of sorts of (relative) rarities featuring Lee follows Severin's enjoyable The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection from last year, and my hunch is some Lee fans may actually enjoy the films aggregated in this set more than those that were part of this first release, perhaps due at least in part to the fact that Lee does get to strut his vampiric stuff on more than one occasion, no matter what name his character goes by. This is another nicely packaged release from Severin that also offers a really nicely done perfect bound booklet with some excellent writing by the always reliable Jonathan Rigby and a glut of great stills and promotional materials.

It's kind of funny that the two quasi-Dracula films in this second Eurocrypt collection offer "familial" relationships in their titles, but you have to hand it to this film for having the chutzpah to actually cite the Bram Stoker character in its very name. And in fact this film takes a somewhat more discursive approach about any perceived "identity" issues from the way Uncle Was a Vampire did, without clearly defining who Lee's character is (or at least what his name is). But much like the 1959 film, this one takes an almost sitcom-esque approach to its dissection of family dysfunctions involving a certain iconic bloodsucker. One way or the other, this film provides a suitable bookend matching Uncle Was a Vampire, though, with that Dracula spoof being Lee's first Italian production, and this Dracula spoof being Lee's time stepping into Dracula's cape (and fangs).

Kind of incredibly, Dracula and Son was the handiwork of Édouard Molinaro, probably best remembered to American audiences for having helmed the original La Cage aux Folles. There frankly may not be quite the same level of ebullience in this film as that one, but there's some appealing comedic interplay between this film's "odd couple", namely Dracula (Christopher Lee, lest we state the obvious) and his fils, Ferdinand (Bernard Ménez). Dracula and Son ups the ante in a somewhat meta way by having this Dracula "cash in" as a movie star, while Ferdinand chooses a quieter, seemingly more mundane, lifestyle. A frankly kind of weird quasi-ménage à trois aspect enters the fray when a character named Nicole (Marie-Hélène Breillat) catches the eye of both father and son.

While Uncle Was a Vampire played things for more low grade laughs, especially vis a vis the bumbling nephew in that film, Dracula and Son arguably has a bit more serious subtext and a less schtick laden approach toward its laughs (which is not to suggest there aren't a couple of examples of that approach here as well). There's a bit of the same feeling of an "aged" Dracula having to confront a modern world that is also part and parcel of Uncle Was a Vampire, and in fact this film begins with a whole vignette set back several centuries, but the real gist of this film is the conflict between Dad and son. That gives the film a kind of weirdly bittersweet quality that still has at least some hints of wry humor, though that said, most father - son conflicts don't end with a protective cross being brandished in daylight.

Dracula and Son Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dracula and Son is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. The back cover of this release states that the Director's Cut is available here "for the first time ever in America, lovingly restored in 4K from the original negative". This is one of the highlights of the second Eurocrypt collection from a video quality standpoint, with a nicely suffused image that still supports some surprisingly precise looking fine detail even in some very heavily graded material, as in some of the early "historical" sequences (notably a walk next to a riverbank which is shrouded in cobalt blues). The palette pops quite appealingly throughout the presentation, and both primaries and more pastel like hues resonate extremely well. There's not any major age related wear and tear that I noticed, and grain resolves naturally throughout.

Dracula and Son Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dracula and Son features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks in the original French and an English dub. Once again, Lee speaks beautiful French in the original production. There's a bit more energy in the French track, with a slightly more forceful midrange and low end that can be heard especially in some of the fun cues by composer Vladimir Cosma which feature electric bass and kick drum. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Dracula and Son Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Director's Cut (HD; 1:39:13)


• Audio Commentary with Christopher Lee Biographer Jonathan Rigby and Hammer Historian Kevin Lyons
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• Audio Commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness
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• Let the Son Shine In (HD; 18:51) is an interview with actor Bernard Menez. Subtitled in English.


• Archival French TV Interview with Christopher Lee (HD*; 1:51) is subtitled in English.


• The Molinaro Tapes (HD; 14:48) offers archival audio recordings between Edouard Molinaro and Frederic Albert Levy. Subtitled in English.


• Who Was Claude Klotz? (HD; 7:09) features filmmaker Patrice Leconte discussing his frequent collaborator. Subtitled in English.


• Archival Interview with Claude Klotz at a 1976 Presentation of Dracula and Son in Marseille (HD; 1:49) is subtitled in English.


• Trailer (HD; 2:23)

*720

Disc Two

• U.S. Version (HD; 1:17:54) offers the questionably recut and rejiggered version, which tries to make things more farce like.


• German Credit Sequences (HD; 2:00)


• TV Spot (HD; 00:24)

Disc Three - Soundtrack CD

Dracula and Son Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite its lighter comedic aspects, there's a somewhat elegiac feeling suffusing Dracula and Son, which is probably appropriate given that it's Christopher Lee's farewell performance as the character (whether or not he's actually called Dracula). This disc sports the overall best technical merits of the second Eurocrypt collection, and it also comes with the most supplements, all of which are very enjoyable. Recommended.