Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Old Dracula Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 21, 2020

“Old Dracula” (which is the North American title, released elsewhere as “Vampira”) is Britain’s answer to “Young Frankenstein,” with director Clive Donner aiming to pants the vampire genre with a mild comedy starring David Niven. While it seems like a farce, and initially plays like one, the production elects to mute its silliness with a semi-horror take on bloodsucker business, trying to be a little bit scary while maintaining gentle yuks. It’s an oddly restrained offering, with Donner perhaps unprepared to take the material where it needs to go, while the whole endeavor seems a little out of time, dealing with swinging sixties playful in 1974.

Aging and comfortable, Count Dracula (David Niven) maintains residency in his remote castle, joined by his right-hand man, Maltravers (Peter Bayliss). Dracula sustains his lifestyle through a thriving tourist business, welcoming outsiders into his home to enjoy a gothic getaway. When a group of Playboy Playmates arrives for a good time, Dracula decides to collect their youthful blood to help restore his bride, Vampira, who’s been on ice for the last 50 years, awaiting her resurrection. While making elaborate moves to take blood samples, a mistake is made in the lab, with the white Vampira revived as a black woman (Teresa Graves). Unsure what to do, Dracula tries to keep Vampira happy, working on acquiring additional samples to fix the skin color issue, relying on Playboy publicity swinger Marc (Nicky Henderson) to seduce potential victims while under vampiric control.

It’s important to note that “Old Dracula” was released 46 years ago, involving a type of comedy involving race that’s no longer pursued today (there’s a brief scene of blackface). Mercifully, the movie isn’t a mean-spirited endeavor, keeping the viewing experience palatable as the story examines Dracula’s transfusion mistake, accidentally awakening his white bride with black blood. While the invitation is there to go wild with stereotype humor and unintended ugliness, Donner mostly steers away from awfulness, maintaining Vampira as a character curious about the new world, including the exploration of her sexuality. It’s not exactly empowerment, but it’s mildly amusing, especially during a scene where a trip to the cinema ends with Vampira and Maltravers selecting a blaxploitation release, electrified by the on-screen action.

Aside from the “black is beautiful” message, “Old Dracula” attempts to be a slightly suspenseful endeavor as well. After all, Dracula needs blood, eventually meeting with Marc, biting the young womanizer, making him powerless to suggestion. Marc is tasked with retrieving new blood donations from the Playmates and those he works with, leading to a few stalking sequences and a moment where one character is emptied into a pit slowly filling with water and rats. Donner isn’t swinging too severely with his tonality, but there’s just enough horror in “Old Dracula” to diminish the effectiveness of the comedy. Frights with David Niven in the lead role are out of the question, keeping the feature uneven as it tries to figure out what it wants to be. There’s not enough scary business to inspire terror, sexuality is almost tasteful (exploitation expectations involving the world of Playboy aren’t met), and jokes rarely land, restrained by a production that doesn’t deliver a circus of absurdity.

Old Dracula Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billed as "Newly scanned & restored in 2K from its 35mm interpositive," "Old Dracula" receives a very appealing refreshing for its Blu-ray debut. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation has plenty of detail to share as the action visits ornately decorated rooms and showcases all sorts of gothic and party outfits. Clarity is sustained throughout, picking up on fibrous textures, while skin surfaces are sharp, capturing Niven's advanced age and the parade of youthful models. Colors are equally compelling, delivering distinct reds with blood samples and costumes. More varied hues are found with period style choices and street visits, which provides hotter signage. Delineation handles well with shadowy interactions and dark clothing. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in excellent condition.

Old Dracula Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix supplies a basic but clear listening experience, handling dialogue exchanges without distortive extremes. Accents and attitudes are protected. Scoring is comfortable, managing changes in mood with decent instrumentation. Sound effects register as intended. Some mild hiss is periodically detected.

Old Dracula Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "A Shot in the Dark" (9:16, HD) is a video conference interview with cinematographer Tony Richmond, who shares a few details about his big break, working for Nicolas Roeg on "Walkabout." Richardson discusses his quick hiring for "Old Dracula" and his relationship with director Clive Donner, who was looking to pay homage to Hammer Films with the movie. There's not much shared about "Old Dracula" beyond personal reflection, with the interviewee more interested in the rest of his career, including time on "Legally Blonde," "Ravenous," and "The Eagle Has Landed." Richardson also explores his transition to education, trying to give young people the same guidance he was offered.

• Promotional Still Gallery (1:00) collects publicity snaps.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Old Dracula Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What "Old Dracula" does very well is provide some visual highlights, keeping the movie away from low-budget oddity as Donner invests in large sets and bright lighting, showcasing some interesting technical achievements. Costuming scores as well. And there's Niven, an old pro who knows his way around a punchline, committing to the whole experience with welcome timing, supported by a cast willing to get lively for a feature that doesn't know what to do with such energy. There's tremendous potential in "Old Dracula," which provides a premise ripe for explosive ridiculousness, pitting the vampire against a changing world of evening entertainment, sexual gamesmanship, and black power. Cruelly, the film doesn't have enough bravery required to really go for the…um, throat.