Who is the best Dracula?

[Boris71]

bella legosi by far is the best Dracula

[Earth 2 Chris]

I reread the description of Dracula that Jonathan Harker gives at the beginning of the novel, and other than missing the big white mustache, Christopher Lee comes closest to matching Drac's physical description than any other, as well as his demeanor. He describes him as having a strong angular face, a long, thin nose with flared nostrils, a headful of hair except at the crest of his large forehead, etc. Sounds a lot like Lee to me. So he gets points for that as well.

Chris

[palitoy]

Runner up has to be Wilma Deering from that episode of Buck Rogers ...You all know the one! Dang she was smoking hot in that episode!!!!!

You're turned on by helium voices?

[madmarva]

When I think of Dracula, I see Lugosi with his piercing eyes and odd hand and finger gestures in my mind's eye.

But, Chris Lee's Dracula movies were scarier with all the garish red blood and plenty of décolletage.

Oldman's performance was fine in Coppala's Dracula, but its a travesty to call it Bram Stoker's Dracula. In the novel, Dracula's pure evil. There is on sympathy for Drac at all in the book. That being said, I like the way the film adds layers to the character. One of the novel's primary themes is repressed sexuality and society's fear and attraction to sex outside the bounds of marriage. The character Dracula represents unfettered sexuality. The sex in the novel is all metaphorical, while the film deals with sex overtly and openly. Again, I like the film, but it's certainly not from Stoker's viewpoint.

Langella's performance is good too. Very stylish and Oliver's subtle performance as Van Helsing, to me, is far more preferable than the over the top performance by Anthony Hopkins or Peter Cushing.

The 1970s BBC version of Dracula comes off stiff and stagy today, but Louis Jordan was good in the role and it is probably the most accurate adaption of the novel.

Heck, I quite enjoyed Dracula 2000, tying the vampire king to the King of Kings.

[Goblin19]

I'd go with Lee onylbecause Horror of Dracula is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. I love Bela, too. He really makes the original Dracula movie better.

[The Sentry]

I have to say Oldman was the best, but Lee was the Drac that scared the Hell outta me as a kid I loved him and I still love him! The fella from Monster Squad gets an honorable mention.

[jds1911a1]

CHristopher Lee

[Gorn Captain]

The way it's going now, the next Dracula will be played by Keanu Reeves or Will Smith.

"The creatures of the night. What music they make. Whoa, dude....."

or

"The children of the night. What music they make....Get jiggy with it...."

[Gorn Captain]

Well, Max Schreck in the 20s version is very creepy.
Nosferatu was just another take on Dracula, anyway...

But I grew up with Lee, so he'll always stick in my mind as THE Dracula....

[ctc]

>The way it's going now, the next Dracula will be played by Keanu Reeves or Will Smith.

Or Jack Black. "Er....why does Dracula have manboobs....?"

Don C.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Just watched Monster Squad for the first time in years, and I have to say that Duncan Regher was a great Dracula. Very classical take, almost a homogenized version of Lugosi, Lee, and the public image of Dracula that seem to exist more in the minds of fans and on merchandise. But he was very aristorcratic and commanding. Great villain in that movie.

I still like Lee best though.

Chris

[MIB41]

Dracula to me is very much like Frankenstein - I have a cinematic opinion and then there is the book. Unlike Frankenstein, Dracula carries much stronger elements from the book, but still takes a decidedly "Hollywood" detour with each telling. Bela is forever the "Classic" G-rated version (providing the posture and mannerisms most associated with the character), while Christopher Lee is the standard "R" rated version (giving you the bloody graphics and scantly clad females that are best suited for audiences that require a little more atmosphere). But both suffer from a degree of camp in trying to create this larger-than-life character with an 'other worldly' look that too often reads like a bad trip rather than a manipulative creature that has complete control of his mental faculties. These movies capture the atmosphere of the book, but at a cost to the development of the characters - Stereotype monster meets stereotype victim - all die fashionably.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I resurrected this thread (pun intended) to comment on Frank Langella's Dracula, which I watched for the first time in years last night. Two years ago, I wrote this:

I like my Dracula mean as well. I thought Gary Oldman was great as a sympathetic Drac, but I don't like him humanized too much. So Lee gets my vote too. Frank Langella was way too smooth for me. I'd barely qualify his take as horror.

Chris

Okay, I have to eat crow. Langella was a very effective Dracula, very commanding. I could actually believe him influencing the women like he does. He's certainly not Stoker's evil *******, but he very effectively conveys Lugosi's type Dracula, with more sexuality than Bela was permitted to ooze.

Because he is so charming, he falls into the category of the sympathetic Dracula, like Oldman. Now, I know I'm going to get flack from this, but I kind of thought Oldman's Dracula was a bit TOO sympathetic, and weepy at times. I still like his performance, but the scene of half-bat Drac crying into his drink was a bit over-the-top.

As for the rest of Langella's movie, it's definitely based more on the play, which homogenized the other characters. Flipping Lucy for Mina, and then even making Lucy the daughter of Dr. Seward, and Mina the daughter of Van Helsing. This works well in the scene where the undead Mina confronts her father and Seward. Her appearance and actions were disturbing, and the whole scene was very haunting.

Other than some overly dark scenes that were hard to follow, and the way over-blown "James Bond intro" love-making-bite scene, I thought the movie was very well done. Great music by John Williams.

Look a second look I think!

Chris

[JediJaida]

There are so many to choose from!

First off: Bela Lugosi. He was the FIRST Dracula that ever scared me as a little kid. I had to sleep with the lights on for a year because I saw that movie.

Second: Christopher Lee. The movies were campy as all hell, but HE was terrifying!

Third: Frank Langella. Very smooth, and sophisticated with a dry sense of humor.

Fourth: Duncan Regehr. Pure viciousness in every hiss.

Fifth: Louis Jourdan in the PBS adaptation of Dracula. THERE was an evil ******. Not so much into displaying fangs, but there's this shot of him done in negative with red and black that was scarier than I don't know what.

Sixth: Rudolph Martin. His portrayal of Vlad the Impaler, both on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and in the TV movie were superb.

That's about it for me.

We need a new Dracula to scare the crap out of our kids and grandkids with.

But definitely NOT Keanu Reeves!

[Werewolf]

Okay, I have to eat crow. Langella was a very effective Dracula, very commanding. I could actually believe him influencing the women like he does. He's certainly not Stoker's evil *******, but he very effectively conveys Lugosi's type Dracula, with more sexuality than Bela was permitted to ooze.

Awesome! I've always liked Langella's Dracula. A very underappreciated movie. I rank him a very close second to Bela as my favorite movie Dracs. I don't think many people realize Langella's Dracula is a remake of the 1931 Bela version and they are both based on the the same shooting script.