When Bela Lugosi died he was buried wearing one of his original silk capes. Forever cloaked, he casts his shadow still.
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09/26/02
Dracula (1931)
93
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:42
Fresh:39
Rotten:3
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Bela Lugosi's timeless portrayal of Dracula in this creepy and atmospheric 1931 film has set the standard for major vampiric roles since.
Runtime: 75 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: This is the first screen version of Bram Stoker's famous tale based on the smash hit stage production. Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) arrives in London and immediately works to enrapture and transform... [More]
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye
Director: Tod Browning
Reviews for Dracula
Top CriticNot by any means the masterpiece of fond memory or reputation, although the first twenty minutes are astonishingly fluid and brilliantly shot by Karl Freund.
01/26/06
Top CriticBela Lugosi gives the performance of his life in a role that might have been written just for him. Highly atmospheric throughout, this remains a milestone in horror movie history.
09/25/07
Top CriticClick to read the article
10/18/08
Top CriticBela Lugosi is inspired in the role of the vampire. One can no longer label it a good performance or a bad performance. Lugosi embodies the role.
01/01/00
Dracula deserves its status as a classic, although one might be tempted to append the word 'lesser' to that label.
01/01/00
A classic despite numerous flaws.
11/24/08
A perfect example of the worst traits of Hollywood films in the early sound era.
10/06/09
After Lugosi, all vampire performances are doomed to be compared against him as either homage or departure.
06/02/04
Once you get into the rhythms of the film, you’ll discover a masterpiece.
10/08/05
Dracula (1931) is one of the earliest classic American horror films from Universal Pictures - an acclaimed masterpiece directed by Tod Browning
01/01/00
Certainly it is Lugosi's performance, and the cinematography of Karl Freund, that make Tod Browning's film such an influential Hollywood picture.
01/01/00
Top CriticWith Mr. Browning's imaginative direction and Mr. Lugosi's makeup and weird gestures, this picture succeeds to some extent in its grand guignol intentions.
05/20/03
Top CriticThe brilliant opening act is overwhelmingly creepy and full of subtle perversity.
09/25/01
Creepily beautiful.
01/01/00
The opening scenes, set in Dracula's castle, are magnificent -- grave, stately, and severe. But the film becomes unbearably static once the action moves to England.
09/25/07
Dracula takes place within the confines of the parlors and drawing rooms of London society, which bears a striking resemblance to Americana circa 1931.
02/08/04
While Lugosi is of course memorable, don't forget Helen Chandler's Mina, who communicates more through her eyes than virtually any other actress caught on film.
02/13/01
...a motion picture for people who love motion pictures, their history, and their evolution. It is a self-recommending classic.
04/09/01
...the film survives as a classic horror tale largely because of Lugosi's distinctive portrayal as Dracula.
11/04/02
Latest News for Dracula
October 27, 2009:
Sink Your Teeth Into RT's Best Vampires Movies List!
How do you explain our collective fascination with vampires? Well, in spite of the terrible curse that they must endure, these undead bloodsuckers have some attributes to which... More...
May 16, 2007:
Ernest Dickerson to Direct "Dracula" Sequel
An "officially sanctioned" sequel to Bram Stoker's "Dracula" is about to hit the bookshelves ... and the movie screens. More...
July 11, 2006:
Universal Plans "Dracula" Origin Story
Newcomer screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless have sold a Dracula-oriented screenplay to Universal, but this one seems to promise something new: The bloodsucker's full... More...
May 03, 2006:
A Sequel to the Original "Dracula"?
Filmmaker Jan de Bont plans to produce the first "officially sanctioned" sequel to Bram Stoker's original "Dracula" story, one that will catch up with all of... More...
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