#17 - Dracula (1979)
I really love watching the many adaptations of Bram Stoker's novel, not only because it is a classic horror story, but also because it's fun to compare the differences between them. Every version that I've seen, no matter how good it is overall, has at least a few interesting variations on the characters or the story that make it worthwhile. This version puts a lot of emphasis on romance, but it is still a fairly standard telling of the story.
Frank Langella makes a pretty good Dracula. He is charming and handsome, but has a certain intensity to his glare that is unnerving. His 70's haircut is a little out of place, but the same can be said about much of the cast. Other than Donald Pleasence as Dr. Seward, whose solution to everything seems to involve laudanum, no one else really stood out. Even Lawrence Olivier's Van Helsing didn't do much for me - not even a great actor like Olivier can top Peter Cushing in the role.
The atmosphere is also top notch in this film. The color timing alternates between a warm, sepia-toned feel for the daytime scenes and a cold silvery grey for the night, where everything seems to be made of moonlight and fog. The interior of Carfax Abbey is especially impressive, filled with creepy stone carvings, hundreds of candles, and covered almost entirely with thick cobwebs. There are also some excellent makeup and special effects - in particular, Mina as a vampire looks amazing and is actually scary for once, with deep sunken eyes and pale rotting skin.
Overall, this is a pretty good but maybe not great version of Dracula. Langella is memorable in the lead role, but despite the excellent atmosphere, a good deal of the film is fairly forgettable. I can't really recommend this version over the many other great ones out there, but if you've had your fill of Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, this one is at least worth a watch.
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