Welcome to the second installment of the Horror Syndicate’s Horror Hall of Fame. We wanted to start off with two entries. The website opened in April of 2016 and we plan to bring you a new entry every month.
Lets go back to the mid-1990s. I was buying into the horror genre and loving nearly every single film I had seen. When I was first introduced to Dracula, it was the 1992 film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I was told to see a few other Dracula films and the first brought to me was Horror of Dracula from 1958 and starring Christopher Lee. Soon after, Halloween was approaching and I was talking horror to a friend of my mother’s. He told me on Halloween night TMC was going to air the original Universal Classic horror movies. He mentioned, Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy and others. He told me Dracula was a must if I wanted to be a true horror movie fan.
I did my usual that night, watched Halloween after taking my brother Trick r’ Treating and then tuned in to TMC. First up was Frankenstein and I was blown away, but nothing could prepare my mind for what was next…Dracula.
Looking back at Dracula now, the movie is not scary and to me, it can be used as a gateway horror film. It is pretty harmless, but iconic. Bela Lugosi is where the iconic Dracula look comes from. While I love seeing others play the role, every single time I see the movie, it is a treat watching Bela Lugosi preform.
Dracula is loosely based on the novel by Bram Stoker. Rather than following the story to the point, the movie takes many liberties and for the time, it works. Dracula opens with Renfield going to Castle Dracula, when he arrives to the Castle and is greeted by Dracula, it has to be one of my favorite moments in films.
The sets were the classic gothic look that became the look for Halloween decorations. While Dracula was being filmed, a Spanish version was being filmed as well, using the same sets. It is a little different and in some circles better. Most DVD copies of Dracula have both copies and I would give it a watch if I were you.
Dracula belongs in a real horror Hall of Fame. Dracula may be the most iconic horror symbol of all time. The character has been played by so many actors and I believe Dracula has been in more movies than any other character. Bela Lugosi brought something to the role no other actor could, the look and the way he played the character. When I think of Dracula, it is Bela Lugosi.
IMDB.com rates Dracula at 7.6, I give it a rating of 8.0 overall.
Do you think Dracula belongs in the Horror Hall of Fame?
What should be inducted next?
