When [Horror of] Dracula was released, in 1958, its director Terence Fisher, was doing B pictures, and a spate of horror films / thrillers, for Hammer.
Although Horror of Dracula, as it was released here in the Colonies is generally consider to be the creme de la creme of the series, it’s still very much a high-end B production, by studio standards. It had rather inexpensive effects, and from an acting perspective, now (at least to my eyes) seems nicely over-acted.
What it did, was to make a star our of the 6’5″ “discovery”, Christopher Lee, then in his mid-30s, who had been playing bit and small roles in films, and had previously play the monster in Mr. Fisher’s Curse of Frankenstein.
From an archival perspective, Horror of Dracula has been rather problematic. It’s a huge fan favorite, had apparently been over-printed, with a handful of deletions to meet different censorship requirements, and even with (finally) a superior Blu-ray version, that solves many of the color timing issues, still appears to need a proper restoration from the OCN.
While color works nicely, I’m seeing a decided loss of shadow detail in many scenes, along with an image that might be sharper, if attained from a superior element.
It’s an odd one.
And while I don’t wish to denigrate the work performed, feel that for the record, need to make the point that it isn’t quite there yet.
Warner Archive has attempted to work their magic with the easily attainable elements, as worked upon by the BFI, and fans should be thrilled.
Image – 3.75
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – Certainly
Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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