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| Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series) | 
 enlarge | Actor: Bela Lugosi
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.98
Buy New: $17.04
You Save: $9.94 (37%)
New (40) Used (17) Collectible (1) from $9.27
Avg. Customer Rating:  208 reviews
Sales Rank: 7049
Format: Black & White, Dolby, Full Screen, Subtitled
Languages: English (Original Language), Hungarian (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 179
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.8
MPN: MCAD31022D
UPC: 025193102225
EAN: 0025193102225
ASIN: B000GPIPSS
Theatrical Release Date: February 14, 1931
Release Date: September 26, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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| Customer Reviews:
 REASONS WHY THIS TRIPPLE DIP, SUCKS...!!! September 28, 2006
15 out of 26 found this review helpful
So Universal turned up the contrast and brightness on the 75th anniversary DVD of DRACULA, and now expects us to shell out more money for something that we, the buying public, could easily do ourselves, with the picture controls on either our TV's or DVD players, with the original DVD releases of the film.
But, who'd want to???
As it looks now, everything is bright and cheery; outside the inn, during sunset, looks like mid day in the dessert, inside the inn, lit only by a fire, looks like mid day in the dessert, Dracula's catacombs, where there's no desirable means of nature or unnatural light, looks like mid day in the dessert, Renfield's entrance into Dracula's castle's antechamber, looks like mid day in the..., well, you get the picture.
And to make matters worse, the original mono soundtrack is impossible to listen to, where as in the first DVD version of the film, there is some tape hiss and crackle, most noticeable during talking, during silent parts though (of which there are many, seeing as the director started out directing silent films, and thus relying more on mood and action then dialog, to tell the story) the hiss and crackle are almost non existent, but in the new mono track for the 75th anniversary DVD, there's this constant waterfall like noise going on in the background of the film, that is the constant during silent and talking parts.
Oh, but the sound on the track with Philip Glass's new score is perfect, with no tape his or crackle, but instead, you have the crappily intrusive score to take the place of the previous hiss and crackle (and it ain't any better then the hiss and crackle, let me tell you...)
So, other then another commentary track by a guy who sounds like he's reading excerpts from an upcoming book that he's writing, and who's only claim to Dracula fame, is the mildly amusing, Dracula, Dead And Loving It (if you want to see it done right, check out, Love At First Bite) and a clips documentary on Universal monster movies (which if you own all of the Universal monster DVD's, you don't really need) then there's no reason to fork out the extra dough to pick up the newest version of this cinematic classic.
Disappointing third try November 24, 2006
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
The original negative for DRACULA disintegrated from overuse (over-printing) in the 1940s, so any hope of a real restoration is gone--meaning that there is no adequate source material for an HD version down the road. For the "75th Anniversary Edition," Universal took the same mediocre film elements as before and brightened/sharpened them to make the details more visible. Not a good idea because everything looks glary and washed out now, as well as losing all feeling of day/night contrast. The brightening exaggerates the already terrible graininess and print damage of the source material, making it pretty unwatchable. They also re-cropped, re-sized, and reframed the image relentlessly, so the original compositions are no longer really represented. Although no audio fragments are erased like earlier DVD versions, the sound is the worst yet, *very* distorted: you actually need the English subtitles to understand the dialogue. The fascinating (and possibly superior) Spanish version of the film, made simultaneously and also included, was treated better because the original negative survives and it's in good condition, so they didn't have to mess with it so much (though the re-cropping, re-framing, re-sizing, and pannning/scanning are there too). But it's no reason to get this set. The 2004 "Legacy Collection" set includes both versions and three more films, they all look better, and all the original extras from 1999 are there, the new "75th Anniversary" bonus features being disposable. I'd go with that at about the same price. Even better, if you can get the 1999 single-disc version with the Lugosi film (the only DVD version with decent audio), the Spanish version, and the extras--"used or new" on this site, in fact, and cheap (the one with the blue poster-cover), that would be the best solution of all.
 Much improved picture quality! September 27, 2006
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
This is the third time that Universal has released the original Dracula on DVD. The first and second releases had problems. Both prior releases had unsatisfactory, murky and dark picture quality. There was no fine detail and objects got lost in the murkiness of the image. Also the shots of the newspaper clippings following the landing of the Vesta were off-center and cut off. The first release had a clean sounding, almost hissless soundtrack but was missing music at the end of the scene in the opera house following the line, "There are far worse things awaiting man...than death." The second release restored that music but cut out the screams of Renfield and the dying groans of Dracula at the end of the film. The second release also had hiss issues with the sound quality.
This third release, the 75th Anniversary release (which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Bela Lugosi's death on August 16, 1956), has vastly improved picture quality. The image is now bright and full of detail. It looks like a new movie! The murkiness is gone. There are numerous shades of grey instead of the prior high contrast image. The image is almost as clean and clear as that of the Spanish language version which is also included on disc 2. Also, the shots of the newspaper clippings are now perfectly centered and fully legible for the first time on DVD! My one complaint with the picture is that if you compare this release to the prior releases it appears that the edges of the image are now slightly cropped on all four sides of the frame. This is almost unnoticeable except for the initial shot of Dracula's coffin. In the prior 2 releases, when the camera dollies into the coffin and you first see Dracula's hand emerge from the coffin, you see the pillar or base of the arch to the left of the coffin for most of the shot. In this third release, for some unknown reason, the left side of this shot has been severely cropped; the pillar is almost entirely missing from the shot leaving the composition totally off balance. This is the only time where the cropping is excessive and disruptive to the image. In all the other shots in the film, the cropping of the edges of the image is minor and actually appears to center the image better than the prior 2 releases. Unless you have seen this movie numerous times, you will not even notice it.
The third release completely restores all of the missing sound elements - music, screams and groans, but the hiss has returned and the sound is not as clean as the first version.
If you already own the first 2 releases, it is worth buying this version for the improved picture quality alone! I highly recommend this version as the one to buy!
Bela Lugosi lives!
LUGOSI LIVES(AND SO DOES CARLOS VILLARIAS) December 24, 1999
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
The new Universal DVD of DRACULA is a marvelous package that includes both the classic Lugosi/Tod Browning film, and the Spanish language version shot simultaneously on the same sets. Both films are great, though for different reasons. The Lugosi version is great for one reason-Lugosi. He is absolutely hypnotic in this role, and is truly the defintive Vampire Count. The Spanish version is superb for it's use of the camera, and for the supporting cast, which is superior to the English Language version. The DVD extras are splendid; the documentary(narrated by Carla Laemmle, niece of the founder of Universal) is fascinating, and David Skal is the ultimate authority on Dracula,hence his audio commentary is very valuable. The film transfers are good, though the Lugosi version does show it's age. The Spanish version looks gorgeous, however. And the English version, despite wear, looks better than I've ever seen it before. Definitely a must own DVD.
 The Granddaddy of All Vampire Movies November 3, 2001
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
Universal's 1931 film version of Bram Stoker's DRACULA stands as a milestone of cinematic horror mainly because it is the film that firmly established the mythos and iconography of the eponymous Count and his later vampiric progeny. In addition to Bela Lugosi's contribution to the persona of Dracula himself--attributes that specifically include the thick Hungarian accent, the aristocratic demeanor, and the bizarre hand gestures and facial expressions--the film was the first to solidly identify vampires with things like bats, dark and musty gothic settings, and strong sexual undertones. (Some may argue that these elements of the mythos were established by Murnau's NOSFERATU when it was released nearly ten years earlier. However, due to legal problems over copyright disputes with Stoker's estate, NOSFERATU did not actually enjoy wide distribution or significant public attention until a few years after Universal's DRACULA.)Although Lugosi's performance as Dracula is top-notch and Dwight Frye energetically chews the scenery as the Count's insane servant Renfield, most of the supporting performances are stagey or stilted. Part of this is due to the fact that the script was lifted almost verbatim from a popular Broadway stage production of a few years earlier, and consequently there are times when the movie feels as if director Tod Browning and cinematographer Karl Freund simply filmed the stage production from the audience's vantage point. In addition, it is evident that Browning's directing style was formed during Hollywood's silent era, as several scenes that could certainly profit from use of the spoken word instead feature turgid gestural performances. (To be fair, it must be pointed out that some of the creepier scenes are so successful as such primarily BECAUSE of the emphasis on the visual, and this ability to communicate an emotion or feeling without the benefit of dialogue can certainly be attributed to Browning's experience working in silent films.) Some modern viewers will be nonplussed by the nearly total lack of a background musical score--a common characteristic of early "talkie" films--though many horror aficionados agree that this provides an eerie dimension to these older flicks that simply contributes to their superiority over certain modern horror films. In short, mature audiences and serious genre fans will probably enjoy this film, but the younger, more casual crowd may find it a bit rough going. The DVD version of DRACULA has several cool bonus features, the most exciting of which is the complete Spanish-language version of the movie (English subtitles are available). Filmed concurrently on the same sets but with a different cast and crew, the Spanish version is in many ways superior the more famous English edition. Of course, actor Carlos Villarias, in the title role, does not quite equal the stage presence of Lugosi, but the supporting cast does an outstanding job--especially actresses Lupita Tovar and Carmen Guerrero, who are sexier and much more affecting than their English-speaking counterparts. Additionally, the cinematography is very dynamic and fluid--not stiff and mostly static like Freund's--and many of the special effects are creepier and more realistic and believable. This version of DRACULA is necessary viewing for any horror fan, especially those who hold vampires at the top of the monster pantheon, and Universal should be commended for including it as part of the English-version DVD.
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