Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Odd how this 1979 little gem of a "different take" on "Dracula", based on Frank Langella's Broadway version, was fairly well-reviewed when it was first released, and considered a handsome and sumptuous updating of the old Bram Stoker chestnut, only this time with a mesmerizingly charismatic Count, with lush locations and costars like Laurence Olivier and Kate Nelligan. Perhaps it wasn't perfect (they get Mina and Lucy, for one thing, mixed up--- but then, how many filmed "Dracula" versions are all THAT faithful to the book?!?) but it had a melancholy mood and texture that was quite absorbing and did quite well, justly, in '79. It also became a top horror video rental in the '80s. Today, it's reputation has fallen from 'good' to 'mediocre' to 'huh?' It's been said that Langella's stage performance "gets lost" amongst "trendy special effects", and I have to confess that I never saw Langella do the Count on stage [I understand he turned taking-off his cape into an artform], but anybody who can virtually wipe even Olivier off the screen as Langella does in the movie can't have had ALL of his stage-presence removed in the film! And as for "trendy special effects"? The "effects" are subject-appropriate; nothing excessive. Good job of directing by John Badham, and music score by John Williams. Of course, I've yet to see the DVD quality-- hope it's good. UPDATE 3 MONTHS LATER AFTER POSTING THE ABOVE REVIEW (8/04).... Well, guess what?--- it's NOT good (the DVD). I just got mine and what should I find? It's virtually now in black-and-white. And guess what else? Director John Badham did this DELIBERATELY for the DVD release. In the DVD commentary for the film, Badham states that they couldn't "drain" the color out of the film to his satisfaction in 1979, for mood purposes, so now he can [and DID] for the DVD. The problem is: the movie didn't NEED this "improvement". The original photography (now completely counteracted on the DVD) was rich and atmospheric and, as it was shot in England so artfully, it had been dreary and drab in all the right spots--- but SOME scenes, expecially the low-lit interior moments [like the candlelight dinner between Langella and Kate Nelligan] had been wonderfully warm as an effective "counter".... Well, not no more, Drac-fans... The skins tones are gone, anything once orange is now dull white... The DVD has been ruined, and on Badham's misguided orders... There's even that one scene by the cemetery between Langella, Lord Olivier and Miss Nelligan at sunset--- and during the commentary, Badham talks about how the actors and crew had to wait all day in order to get just the right natural light, and that "today" they'd just put in the sunset with computers... But Badham's stating this as you watch the scene with the sunset now REMOVED by computers, 'specially for DVD! The pink stripe across the sky they waited for hours to get is no more! It could be just another foggy noon in England-- in which case, the Count should be in bed... And after seeing this travesty, so should I. I feel SOOO ripped-off... Why do directors go back, so many years later after they've lost all objectivity, and "fix" good movies they got right to begin with ('cause aint nobody fixin' the BAD ones!)? One last knife-turn: during the closing credits, Badham states he now wishes he could re-edit the film and speed it up "so it kicks ass".... [long eye roll on my part here] Terrific. So then it'll be yet another shrill, frenetic, off-paced piece of incoherent tripe we're getting in the theaters today, where you can't even follow the plot and the "mood" is non-existent because everything is screaming at you at mach-speed without relent. Only Mr. Badham would apparently also do so in virtual black-and-white, which is now the approximate color-scheme the "Dracula" DVD. Thanks, Mr. Badham... It's yours to destroy.