Count Dracula (aka El Conde Dracula) (1970)

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LiamCasey
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Count Dracula (aka El Conde Dracula) (1970)

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Count Dracula (aka El Conde Dracula) (1970) - Tubi

w/ Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom (as Professor Van Helsing), Klaus Kinski (as Renfield), Maria Rohm (as Mina Murray), Fred Williams (as Jonathan Harker), Soledad Miranda (as Lucy Westenra), Jack Taylor (as Quincey Morris) and Paul Muller (as Dr. Seward). Plus, down in uncredited land, Emma Cohen (as one of Dracula's brides) and Jesús Franco. Written by Augusto Finocchi. And directed by Jesús Franco.

Do I really need to recap the plot?

Reportedly, Christopher Lee wanted to portray Dracula in a film adaptation that was faithful to Bram Stoker's novel. Unfortunately, the major flaw in this movie is that it tried for that faithfulness.

Although Count Dracula may be the title character of the novel, he is only a minor character in the novel. And, once you get out of Transylvania, one that barely appears. Basically, he is a Macguffin. Now, I don't use that term as a negative here. Especially since, in many successful horror novels and movies, the horror itself is in the background. And the search for that horror and its participants are in the foreground.

So, the more faithful one is to Bram Stoker's novel, the vampire hunters become the focus once the film transitions from Transylvania to England. And, in the case of this film, that is the point where it becomes much less interesting. And it pretty much stayed that way until the end.

Heck, even the producers, etc., behind Horror of Dracula (1958) recognized this fact enough to ensure that we had a well-scripted and well-cast Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) who was billed first. And only gave Christopher Lee fourth billing.

Bottom line? Given the choice between making a faithful movie versus a good movie, filmmakers, go for that latter.
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