This was a surprisingly interesting film. I’ve come to expect very little from the older, lesser known, horror films. This film however had an interesting story and more than acceptable acting considering the time period. One thing I’ve come to find is that older horror films, while they have a solid story in place, the story is not always explained very well and almost regularly leaves the audience trying to figure out what exactly is happening throughout the course of the film (effectively making it hard for the audience to follow the film on any level, thus taking a lot away from the overall film watching experience). This film, however, established its story early on and built on it effectively. While, like many 30’s and 40’s horror films, the entire concept of this film is zany and completely improbable. However, I thought that this unique concept was fun and the actors helped make the film even more interesting. Unlike many films from this early in the Hollywood scene, the acting is actually quite believable and enjoyable. In particular, I thought that Bela Lugosi, Luana Walters and Tristram Coffin did a phenomenal job in this film. Luana Walters’ Patricia Hunter was, without a doubt the best character in the film. I found it interesting that in a film that takes place in the 1940’s, a female was essentially the lead character. Walters, early on, took control of the film and it was apparent that everyone else worked around her and adapted to the character that she portrayed. What was really weird was the fact that I’ve never seen a Dracula film starring Bela Lugosi, and yet, every time he spoke I couldn’t help but to picture Dracula. I was overly impressed with this film.
Comments