Dracula in the Movies is an OK trailer compilation that takes a while to find its footing. The first fifteen minutes or so feels like it can’t make up its mind whether it wants to be a clip show package or a collection of trailers. In between trailers, there are clips from Nosferatu and newsreel footage of Bela Lugosi. There’s also intrusive text that accompanies some of the scenes. The information is all rather basic, but I did think it was appropriate that the color of the font was blood red. I also enjoyed the excerpt from the making of Dracula A.D. 1972. I just wish it was integrated in a more congruous manner.
Once it switches gears and begins churning out nothing but trailers, things improve significantly. The only problem is that some of the previews are edited or greatly shortened. I think it would’ve played much better had the trailers been allowed to play out in their entirety. Or maybe it wouldn’t have been an issue if the editing had been a little smoother.
All the classic trailers that you would expect to see are here. Not surprisingly, there is a heavy concentration of Universal Dracula movies (Dracula, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Son of Dracula, etc.) and Hammer horror movies (Horror of Dracula, Brides of Dracula, Dracula, Prince of Darkness, etc.). It kind of loses the Dracula theme early on as it features plenty of non-Count movies. There are even some trailers from the Sci-Fi genre like Atom Age Vampire and Queen of Blood. Heck, there’s even a trailer for The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood (which is just a silly retitling of The Blood Beast Terror) that isn’t really vampire movie at all as the titular beast is more of a moth woman monster than anything.
I think if I saw this as a kid, I would’ve really enjoyed it. I’m a man now, and my tastes in these kinds of compilations is a bit more discerning. That said, there’s still some good stuff here like the fun trailer for Mark of the Vampire where Bela Lugosi reads a “summons” for the cast to appear in the theater. There are also some great taglines along the way too. My favorites were Lust for a Vampire (“Welcome to the finishing school where they really do finish you!”), House of Dark Shadows (“Come see how the vampires do it!”), and The Vampire Lovers (“Beware the kiss that kills!”). The best bit is saved for last when Dracula (some guy) appears and swears the audience in as members of “The Count Dracula Society”. (This was originally attached to some prints of Dracula A.D. 1972.)
Despite its flaws, Dracula in the Movies would make perfect background noise for when the Spooky Season rolls around.
The complete roster of trailers include Nosferatu (clips), Dracula, (1931), a Bela Lugosi interview, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, a documentary snippet from Dracula A.D. 1972, The Brides of Dracula, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Black Sunday, Atom Age Vampire, Queen of Blood, Mark of the Vampire, Dracula, Prince of Darkness, Son of Dracula, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, Dracula’s Daughter, The Kiss of the Vampire, The Return of the Vampire, The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood, Taste the Blood of Dracula, Count Yorga, Vampire, Lust for a Vampire, Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror, Dracula A.D. 1972, Blacula, The Devil’s Wedding Night, The Vampire, The Vampire’s Coffin, Blood of Dracula, The Return of Dracula, House of Dark Shadows, The Vampire Lovers, The Scars of Dracula, The Fearless Vampire Killers, Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter, Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride, and an ad for the Count Dracula Society.
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