This had me reaching for my cross

Rating: 4/10 (31 October 2015)

Not to fend off the evil one but to hold up to the screen to fend off this dreadfully ill-conceived movie Dracula.
The book had its moments - one I particularly remember was the description of Dracula climbing slowly head-first DOWN a wall. Why so chilling - because so unnatural for a human being or even almost any mammal - it is insect behaviour. More than 80 years on, the 1931 Bela Lugosi version has lost none of its power to chill and thrill. Lugosi had honed the role on stage, responding to nightly audience feedback - and the 1931 version had incorporated what Lugosi had learned. Part was very simple indeed - Dracula's super slow pace contrasted with frenetic Renfield. It marked Dracula as being in some way not human. Dracula appears on the surface to be courteous but as becomes clear, this is only to better trap his victims much as a meat eating plant emits a sweet smell to attract insects. Dracula's conversation is limited to serving his simple purposes - because that is all he has - a simple purpose.
Here, Dracula has become, apart from latex makeup, a bore, someone with a penchant for very extended discussion of his inner thoughts, the person who button-holes people and insists on telling them his life-story.
Looking at the 1931 version, one wonders if the subsequent 80+ years have been a time of adding to the the craft of film-making - or
subtracting from it.