HallowScream - Dracula (1931)

        Happy Halloween guys, Chuck here, and we've reached the end of yet another HallowScream. So, for the final review for the month, let's take a look at one of the original vampire films: Dracula. Released in 1931, this Universal Pictures classic stars Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula, along with a cavalcade of actors like Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, and so many more. 

       The movie starts off with a solicitor named Renfield, who is traveling through Transylvania to meet with Count Dracula in his home of Castle Dracula. And despite the pleas of some local villagers, Renfield proceeds on to meet Dracula's carriage at the midway point. The carriage driver, who is obviously Dracula himself, turns into a bat and the carriage drives itself to the castle...with Renfield's luggage disappearing. 

       Inside the castle, Renfield meets Dracula properly, and the two head to the upstairs area, where they speak on Dracula's signing of the lease on Carfax Abbey in England. Dracula also informs that he's taking only three boxes with him to England, on a ship chartered to travel their the very next evening. After everything is signed and ready to go, Dracula allows Renfield to rest, and in the middle of the night makes him his servant. 

        On board the ship Vesta, Dracula massacres the crew, and when the ship arrives, only Renfield is found and is deemed insane, this sending him to the sanatorium of Dr. Seward, while Dracula and his belongings go to Carfax Abbey. 

      The rest of the movie sees Dracula stalking various people throughout London, and taking a specific interest in Dr. Seward's daughter Mina, and her best friend Lucy. We also meet Mina's fiance Jonathan Harker, who is a bit weary of Dracula. Meanwhile, Renfield's state is getting worse, as the sanatorium staff is keeping him from feeding on various bugs. Ick. 

       Dr. Seward brings in an expert, Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, who is able to identify various goings on as the work of a vampire. And, he is easily able to identify Dracula as the vampire, and that Renfield is working for Dracula. Also, Lucy was attacked by Dracula, but died after a series of failed blood transfusions, leaving Mina as Dracula's next target. 

       So, the rest of the movie entails trying to protect Mina from Dracula, Renfield begging for Mina to be sent far away, and trying to figure out how Dracula is able to sustain himself in England, given how vampires must return to their native soil (at least in this story, anyway). And, they quickly come to the conclusion that Dracula brought some soil from Transylvania with him, and laid it around Carfax Abbey along with his coffin. So, Mina is drawn to Carfax Abbey, with Renfield in tow, and both Harker and Van Helsing follow suit. Dracula kills Renfield for his betrayal, and rests in his coffin, where he is killed by Van Helsing. Mina is freed from Dracula's control, and she and Harker go off into the morning sunlight together, ending the movie. 

        Honestly, there's nothing I can say about Dracula that hasn't been said already. The casting of Bela Lugosi as Dracula was perfect. The performances by the rest of the cast was perfect. The set design was perfect. The atmosphere, the tone, the ambience, everything about this movie was perfect. Honestly, I can't say it enough. Dracula is a cinematic classic that is just perfect. So, I'm giving Dracula a rating of 5/5. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off. Thanks for tuning in to this year's HallowScream, and be sure to join me on Thursday for my review of Ahsoka.

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