Dan M
Reviewer

      With a hypnotic stare, the pale face of Count Dracula whispers words that have left impressions on the horror film since: “Listen to them. Children of the night, what music they make.” Only after combining actor Bela Lugosi’s eerie speech patterns and director Tod Browning’s eye for the macabre could the horror classic “Dracula” become so memorable of a cinematic accomplishment.
 
      The tale’s familiarity is easily its biggest selling point. Dracula, sick of ruling Eastern European communities, leaves for London and finds himself in a new hunting ground where the upper crust of English society is now no longer the top of the food chain. Wise Professor Van Helsing and the young fiancé of Mina Seward, Jonathan Harker, hunt him in order to prevent Mina from becoming another of Dracula’s brides.
 
      One shouldn’t let the familiar story deter them from enjoying this film. That’s probably the biggest reason to see the film. Every horror movie and every vampire flick gets their basis from Browning’s version of Bram Stoker’s novel. That’s the beauty of this flick—anyone can enjoy it. There’s something that’s ghoulishly fun about hearing Lugosi say, “I never drink…wine,” or seeing the pale face of Dracula recoil in horror when Prof. Van Helsing pulls out a crucifix.
 
      Certainly some will be turned off by the fact that it’s definitely not what people now consider a “scary” film, but the point is to see where today’s movies that scare people came from. Also, the fact that it is a black and white film will probably deter some viewers who refuse to believe that a void without color does more for suspense. (Check out “Psycho.”)
 
      The point people need to understand about this film is that it should not be viewed with the intention of being frightened, but to see such rich photography and method acting at its finest. To say this movie is frightening is wrong. To say this movie is scary is just stupid. But, to revere this film for all it has done for the horror genre is to show respect for the model of the purist form of evil in cinema.