Dracula: (Spanish Language Version)
Dracula, the Spanish version, is directed by George Melford, and stars Carlos Villarias, Lupita Tovar, Pablo Alvarez, and Eduardo Arozamenza. Based on the novel by Bram Stoker, the film tells the story of Dracula as he tries to move from his castle in Transylvania to England so he can spread his undead curse and find some new blood.
I am a fan of horror movies. I have been into them since 2001 when I watched AFI’s 100 years, 100 thrills list. I started with the classics, and moved on to the current ones. The reason I bring this up is because Dracula was one of the top ones featured throughout the broadcast. The American version is well known, and who could forget Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of the character? But would you know there is another version that was released the same year?
Yes, there was a Spanish language version of Dracula released the same year as the American version. While the Lugosi version shot during the day, the Spanish version was filmed at night. This gave the filmmakers an advantage because they could figure out better camera angles and use better lighting. Some critics even say this version is better than the original. But is it really than the one starring Lugosi? Well, in some ways, yes.
The acting is excellent. Carlos Villarias does a frightening performance as Dracula. He doesn’t speak very often, but he says a lot of emotion with his facial expressions. He is not trying to be a carbon copy of Lugosi, but he makes the character his own.
The rest of the cast does well in their respective roles as well. Lupita Tovar does well as Eva, the girl that Dracula has her eye on his next victim. Pablo Alvarez Rubio as Renfield gives a chilling performance as his character is driven to madness. Eduardo Arozamenzais is fantastic as Dr. Van Helsing. He is the one who wants to take down Dracula and stop him from finding new victims.
The look of this film is very dark and mysterious too. There is a lot of usage of fog in the outside to try and give it a creepy atmosphere. It works because in these scenes, you get that scary that Dracula is out there watching and waiting for his next victim. You as a viewer don’t know when he is going to strike. There are a lot of close ups in this version, which to me makes it a little more personal too.
Something else that stuck out to me was the fact that there wasn’t any background music either. It is a plus because the way background music is used in horror films now is just to show off a cheap jump scare. By not having any background music, it makes the film seem scarier than what it already is.
I also like how this film is longer than the Lugosi version. It gives the film more time to tell the story. Usually whenever a horror film is long, it can sometimes be dragged out and there are little to no scares. But this one works because you are really invested in the characters as to what is going to happen to them.
Overall, I would say that Dracula the Spanish version is worth watching if you are interested in checking out a new take on an old classic. For my overall rating, I’m going to give this version a 5/5. This is Mr. Birdwell saying, “Keep Reading and Watching.”
Dracula, the Spanish version, is directed by George Melford, and stars Carlos Villarias, Lupita Tovar, Pablo Alvarez, and Eduardo Arozamenza. Based on the novel by Bram Stoker, the film tells the story of Dracula as he tries to move from his castle in Transylvania to England so he can spread his undead curse and find some new blood.
I am a fan of horror movies. I have been into them since 2001 when I watched AFI’s 100 years, 100 thrills list. I started with the classics, and moved on to the current ones. The reason I bring this up is because Dracula was one of the top ones featured throughout the broadcast. The American version is well known, and who could forget Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of the character? But would you know there is another version that was released the same year?
Yes, there was a Spanish language version of Dracula released the same year as the American version. While the Lugosi version shot during the day, the Spanish version was filmed at night. This gave the filmmakers an advantage because they could figure out better camera angles and use better lighting. Some critics even say this version is better than the original. But is it really than the one starring Lugosi? Well, in some ways, yes.
The acting is excellent. Carlos Villarias does a frightening performance as Dracula. He doesn’t speak very often, but he says a lot of emotion with his facial expressions. He is not trying to be a carbon copy of Lugosi, but he makes the character his own.
The rest of the cast does well in their respective roles as well. Lupita Tovar does well as Eva, the girl that Dracula has her eye on his next victim. Pablo Alvarez Rubio as Renfield gives a chilling performance as his character is driven to madness. Eduardo Arozamenzais is fantastic as Dr. Van Helsing. He is the one who wants to take down Dracula and stop him from finding new victims.
The look of this film is very dark and mysterious too. There is a lot of usage of fog in the outside to try and give it a creepy atmosphere. It works because in these scenes, you get that scary that Dracula is out there watching and waiting for his next victim. You as a viewer don’t know when he is going to strike. There are a lot of close ups in this version, which to me makes it a little more personal too.
Something else that stuck out to me was the fact that there wasn’t any background music either. It is a plus because the way background music is used in horror films now is just to show off a cheap jump scare. By not having any background music, it makes the film seem scarier than what it already is.
I also like how this film is longer than the Lugosi version. It gives the film more time to tell the story. Usually whenever a horror film is long, it can sometimes be dragged out and there are little to no scares. But this one works because you are really invested in the characters as to what is going to happen to them.
Overall, I would say that Dracula the Spanish version is worth watching if you are interested in checking out a new take on an old classic. For my overall rating, I’m going to give this version a 5/5. This is Mr. Birdwell saying, “Keep Reading and Watching.”