DVD

Average customer rating:

Lush and decadent!
95% Excellence; 5% Missed Opportunities
extremely good movie with a few minor flaws
Fact, Fiction and My Inspiration!
Come on you bunch of Siskels!

Bram Stoker's Dracula
Starring: Gary Oldman , Winona Ryder , Anthony Hopkins , Keanu Reeves , and Richard E. Grant
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Interview with the Vampire
Queen of the Damned (Widescreen Edition)
Devil's Advocate
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
The Lost Boys

ASIN: 0800177177
Release Date: 1997-10-07

Amazon.com

With dizzying cinematic tricks and astonishing performances, Francis Coppola's 1992 version of the oft-filmed Dracula story is one of the most exuberant, extravagant films of the 1990s. Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder, as the Count and Mina Murray, are quite a pair of star-crossed lovers. She's betrothed to another man; he can't kick the habit of feeding off the living. Anthony Hopkins plays Van Helsing, the vampire slayer, with tongue firmly in cheek. Tom Waits is great fun as Renfield, the hapless slave of Dracula who craves the blood of insects and cats. Sadie Frost is a sexy Lucy Westenra. And poor Keanu Reeves, as Jonathan Harker, has the misfortune to be seduced by Dracula's three half-naked wives. There's a little bit of everything in this version of Dracula: gore, high-speed horseback chases, passion, and longing.

Customer Reviews:

Lush and decadent!.......2007-06-02

Purists might hate this version of Dracula for the liberties it takes but I loved it. Gary Oldman's performance as Dracula was simply amazing...he brings romance to the role, a dark knight who is depicted more as a victim of fate than a true evil creature, and his love for Mina [whom he feels is the reincarnation of his long-dead wife] is altogether real and credible. Anthony Hopkins brings a certain level of zealousness to the role of Van Helsing, but I can't say Iwas very impressed by Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder's performances. Firstly there was no chemistry between them though they were supposed to be engaged, and similarly Winona's Mina seemed like a cold fish to me, especially in her love scenes with the Count [the actress who played Lucy on the other hand was pretty scintillating].But despite some of the flawed performances, the movie on the whole was beautifully filmed. The cinematography was lush and evoked decadent images, especially the seduction scenes, in particular Keanu's seduction by the three wives of Dracula, and also Lucy's seduction and attack by Dracula. The costumes are sumptuous to look at. The use of the color red throughout the movie [Lucy's dress, the scene where Dracula stalks Mina] is vivid and reminds us of the lust for blood. The score is haunting and serves to keep viewers' at the edge of their seats as the story unfolds. Overall, this is one of the best contemporary adaptations of Dracula, and a classic.

95% Excellence; 5% Missed Opportunities.......2007-05-15

The most grandiose retelling of the legendary story, and one that casts one of the world's most famous tales of horror as a love story (although certainly a very dark love story), this 1992 version of Dracula features Gary Oldman turning in probably the greatest portrayal of the Count ever.

Everything in this huge, haunting tale centers around the love story between Dracula (tied in much closer here than in most depictions to his supposed real-life counterpart, Vlad The Impaler) and Mina, the reincarnation of his centuries-ago love, Elisabeta. Beginning with the origin of Dracula's vampirism following Elisabeta's death, the story then flashes forward to late-1800s Transylvania and Johnathan Harker's famous trip to the Count's ancient castle. Having dwelled in and terrorized Transylvania for centuries now, the Prince Of Darkness comes by chance upon Harker's locket, in which is a small picture of Mina, the exact image of Dracula's deceased wife. The passion reawakened in the lord of the vampires, he journeys to London and confirms that Mina and Elisabeta are one and the same. From there the vampire Dracula preys on inhabitants of the city even as the mortal and emotional side of the beast is reawakened by re-discovery of his true love.

On a technical scale, "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is brilliant, with masterful cinematography, an outstanding dark score by Wojciech Kilar, chilling shadow imagery and extraordinary special effects. The romantic angle is also a total success. Where the movie does run into some trouble is here: despite the intensified focus on Dracula and Mina, the Dracula tale is still very much an ensemble piece, and some of the other characters just aren't captured as well as I wished they had been in a movie that was otherwise so great. It's not the performances per se, it's just that things didn't come together for some of the other characters. Dr. Van Helsing (although very well played by the always impressive Anthony Hopkins) comes off cold, arrogant, and curiously unconcerned for the people he's supposedly trying to protect - a far cry from the compassionate, courageous and emminently likable versions of the doctor seen in movies like "Horror Of Dracula" (with Peter Cushing as Van Helsing). I think that they may have been thinking that in presenting some sympathetic aspects to the otherwise evil Dracula, they had to counterbalance it by 'darkening' Van Helsing a bit. I don't think it really worked. Add to this a somewhat wishy-washy Harker and a Mina who wasn't nearly as developed as her pivotal role would have seemed to dictate, and it detracts a bit from the whole. The 'lesser' players - Lucy, her three suitors, and the insane Renfield, were all better done in my opinion. Dracula himself is done to perfection. In spite of the occasional problems with some of the characters, "Bram Stoker's Dracula" keeps coming on strong all the way through - until, tragically, the last five minutes or so. With a kind of anti-climatic (though far from terrible) ending to what was a vibrant and dramatic movie, plus the difficulties with some of the characters, we're left with a great show but one that fell a bit short of the mark it could have hit.

Still highly recommended; the weaker parts wouldn't have been so noticeable if 95% of the movie wasn't so awesome. A very, very good version of the Dracula tale despite a few chinks in the armor.

extremely good movie with a few minor flaws.......2007-05-15

A good film that for me sums up alot of what was good about early 1990s cinema. Oldman as dracula, Hopkins as van hellsing, Richard E Grant as Dr Seward, Carey Elwes as Arthur Holmwood and country legend Tom Waits as renfield make this film an extremely well acted peice. It is an alternative take on the book, much like the last temptation of christ was a different take on the life of christ. The bones of the story are there but some characters are more realistic and different. Van helsing is a pompus , lecherous alchoholic with a good heart, Seward is addicted to morphine and dracula was actually a victim of life but nevertheless a creature of darkness.
This movies best feature was that it showed vampires in an extremely unique and interesting way, they are not just normal guys with fangs and charisma like in the christopher lee draculas, but are powerfull creatures of the night, capable of flight, shape changing, mind manipulation and telekinesis. all together a fantastic romp.

Fact, Fiction and My Inspiration!.......2007-05-11

1462, Transylvania, Vlad the Impaler leaves his wife to fight the Turks. Out of malice, The Turks send her a letter telling her that her husband is dead. She is so distraught over his death and terrified at being captured that she throws herself from the castle turrets. When Vlad returns, he is told that his wife may not enter the Kingdom of Heaven as she has killed herself, which is a mortal sin. Vlad immediately renounces God and then he himself is condemned.

400 years later, Jonathon Harker leaves London and his fiancée Mina to travel to Transylvania. He has been assigned to help Count Dracula acquire property in England. Jonathon may never return...

This film, despite its flaws, will always hold a place in my heart as it inspired me to write my novel, Vrolok. I have always loved horror movies so when I heard that Francis Ford Coppola was making a new Dracula film, I could not wait to see it. I remember eagerly anticipating the announcement of who was to play Dracula, and when I found out that it was Gary Oldman, I was not happy! The only thing I had seen him in was JFK, and I was not very impressed (I was too young to have appreciated Sid and Nancy). However, I still decided it was worth going to the cinema to see the movie as Keanu Reeves, Cary Elwes and Bill Campbell were also in it. From the moment Gary Oldman appears on screen, he captivates his audience. His performance is camp, overdone, and at times preposterous, yet it is still somehow seductive, mesmerizing, and sublime. (Bram Stoker would have been proud!). He even utters the line "The children of the night. What sweet music they make" with a thick Romanian accent and gets away with it. I saw this film when I was fifteen and was immediately converted into a life long Gary Oldman fan.

As previously stated, and despite Oldman's performance, the film does have its flaws. Keanu Reeves is about as wooden as a stake and the rest of the cast seem to, just like Gary Oldman, overdo the accents and this is a strategy that doesn't quite work for the rest of the cast. In addition, Sadie Frost and Wynona Ryder running around in the rain in see-through outfits is clichéd and slightly annoying (I am sure most boys who see this film love that bit). Apart from Oldman's performance, there is one other thing that has to be commended - the soundtrack - both Wojciech Kilar's score and Annie Lennox's theme are dark, chilling, and poignant.

All in all a great movie - it inspired me to write a book that may or may not make me a million but will always be something that I am proud to have completed.

Come on you bunch of Siskels!.......2007-04-11

Ok you bunch of no taste bums! lol! First, the only word I could have ever associated with Dracula before I watched this movie was TACKY. The big capes, the really bad accents and the bats on a string, were all so overtly horrid, I could never bear to watch those movies. This movie was a dark love story with superb special effects and a truly superior performance by Gary Oldman as Dracula. I swear, I think that man can be anyone! I grant you, Keanu did have a poor grasp of the Brittish accent and Winona struggled a bit in the passion area, but their performances were above adequate and Winona was a perfect straight man to Oldman's lavish Dracula performance. Anyone who could insinuate that Anthony hopkins was even capable of a bad performance, should be strung up in the town square and tickled mercilessly until unconscious! lol!!

All the world is a critic and for my money, as long as I enjoyed a movie, the whys and wherefores aren't really that important. Maybe this kind of movie is not your cup of tea. If not, don't ruin it for the rest of us by your crude and mellow dramatic reviews. Take my advice, buy this movie! If you want to see the real love story behind the Dracula myth, without all the "bluck bluck, I come to bite your neck" stuff, then this movie is for you. If you want "Blade" in the 1800's, this is probably not for you.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Superbit Collection)

Average customer rating:

Lush and decadent!
95% Excellence; 5% Missed Opportunities
extremely good movie with a few minor flaws
Fact, Fiction and My Inspiration!
Come on you bunch of Siskels!

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Superbit Collection)
Starring: Gary Oldman , Winona Ryder , Anthony Hopkins , Keanu Reeves , and Richard E. Grant
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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DTS | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Superbit Collection | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Interview with the Vampire
Queen of the Damned (Widescreen Edition)
Devil's Advocate
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
The Lost Boys

ASIN: B00005R23X
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Amazon.com essential video

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format.

Customer Reviews:

Lush and decadent!.......2007-06-02

95% Excellence; 5% Missed Opportunities.......2007-05-15

extremely good movie with a few minor flaws.......2007-05-15

Fact, Fiction and My Inspiration!.......2007-05-11

Come on you bunch of Siskels!.......2007-04-11

Bram Stoker's Dracula/Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - (Collector's Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Two of the best monster movies ever made
I Agree
Great movies but the DVDs
waaait for the Special EDITIONS!
Two Great Films-One Hell Of A Deal. "Love Never Dies." "Be Warned. It's Alive." FFC And KB SUCCEED TREMENDOUSLY.

Bram Stoker's Dracula/Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - (Collector's Box Set)
Starring: Dracula , and Frankenstein
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Interview with the Vampire
Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of)
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ASIN: B000BRBA9C
Release Date: 2005-12-26

Description

BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins star in director Francis Ford Coppola's visually stunning, passionately seductive version of the classic Dracula legend. In BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, Coppola returns to the original source of the Dracula myth, and from that gothic romance, he creates a modern masterpiece. Gary Oldman's metamorphosis as Dracula who grows from old to young, from man to beast is nothing short of amazing. Winona Ryder brings equal intensity to the role of a young beauty who becomes the object of Dracula's devastating desire. Anthony Hopkins co-stars as the famed doctor who dares to believe in Dracula, and then dares to confront him. Opulent, dazzling and utterly irresistible, this is Dracula as you've never seen him. And once you've seen BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, you'll never forget it.

MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN
Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Aidan Quinn, Ian Holm and John Cleese star in Branagh's acclaimed adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. True to the original, here is the story of a young doctor whose obsession with death leads him to create a life. But his "creature" crafted from the bodies of convicts and the brain of a brilliant scientist, is a hideous mockery of humanity. And when the creature realizes he will never be accepted by men, he seeks revenge on Dr. Frankenstein and his family. An inspired adaptation that's emotionally complex and truly terrifying.

Customer Reviews:

Two of the best monster movies ever made.......2006-11-04

Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are two classic monster stories that are brought to life brilliantly in these movies. How can you beat Gary Oldman's performance as Dracula and Robert DeNiro's portrayal of Frankenstein's monster. They are both well made and are in no way cheesy (like most monster movies). For those of you who might be concerned about content I will warn you that there is nudity and sexuality in the Dracula movie but Frankenstein is very clean and would only be inappropriate for little children due to its scary nature. But overall I think these movies are great for mature teens and adults. If you like monster movies or would just like to see a good...no, the BEST...on-screen interpretation of these two classic characters, then this is the set you need to buy.

I Agree.......2006-03-28

I agree with the kid who wrote the last review. These are exceptionally well done films and are very faithful to the novels. The performances are all exceptional (save for some of Winona Ryder's British accent in Dracula)with perfect casting. I also have the same complaints : 'Where are the special features?' and 'Why is Frankenstein in FULLSCREEN only? Why must studios screw good movies over in just Fullscreen (Moonstruck)? Couldn't it just as easily been widescreen or both(also Moonstruck)?' And yes, Dracula does need a new menu doesn't it?
P.S.- I highly reccomend the film WOLF, just as the kid who wrote the last review did. It is sleek and intelligent (just like the box says!) and is also filled with exceptional performances.

Great movies but the DVDs.......2006-02-20

I just got this today these are the two most faithful versions to their novels out there Dracula is very elaborate and powereful Frankenstein is also great go for this set
But the DVDs the only Thing wrong with Frankenstein is that it is in fullscreen,Dracula However Needs Special Features and a better Menu Look but i can live with it
also check out "Wolf"

waaait for the Special EDITIONS!.......2005-12-28

Both are great movies and i'm hoping this year both get a nice treatment, they should be Special Editions!

Two Great Films-One Hell Of A Deal. "Love Never Dies." "Be Warned. It's Alive." FFC And KB SUCCEED TREMENDOUSLY........2005-11-24

Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 version of "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and Kenneth Branagh's 1994 "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" are classics in their own right. Now, for the first time, these two faithful adaptations of the classic Gothic horror novels are available together for your ultimate viewing pleasure. Though this set hasn't been released yet, I have both of these great films (one on DVD-damn shame that it is only available in full screen and with no special features apart from the trailers [one for the feature film itself, the other two for "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Awakenings"] and the other on VHS). See my reviews on both films and the novels on which they are based. "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" is rated PG for some violence. "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is rated PG-13 for some violence and brief sensuality/nudity.

Average customer rating:

Not too bad for a B horror film
When there's light, there's shadow
Shadowbuilder - the original story
A SURPRISE THRILLER
Terrible DVD

Bram Stoker's Shadowbuilder
Starring: Michael Rooker , Leslie Hope , Andrew Jackson (II) , Shawn Thompson , and Kevin Zegers
Director: Jamie Dixon
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305050163
Release Date: 1998-09-08

Amazon.com

Father Vassey (Michael Rooker) has a problem. Using his two 9mm, laser-sighted cannons he's tracked down and killed the holders of a heretic ceremony meant to bring a demon into the world. Not just any demon, this one's raison d'etre is nothing less than uncreating creation. The problem is that Vassey is too late. The demon has manifested, escaped, and is now on the hunt for the soul of a young boy who is believed to be a saint, due to the stigmata he had at birth. The film is directed by Jamie Dixon, heretofore a special effects supervisor, who shows canny restraint where special effects are concerned. The shadowy demon of the title is depicted often by a fluid black cloud, which is functional without losing its eeriness or credibility. The acting is solid, never campy, though Michael Rooker sometimes feels out of place. And the climactic scenes, built up to with good pacing, are fraught with peril and excitement. All in all, this is a worthwhile effort for a first-time director, and that makes it one of the best direct-to-video releases I've seen in quite a long time. Although I wish I could locate the Bram Stoker story on which it is based. --Jim Gay

Customer Reviews:

Not too bad for a B horror film.......2004-07-20

This is based on a Bram Stoker story, and I'd love to see the story. Surely his story didn't include electricity, generators, police cars, guns - well, of course it didn't. It couldn't have.

But this is, all in all, a pretty good horror film. There aren't really any points in the film where I'm terrified, but the story line remains solid throughout the film. My main complaints are the casting of Michael Rooker as a priest (even if he has a troubled past), and the special effects - which somehow won an award from an obscure award ceremony, Fantafestival. The Shadowbuilder himself really wasn't all that convincing.

Still, this was a horror film that began and ended with the same premise. It didn't deviate, and its characters didn't commit random acts of remarkable stupidity. It was a wholly believable story (in terms of being a movie, of course), and Kevin Zegers gave a good performance as the 12 year old that the Shadowbuilder wanted to possess.

One other complaint that I have - if Zegers's character is supposed to be this special person (I'll let the film explain why he is), why didn't he exhibit any special traits?

By the way, neither the DVD cover that Amazon has as its image, nor the actual cover that I received when I ordered it, has anything to do with the movie. Poor packaging, even though the cover I received was "cool". The one Amazon has depicts a blonde boy. Last I checked, and for his entire career, Zegers has been a brunette.

When there's light, there's shadow.......2004-04-11

I usually turn my nose up at any film sporting a title that begins with "Bram Stoker's..." or "H.P. Lovecraft's..." or even "Wes Craven presents..." You know what I am talking about. Any of those low budget clunkers that attempt to curry favor with horror fans by associating their bucket of slop with a famous writer or director in the genre. Hollywood and its attendant hangers-on will stop at nothing to make a buck, even if it means splashing mud all over a horror legend. I am not saying I don't watch films that bear these monikers. I do quite often. In fact, I often go out of my way to seek them out. Why, you ask, would I do such a thickheaded thing? Easy-I like watching bad movies so I can splash mud all over wannabe horror legends by writing sarcastic reviews. Sometimes, though, a glint of gold catches your eye when indulging in these types of films. "Shadowbuilder" is one of the projects saddled with Stoker's name that is well worth watching. It's not a perfect film, not by a long shot, but it's Oscar worthy compared to some of the other clinkers carrying the Lovecraft/Stoker/Craven imprint.

What's "Shadowbuilder" about? Oh, just your typical unleashed from the abyss demon with the power to undo creation. A cult of nuts decides to perform a ritual calling forth a shadowbuilder so they can realize their fantastically crazy dream of ending the world as we know it. The Catholic Church knows about these guys, and decides to send a tough, gun-toting priest named Father Vassey (Michael Rooker) out to cut them down to size. Vassey arrives too late to stop the conjuring ceremony, but he does discover enough evidence at the scene to learn about the next step in the ritual. It appears that the demon needs to find a certain young boy in order to complete his mission. The boy, as it turns out, is the son of one of the men involved in the cult, and he is a very special creature. His soul is pure, completely without the sort of sin all of us carry around. Imagine a pint sized Gandhi or Jesus wearing tennis shoes, and you'll get the picture. If the shadowbuilder can subvert this holy child, he will destroy the universe. Vassey isn't about to let this happen, so he heads out to this small town in an effort to warn the residents about the evil they face. The priest must reach the boy before a solar eclipse takes place because that is when the shadowbuilder must act.

The shadowbuilder arrives in town in a heartbeat largely due to his ability to travel at ultra fast speed through dark sewers and at night. The demon cannot travel in daylight, not yet anyway, because he is too weak. In very short order the dark one kills a local deputy, the doctor who attempts an autopsy on the corpse, and a few other unfortunate souls. As the eclipse nears the demon grows stronger, eventually gaining so much power that light sources cannot harm him any longer. As the shadowbuilder seeks out his youthful victim, he has a little fun around town. All of the townspeople eventually go nuts due to their exposure to the demon. An old man kills his loving spouse with an axe, a woman gyrates wildly on top of a statue in the town square, and the rest of the citizens start killing each other off. Father Vassey, the town sheriff, the holy child, and a town nut played by Tony Todd end up barricaded in a house as the town goes crazy around them. There's a final showdown in a church, tricked up with lots of heavy special effects, that works quite well for a straight to video (DVD?) production.

The best thing about "Shadowbuilder" isn't the shadowy demon (although the creature does look good) or even the plot. Actually, the movie is about as formulaic as they come, with a powerful demon that seems unstoppable, a respectably high body count, and some philosophical mumbo jumbo about the end of the world. What does work in the movie falls largely on the shoulders of the always reliable Michael Rooker as Father Vassey. Rooker, who came to prominence as a result of his stellar turn in the gruesome "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," does an effective job as a gun toting priest turned assassin for the Lord. Despite the fact that the movie almost ruins his character with the obligatory "man of the cloth has a crisis of faith" subplot, Rooker manages to elevate the film above the merely average. Here's a priest who uses laser scopes on this pistols, swears, and even uses his fists when needed. He'll even sass a higher up in the Church when things don't go his way. Not since the karate chopping priest in Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive" have we seen such a no nonsense padre take on evil with his bare hands. Rooker's performance alone elevates "Shadowbuilder" in my eyes, and this despite the fact that the film totally wasted Tony Todd in a throwaway role as a local recluse with a proclivity for purloined Christmas lights. Todd gets precious little screen time, and considering how quirky his character is, it's a real shame.

The DVD edition of the film contains a commentary from director Jamie Dixon, a trailer, and cast biographies. I suspect some viewers will dislike the film, but I enjoyed it. I still think moviemakers should discontinue tossing around names like Lovecraft and Stoker when they make low budget B movies. Despite the inherent goodness of "Shadowbuilder," adapting stories written by the horror masters often serve only to cheapen everyone involved. Give this one a shot if you like horror films.

Shadowbuilder - the original story.......2004-04-05

Great movie though it only shares its title with the original story. As a lot of people wondered about the source of the story, I'm happy to provide the answer. Just get a copy of the story collection "Under the Sunset" by Bram Stoker. But beware this is collection of stories mostly written for children which features quite a bit of Stoker's own moral concept. Anyway the story has nothing much what could be called a plot, but for Stoker addicts the whole collection has quite some worthwhile aspects.

A SURPRISE THRILLER.......2004-01-16

Jamie Dixon's direction of "Bram Stoker's Shadowbuilder" brings real terror and atmosphere to a derivative theme: the devil wants to come to earth. With unusually good special fx for this direct to video type of movie, the film builds its suspense and terror, aided by a good musical score (strongly reminiscent of "The Omen"); a talented cast (Michael Rooker may be a little too much, but his intensity is well handled for this role); and Tony Todd (CANDYMAN) as the rather nutsy Covey. Leslie Hope is good as the mom, but she doesn't get as much screen time as one may think.
Lots of good tension and this is a good movie, should have gotten more exposure.

Terrible DVD.......2003-08-16

Loved the VHS version of this film. Tried 3 different DVD versions none of which would play on my 2 DVD players or my computer. Stick with the VHS version.

Average customer rating:

Lush and decadent!
95% Excellence; 5% Missed Opportunities
extremely good movie with a few minor flaws
Fact, Fiction and My Inspiration!
Come on you bunch of Siskels!

Campbell, Bill | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Elwes, Cary | ( E ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Frost, Sadie | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Grant, Richard E | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Hopkins, Anthony | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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Robinson, Jay | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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Interview with the Vampire
Queen of the Damned (Widescreen Edition)
Devil's Advocate
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
The Lost Boys

ASIN: 6302759110
Release Date: 1999-08-31

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Lush and decadent!.......2007-06-02

95% Excellence; 5% Missed Opportunities.......2007-05-15

extremely good movie with a few minor flaws.......2007-05-15

Fact, Fiction and My Inspiration!.......2007-05-11

Come on you bunch of Siskels!.......2007-04-11

Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Love Story To Die For

Average customer rating:

Great vampire movie!!!!!
I Love this movie!!!
Old movie with a new look!
i love this movie
Rent it DON'T buy it !

Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Love Story To Die For
Starring: Steve Bond , Eloise Broady , Ava Fabian , Micah Grant , and Brendan Hughes
Director: Deran Sarafian
Manufacturer: Triumph Marketing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Bram Stoker's Dracula
Dracula the Series, Vol. 2
Dracula - The Series
Vlad
Dracula's Curse

ASIN: B000B8IADU
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

Forbidden passion, unquenchable vengeance, and the kiss of darkness all play a deadly role in this electrifying new chapter of vampire lore.Vlad Tepish, the legendary Prince of Darkness, has resurfaced in L.A. with a new look, a new life and a new love. But with his new life comes an old enemy...an enemy who has waited his eternal life to even the score. The battleground is set for the most terrifying love story of the year.

Customer Reviews:

Great vampire movie!!!!!.......2007-01-08

I remember this movie from the 80's.......Sexy movie, really got me in to wanting to see vampires more on screen then reading about them. I am a fan of vampires and this movie is a real turn on.......

I Love this movie!!!.......2007-01-01

I saw this movie when it originally came out and immediately fell in love with it. I will admit, however, that it is not to everyone's tastes. It is the typical 80's B-movie: cheesy effects, dialogue, etc; but I'm a die-hard-all-things-vampire-lover!!! I would definitely recommend this movie to fellow vamp lovers, but to just the occasional vampy person, definitely rent it before buying. Most places have only the VHS version for rent and the name for the VHS version is just "To Die For." Definitely give it a chance and form your own opinion. Oh yeah, there is a part 2 to this movie it's called... To Die For 2: Son of Darkness, but part one is the better of the two.

Old movie with a new look!.......2006-11-12

This was a great movie when I first saw it as "To Die For"...It's great to see some oldies coming back. I was a bit thrown off by the title but then the plot clicked in my head. I highly recommend this move as well as its sequel "Son of Darkness: To Die For 2" IF you can find it. Brendan Hughes was great in this movie. Aside from the classics of the genre this movie and Dracula Rising are my two favorites.
PS this is my first "review".

i love this movie.......2006-08-29

This is an awesome movie it was a good old romantic vampire love story and i love them kind of movies it was great

Rent it DON'T buy it !.......2006-07-18

After reading the first two reviews I was willing to give this movie a try. I was very disappointed. This movie has all the awful things of a bad 80's movie, right down to the mullets. The dialogue, special effects (vampire make-up), and plot are very bad. The actor that portrays Vlad is smaller in statue than the girl playing his love interest. I could maybe over look the imagery of the movie if the story was well written, but it is not. Please rent the movie first to see if you like it.

Bram Stoker's Dracula Love Story To Die For

Average customer rating:

Bram Stoker's Dracula Love Story To Die For
Starring: Brendan Hughes
Manufacturer: Triumph Marketing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000B5XP1U
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Average customer rating:

Sigh... Very Horrible Version of Van Helsing Story
Another low quality, high budget movie.
Bram is not Stoked
Frightfully Awful
Waste of time

Bram Stoker's Way Of the Vampire
Starring: Rhett Giles , Andreas Beckett , Sarah Nean Bruce , and Eduardo Durao
Manufacturer: Asylum Home Entertaiment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Vampire High
Vampire Resurrection
Vampires - Out for Blood (Widescreen Edition)
Blood Angels
Vampire Wars: Battle for the Universe

ASIN: B0007GP7FK
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Customer Reviews:

Sigh... Very Horrible Version of Van Helsing Story.......2006-02-14

No, this is not `Dracula.' Not even `Dracula vs. Frankenstein.' This is yet another quickly-made, cheaper version of vampire flick that has nothing to so with Bram Stoker. And here is my advice: Don't watch it! No, don't even think about it.

The Asylum, independent film company which produced such films as `H. G. Well's War of the Worlds' (no, not Tom Cruise version, but C. T. Howell's) and `Frankenstein Reborn' in 2005 alone, gives another low-budget direct-to-video film. Having seen the first one, I expected little from this `Van Helsing' clone, but I never expected that this could be such a wretched film!

The film opens with evocative black and white images of the vampire hunters including Helsing (Rhett Giles), who are going to hunt down the Dracula and other vampires. It was 100 years ago, and Helsing succeeds in his mission, but has to pay the price later, losing his wife he left behind.

And Dr. Abraham Van Helsing is still living as young handsome doctor in one LA hospital because he was given an eternal life by the Catholic Church in order to kill all the vampire princes on earth. Until then, he is not allowed to die.

To be fair, the story is not bad. But the shoddy editing and poor acting ruin what little merit `Way of the Vampire' has in the first five minutes. I am willing to turn a blind eye to the low-budget production designs, but this is unacceptable. Lighting is so dark that you cannot see the actions clear enough, and the `stake' that should be driven into the heart of vampire looks like a sprig.

There is no `so-bad-so-good' fun here. Not even campy fun as in `Scream Blacula Scream.' Avoid this, and see Hugh Jackman's `Van Helsing' instead, It is not a classic, but 100 times more entertaining.

Another low quality, high budget movie........2005-12-31

The sets, the costumes, the story, the actors, all have potential. It just doesn't come alive to a level at which you get transported into the movie.

When Sebastian and his girlfriend discuss hunting again, you would think you are in an x-rated movie from the sounds they make. Not good.

All through the scenes, the actors make grandiose statements that are not accompanied by good acting, so the statements sound really fake.

The prostitute just stands there, her back to a white wall, half dressed, in broad daylight. Not real.

The doctor and the nurse discuss the vampire victim like she were the only patient in the entire hospital. They look too fresh and manicured, which comes off as very fake.

Sorry director of this movie, you missed too many things. Not worth moviegoer time.

Bram is not Stoked.......2005-12-24

WARNING: possible spoilers ahead.

Leave it to the Asylum to put out what might be the worst vampire movie since Dracula 3000. At least Dracula 3000 had a little bit of campy humor to it, this one takes itself seriously the whole way through and it's just pathetic.

This horrible attack on your eyes and mind begins with a bunch of vampire hunters, led by Abraham Van Helsing, going into a castle and try to kill Dracula, like a destitute man's version of Stephen Sommers' terrifically horrible VAN HELSING. Anyway, Van Helsing manages to kill Dracula, but he doesn't have much time to savor his victory before some super model with goofy fake teeth tells him that they are legion and he'll never be able to extinguish them completely. Our Van Helsing (this guy is so NOT Hugh Jackman) stews and tries to smolder in front of the camera. Fade to black.

Cut to Los Angeles, present day.

Van Helsing now has a short hair cut. He's still trying to hunt down all the vampires and kill them. I'm not quite sure why Van Helsing is still alive after all this time. I'm sure it was discussed somewhere in the movie, probably after I tuned out mentally - around the twenty minute mark. But going by movie logic, I just figured there was some kind of magic amulet or potion or curse that made him into a Highlander. So, Van Helsing rounds up a new crew of vampire hunters. Meanwhile, the vampires are getting ready for a war of their own. I guess you could say this is trying to be something like BLADE meets VAN HELSING. The guy who plays Van Helsing is trying to channel Hugh Jackman, and the guy that plays the vampire heavy is clearly going for a Stephen Dorff thing. They both fail miserably.

Maybe it's not entirely their fault. The worst thing you can do as a director is let a bad actor play a cowboy or a vampire. It brings out the worst in everyone. You give a bad actor a cowboy hat or a set of fangs, and watch out. As bad as they were, they will become ten times worse. But I digress. Bottom line is, avoid this one. Don't be fooled by the title, this rotten pile of cinematic garbage would make Bram Stoker roll in his grave. He wouldn't be stoked at all to see this thing with his name on it.

Frightfully Awful.......2005-11-06

My personal opinion? I can't help but compare my bitter disappointment of this movie with that which I experienced when I purchased Stephan King's Gunslinger Series, and Dean Koontz's Ice Bound. In those instances I was left thinking that surely somebody else must have written those books? What were they thinking?? Novel vs Movie, but the comparision comes to the same conclusion, to myself anyway. I guess it's a mistake to expect a certain level of excellence, regardless of the name attached.This movie is so badly done that I can honestly say it was a painful experience! Thankfully I only wasted 30-40 minutes before it simply became too much to bear.

Waste of time.......2005-10-15

I'm usually really forgiving for movies people dismiss as junk, epically monster movies, but this...I wouldn't even say this movie rivals 'made for TV' movies. The directing was bad, the acting was embarrassing, the story boring, and the sets were funded by the local dollar store. Stick to your neighbors home movies, there probably scarier.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Lush and decadent!
95% Excellence; 5% Missed Opportunities
extremely good movie with a few minor flaws
Fact, Fiction and My Inspiration!
Come on you bunch of Siskels!

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Gary Oldman , Winona Ryder , Anthony Hopkins , Keanu Reeves , and Richard E. Grant
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

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Robinson, Jay | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ryder, Winona | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Waits, Tom | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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Interview with the Vampire
Queen of the Damned (Widescreen Edition)
Devil's Advocate
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
The Lost Boys

ASIN: 0800137884
Release Date: 1997-06-06

Amazon.com essential video

Francis Ford Coppola returns to Stoker's novel for this umpteenth take of the Transylvanian bloodsucker. Gary Oldman plays the vampire, Dracula, doomed to be a creature of the night after forsaking God but aroused by the image of a British woman (Winona Ryder) who resembles his own lost love. Oldman does well by the monster, even if he doesn't register much personality in the process, and Anthony Hopkins is a little overachieving as the vampire killer Van Helsing. The rest of the cast is serviceable, except Keanu Reeves, who--not atypically--is wooden and somehow empty. Coppola seems to approach the film as chunks of experimental opportunity, some of which work out all right while others are mannered or even foolish. What is undeniable is the tremendous buzz of the film's energy, particularly in a fantastic middle sequence that plays like a psychedelic nightmare. The DVD release has optional full-screen and widescreen formats, optional French and Spanish soundtracks, and optional Spanish and Korean subtitles. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Lush and decadent!.......2007-06-02

95% Excellence; 5% Missed Opportunities.......2007-05-15

extremely good movie with a few minor flaws.......2007-05-15

Fact, Fiction and My Inspiration!.......2007-05-11

Come on you bunch of Siskels!.......2007-04-11

Average customer rating:

Wow! What a cool movie!
I...I...I actually liked it!

Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse
Starring: Rhett Giles , Tom Downey , Christina Rosenberg , and Eliza Swenson
Director: Leigh Scott
Manufacturer: The Asylum Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Asylum Night
Bloodrayne (Unrated Director's Cut)(DVD ROM game is included)
The Last Sect
Vampiros
Dracula 3 - Legacy

ASIN: B000EQ5V1I
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Customer Reviews:

Wow! What a cool movie!.......2006-06-20

I wasn't expecting much out of this low budget vampire flick, but half way through I forgot that I wasn't watching a big studio movie. Cool characters that were well acted, fight scenes where you can actually see what is happening, and great looking monster effects combine to make a film definitely worth watching. This movie has more plot and character development than the last ten Hollywood blockbusters I've seen combined. Definitely worth a look.

I...I...I actually liked it!.......2006-05-16

I love monster hunters. I should say that right off the bat. Stories concerning those brave mortal souls who venture out to kick the livin' crap out of all things dark just give me a thrill. When I first heard about Dracula's Curse I was hesitant. It boasted to be a film about monster hunters, yet, it is decidedly B and, for the most part, I NEVER rent straight-to-vid/produced on a shoestring budget movies. I just don't. They usually turn into a T&A fest and it's just boring and stupid.

Not so with Dracula's Curse. I'm not going to lie to you. It's shot on video, some of the acting is cheesy, a few of the makeup effects look like Wal-Mart Halloween masks, and the action scenes are anything but believable. However, with all that said, I really enjoyed this movie. It had heart, it had great central characters who were deep, interesting, and watchable. Like any good vampire hunter movie, this one has a descendent of Van Helsing, but he's so much more different than any Van Helsing I've ever seen that I was surprised, moved, and begging for more. There is a lot in this movie and, for the most part, all the character arcs and storylines fit together into a seamless whole. This is an intelligent spin on the vampire/ hunter relationship and I, for one, am dying for a sequel.

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