Dracula - Hated It - DoubleFeaturePreachers

Dracula - Hated It

10/2/2017

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners
Director: Tod Browning
Runtime: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Based on the novel by Bram Stoker
Fantasy | Horror | 1931

I am not impressed by this film at all. Now I know I need to be a little lenient on most things that reviewers would look at in a film, it being 86 years old and all. But one thing I don’t think I can’t be lenient on is the acting. I don’t know much about how films were made back then, but this movie was just so slow moving and ultimately boring.

First, there’s almost no dialogue. Again, me not knowing how films were made back then (i.e. silent films, talkies, when did talking movies even become a thing?), but there were so many scenes that were just stale and uneventful. I assume they were trying to go for an ominous moment to increase the intensity of who Dracula really is, but it just wasn’t working for me.

Other than the scenes where Dracula is waking up and coming out of his coffin, there really wasn’t anything mysterious or scary about the whole thing. The opening scene are the villagers living just at the bottom of the mountain that houses Dracula’s mansion, it was evident that they were terrified, but in no way was it explained to the viewers. What if I had no idea who Dracula was? It’s not until 2/3rds the way through that we even discover that he is drinking people’s blood.

One thing I learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is Dracula’s power to hypnotize anyone. And this aspect was heavily used throughout the movie, all through a creepy ass stare that was a bit too long each time for my taste.

Overall, I did not enjoy this movie, and it kind of saddens me. I was looking forward to these monster movies. I’m hoping for more in the next films. Hated It. Also, just a word of advice, don’t watch this movie after day drinking. It’s almost impossible to stay awake throughout the entire thing… and it’s such a short movie!! Honestly, there needed to be more action. (1/5)

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