Dracula 1979 - the Frank Langella Version!

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

This is coming out on Blu-ray in Japan, oddly enough.

The CD Japan listing for this disc states English lossless audio.



It's pricey, but it's there for those who want it. I remember catching this on TV as a kid and being freaked out by it and that my mom thought Langella was hot in the role.

Outside of that, I don't remember much about it at all.

[Mark Tolch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark Tolch]

I'm sure it has its fans, but even as an 8-year-old kid seeing this for the first time on TV, I knew it was a shitty movie. A revisit a few years back...partial revisit, I shut it off...confirmed it.

[Horace Cordier Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Horace Cordier]

Dracula 1979 - the Frank Langella Version!

It's kinda lame. Langella is about as menacing as a disco gigolo in the role.

Which actually makes sense since this was directed by the same guy who did SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER.

[bgart13 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bgart13]

I saw it for the first time in a few decades about three months ago and actually came away liking it. And noticing things Coppola stole from it, too. Man, Coppola took elements from just about every DRACULA movie before his, didn't he? His is one of my least favorite adaptations.

[Mark Tolch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark Tolch]

It's kinda lame. Langella is about as menacing as a disco gigolo in the role.

Which actually makes sense since this was directed by the same guy who did SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER.

Huh, there you go. Langella was my biggest issue with it. He's not scary, he's not suave....he's just Frank Langella. He's much more effective now that he looks like he's trying to be Christopher Lee.

[Ashbee Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ashbee]

I have the DVD but never watched it. Every time I see the cover, I think it's Lou Diamond Philips.

[Zane C. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Zane C.]

Langella DID write a pretty cool name-dropping book about famous folks he met a while back, though. Pretty cool story in there about Yul Brunner.

[Scorpion Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Scorpion]

Suprised at the typo on the front art, and the fact Langella's head looks like its detached from the hooded figures neck.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

I saw it for the first time in a few decades about three months ago and actually came away liking it. And noticing things Coppola stole from it, too. Man, Coppola took elements from just about every DRACULA movie before his, didn't he? His is one of my least favorite adaptations.

I put it in after glancing at this thread and found it heavy sledding. I had seen the revival play starring Langella (actually Raul Julia standing in for Langella), and like many theater goers I was disappointed that the film went off in a different direction. I wish there were a videotape of the play that inspired this remake.

Coppola was not responsible for Bram Stoker's Dracula. He had no say in the script which as you point out borrowed heavily from previous versions. He was merely the hired help under producer and creative controller Winona Ryder. She thought the script was deep and wholly new, bought it and cast the film with her friends. Coppola took the job because he needed the money. He was part of her package. His share of the profits helped bring his own company out of debt. To his credit he tried to make a silk purse out of the sow's ear. He turned Dracula into a kind of Italian opera. Visually it's a work of art, and that's what he brought to the film. That having been said I think the film is only marginally better than Langella's which isn't saying much.

[John Bernhard Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close John Bernhard]

Paid to see the Langella version the day it opened, I was 20 and hated it with a passion and have never watched a frame since. Even now, thinking about it brings up sour memories of embarrassingly awful it was. At least Coppola's version had a few moments ( although I'll never sit down with it again ).

[Jens Thomsen Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jens Thomsen]

Well, looks like I am in the minority here: I like it very much! And I definitely prefer it to the Coppola and Browning versions. To me, it has much more atmosphere and I love the whole going underground scene at the grave.

[Scyther Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Scyther]

There was a bunch of negative chatter about how the director released this film in B&W for the DVD. I wonder whether this will be the case with this BD, as well? All the negative reviews on Amazon have thus far deterred me from picking this up, because I'd really like to see the original theatrical version.

[Jens Thomsen Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jens Thomsen]

I have only seen the revised version, and though I can see some problems with it, I can't of like the muted colors. Would love to see a release of the theatrical color timing, though.