In Search of Dracula Blu-ray Review
Dracula's Transylvania The Legend of Dracula
Score: 60
from 3 reviewers
Review Date:
In Search of Dracula offers an informative, if slow-paced, exploration of vampire lore, with Kino Lorber's Blu-ray providing a solid A/V presentation and a valuable commentary track.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 67
The 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded Blu-ray of 'In Search of Dracula' impresses with a naturalistic, stable image from a new 2K master, despite a muted color palette and grayish blacks. Mixed-source footage yields varied detail and grain, yet overall presents a solid and satisfactory visual experience.
Audio: 59
The DTS-HD Master Audio mono soundtrack for 'In Search of Dracula' provides clear dialogue, particularly in Christopher Lee's narration, but lacks dynamic range due to occasional hiss, crackle, and limited music dimension. A respectable high-resolution presentation despite its imperfections.
Extra: 47
The Blu-ray's standout extra is the insightful and engaging audio commentary by film historians Lee Gambin and John Harrison, offering an in-depth exploration of the film and its source material, complemented by genre-related trailers.
Movie: 63
In Search of Dracula offers a visually engaging, yet critically divisive exploration of the Dracula legend. Featuring Christopher Lee's iconic presence, the documentary navigates through historical accounts and Dracula’s cinematic iterations. However, it often veers into B-movie territory with an educational tone and underwhelming screenplay.
Video: 67
Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray release of "In Search of Dracula" brings viewers a commendable 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in a 1.37:1 full-frame aspect ratio, sourced from a new 2K master of the film. The scan effectively eliminates egregious print damage, showcasing a naturalistic, stable image that looks better than ever before. The occasional appearance of mild speckling is negligible and does not detract from the viewing experience. The absence of telecine wobble further enhances the overall quality, contributing to a generally solid presentation.
Despite some inherent limitations in the source material, such as the muted color palette and less-than-ideal black levels, this transfer remains satisfying. Blacks on screen can seem grayish, lacking depth, but considering the film's subject matter, it may not be a significant drawback for viewers. While the detail range and film grain appearance are not uniform due to the utilization of various sources, like silent films and newsreels, the overall result is quite pleasing. Location shots near Vlad's castle and other iconic places of vampire lore exhibit desirable detail levels and image depth. Though reframed from their original aspect ratios to fit the 1.37:1 presentation, these clips maintain their filmic charm.
In summary, the Blu-ray's video presentation is proficient, capturing the essence of "In Search of Dracula" well. While not devoid of minor issues such as a somewhat muted color palate to the blacks, the new 2K master brings substantial improvements in clarity and stability to this celebrated documentary film.
Audio: 59
The Blu-ray release of "In Search of Dracula" features a DTS-HD Master Audio mono soundtrack. This lossless audio mix, while lacking the dynamic range and crispness typical of contemporary productions, manages to maintain sufficient clarity, especially for dialogue reproduction which is crucial given Christopher Lee’s narration. The audio remains clear and unmuddied, although it does not reach the high standards of modern soundtracks. With a respectable clarity in the dialogue, it ensures that Lee's iconic baritone voice is consistently well-represented.
While the mono track significantly highlights the narration, it does possess its share of technical imperfections, including some degree of hiss, crackle, thumps, and occasional wobble, typically within the musical components. The sound effects, regrettably, lack both depth and dimension, contributing to an overall lack of dynamism. Additionally, the substitution of familiar music cues from external sources such as Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind's score for "The Shining" can be a bit distracting and may momentarily pull viewers out of the immersion. Despite these shortcomings, the overall listening experience remains serviceable with a certain degree of historical charm attributed to its vintage nature.
Optional English subtitles are provided, which can help mitigate any potential audio imperfections for those seeking clarity. While perhaps not meeting the audiophile standards expected by today's most discerning listeners, the audio track on this release adequately supports the documentary's primary focus – Lee’s narration and atmospheric music – and stands as a decent representation of the material’s historical production context.
Extras: 47
The extras on the Blu-ray release of "In Search of Dracula" offer a thoughtful and enriching experience for fans and historians alike. The standout feature is the engaging audio commentary by Lee Gambin and John Harrison, who bring an enthusiastic yet scholarly perspective to the film. Their analysis covers the film's intricacies, historical tidbits, and comparisons to the source material, providing additional layers of understanding and appreciation. This disc also includes a selection of trailers that showcase other genre releases from Kino Lorber, giving viewers a glimpse into related cinematic works.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary featuring Lee Gambin and John Harrison: Detailed insights into the film's production, historical aspects, and source material comparisons.
- Trailers: Includes previews for "The Crimson Cult," "The Oblong Box," "Scream and Scream Again," "Arabian Adventure," and "House of the Long Shadows."
Movie: 63
"In Search of Dracula" is an intriguing documentary that dissects the legend of the iconic vampire through a multifaceted approach, blending historical context with cinematic homage. Narrated by the legendary Christopher Lee, known for his numerous portrayals of Dracula, this film offers an extensive exploration into the roots of vampirism and the real-life inspirations behind Bram Stoker's infamous character. Based on the book by Radu Florescu and Raymond McNally, the documentary traverses diverse topics ranging from blood-related diseases to infamous historical figures such as Vlad Tepes and Peter Kürten. Though it occasionally veers towards feeling like an educational video, it remains a valuable resource for vampire enthusiasts and history buffs alike.
Visually, the film excels through the combined efforts of cinematographers Anders Bodin, Tony Forsberg, and Gunnar Larsson. The eerie and dark visuals aptly complement the gothic and mysterious nature of Dracula, ensuring viewers are visually engaged even when other elements falter. Unfortunately, the screenplay by Yvonne Floyd falls short in maintaining consistent interest, presenting occasional sequences with scantily clad women that do little to elucidate the Dracula legend. Director Calvin Floyd adopts a straightforward, almost academic approach, which might feel overly rigid and monotonous for some viewers. The documentary's reliance on showcasing Christopher Lee's portrayals can feel redundant, despite Lee's undeniable charisma and historical significance to the Dracula mythos.
While "In Search of Dracula" could be critiqued for its moments of mockumentary-like execution and lackluster scripting, its strength lies in surface-level historical scrutiny and captivating visuals. Christopher Lee’s narration remains a highlight, adding gravitas to the explorative narrative. This documentary serves as both an informative dive into Dracula's vast lore and a nostalgic tribute to one of horror cinema’s most enduring characters. Despite its flaws, it offers ample material for both novice and dedicated fans of vampire lore to sink their teeth into.
Total: 60
"In Search of Dracula" is a uniquely compelling yet divisive documentary that endeavors to explore the origins and evolution of one of the most iconic figures in horror lore. Despite the intriguing subject matter, director Calvin Floyd's serious tone clashes somewhat with the film’s occasionally campy execution, often teetering on the edge of a mockumentary. The documentary provides a thorough, albeit methodical, examination of Dracula’s mythos, from historical facts to fictional portrayals, particularly highlighting Christopher Lee’s rendition of the sun-adverse vampire.
Technical aspects of the Blu-ray release by Kino Lorber are commendable. The video presentation is competent, though not exceptional, and the audio lacks dynamism but remains adequate. A key highlight is the included audio commentary which enriches the viewing experience with additional insights and depth. While its slow pace and lack of narrative drive might not appeal to all viewers, dedicated fans of the horror genre and Dracula enthusiasts will likely find value in the documentary's rich content.
While the thought of a Dracula documentary exploring the roots of one of the most iconic figures in pop culture lexicon sounds outstanding, the results are far less successful: director Calvin Floyd is misguided in thinking that a serious approach works well with B-movie material (and the film is something that borders on mockumentary). In Search of Dracula feels overly-serious for a film fundamentally rooted in a blood-sucking vampire. (Or conversely, perhaps it simply isn't serious enough to handle the material to the best of its abilities). The documentary is underwhelming and doesn't add much to the conversation. On the bright side, the Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber is respectable and has decent video-audio and an audio commentary track for those interested. For fans only.
Blu-ray.com review by Neil LumbardRead review here
Video: 70
If there is a drawback, it's that the color palette of the film is somewhat muted and never a great showcase: blacks seem a bit less robust than ideal and have a grayish quality to them and there are never...
Audio: 70
Music is never robust on the mono mix but sounds reasonably crisp given the lossless encoding....
Extras: 60
Audio Commentary featuring film historians Lee Gambin and John Harrison The release also includes a selection of trailers showcasing other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: The Crimson Cult...
Movie: 50
Though the documentary aims to be an insightful exploration of Dracula, there were moments during the film in which I felt the filmmaking more closely resembled that of a mockumentary than a true documentary...
Total: 50
While the thought of a Dracula documentary exploring the roots of one of the most iconic figures in pop culture lexicon sounds outstanding, the results are far less successful: director Calvin Floyd is...
The Digital Bits review by Tim SalmonsRead review here
Video: 75
Audio: 70
It too has its share of flaws, including hiss, crackle, thumps, and wobble (the latter mostly pertaining to the music, meaning that it could be baked in)....
Extras: 70
As they watch the film together, they highlight the clips used from other films, delve further into the information that’s given, and go a bit further into the history of the character that the documentary...
Movie: 70
Based upon the book of the same name by Radu Florescu and Raymond McNally, it explores the Dracula character and the many facets and incarnations of vampire lore before and after Bram Stoker’s world-famous...
Total: 71
Many won’t have the patience to watch a slow-moving documentary that lacks any real narrative propulsion, but the subject matter and its presenter are strong enough to get you through it....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
Black levels are decent, a bit hazy here and there, but again that's all subject to the material on screen - the actual location shots near Vlad's castle and other infamous locations of vampire lore and...
Audio: 60
This isn't a dynamic track with lots of atmosphere - simply dialogue with some mood music to set the scene....
Extras: 20
The only bonus feature of note is an audio commentary featuring film historians Lee Gambin and John Harrison who do offer plenty of background about the film, the production, and a little fact-checking...
Movie: 80
While it showcases other adaptations beyond the most famous, this does start to feel like a puff piece to highlight and market the Hammer Dracula movies featuring Christopher Lee, the last released before...
Total: 60
It's very interesting material that in a relatively short period of time sets about to cover a lot of ground from fact to fiction and everything in between....
Director: Calvin Floyd
Actors: Christopher Lee, Solveig Andersson, Tor Isedal
PlotA scholarly investigation delves into the myths surrounding Dracula, examining historical records and folklore. The narrative interweaves various accounts of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century Wallachian ruler known for his brutal tactics, drawing parallels to the legendary vampire. Scholars, historians, and experts provide insights on how Vlad's notoriety contributed to the Dracula mythology. The documentary-style approach combines dramatic reenactments with expert interviews, aiming to disentangle the legend from the historical figure.
Christopher Lee appears as both a narrator and Dracula, enhancing the eerie and compelling examination of the character's origins. The film explores the societal and psychological factors that have fostered the enduring fascination with vampires. Various locations tied to Vlad's reign are visited, creating a richly atmospheric backdrop for the discussion. The journey traverses from Transylvania's dark forests and eerie castles to modern-day interpretations of Dracula in popular culture. Ultimately, it presents a thoughtful inquiry into why Dracula continues to haunt the collective imagination.
Writers: Radu Florescu, Yvonne Floyd, Raymond McNally
Release Date: 15 May 1975
Runtime: 82 min
Rating: PG
Country: Sweden, West Germany, France
Language: English