The Return of Dracula/The Vampire

Customer Reviews:

"The flesh is only an illusion . . ." but these films are the real deal.......2007-09-15

RETURN OF DRACULA (usually known as CURSE OF DRACULA in its TV showings, at least when I was a kid) is an extraordinarily well-done updating of the Stoker story. If it seems reminiscent of Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT, that's because both were written by the talented and imaginative Pat Fielder.

Francis Lederer shines in a fine cast with his smoothly sardonic, mockingly charming portrayal of the Count. There is always something going on under the surface here, and Lederer lets us know that the Vampire King truly enjoys pulling the wool over the eyes of his mortal victims. The sense of menace lurking under the surface charm has rarely been done more effectively. While a tad old for the teenager part she's cast in, Norma Eberhardt turns in such a fine performance that it's ridiculous to quibble. Her portrait of a repressed small-town girl yearning for wider horizons (and getting them in the person of a vampiric pseudo-cousin) is well-etched, believable and totally sympathetic. The rest of the cast is similarly fine -- there isn't a bad acting job to be seen. Of special note is Virginia Vincent's fine portrayal of the blind vampire girl, Jenny.

What's particularly amazing is how Fielder has transposed and updated the Stoker story almost completely intact while preserving the Middle American tensions of the Cold War era. The family-under-attack-by-the-masquerading-stranger-from-within is a good metaphor for the "A red under every bed" attitude of the '50's. But all political subtext aside, Fielder turns in a taut, well-structured and engrossing story that preserves all the strongest elements of Stoker's novel while translating them into the American milieu.

Some of the finely imaginative touches are the way in which Dracula's victims seem to hear him "calling" them just before he attacks, even though he is completely silent; the creepy metaphysical lines that Fielder uses to great effect (Dracula is given some truly eerie dialogue, which Lederer makes the most of); the blind girl gaining a sort of second sight as the vampire's victim; and the vampires' mist-filled coffins, sometimes filmed in slight slow-motion to good effect. A special mention should be made of Gerald Fried's marvelously menacing score.

I have to note, regretfully, that the low budget shows up in a few spots (the day-for-night shooting is painfully ineffective, and a camera angle on the European cemetery from which Dracula escapes at the film's opening shows up later in the American graveyard where the vampirized Jenny makes her lair), but the film is just so darn good that such quibbling can only be classified as sheer spoilsportism.

THE VAMPIRE is also an excellent little-known film (despite a low-budget makeup job on the title monster). All in all, a great buy and a real treat for fans of the genre.

Classic Double Bill Now On DVD........2007-08-28

I have waited for years to see these titles on DVD and at last they are finally here. Anyone who grew up watching late night horror shows on local TV probably saw these films at one time or another especially THE RETURN OF DRACULA. Both were made by Gramercy Productions a division of Levy-Gardner-Laven an outfit that produced shows for television in the 50's and 60's (most notably THE RIFLEMAN and THE BIG VALLEY). What sets these 2 films apart from other B-movie horrors of the era are the use of once major stars (Francis Lederer, John Beal) who were really good actors, maximum use of their minimum budgets (like Val Lewton in the 40's), and the fact that both screenplays were written by a woman (Pat Fielder) which gives a slightly different perspective to the proceedings where you wind up caring more about the characters most notably John Beal in THE VAMPIRE. Unlike Val Lewton's pictures these are 1950's films and both contain some truly graphic moments which are still effective today. Of the two my personal favorite is THE VAMPIRE although THE RETURN OF DRACULA is overall the better film. Excellent black and white photography and effective background music contribute to the overall atmosphere. While the low budget shows through from time to time and John Beal's make-up is a mixed bag (although THE VAMPIRE is a Jekyll/Hyde story rather than a supernatural one), if you're a fan of low budget 50's horror films than these both deliver the goods. Now if MIDNITE MOVIES (which says MGM but is owned by Fox) would just double up THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD and THE FLAME BARRIER (the other two Gramercy films made at the same time) then that would be a real cause for celebration. You could then compare them with the Richard Gordon English horror/sci-fi films (see my Listmania lists) made at the same time and boy would that be a trip.

Two minor classics finally released!.......2007-08-19

I've been waiting for these 2 movies to be released on DVD and finally they will be. RETURN features an excellent portrayal of Dracula by Francis Lederer. No boo-hooing about the lonely life of a bloodsucker for him--his Dracula is pure and (given the way vamps are often portrayed today)refreshingly E-V-I-L. It's amazing that he really didn't want to play this part and not at all evident. VAMPIRE is another favorite, a really tragic tale of a caring doctor who accidentally becomes addicted to some experimental pills that cause him to regress into a vampire like beast. Both are highly recommended, minor classics.

welcome back, Midnight Movies.......2007-08-15

I'm really glad to see that MGM and Fox both have resurrected this excellent DVD series after a long hiatus (here's hoping that Lion's Gate will do the same with their Samuel Z. Arkoff Cult Classics series). This is probably the best of the bunch. As a previous reviewer noted, Return of Dracula is a minor classic and well worth seeing, and The Vampire, though not quite as good, makes for a perfect companion piece. Hopefully both MGM and Fox will keep this series going, as there is I'm sure plenty more in the vaults. Most wished for title: Burn Witch Burn, which came out on VHS only in this series, just prior to the introduction of DVD, so howzabout a DVD reissue?

A lost classic! And a lost....well, decent b-movie.......2007-08-05

Classic horror fans rejoice! Return of Dracula, though previously available on VHS, has been out-of-print for years. If you've never seen it, it's a suprisingly well-done black & white horror film from 1958.

In a plot that, oddly enough, echoes Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, Count Dracula (a sublime Francis Lederer) relocates to California to live with supposed relatives. And although it's unrelated to the Hammer Films' Dracula films of the same period, it certainly holds its own against those more-polished efforts. The vampire's demise is somewhat graphic for the time.

The Vampire, while arguably the lesser film here, is by no means a waste of time. John Beal generates sympathy as a small-down doctor afflicted with the "disease" of vampirism. Fifties genre favorite Kenneth Tobey is on hand as the local sheriff. While both of these films are basically drive-in stuff, The Vampire's low-budget roots are more obvious, particularly in some laughably-bad make-up work.

If you've been through most or all of the films in the Hammer, AIP or similar catalogs, you're in for a real treat here. Highly recommended for Return of Dracula alone.

Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)

Average customer rating:

A couple of gems, a couple of rarities and 2 duds
Pre-Hays Code Wildness, Camp and Hilarity!
Good collection of horror films at a great price
My kind of Entertainment...
THE DREAM TEAM FOR NIGHTMARES

Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)
Starring: Lionel Atwill , Fay Wray , Lee Tracy , Preston Foster , and John Wray
Director: Michael Curtiz , Vincent Sherman , and Karl Freund
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GRUQJW
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Amazon.com

Universal ruled the monster movie in the 1930s, but this hugely enjoyable DVD set offers a counter-argument from MGM and Warners. Its half-dozen horror titles run the gamut from classic vampirism to baroque romanticism, and gather horror luminaries such as Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Peter Lorre.

The greatest film of the bunch is Mad Love (1935), a rich and oft-imitated bit of perversity with a deeply romantic streak. Concert pianist Colin Clive (from Frankenstein) has his hands wrecked, and his actress wife (Frances Drake) turns to the obsessive Dr. Gogol (Lorre), who has long worshipped her. But the doctor replaces the pianist's hands with those of a murderous circus knife-thrower! Superbly directed by Karl Freund (The Mummy), this eerie film is shaped by Lorre's subtle, uncannily sympathetic performance.

Karloff reigns in The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932), which offers more minute-for-minute lurid action than any other movie in this set. Connoisseurs of horror will be well pleased by the roster: a crocodile pit, deadly snakes and spiders, poisons, various forms of torture including a man strapped beneath a giant reverberating bell, and Fu Manchu's sexy daughter (Myrna Loy). MGM designer Cedric Gibbons runs wild with a wonderfully daffy Deco-meets-Orientalism scheme. There are some undeniably racist epithets thrown in the direction of the evil Dr. Fu Manchu, but he gives as good as he gets, and the character is ultimately as irresistible as any evil mastermind. Karloff gives one of his juiciest performances ever.

Doctor X (1932) is presented in a recently-restored 2-strip Technicolor process (a lot of throbbing greens and oranges), which gives the movie an antique appeal. Doctor Xavier (Lionel Atwill) brings his colleagues together to figure out which of them might be the Full Moon Killer; daughter Fay Wray and reporter Lee Tracy (a typical fast-talking role for this fun actor) tag along. Michael Curtiz directed; he also did the similar Mystery of the Wax Museum, again with Atwill (available on the House of Wax disc). The Return of Doctor X (1939) is more of a curio than a full-fledged horror movie, as it has Humphrey Bogart, resplendent in a Bride of Frankenstein hair streak, in a rare supernatural outing.

The other two films are directed by Tod Browning. Mark of the Vampire (1935) is a clear example of MGM trying to ride the Dracula gravy train, with plenty of smoky graveyards, scuttling possums, and Lugosi in a tuxedo striding through giant spider webs. Lugosi is peripheral here, as Lionel Barrymore hunts down the blood-suckers. It's slow going, but the touches are wonderful and there's a spooky vampiress. Browning makes The Devil-Doll (1936) a memorably oddball thriller, with Barrymore a wronged man seeking revenge--and exploiting a device that allows people to be miniaturized. All the films have lively commentary tracks, except Devil-Doll. Overall this is a very neat package; even the inclusion of Return of Doctor X makes sense as a pairing with its original. MGM and Warners seemed embarrassed by the horror genre in the thirties, but these examples prove they could rise to Universal's game. --Robert Horton

Description

Doctor X/The Return of Dr. X Mark of the Vampire/The Mask of Fu Manchu Mad Love/The Devil Doll

Customer Reviews:

A couple of gems, a couple of rarities and 2 duds.......2007-08-22

This collection from the vaults of Warner Brothers and MGM, studios more famous for other film genres, contains some great stuff but it could have been better with a few changes.

First, the good - the prints are generally excellent, the theatrical trailers are included and the commentary for "Fu Manchu" is outstanding, with "Mad Love" and "Doctor X" close behind. "Mad Love" benefits from stunning camera work, not surprising when the director is the famous cameraman Karl Freund.

Second, the mediocre - the print of "Doctor X", an early example of 2 strip technicolour, is probably as good as it gets but that still does not make it clearly visible. "The Return of Doctor X" is a B film and the plot is dumb in a typical B way. It does not really justify a commentary except that the director was still alive so we get a few first hand comments from the geriatric Vincent Sherman.

Third, the bad - "The Mark of the Vampire" was butchered before release and the film is arrant nonsense, a remake of a lost Lon Chaney film. The theatrical trailer promises much more than the film delivers. The commentary attached to the film is appalling so at least the commentators have matched the film.

As for the films themselves, "Mad Love", "Devil Dolls" and "Doctor X" are ripping yarns with excellent casts and good scripts. "Fu Manchu" is an outrageous pre-code gem and best, of all, the DVD has been cut from the original print with all the censored bits restored.

The Set is good value but I would have flicked "Mark of the Vampire" and included Michael Curtiz's "The Walking Dead", a far superior film. Also, a good commentary about "Devil Dolls" would have rounded out the set nicely.

Pre-Hays Code Wildness, Camp and Hilarity!.......2007-06-27

These films are such gems, each of them, and the restored prints are so beautiful, that this collection should not be missed whether you are a seasoned archivist or just discovering the Universal Horror Canon. The bonus features are sparse, comprising mostly commentary tracks from film historians and critics (although one,The Return of Dr. X, which stars a very creepy Humphrey Bogart, has commentary that includes the 100-year-old director!) and sometimes the theatrical trailer. But The Mask of Fu Manchu alone is worth thet price of the set for the chance to see, uncut, its pre-code craziness, high camp and very overt erotic and sadomasochistic overtones!
Barrymore, Atwill, Karloff, Lugosi, Lorre, Myrna Loy, Fay Wray... the list goes on. Whatever they're asking for this delightful box set, it's a pittance. It doesn't get much better than this.The Boris Karloff Collection (Tower of London / The Black Castle / The Climax / The Strange Door / Night Key)The Bela Lugosi Collection (Murders in the Rue Morgue / The Black Cat / The Raven / The Invisible Ray / Black Friday)

Good collection of horror films at a great price.......2007-06-13

Rather than just focusing on a few horror franchises and milking them for all they were worth with five or six B quality sequels apiece as Universal did with Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man, in the 30's and 40's Warner and MGM would usually take just one good idea and make just one good horror movie. This is a collection of six of Warner and MGM's better excursions into the horror genre during that era.

Everyone else has gone into the plots of these movies in detail, so I will not do the same. Let me point out, though, that "Return of Doctor X" is not really a sequel to "Doctor X" at all. The two stand alone. The only thing they have in common is the theme of a wise-cracking reporter on the trail of what turns out to be a mad doctor. As far as transfer quality, "Mad Love" has noticeable artifacts in the video, at least through the first half of the movie. It's nothing too distracting, though. With "Doctor X" you have to get used to the peculiarities of two-strip technicolor which includes occasional green skies and also green skin tones when people are shown in the dark. The rest of the films look quite good, and the audio quality is very good on all of the films. The extras that come with the films are as follows:

Special Features for Mark of the Vampire:
Commentary by genre historians Kim Newman and Steve Jones
Theatrical trailer

Special Features for The Mask of Fu Manchu:
Commentary by Greg Mank, author of Karloff and Lugosi: A Story of a Haunting Collaboration

Special Features for Doctor X:
Commentary by horror scholar Tom Weaver
Theatrical trailer

Special Features for The Return of Doctor X:
Commentary by director Vincent Sherman and Chronicles of Terror author Steve Haberman
Theatrical trailer

Special Features for Mad Love:
Commentary by Steve Haberman, author of Chronicles of Terror
Theatrical trailer

Special Features for The Devil Doll:
Theatrical trailer

Although not really a complaint, the packaging of this set somewhat surprised me. In particular, each DVD comes in a slim case rather than the thicker and sturdier keep case in which most of the DVDs in Warner DVD sets are packaged. At any rate, the set is a great deal for the money and I highly recommend it.

My kind of Entertainment..........2007-02-05

I won't go into the plots of all of these fine films, but will say that I bought it because of "Devil Doll". Those special effects are amazing. None of the films could be considered "Horror", though they all involve some terrific mystery plots. I was especially impressed with "Mad Love", and Peter Lorre was a very underrated actor. (See "The Beast with 5 Fingers" to verify this.) Early experiments with color also enhanced "Doctor X". This is, indeed, an excellent mystery collection, and any aficianado of the genre should have this in their collection.

THE DREAM TEAM FOR NIGHTMARES.......2006-12-07

This set has nice clean video, and of course you can't lose with the actors and titles. One of the most interesting to watch is MAD LOVE which was Peter Lorre's US film debut. The devotee of the old Universal Horror movies will see certain scene similarities to The Phantom of the Opera, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy, and Dracula in Mad Love, and the commentary track picks up on some (not all) of this. Interesting when you consider this is an MGM work. The only downside to this set, and it is a minor point, is the commentary track for Mark of the Vampire, where two obnoxious brits talk over each other saying little of worth. (I've noticed that on DVD commentary tracks when you put brits together, they continually talk over eachother, and it's hard to understand what they're saying. Perhaps that's why we won the Revolutionary War).
Anyway, if you love old horror movies, if you remember Famous Monsters of Filmland, if you want to see the US film debut of the man who said "You deespize me Reek, don't you?" in Casablanca--buy this set.

Count Yorga, Vampire/The Return of Count Yorga

Average customer rating:

Relive the past
a good vampire movie from 30 plus years ago that I remembered as a child being very scared
Fangs for the memories
Pretty Darn Good Flick
A blast from the past

Count Yorga, Vampire/The Return of Count Yorga
Starring: Robert Quarry , Mariette Hartley , Roger Perry , Yvonne Wilder , and Tom Toner
Director: Bob Kelljan
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007R4T0S
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Description

"Victims and vampires even wear mini skirts" boasts the original studio press kit, hyping this blood-sucking thriller about a modern-day vampire who ironically terrorizes the City of Angels. With plenty of sharply fanged villains, bosomy victims and an eerie castle just minutes from the closest freeway exit, this bone-chilling horror story is one you can really sink your teeth into.Two lovers, Paul and Erica make a grave mistake. When they park their van outside a foreboding, vine-covered manor, the new owner ? a vampire ? decides to feed on the trespassers. The next morning, Paul has a terrible headache and Erica has two mysterious puncture wounds in her neck. Now, Paul must figure out just what happened before he loses the love of his life ? and his own life ? forever!

Customer Reviews:

Relive the past.......2007-07-16

When These Movies came out they caused a great stir in the theaters and were renound for there scaring ability, to see them now is to relive the past and to see how starved of good movies we were

a good vampire movie from 30 plus years ago that I remembered as a child being very scared.......2007-01-19

I found this movie at Amazon. I have tried to rent it at video stores in the past and was unable; not in stock. It is a movie I saw as a child and was very scared. I love vampire movies to this day and haven't seen any really good ones. I remembered this one and I still love it. I wish they would have made more.

Fangs for the memories.......2006-11-10

I first saw these movies in the cinema back in the 70s and found them to be soooo much scarier than the Hammer vampire movies of the time. There was something otherwordly about the overall ambience of the movies, with the contemporary setting and handheld camera moments adding to the real feeling of unease.
The fragile chamber orchestra score helped rattle my nerves at the time, too!
Watching these movies again after a period of 25 years I still get a frisson of fear even though I'd suggest older kids could get a kick out of them without too much worry of nightmares.
The actors somehow manage to keep heroically straight faces ( unless the script calls for a knowing look during some of the rare lighter moments ). Of the two, I think Return Of Count Yorga stands up a little better, and contains several moments of sustained creepiness which still raise a few hairs today.
This set comes with a big thumbs up and should entertain anyone with a fondness for this sort of thing. A few decent extras would have been nice but then again - the film's the thing.

Pretty Darn Good Flick.......2006-08-25

I remember seeing this movie (The Return of Count Yorga) as a kid late at night (thanks Mom for letting me stay up late at night to watch these movies) and I must admit that I really like this one. I like the first one as well...but the second movie was a bit more eerie and Robert Quarry played the part so well, you couldn't help but like him.

The Return of Count Yorga wasn't a continuation of the first film. It is just basically another story that involves Yorga in a different setting. I think that if another actor played Yorga, the film wouldn't of worked. It had its eerie scenes, ghoulish vampire women, ugly bodyguard, and the ending had a twist to it. It's really too bad that there wasn't a third Yorga movie.

This movie (Return of Count Yorga)is always a delight to watch and it's in my top 10 vampire movies. I would say that this movie was better than 4-5 Christopher Lee Dracula movies. Maybe "Horror of Dracula" and "Dracula has Risen from the Grave" were better.

A blast from the past.......2006-08-24

There hasnt been any great Vampire pics for decades now, not since the great days of Christopher Lee at Hammer and there have only been a few from the US, the original Dracula and then Count Yorga. It is a bit dated now but still offers a few good frights and I enjoyed it just as much as when I was a kid.
The quality of the DVD is excellent and having both Count Yorga and the return on one DVD for a bargain price is great.
No complaints with this one at all

Average customer rating:

Return of the Vampire
"Yes, alive, with the blood of his victims."
Return of Bela Lugosi
call him what you will,we know it's really dracula
Looking Better Than Ever

The Return of the Vampire
Starring: Bela Lugosi , Frieda Inescort , Nina Foch , Miles Mander , and Roland Varno
Director: Kurt Neumann , and Lew Landers
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000694WM
Release Date: 2002-08-13

Customer Reviews:

Return of the Vampire.......2007-08-11

I have loved this movie for years. With the exception of Dracula, this is one of Bella's best. It has a vampire, a werewolf, and a war. A British lady scientist really gives it to Bella.

"Yes, alive, with the blood of his victims.".......2006-10-31

After appearing in a slew of poverty row features throughout the 1930s and into the 1940s there's slight sense of renewal in seeing Bela Lugosi donning the role of a vampire in the film Return of the Vampire (1944). Oh sure, his character here isn't the same as the one he most famously portrayed in Tod Browning's Dracula (1931), but it might as well be...directed by Lew Landers (The Raven, Condemned Women), based on an idea from Kurt Neumann (Kronos, The Fly), the film stars, as I've mentioned, Bela Lugosi (Dracula, White Zombie). Also appearing is Frieda Inescort (The Alligator People), Nina Foch (Cry of the Werewolf), Roland Varno (Women in Bondage), Matt Willis (The Mark of the Whistler), Gilbert Emery (The House of the Seven Gables), and Miles Mander (Tower of London, The House of the Seven Gables), probably best remembered as his role of Cardinal Richelieu from the classic film The Three Musketeers (1939).

As the film begins we learn the year is 1918, and we're in the outskirts of London. Seems a woman, now a patient of a sanitarium run by a woman named Lady Jane Ainsley (Inescort), is suffering from a strange case of anemia, enough so to warrant Lady Jane to call in a colleague named Dr. Walter Saunders (Emery). After reviewing the works of a Romanian scientist named Armand Tesla, an authority on vampires, who's been dead for the past two hundred years, Saunders believes the woman's condition is tied to the supernatural. After Saunder's granddaughter Nicki is attacked, he and Lady Jane seek out the creature and stake it up good. Flash forward about twenty five years and we learn Lady Jane's son John Varno is engaged to Nicki (Foch). As the Jerries (i.e. the Germans) are aerial blitz bombing England (WWII was in full swing by this point), the vampire's grave is unearthed, and later a couple of comic relief types charged with graveyard detail cleanup remove the spike, which, as you can guess, brings the vampire back to life. Oh, by the way, the vampire is actually Armand Tesla (Lugosi) himself. Anyway, with his wolf man minion Andreas (Willis) in tow, Armand poses as a scientist named Hugo Bruckner, a recent escapee of a German concentration camp, to get close to Lady Jane and her family in order to exact his revenge for what went down so long ago, his dastardly scheme involving turning Nicki into pawn to do his bidding (man, vampires sure are a vindictive lot). Lady Jane soon realizes what's going on and enlists the aid of a skeptical Scotland Yard commissioner named Sir Frederick Fleet (Manders) to help her free her family of the curse of Tesla and put an end to the menace once and for all...

I think this film has a number of things going for it, the main being the presence of Bela Lugosi in the role of the vampire. Lugosi, who was in his early sixties at the time (I believe), still possessed a good deal of what he displayed some thirteen years prior in his landmark role of Dracula (charm, allure, magnetism, call it what you will). That's not to say this film is on par with Dracula, because it's not, but it is still a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy old timey monster movies (you know I do). I think the thing that hurts this film the most is the writing. It's not that it's bad, but it just feels so derivative of what came before. A number of aspects to sort of make up for this, including the solid performances, the decent direction, the atmospheric settings, and the overall strong production values (the graveyard bits were especially ookie). The wolf man bit tended to draw a few chuckles from myself as the character spent an inordinate amount of time slinking about, carrying, for reasons not entirely clear, Tesla's laundry bundled up in a paper parcel. I guess when you've spent the last twenty odd years in the ground, your clothes tend to get a bit rank, so it's advisable to always keep a clean outfit on hand. It's unclear why Tesla maintained a lackey in the form of a wolf man, other than it allowed for the inclusion of two monster type creatures rather than one. The wolf man character didn't seem to follow the established structure presented in past films in that his transformation here seemed voluntary, an aspect he could almost control, and not something dependant on the lunar cycles. I was willing to go along with this, but I was slightly annoyed by the fact he was relegated strictly as a lackey, present only to do the bidding of his vampire master. In my mind frame, a wolf man is no one's subordinate, except maybe for his lunar mistress. In wolf form Andreas really didn't seem all that menacing, but more like an oversized yappy dog in search of a treat. Another element I found a little hard to swallow was how quickly the scientific types were willing to buy off on the supernatural as being the cause for a strange, unexplained ailment. I suppose given the fact the film only runs about an hour and ten minutes there wasn't time allowed for them to deal with putting aside their secular leanings in order to accept the mythical, but still they, being Dr. Saunders and Lady Jane, seemed awfully easy to convince, based on so little, at least initially (then again, it is just a movie, so perhaps I shouldn't read so much into it). Taken for what it is, a middling monster movie loaded with atmosphere, the film is a lot of fun, and worth seeing if only to show Lugosi still had it, it being the ability to bring forth, many years after the fact, from a role he literally defined.

The picture on this Columbia/Tri-Star DVD release presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), looks relatively clean and clear, but does display some occasional white specking. The latter didn't bother me much as it didn't seem present throughout, and picture comes off as well as most any have probably ever seen it, bar those who may have been present for the original theatrical release. One noteworthy aspect is the inclusion of a bit of text prior to the opening credits, something apparently missing on previous VHS and Laserdisc releases. As far as the mono audio, it comes across well. There's not much in the way of extras except for subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Japanese, along with a couple of trailers for the films Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958). The release seems a bit pricey for so seemingly little, but if you're a fan of Lugosi or old timey monsters, then you probably won't mind coughing up the dough to add this to your collection.

Cookieman108

Return of Bela Lugosi.......2006-09-12

In the 1940s, Bela Lugosi starred in a long string of bad poverty row movies. He always put all of his soul into a performance, and many (perhaps even most) of the movies would not have been worth watching if it weren't for him. "Return of the Vampire" is an exception; made around the same time he made some of his worst movies, this one is actually good.

Lugosi is wonderful as always, but here he's helped by good co-stars and an overall nice atmosphere. While "Return of the Vampire" my not be quite as good as some of his very best movies, it is a good movie, competently made and very enjoyable. This movie was a box office success and should have helped his carreer, but apparently it didn't. It's a pity he went back to making trash again afterwards.

call him what you will,we know it's really dracula.......2006-04-26

this chiller from 1943 is really columbia studios take on dracula,but because universal owned the rights to dracula the changed the name and made the movie anyway.
this chiller starts in the year 1918, a vampire is loose in london and a woman doctor and family are his targets. to add to the fun the vampire has a helper in the form of a werewolf who wears shoes and talks! anyway, the good doctor takes the fiend out and leaves him in his crypt.
flash forward to the 40's and german bombers free the count from his tomb and off he goes to get even. all this is silly,but great fun and bela is having the time of his life.
i really liked this film and was glad to find it on dvd.

Looking Better Than Ever.......2006-02-25

This late vampire movie, set in WWII London, is quite interesting. I have it on VHS and it seems to me they edited severely the melting face when Lugosi's character is dragged out into the sunlight. On the DVD version, it's crystal clear! Wonderful performances, marred only by Miles Mander as the obtuse Scotland Yard detective, especially his to-the-camera final line. Hokey!

TVB Tv Series [ the Vampire Returns ] Hong Kong Drama

Average customer rating:

Entertaining!

TVB Tv Series [ the Vampire Returns ] Hong Kong Drama

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

TVB
Hong Kong

ASIN: B000Q087OA

Product Description

TITLE:The Vampire Returns CAST:Sammi Cheng, Chin Siu Ho, Billy Lau, Wayne Lai, Emily Kwan, Wu Fung Language:Mandarin/Cantonese Subtitle:Traditional Chinese/Simplified Chinese(on&off) Discs and Episodes:20 Episodes (5 Disc DVD) ALL REGION (NTSC) Description:The story opens in the late Ching Dynasty. CHEUNG HO YI (Chor Yuen), who is a ghost-buster, leaves the capital for Hong Kong with his students CHEUNG PAK PING (Chin Siu Ho) and CHEUNG LAM KING (Lai Yiu Cheung). To earn a living, PING joins the police force. Vampires are constant sources of troubles in town and PING has been invited to handle cases which involve them. He discovers by chance that the richest merchant in town is responsible for a murder which took place years ago. TO TIM LAI (Kwan Po Wai), daughter of the merchant, has fallen for PING, who loves PIU SUET (Sammi Cheng), a kindhearted ghost Lai kills herself and her ghost haunts PING, SUETs twin sister, PIU HUNG (Sammi Cheng), also adores PING, who is confused about his feelings...

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining!.......2007-05-29

This TVB Drama isn't just drama, but also a comedy. The actors are absolutely fantastic and you get into the story quite quickly. If you love hong kong movies and series from the late 80s to early 90s, this is it! I highly recommend this series as you will watch it over and over once it is finished. It is definitely worth it!

DVD:

DVD

DVD