Count Dracula’s Great Love is another poor adaptation from the 1970s and in spite of a respectable enough performance by Paul Naschy, there were far more unintentionally funny scenes instead of scary. This would probably serve well as a Saturday night flick to watch, and mock, with friends.
Count Dracula’s Great Love
(1973)
Genre(s): Horror
Vinegar Syndrome | NR – 83 min. – $29.98 | September 27, 2016
Date Published: 12/20/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 1.5/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: After their carriage breaks down and their driver is killed in a freak accident, a group of young women — Senta (ROSANNA YANNI), Elke (MIRTA MILLER), Marlene (INGRID GARBO) and Karen (HAYDEE POLITOFF) — are forced to spend the night in a strange and isolated former sanatorium, which has just been purchased by the secretive Dr. Marlow (PAUL NASCHY). Unbeknownst to the visitors, Dr. Marlow is actually Count Dracula, and stalking the sanatorium are his recently turned vampire slaves. Soon the guests begin to be attacked by the ravenous bloodsuckers, while Dracula sets his sights on the beautiful virgin Karen, deciding to offer her his hand in marriage… Quick Hit Review: Count Dracula’s Great Love is a 1973 horror film out of Spain that starts off well enough but devolves with a haphazard plot, poor acting and laughable editing that might be enjoyable in a group setting where you and friends and MST3K it, but beyond that, it’s nothing more than just another bad Dracula adaptation. If there was a plus, at least co-writer and star Paul Naschy made for a different Count but even his charm can’t overcome the messy script and poor production. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.5/5 |
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This release comes with an 8-page essay booklet. Audio Commentary – Co-Writer/Director Javier Aguirre and Co-Wrter/Actor Paul Naschy offer their insights into the film in this never released track. Spanish language with optional English and Spanish subtitles. Video Interview (8:22; HD) is with Actress Mirta Miller as she discusses her role in the film 43 years ago. U.S. Theatrical Trailer (3:04; HD) Still Gallery (2:16; HD) with poster artwork and behind-the-scenes production stills. |
VIDEO – 3.5/5 |
| Vinegar Syndrome releases Count Dracula’s Great Love onto Blu-ray shown in its original 1.85 aspect ratio and presented with a 1080p high-definition transfer scanned in 2K from a 35mm internegative. It’s not exactly a pristine looking transfer as there are scattered amount of scratches here and there not to mention some minor film damage, as well as the old cue marks (at least that’s what they looked like), though in that respect, it is kind of cool to see. On a positive note, colors did have a natural appearance. |
AUDIO – 3.0/5 |
| The disc comes equipped with a basic but effective enough DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track where dialogue levels did sound decent but audio effects are limited and I did notice instances of noise output throughout. I chalk this up to lack of a budget in conjunction with a movie that’s 40+ years old. Without being able to compare with previous DVD releases, it’s probably a solid upgrade. |
OVERALL – 1.75/5 |
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Overall, Count Dracula’s Great Love is another poor adaptation from the 1970s and in spite of a respectable enough performance by Paul Naschy, there were far more unintentionally funny scenes instead of scary. This would probably serve well as a Saturday night flick to watch, and mock, with friends. The Blu-ray released through Vinegar Syndrome offers so-so video and audio transfers and an okay, if not limited, selection of bonus features. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.