Spanish Dracula

We’re starting a new colum this year called Forigen Film Fiasco. Ove the years a great many familiar properties have been remade for the forgien market. Sometimes legitimately, sometimes in outright violation of copyright, character and good taste.

We’re going to start off simple with a good one. Dracula.

This version is in Spanish and was being filmed at the same time as the Lugosi movie, on the same sets, at night. I’ve heard some folks say it’s superior. My best guess is that this comes from an over familiarity with the Lugosi film, not to mention never seeing it on the big screen.

I’ll admit I like the way this actor rises from the coffin, but that’s about it. The rest of his performance is stiff, he doesn’t have Lugosi’s character to fill up that screen. Still, it’s an interesting watch if only to compare and contrast, I enjoy it for much the same reasons I like Workprints. I occasionally see it online and I know it was released in the Universal box set a few years ago.

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