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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "El Conde Dracula" or "Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht" or "Il conte Dracula" or "Les nuits de Dracula" )
directed by Jesús Franco (as Jess Franco)
Spain / West Germany / Italy / Liechtenstein 1970
In early 2023, a Madrid film archivist made a startling discovery: the uncut camera negative of COUNT DRACULA, in pristine condition and untouched for over 50 years. This gothic masterpiece from writer/director Jess Franco can now be experienced like never before, from its brilliant performances by Christopher Lee as the Count, Herbert Lom as Van Helsing, Soledad Miranda as Lucy, Maria Rohm as Mina and Klaus Kinski as Renfield to its sumptuously unnerving cinematography and eerie Bruno Nicolai score. COUNT DRACULA is newly scanned in 4K with over five total hours of Special Features, including the U.S. Premiere of Carles Prats' 2017 documentary DRÁCULA BARCELONA, which chronicles the simultaneous filming of CUADECUC, VAMPIR by Pere Portabella and Franco's horror classic. *** In 1970, cult director Jess Franco and screen legend Christopher Lee collaborated on what they promised would be the most faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel ever filmed. From its remarkable performances – including Lee as the Count, Herbert Lom (MARK OF THE DEVIL) as Van Helsing, Soledad Miranda (VAMPYROS LESBOS) as Lucy, Maria Rohm (VENUS IN FURS) as Mina, and authentic madman Klaus Kinski as Renfield – to its lush locations and atmosphere of sinister sensuality, it remains perhaps the most spellbinding version of Dracula in movie history. Fred Williams (SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY) and Paul Muller (NIGHTMARE CASTLE) co-star in this “thrilling” (Twins Of Evil) and “fascinating” (Arrow In The Head) horror classic, now fully restored, loaded with all-new Bonus Features including Pere Potrabella’s experimental ‘making of’ feature CUADECUC, VAMPIR, and re-mastered in high-definition for the first time ever. Eric Cotenas |
Posters
Theatrical Release: April 3rd, 1970
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Review: Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Thanks to Eric Cotenas fro the DVD screen captures!
Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: 88 Films on 4K UHD coming in the UK in March 2024: Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD | |
Runtime | 1:36:38.542 | |
Video |
1.37:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 65,304,940,238 bytesFeature: 62,575,908,864 bytesVideo Bitrate: 77.91 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video |
1.37:1 Disc Size: 45,618,953,066 bytes Feature Size: 31,627,173,888 bytes Total Bitrate: 37.00 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate 4K Ultra HD: |
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Bitrate Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
DTS-HD Master
Audio English 1986 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1986 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 256 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 256 kbps / DN -31dB |
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Subtitles | English (SDH), None | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Severin
Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc
• Audio Commentary With Horror Historian David Del Valle
And Actress Maria Rohm
Severin - Region FREE - Blu-ray
• Audio Commentary With Horror Historian David Del Valle And Actress
Maria Rohm
Severin - Region FREE - Blu-ray 2
• DRÁCULA BARCELONA - 2017 Documentary (1:30:24)
Disc 4 • Original “Count Dracula” Soundtrack CD
Chapters 12 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
and
4K UHD
captures were taken directly from the respective
discs.
The 2015
Blu-ray (it's 1080P debut) was not stellar
- as Eric pointed out: "It does look softish even considering the
zoom-happy photography. The framing seems almost identical if a little
tighter to the earlier master they provided to Dark Sky. It looks like the
Spanish source reveals a bit more in a few shots." However this new
transfer (this is the Spanish 35mm camera negative, and features the English
title sequence - it was French for the 2015
Blu-ray "Les nuits de Dracula") -
notably the
4K UHD - is quite a monumental improvement by comparison. Overall
it may be a semi-tone darker than the 2023
Blu-ray but compared to the older digital
releases - it is a revelation in terms of contrast, color balance and
detail. There is significantly more information in the frame, grain is
consistent and I only noticed a minor few incidents of light scratches etc.
(see below.) Certain scenes lean blue / red / pink - warmer flesh tones - by
comparison to the, less effectual,
Blu-ray and poor DVDs. There are a few
sequences showing depth in the accurate 1.37:1 frame. Bottom line - the
4K UHD looks fantastic - a ginormous leap beyond previous
editions. Fans should be extremely pleased with this HD presentation. It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation. NOTE: 68 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HEREWe have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages recently: Full Circle - The Haunting of Julia (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Warriors (software uniformly simulated HDR), Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (software uniformly simulated HDR), Blackhat (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mark of the Devil (software uniformly simulated HDR), Barbarella (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Knew Too Much (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rope (software uniformly simulated HDR), Frenzy (software uniformly simulated HDR), American Graffiti (software uniformly simulated HDR), East End Hustle (software uniformly simulated HDR), Three Days of the Condor (software uniformly simulated HDR), Witness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Fascination (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lips of Blood (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Others (no HDR), It Came From Outer Space (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rosemary's Baby (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Wave (no HDR), The Train (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Trial (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Walkabout (software uniformly simulated HDR), Black Magic Rites, The Night of the Hunted (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Rape of the Vampire (software uniformly simulated HDR), Gorgo (software uniformly simulated HDR), Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man From Hong Kong (software uniformly simulated HDR), One False Move, The Tall T (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cold Eyes of Fear (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rules of the Game (no HDR), The Manchurian Candidate (software uniformly simulated HDR), After Hours, Rain Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Changeling (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Night of the Hunter (software uniformly simulated HDR), 12 Angry Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), Branded to Kill (no HDR), Picnic at Hanging Rock (software uniformly simulated HDR), Two Orphan Vampires (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shiver of the Vampires, Drowning By Number (software uniformly simulated HDR), Serpico (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cool Hand Luke (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Seventh Seal (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Maltese Falcon (software uniformly simulated HDR). On their 4K UHD, Severin offer DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel tracks (24-bit) in the both the English or Spanish languages. The score is by Bruno Nicolai (Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, Face to Face, The Perverse Countess, Torso, Ten Little Indians, Pasolini's Hawks and the Sparrows) which has an Italian feel echoing pasta westerns with decent stylistic atmosphere for unnerving Balkan gothic surroundings. Considering the post-DUB'ing, it sounds reasonably well mixed - again, better than the 2015 Blu-ray where the linear PCM didn't effectively export the higher end. There are effects, screams etc. that come through with pleasing, often surprising, bass. It can be rough around the edges - but that can be said of the film's often rushed image compositions, but generally the lossless is another upgrade (24-bit) available on both the Blu-ray and 4K UHD presentations. Both feature discs offer optional English subtitles - and the 4K UHD, is - as always, region FREE, playable worldwide. The Blu-rays are also region FREE. The 4K UHD repeats the previous commentary from the 2015 Blu-ray as Eric Cotenas described: "... commentary by actress Maria Rohm (wife of producer Henry Alan Towers) moderated by film historian David Del Valle (a friend of both Christopher Lee and Herbert Lom). Del Valle contextualizes the film as highly anticipated for touting itself as the most faithful screen adaptation of Stoker's novel and for Lee appearing as Dracula outside of the Hammer productions. Rohm discusses her husband's career starting in radio (with the Orson Welles Harry Lime series), his interest in literary properties - Towers produced three screen adaptations of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians - including the reviewed 1965 and 1974 version with Rohm, as well as adaptations of De Sade for Franco, Oscar Wilde with The Secret of Dorian Gray, and the Sax Rohmer Fu Manchu series - and his tumultuous relationship with Franco, and hers with Kinski (who she considered suing for libel for statements he made about her and actress Margaret Lee in his first autobiography). Del Valle also puts forth interpretations of Stoker's novel gleaned from a class he took with The Annotated Dracula scholar Leonard Wolf and Franco's lack of interest in a "straight" retelling of Stoker's novel (both Del Valle and Rohm agree that Vampyros Lesbos was Franco's preferred interpretation)." Also on the 4K UHD disc is the export trailer.
The first of two
Blu-rays has
the feature in 1080P and the commentary plus a 1973 audio interview of Christopher Lee by Donald Glut
(author of the exhaustive, comprehensive, and in-depth survey of the Dracula
character; THE DRACULA
BOOK: The Horror Phenomenon From Page to Screen) for 20-minutes.
It's quite revealing with Lee's distinctive voice. Beloved Count is a
27-minute interview with Director Jess Franco discussing specific scenes and
producer Harry Alan Towers. He discuss the film's heavy-ish dialogue and
reaction. This was also on the Dark Sky DVD. Handsome Harker is a
26-minute interview with, unapologetic, actor Fred Williams (who played
Jonathan Harker). It was on Severin's 2015
Blu-ray. Also repeated is Stake
Holders - An Appreciation By Filmmaker Christophe Gans which is a lively
endorsement of Franco's Count Dracula by the French filmmaker. Also
included is actor Jack Taylor for 10-minutes as he relates positive-ness
about Franco and his involvement in the director's films. The export trailer
also appears on this first
Blu-ray. |
Menus / Extras
Blu-ray 1
Blu-ray 2
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY and 4K UHD CAPTURE TO SEE IN FULL RESOLUTION
Subtitle Samples
1) Severin (2023) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - LEFT 2) Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD RIGHT |
(CLICK to ENLARGE)
1) Dark Sky Films - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Divisa - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Divisa - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Dark Sky Films - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP 2) Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Divisa - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Severin (2015) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
|
Bonus 4K UHD Captures
Damage (very minor) samples
(CLICK to ENLARGE)
More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE
Box Cover |
|
CLICK to order from: 88 Films on 4K UHD coming in the UK in March 2024: Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Severin - Region FREE - 4K UHD |
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