Entertainment
DVD Corner: Bram Stoker's Dracula Collector's Edition
Greg Kaczynski |
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 Francis Ford Coppola’s stylistic masterpiece Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, MSRP: $24.96) returns to DVD in a beautifully designed, slim two-disc set full of delicious extras. After 15 years, this version of the age-old tale of an immortal man/creature who feeds on the blood of his victims holds up incredibly well.
Dracula tells the tale of Vlad Tepes (brilliantly portrayed by the indefatigable Gary Oldman), a Christian Crusader in the 1400s who finds himself betrayed by his own religion after his beloved (Winona Ryder) commits suicide, an unforgivable sin. He curses God, renounces his humanity and becomes the father of all bloodsuckers, Dracula.
Four-hundred years later, Dracula’s still skulking about his ancient castle when he meets with London real estate agent Jonathan Harker (the bafflingly wooden Keanu Reeves) who carries a picture of his beloved, who bears a striking resemblance to the love Dracula lost so many years ago. Dracula imprisons Jonathan and sails from Transylvania to London to find the apparent reincarnation of his one true love. Murder, mayhem, monsters, maidens in distress, madness: all these things come in the wake of Dracula’s arrival in London, and shortly after his arrival, a group of men band together to hunt and destroy him.
This film version of Dracula is the closest to the original novel, with an added emphasis on the tragic love story between Dracula and Mina. The extra flavoring works well, bringing much needed sympathy and reasoning to the villain’s character and valuable depth to the tired vampiric story.
Coppola wanted the movie to capture the feel of the 1900s by using only in-camera tricks for the special effects. The film is incredibly stylistic as well, the vibrant, unbridled costumes taking the reign (and also the Oscar) while a haunting, timeless score swells behind every scene.
 Not only does this Dracula not fall far from its literate heritage and is a mind-blowing assault on the senses, but the slightly melodramatic acting is mostly topnotch as well. Oldman chews the scenery as the eternal vampire, yet also delivers necessary pathos to make the love story work. Ryder is believably demure, and the ensemble cast is rounded out by a wonderful list of talent: Anthony Hopkins, Richard E. Grant, Tom Waits, Cary Elwes, Bill Campbell...Of course, there’s always that one bad apple, isn’t there? Keanu Reeves is simply awful. Every single scene he’s in is almost unbearable to watch as he stiffly delivers lines and moves around the sets. It’s heartbreaking to think what this movie could’ve been without this single, major mar.
The DVD itself is quite the value; on disc one the feature film is not only beautifully mastered in Hi-Def, but the rich 5.1 sound mix shines (the wicked, surreal squeals of Diamanda Galas never sounded so creepy). It’s accompanied by an introduction and commentary track by Coppola. The commentary is a curious mix of interesting cast and crew anecdotes, a list of the many historic filmmakers who Coppola is paying homage to (so many names and facts are dropped, it’s sometimes like attending a short lecture on the history of film) and, most interestingly, the technical details of the on-set, in-camera special effects. What makes the commentary so curious is that it’s colored by Coppola’s oft-repeated claim of his being tired of the industry, wanting to focus on his food and wine products and make movies on the side as a hobby. He sounds annoyed and focuses on some of the more negative aspects of the shoot.
A far different picture is painted in “The Blood is the Life--The Making of Dracula,” the longest and most impressive of the four new documentaries on the second disc. “Life” was shot before, during and shortly after the filming of Dracula and is a fascinating look behind the scenes. Some of the pre-production gems include the actors playing improv games and reading the full novel at a ranch, the process the producers undertook in recording audio versions of the script along with the storyboards and Coppola handing out verbal lashings to a failing effects team. Through all of this it’s clear how serious Coppola was about making this movie as close to the source and as visually stylistic as possible, setting it apart from any other Dracula film to date.
 The on-set footage during the shooting is equally compelling, showing the details behind how some of the more interesting effects were done. Viewers can also watch the actors rehearse and work on the entirely fake sets (the whole film was shot in-studio with the exception of Jonathan and Mina’s wedding) and witness the fly-on-the-wall viewpoint of Coppola and Oldman arguing on set. The documentary is rounded out with cast and director interviews where everyone seems delighted to have worked on the film--even Coppola.
Additional documentaries featured on the two-disc set are “The Costumes are the Sets--The Design Of Eiko Ishioka,” “In-Camera--The Naïve Visual Effects of Dracula” and “Method and Madness--Visualizing Dracula,” all rounding out the various aspects of this iconic film. Also included is a lengthy (51 pages!) article from Cinefex magazine which goes into excruciating detail about the making of the film and every single special effect, so if you’re into that kind of thing, it’s there.
There’s also a stack of deleted and extended scenes--more than 30 minutes worth! Of specific interest are the extended opening, the arrival of the “ghost ship” and the death of Renfield. For those who adore this film, these scenes are little treasures, full of added exposition and glimpses into different parts of Dracula’s abode.
 Rounding out the package is a questionable list of trailers, only two of which are even Dracula related.
All of these extras plus the elegant, slim packaging make this a must-buy for fans of the 1992 film. Bram Stoker’s Dracula not only holds up as one final hurrah before the digital effects revolution, filled to the brim with classic eye candy, but it’s also a moving, gothic love story for the ages.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Collector’s Edition is now available on DVD.
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