Dracula (1931)

I've been wanting to do a Dracula review ever since I started this blog and I've always been putting it off again and again, but not anymore. One of the main reasons why I wanted to review this movie is because people tend to forget who Dracula is and how he became an icon. Unlike nowadays where there are only a handful of memorable movies, back in the 30's every movie that came out was memorable because every movie had a fresh idea, contrary to movies nowadays where the story is recycled over and over again.

When I first saw this movie I was just appalled. Everything was perfect, from the dialogue to the locations to the choice of actors. The main attraction in this film is Bela Lugosi who played Count Dracula, it was he who set the standards for Dracula from the way he dressed all the way to the accent that he talked in. Bela Lugosi perfected this role and no has or will ever surpass him in my opinion, you have to watch the film to know what I mean. Dwight Frye was fantastic as Renfield, Dracula's faithful servant, his laugh is very creepy and still haunts me today for some reason.

For today, watching the film was like watching an episode of Scooby Doo, but back in the day people actually fainted in shock at the horror that they saw. I can see why this has happened, watching the whole movie is like living in a nightmare, it's black and white with little music and the suspense is very high. It's the experience after the movie that scared me the most, I felt very paranoid for some reason, and when I went to sleep, I had a black and white dream with Renfield laughing and Dracula just staring at me, which prevented me from having a solid night's sleep.

This movie also shows how much work they used to put in movies, it amazes as to how creative people were in terms of introducing effects with very primitive technology, and it shows us how movies were art, not tools of making profit, you actually enjoyed what you payed for back in the day, unlike today (which is really sad given the fact that we have the most advanced technologies and highly talented actors/actresses).

Overall, you guys must watch this film, not only will it satisfy horror movie fans, but also movie lovers in general. As a matter of fact, watch the whole Universal Horror Movies from the 1930's and I promise that it will be an unforgettable experience.

"I am....Dracula"
Ahmed