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Video by FFWD Staff Classic bloodsucker fare gets updated with a new score by Philip Glass, performed by Kronos Quartet on this Special Edition DVD release of Dracula (U.S.A., 1931), the legendary Universal horror flick that ensured Bram Stoker’s neckbiter would go down as the most famous porphyriac of all time. There are three versions of Dracula on this disc, including a restored version of Tod Browning’s original, as well as the original Spanish-language version, shot with much the same script as Browning’s film, and on the same sets at night with an entirely different cast and crew. The signature piece, though, is the new score for Browning’s film, and while some purists will be put off that Dracula, a film known and appreciated for its lengthy silences, has been altered in this way, it should be noted that Glass’s tasteful composition serves only to emphasize the film’s underlying menace. Perhaps it’s the case that younger, more jaded audiences who have been exposed to a steady stream of self-conscious slasher horror and worse might not appreciate the considerable tension in Browning’s film. Even the presence of the iconic Bela Lugosi, in one of the most theatrically commanding performances of all time, is not enough to impress some viewers. Fear is an emotion not so easily apprehended by filmmakers these days, but, now, with this spellbinding score performed by this most experimental string quartet, the film is once again as terrifying as it was initially intended. It’s also interesting to witness the differences between the Spanish- and English-language versions. Aside from the fact that no one, not even Carlos Villarias, can possibly match Lugosi in the role of the Count, the Spanish version is often held to be the technically superior film. Certainly, from a narrative standpoint, the Spanish version tells a more complete story, and offers a better adaptation of Stoker’s novel, as it runs almost a full half-hour longer. The cinematography is also more accomplished in the Spanish version – George Robinson’s compositions are more carefully arranged than Karl Freund’s, though Freund’s command of the black-and-white medium is quite exceptional in its own right. Most of the supporting performances are better in the Spanish version as well, especially Pablo Alvarez Rubio, who goes completely over the top as Renfield, Dracula’s real estate agent/ bloodlusting slave. Of course, for some, nothing will ever match the original, and to illuminate fans of the classic, this DVD also includes audio commentary from Browning’s biographer, David J. Skal, who wrote one of the most complete books about the phenomenon of Dracula in popular culture, Hollywood Gothic. Also here is Skal’s documentary, The Road to Dracula, which includes behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew, along with a quick survey of other films inspired by Dracula’s original. This is one jam-packed DVD, and Universal should be commended for doing such a great service to one of the greatest films in their vaults.

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