Count Dracula (1970)

Director: Jesús Franco
Starring: Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski

Synopsis:
A lawyer travels to Transylvania to assist his client with acquiring property in London, only to find himself caught up in a web of evil.

Impressions:
When I heard about this movie, I was eager to check it out. While the Hammer films are generally decent watches, I really wanted to see Christopher Lee perform a more source-accurate take on Count Dracula. There are still a number of changes from the original book, but this is one of the more accurate adaptations out there. In too many of the Hammer films, Dracula is just a simple monster, but here you get more of the Count's intelligence on display. Besides Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom is solid as Van Helsing and Klaus Kinski is suitably creepy as Renfield. This was a multinational production, but the Italian touch is particularly strong. If you're a fan of Italian cinema, then that'll be another point in the film's favor. Personally, I wish the camera would be steadier, but there is a bit of low-budget charm to the cinematography. This film can get overlooked by the more high-profile adaptations out there, but Dracula fans will definitely want to check this out.

Rating:
Watch It