A worthy sequel to the original classic, this film is actually better than it's predecessor in some ways. The addition of music -something sadly lacking in Dracula - helps to enliven things quite a bit, meaning that the film is not quite as dated as the original was. The opening scenes are excellent. I love it when films directly continue on from the previous instalment (the Hammer Dracula series did this). Film highlights include the moment where Bela Lugosi's rubber corpse is burnt on a huge fire in a graveyard! Just the kind of classic image we've come to expect from these Universal horror flicks.
After this excellent opening the film changes track and becomes the usual drawing-room horror that we're used to seeing in the 1930s. People talk, argue, and shout, and intrigue is everywhere. I found the love sub-plot between the Countess and the Doctor to be a little dull and I could have done without it. However to spice up the action there are a number of vampire attacks and the film's most memorable image, where a young girl strips for the Countess before being bitten. This sequence was pretty raunchy for its day and even lesbianism is implied, which we are more used to seeing in Hammer's Carmilla trilogy.
The actors range from being quite wooden (Otto Kruger) to rather good (Gloria Holden). However on hand are two regular horror actors who definitely add the element of fun to the film. Firstly there's Irving Pichel, playing an evil assistant (he looks devilish here) and then we have Edward Van Sloan (FRANKENSTEIN) as Van Helsing. Sloan is excellent when he's going on about vampires and the like and it's a pleasure to see him again. All in all it's a pretty good film but it sorely lacks the presence of a leading horror star (such as Lugosi). Apart from that it's atmospheric and has some great scenes to look out for. An above average sequel to a classic film.
After this excellent opening the film changes track and becomes the usual drawing-room horror that we're used to seeing in the 1930s. People talk, argue, and shout, and intrigue is everywhere. I found the love sub-plot between the Countess and the Doctor to be a little dull and I could have done without it. However to spice up the action there are a number of vampire attacks and the film's most memorable image, where a young girl strips for the Countess before being bitten. This sequence was pretty raunchy for its day and even lesbianism is implied, which we are more used to seeing in Hammer's Carmilla trilogy.
The actors range from being quite wooden (Otto Kruger) to rather good (Gloria Holden). However on hand are two regular horror actors who definitely add the element of fun to the film. Firstly there's Irving Pichel, playing an evil assistant (he looks devilish here) and then we have Edward Van Sloan (FRANKENSTEIN) as Van Helsing. Sloan is excellent when he's going on about vampires and the like and it's a pleasure to see him again. All in all it's a pretty good film but it sorely lacks the presence of a leading horror star (such as Lugosi). Apart from that it's atmospheric and has some great scenes to look out for. An above average sequel to a classic film.