Dracula

This is one of those movies where the score does not adequately reflect the movie's qualities. Dracula is an absolute, undeniable monolith of horror cinema. Bela Lugosi's performance (even if the pauses in his speaking cadence are almost Shatnerian) and look. The gothic atmosphere. The total lack of score, letting the acting and the setting drive the mood. Renfield's scene-chewing insanity. The light and shadow. Everything about this stands the test of time. Nobody who enjoys horror should go without seeing this. So my score in no way reflects the movie's historical status. That is unimpeachable. But it does reflect my enjoyment of it. Because, somehow, at 75 minutes, Dracula is weirdly paced. Somehow, even though the short length disallows for padding, there is still a fair amount of slowdown. This is probably the most all-killer-no-filler version of the script, but it somehow feels longer, and I can't pin down why. Dracula's innate evilness is also almost laughably visible -- dude does everything but downplay it -- and yet nobody's put off by him. There isn't any attempt at giving the character that trademark vampiric charm or sexiness. Different time, different style of movie, I know. I'm not mad at the movie. My enjoyment of it was just a little stifled is all. But that's the risk you run with movies of this era. It's still a must-watch. Lugosi's performance is still delightfully delicious, and you can't beat those classic sets and their gothic aura.