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UNIVERSAL

MOVIE INFO

Director:
Robert Siodmak
Cast:
Lon Chaney Jr., Louise Allbritton, Evelyn Ankers
Writing Credits:
Eric Taylor

Synopsis:
Count Alucard finds his way from Budapest to the swamps of the Deep South.

MPAA:
Rated NR

DISC DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio:
English DTS-HD MA Monaural
Subtitles:
English
Spanish
French
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
None

Runtime: 80 min.
Price: $39.98
Release Date: 5/16/17
Available As Part of the “Dracula Complete Legacy Collection”

Bonus:
• Trailer


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RELATED REVIEWS


Son of Dracula [Blu-Ray] (1943)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (September 20, 2018)

In 1936, we learned the Count had a daughter. Seven years later, we found more supernatural offspring via 1943’s Son of Dracula.

In this feature, we find that a sexy southern belle named Katherine (Louise Allbritton) invited Count Alucard (Lon Chaney, Jr.) to the US. She does this with an ulterior motive: she realizes that Alucard is a vampire, and she wants him to make her into one of the undead as well.

However, there’s yet another subtext to this cause. After she weds Alucard and becomes a vampire, she plans to have her fiancé Frank (Robert Paige) kill the Count. Then she’ll make Frank a vamp too and the two will live (?) happily together through eternity. Frank isn’t so sure about this, so he battles Alucard while he tries to rescue Katherine from an eternity of damnation.

Despite the title, the movie never makes it clear if Alucard actually is the progeny of the big man, or if he’s Drac himself. Many of the horror sequels of the Forties suffered from this kind of muddled tone and lack of consistency, and attached to some weak acting, that becomes the fatal flaw of Son.

On the surface, Son could have been a good movie, as not many of these flicks explore the concept of a person who actually wants to become a vampire. Usually the curse is thrust upon them, but Katherine actively seeks this status. Her reasons created an intriguing twist as well, and the story appears more complex and compelling than most.

Aided by some very good special effects for the era and some moody staging, Son has potential. Unfortunately, poor acting brings it down from its possible highs.

None of the cast seems very good, as they appear excessively broad and melodramatic. However, the real problem occurred when they cast Chaney as the lead.

Chaney tried to cultivate a career as the ultimate movie monster and he played all of the big ones in various films, from the Wolf Man to Frankenstein to the Mummy. He seemed most successful in the one role he originated, that of the Wolf Man. Yes, there had been other werewolf features prior to 1941’s The Wolf Man, but at least he made Larry Talbot his own.

Otherwise, Chaney dealt with characters started by others, but he couldn’t live up to the originals, and as Alucard, he came across worse than ever. The role should be mysterious and intriguing, but Chaney remains ham-fisted and goofy.

Really, Lenny in Of Mice and Men seemed like the perfect role for Chaney. I didn’t especially like him in that film, but he still seemed appropriately moronic in the part. Chaney lacked the charm and charisma to play a master vampire, and Son suffers accordingly.

By the way, shouldn’t a smart guy like the Count think of an alias more difficult to decipher than “Alucard”? That’s “Dracula” spelled backwards, and it seems like a stupidly obvious and pointless pseudonym.

Ultimately, Son of Dracula has some moments, but the movie as a whole seems too flawed to be a success. It’s an up and down experience.


The Disc Grades: Picture A-/ Audio B/ Bonus D-

Son of Dracula appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a pretty terrific transfer.

Sharpness worked well. Any softness remained minor, as the vast majority of he film looked accurate and concise. I saw no shimmering or jaggies, and the movie lacked edge haloes.

Print flaws failed to mar the proceedings, so expect no specks, marks or other issues. Blacks looked rich and deep, and the movie enjoyed a nice silvery look.

Shadow detail also appeared clear and smooth. The movie held up very well after all these decades.

I also thought the film’s DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack worked fine for its age. Speech appeared a little brittle but the lines stayed intelligible and lacked edginess or obvious concerns.

Though the score didn’t show a lot of range, music appeared peppy enough, and effects followed suit. These elements didn’t pack a punch but they sounded clean and without distortion. This turned into a more than acceptable soundtrack for an older film.

How did the Blu-ray compare to the DVD from 2001? Audio seemed cleaner and more robust, whereas visuals appeared tighter, more dynamic and free from the print flaws that impacted the DVD. Though the DVD was good for its format – and our expectations in 2001 of how older movies looked – the Blu-ray offered a substantial upgrade.

The disc offers the film’s trailer but lacks any other extras.

Like Dracula’s Daughter, Son of Dracula provides a mix of strengths and weaknesses. While it offers a good story with some intriguing twists, weak acting - especially from the lead - harms it. The Blu-ray boasts excellent visuals and good audio but it lacks supplements. Son brings an erratic horror sequel.

As of fall 2018, Son of Dracula can’t be purchased on its own. It can be found as part of a seven-film “Dracula Complete Legacy Collection”. In addition to Son, we find Dracula, the 1931 Spanish language Dracula, Dracula’s Daughter, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

In addition, Son comes in the “Universal Monsters Complete 30-Film Collection”. It actually packages the Dracula set mentioned above with similar compilations for six other Universal Monsters.

Viewer Film Ratings: 2 Stars Number of Votes: 1
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