Dracula: Dead And Loving It
Warner Home Video
Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Peter MacNicol, Mel Brooks, Amy Yasbeck, Steven Weber
Extras: Commentary Track, Trailer
Rating:
For some reason, most of Mel Brooks’ movies are not yet available on DVD. Films such as ’Robin Hood: Men In Tights’, ’High Anxiety’ ’Silent Movie’ or ’The Nude Bomb’ are all still missing form the DVD repertoire. Fortunately however, Warner Home Video has now created a DVD version of ’Dracula: Dead And Loving It’ Brooks’ homage to the classic horror character that followed in the footsteps of Francis Ford Coppola’s ’Dracula,’ mocking virtually every frame and syllable from that movie.
Played by Leslie Nielsen, Dracula is, of course, not quite as successful in his antics in Mel Brooks’ take on the story as he is in most other films, and the majority of characters inhabiting Transylvania and London are fumbling retards creating a string of hilarious moments and incidents. Peter MacNicol is phenomenal as Renfield and looks frighteningly close to Dwight Frye in the early era of Dracula movies.
While ’Dracula: Dead And Loving It’ is not the funniest movie Mel Brooks made, it nonetheless has the same charm und offers some great laughs. I definitely loved the move and also greatly enjoyed the many nods to the many other Dracula and vampire films referenced in this movie, such as the ballroom scene that is paying homage to Roman Polanski’s wonderful – and yet to be released – ’The Fearless Vampire Killers.’
Warner’s DVD version of the movie is beautifully coming to life on DVD. The print is free of any defects and colors are wonderfully rich, creating vivid hues that never bleed. Skin tones are natural at all times and the black levels are balanced, giving the image good visual depth without ever breaking up. No edge-enhancement is evident and the compression is without flaws.
The original Dolby Stereo soundtrack has been added to the release and it perfectly suffices the release. An engaging commentary track is also included, featuring Mel Brooks as well as his co-stars Steven Weber and Amy Yasbeck as they talk about the production, the gags, the characters and many of the events surrounding the production. Brooks is always good for a great commentary and this one is absolutely no exception so check it out.
Finally, this film is available on DVD. Let’s hope we’ll see the rest of the Mel Brooks library pretty soon as well.
