MovieChat Forums > Scars of Dracula (1970) Discussion > Special Edition DVD

Special Edition DVD

posted 17 years ago by mattslittlebrother
6 replies | jump to latest

Anyone got this? What is the commentary like? I assume it is just Lee and Baker complaining about the budget throughout...

Gallery good?

What I am asking is, is it worth buying?

[–] obin_gam 17 years ago

I've got Optimum Classics's "The Hammer Collection" -version of it (this one http://www.videodrome.nu/os/product_info.php?products_id=4009 )
but I haven't had a chance of watching it with the commentary track yet. I'll post here again when I've done that.

I can really recommend this release, great picture quality and in 16:9 anamorphic aspect!

[–] dfdecker 17 years ago

Baker talks mostly about the film and Lee talks mostly about how he hated being in the last handful of Hammer Dracula films. However, toward the end, Lee seems surprised at how well this one turned out. Baker also talks about how the "glowing red metal" effect was done. Lee makes the comment that each year they had to apply more make up due to the fact that Dracula doesn't age but he naturally did. Also the Anchor Bay release has the second DVD documentary on Lee's film career.

[–] mattslittlebrother 17 years ago

Thanks for that!

[–] chongajuly 14 years ago

I thought it was superior to "Taste the Blood of Dracula," "Dracula A.D.1972" (the low point of the series), and "The Satanic Rites of Dracula." Lee always disparaged this particular entry, despite the excellent work of Roy Ward Baker to bring out certain elements directly from the Stoker novel, which surely Lee would have appreciated. Lee's one Stoker adaptation, "Count Dracula" (1969), was shot in Spain just prior to Hammer's "Taste the Blood of Dracula," with Herbert Lom as Van Helsing and Klaus Kinski as a silent Renfield, none of whom shared any scenes together.

"I take pleasure in great beauty" - James Bond

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Rueiro 9 years ago

I've just watched the Optimun Classic edition I bought this morning. The image quality is excellent, and the extras it comes with are: a trailer, a stills and behind-the-scenes gallery and the audio commentary with Christopher Lee, director Roy Ward Baker and Hammer film historian Marcus Hearn. Lee and Baker mostly share their memories of the shooting of the film and the people they worked with. Yes, they had a very limited budget indeed, used a lot of recycled sets from previous Hammer films and so and so. And as an anecdote Lee actually says that the recording session of this DVD was the very first time he watched the film in its entirety!