{"id":23295,"date":"2016-11-17T19:09:08","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T00:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=23295"},"modified":"2016-11-17T19:14:36","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T00:14:36","slug":"the-trail-of-dracula-2016-dvd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/17\/the-trail-of-dracula-2016-dvd\/","title":{"rendered":"The Trail of Dracula (2016) (DVD)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"trail_drac_dvd\"<\/a>It\u2019s funny how I know so much about Dracula and still can\u2019t get enough of the character or the concept no matter where I turn. Intervision\u2019s \u201cThe Trail of Dracula\u201d is an hour long look in to the history of Dracula through the ages. There are tons of interviews and accounts from the creation of Bram Stoker\u2019s novel, and the unauthorized adaptation called \u201cNosferatu,\u201d right down to his pop culture influence in the modern age like \u201cVampire Hunter D\u201d and \u201cCastlevania.\u201d While I would have loved a more thorough examination of the vampire legend and its various incarnations of cultures all around the world, \u201cThe Trail of Dracula\u201d explores how Dracula eventually was crafted.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s also a remarkable preface to the documentary explaining how Dracula is often cited as the first vampire character of folklore but really isn\u2019t. Before him there were at least three very popular vampire characters in fiction, including Carmella, the lesbian vampire explored in \u201cThe Vampire Lovers.\u201d For vampire and Dracula enthusiasts, \u201cThe Trail of Dracula\u201d is a great celebration and dissection of all things Dracula. Most of the interviewees provide lively and interesting discussion on the novel, and how pretty much all of the incarnations put to film have never properly adapted the Bram Stoker novel. There are also some great looks at how Dracula made his mark on the careers of the various actors that have played him.<\/p>\n

This amounts to some of the more fascinating material, as we garner keen insight in to the work of Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi and John Carradine, respectively. Lee and Carradine are most interesting as they\u2019re very seasoned performers often reluctant to play Dracula who were forever associated with the character. Lugosi\u2019s story is worthy of a documentary all its own, as the film explores his initial entrance in to the character, and how poor management and typecasting turned a very dynamic theatrical performer in to a parody of himself well in to his old age. \u201cThe Trail of Dracula\u201d might not reveal anything you haven\u2019t already learned over the years, but it still manages to end as an entertaining hour long look at vampire lore and the impact of the character Dracula.<\/p>\n

The DVD from Intervision features a ninety four minute Dracula Movie Trailer Reel with movie trailers for everything from Lugosi\u2019s \u201cDracula\u201d to \u201cScream Blacula Scream.\u201d There\u2019s a short audio interview with Christopher Lee, and a short audio interview with Francis Lederer from \u201cReturn of Dracula.\u201d There\u2019s also an interview with Werner Herzog, director of the \u201cNosferatu\u201d remake, and finally there\u2019s \u201cBlood for Udo,\u201d a seven minute interview with Dracula actor Udo Kier.<\/p>\n