DVD Corner

Horror Of Dracula 4K UHD Review

“Horror Of Dracula” is one of Hammer’s best films.

Based on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” 1958’s “Horror Of Dracula” is a Hammer horror film penned by Jimmy Sangster. The story kicks off with Jonathan Harker venturing to meet Dracula. He poses as the Count’s new librarian, but he’s really there to take out Dracula. It doesn’t go well for Mr. Harker. Enter Dr. Van Helsing who was initially set to collaborate with Jonathan Harker. Van Helsing finds out what happened, but uncovers more problems. Not only has Dracula seemingly vanished, but the Count also has his sights set on Jonathan’s fiancee Lucy. Now, Van Helsing (along with Lucy’s brother Arthur) have to try and destroy Dracula themselves before he can wreak further havoc.

Director Terence Fisher’s “Horror Of Dracula” (also known merely as “Dracula” in other countries) is one of many monster films from the Hammer Films outfit and it also happens to be one of the best. Purists may scoff at the changes from the source material, but Hammer was always about making the stories, monsters, and characters their own. It’s a very distinct film brand. As tends to be the case with many of their films, the cast is what makes it all so rewarding. Christopher Lee may not be on screen as much as some would like, but his presence looms large over the runtime. When he does appear, he makes Dracula positively menacing, evil, yet alluring. There’s no question he gives one of the best performances as the iconic vampire. His take on Dracula is right up there with Bela Lugosi. As for Peter Cushing, he truly leads the movie as Van Helsing. The actor was a Hammer staple and will always be one of the best British actors of the horror genre.

As mentioned above, liberties are certainly taken with the story. There are some filler moments, puzzling character moments, all too convenient plot moments, and a real emphasis on making this a more violent and sexual Dracula film, but those are also common horror tropes of the genre to create more thrills. The changes to Harker’s character are also a bit peculiar. While it does give his character more to do, it does dramatically change the story structure. Still, even with all the deviations, “Horror Of Dracula” manages to stand on its own by paving its own path instead of strictly adhering to source material.

Note: This set contains 4 versions including “Dracula” 1.66:1 Director’s Cut, the 1.66:1 UK theatrical version, and the “Horror Of Dracula” 1.85:1 Director’s Cut and the 1.85:1 US theatrical version.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.66:1 and 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? The vibrant Technicolor really stands out on this 4K disc. The film looks bitingly good.

Audio Track: 2.0 and 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How do they sound? The Mono track is clean while the 5.1 offers a more dynamic sound. You can’t go wrong with either option here.

Extras (across two discs):
* UK trailer, textless UK trailer, US trailer, textless US trailer, German trailer, and textless German trailer.
* New 2026 commentary on the director’s cut by Constantine Nasr and Dr. Steve Haberman. New 2026 commentary on the US theatrical cut by Heidi Honeycutt and Toby Roan and a 2012 commentary on the same version by Jonathan Rigby and Marcus Hearn.
* 8MM B&W Cutdown- 11 minute clip of the movie in B&W for a silent projector. An 8mm color cutdown is also included.
* “Gothic For Christmas”- A visual essay on Terence Fisher and his approach to the film by Dr. Steve Haberman with narration by Doug Bradley.
* “The Road To Dracula”- Terrence Fisher biographer Tony Dalton talks about the filmmaker and his background.
* 2026 intro to the director’s cut of “Dracula.”
* New 2026 on the director’s cut of “Dracula” by Lucy Bolton and Jonathan Rigby and a 2012 commentary by Jonathan Rigby and Marcus Hearn.
* A new 2026 commentary on the theatrical version by Lizbeth Myles and Paul Cornell.
* Textless titles and Italian and Spanish titles
* Censor card and Clapperboards
* “Proving Them Wrong”- A conversation between Dame Harriet Walter and Jonathan Rigby

November 10, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Christopher Lee, Dracula, Hammer Films, Horror Of Dracula 4K UHD Review, Peter Cushing