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Overall Rating : 8/10
Directed By : Leigh Scott
Thomas Downey (The Beast Of Bray Road)
Eliza Swenson (Frankenstein Reborn)
Rhett Giles (Jolly Roger: Massacre at Cutter's Cove)
Christina Rosenberg (King Of The Lost World)
Jeff Denton (King of the Lost World)
Supplied By : The Asylum
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Apr. 17, 2006
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| PLOT Based on Bram Stoker's classic, this epic horror follows a team of elite vampire hunters led by Colonel Rufus King and Jacob Van Helsing as they infiltrate the dark underworld to battle the ruthless vampire clan led by Countess Bathorly. |
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| THE REVIEW DRACULA'S CURSE tells the story of Rufus King and his band of vampire hunters. Years ago the hunters and the vampires made a pact, and that pact was to cease all anger and war between them. Now it is 5 years later and it seems that one of the vamps has broke the pact that was once made, a female vampire by the name of Countess Bathorly, Bathorly was once a human, but she is also one of the few individuals ever to be turned(made into a vampire) by Dracula himself making her a descendent. The Countess has now gathered the three brides of Dracula at her side and together they are trying to convert more pure bloods into the clan, all so that Bathorly can then gain the full strength of Lord Dracula. Rufus King and the rest have all semi retired from the hunting trade, but when the news of this disobedience breaks, they must all band together as one again, this time with the help of Jacob Van Helsing(great great grandson of Abraham Van Helsing) and Rick Tattinger. the new guy, to stop Bathorly and her treacherous brood. First i'd like to say WOW! Just when I criticized The Asylum in my last review for their latest string of no plot, no meaning films, they throw this little gem my way! DRACULA'S CURSE has all of the things that films like HILLSIDE CANNIBALS and WHEN A KILLER CALLS was lacking and quite honestly the things I have been begging The Asylum for. Last time I asked for a plot with a story and character development, and I got that with DRACULA'S CURSE, that's for sure. By mid movie we certainly know who Rufus King is as well as everyone in his fleet, this film offers some sort of back story for almost everyone here and that's exactly what every film needs. You really feel like you know the characters and you begin to feel one with them. For instance, after a five year layoff from the job, most are reluctant to go back and have started new lives. This is a film presented in true situations, I am sure the every day person would feel exactly the same as these characters having to go back to the job they thought was over. But as they go back into the fold, in the same sense you understand why they chose to go back....it's their passion. The film is presented in the form of chapters, and to me it made this film very easy to follow all the while keeping you glued to the seat in anticipation of what's next. Leigh Scott directs the film in his own unique fashion that you see in all of his films. He here, keeps a fast pace and even for an action laced Horror film, still keeps his focus, that focus was to keep it very character driven. The cast here probably couldn't have been assembled any better, I think this is the best ensemble of Asylum stars that I have ever seen in one film, truly making this one an epic! I believe that it would not be fair to single out the best performances simply because there are none to speak of, There is not one performance here that was better than the others, I feel that the whole cast joined together to create one kick ass performance.....the best performance I have EVER seen by a whole entire cast in an indie or quite possibly any film! There is not one second of this film that I was not interested in, to be honest I loved every minute of DRACULA'S CURSE! This film has to be the equivalent to what H.G. WELLS' WAR OF THE WORLDS was to The Asylum's David Michael Latt.... this is Leigh Scott's "masterpiece".... |
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| GORE
METER 4.5/10 Believe it or not, the blood and guts was rather tame for this Asylum outing, but i'd take story over gore any day! |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5.5/10 Not only did star Eliza Swenson impress me with her performance in the film, she also created a rather suitable, sometimes haunting score for it too... |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM I will go on the record as to saying that I think DRACULA'S CURSE is probably the best film I have seen from The Asylum. I am not sure but I would bet that this one is one of their most costly efforts and it definitely paid off. As everyone knows, I am not highly impressed most of the time....I have never given a rating of over 8 and have only given, I believe two films an 8......this my friends shall be the 3rd! My rating is not based on budget, not based on gore.... but based on pure effort and how much I enjoyed it....I do not conform to politics! |
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