This was actually the first Dracula movie I ever remember seeing, so Jack Palance was always identified with the role for me. I recently picked up the video, and while the movie is not the greatest, it does have its points.
Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. Van Helsing is lamely acted, and Jonathan Harker is a character that is just too English to really care about. The divergences in the story with Harker annoy me, but considering everything, it doesn't foul the adaptation much.
In actuality, I consider this to be one of the truest adaptations of Bram Stoker's story. You can see a lot of the imagery in this film revamped and reworked in Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula", which is probably the best adaptation to date (even considering the many changes and additions that were made to the story and the characters). Watch this Dracula, and then "Count Dracula" with Klaus Kinski and Christopher Lee to get a real feel for what the novel is...then watch the Coppola blockbuster and decide for yourself.
Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. Van Helsing is lamely acted, and Jonathan Harker is a character that is just too English to really care about. The divergences in the story with Harker annoy me, but considering everything, it doesn't foul the adaptation much.
In actuality, I consider this to be one of the truest adaptations of Bram Stoker's story. You can see a lot of the imagery in this film revamped and reworked in Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula", which is probably the best adaptation to date (even considering the many changes and additions that were made to the story and the characters). Watch this Dracula, and then "Count Dracula" with Klaus Kinski and Christopher Lee to get a real feel for what the novel is...then watch the Coppola blockbuster and decide for yourself.