Daughter of Dracula – Redemption Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Portugal, 1972
Director: Jesús Franco
Writer: Jesús Franco
Cast: Carmen Yazalde (Britt Nichols), Anne Libert, Alberto Dalbés, Howard Vernon, Daniel White, Jesús Franco

Release Date: October 4th, 2016
Approximate Running Time: 82 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"When the nude body of a murdered woman washes onto the beach, a police inspector (Alberto Dalbés) and a reporter (Fernando Bilbao) focus their attention on the castle of Count Max Karlstein (composer Daniel White) and his niece (Britt Nichols, The Demons), a beautiful woman who appears to be wrestling with an ancestral curse." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Daughter of Dracula comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.5 GB

Feature: 19.5 GB

No information is provided about this transfer source. That said, the source is in good shape, and any source-related imperfections are, for the most part, not intrusive. Outside of a few very minor moments of color fluctuation, saturation is consistently strong, and there are moments when colors look vibrant, black levels are adequate, details look crisp, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in good shape; there are no issues with distortion or background noise. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. The score sounds robust, and the more ambient aspects of the soundtrack are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), alternate “safe” footage taken from less sexually explicit version (3 minutes 19 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with film critic/author Time Lucas.

Summary:

Daughter of Dracula was written and directed by Jess Franco, a prolific filmmaker whose career spanned over seven decades. A few of Jess Franco's more notable films include Venus in Furs,Vampiros lesbos, She Killed in Ecstasy, Female Vampire, and Sinner: Diary of a Nymphomaniac.

Though Daughter of Dracula sets itself up as a vampire film, the opening setup plays out more like an Italian thriller, and there are a few more moments just like this opening moment. For a filmmaker who recycles themes from his previous movies, it should not come as a surprise that Daughter of Dracula, like so many of Jess Franco’s films, are melting pots when it comes to which genre they ultimately fit into. Of course, by this stage in Jess Franco's evolution as a filmmaker, eroticism once again plays a significant role in the story at hand.

The premise has a familiarity to it, and the straight-forward narrative moves along at a deliberate pace. Also, there are a few long stretches of silence, and it is during these moments that one really gets to appreciate the visuals. There are standout moments visually, including the scenes where Howard Vernon’s vampire character emerges from his grave.

Performance wise, the entire cast is good in their respective roles. Howard Vernon’s (The Blood Rose) performance is the one that leaves the strongest impression, despite his character's limited amount of screen time. Other performances of note include Anne Libert (Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac) in the role of a crazy cousin named Karine and Britt Nichols (The Demons) in the role of Luisa Karlstein, Dracula’s Daughter. Another standout moment is the scene where Luisa seduces Karine and turns her into a vampire.

Daughter of Dracula gets a strong release from Redemption Films that comes with a good audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer