Vampyros Lesbos – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany, 1971
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Jesús Franco, Jaime Chávarri
Cast: Ewa Strömberg, Soledad Miranda, Andrés Monales, Dennis Price, Paul Muller

Release Date: January 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 17 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"Eternally stunning Soledad Miranda stars as a vixen vampire who lures women to a Mediterranean island to satisfy her insatiable hunger for female flesh in that seductively corrupts the Dracula mythos forever." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 4K from the original camera negative."

Vampyros Lesbos comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.4 GB

Feature: 60.3 GB

The source looks exceptional, easily the best this film has ever looked on home media. Flesh tones look correct; colors look appropriately vibrant; image clarity, black levels, contrast, and compression are solid; and the image always looks organic.

Vampyros Lesbos comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.3 GB

Feature: 25.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in German with removable English subtitles. While there are always going to be limitations due to the low-budget attributes of this film, it is a solid track that exceeds expectations. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness, and an audio commentary with film professor Aaron AuBuchon and Oscarbate Film Collective's John Dickson and Will Morris.

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles), an alternate German opening credits (1 minute 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in German with removable English subtitles), a brief clip titled Jess is Yoda (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Sublime Soledad (20 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Jess Franco titled Vampyros Jesus (20 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), a locations featurette titled In The Land Of Franco Part 2 (18 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an interview with Stephen Thrower author of Murderous Passions, Franco Volume 1: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús and Flowers of Perversion, Volume 2: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco (44 minutes 44 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, and an audio commentary with Aaron AuBuchon, John Dickson and Will Morris.

Other extras include a slipcover.

Summary:

Throughout Jess Franco’s career, he has had several key stages where he worked extensively with a producer, and in 1970, Jess Franco would end his collaboration with producer Harry Alan Towers with yet another adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Out of all of the producers that worked with Jess Franco over the years, none offered him a larger canvas to work with financially than Harry Alan Towers. Feeling confined by the films that Harry Alan Towers wanted to make, Jess Franco ended their collaboration. Initially, he embarked on a journey as an independent filmmaker, creating a series of three films before transitioning into the next stage of his development as a filmmaker, which involved another trio of films produced by Artur Brauner.

Content-wise, Vampyros Lesbos bears more than a striking resemblance to Jess Franco’s last film with Harry Alan Towers, Count Dracula, the main twist being that the protagonist role is switched from a man to a woman. Other influences that crop up during Franco’s gender bender Vampyros Lesbos include just a hint of the Marquis de Sade, which is another carryover from his Harry Alan Towers collaborations. And all of these moments of sadness revolve around the character that Jess Franco portrays in Vampyros Lesbos. Influences aside, it is clearly a film that signaled that its auteur had finally broken through creatively and that everything that came before this film was merely a warm-up for what was yet to come from him.

Although Vampyros Lesbos takes many of its cues from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, when it comes to the vibe of these films, this is where these two entities are on the polar opposite ends of the spectrum. Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is known for its Gothic Romanticism, while Jess Franco’s Vampyros Lesbos is a manic fusion of Surrealism and Eroticism.

At this point in Jess Franco’s career, plot and dialog are not much more than a means to further what he was trying to say with his visuals, which have by this point become the focal point. This striptease scene featuring Soledad Miranda and a mannequin—or what seems to be a mannequin—stands out as one of the most iconic moments in Jess Franco's filmography. There is a fluidity to her movements that reinforces the sensuality of this scene. Another standout moment visually is a scene where Linda's character realizes that the only way she will be free of the Countess is if she kills her. Jess Franco expertly crafts this moment of emotional depth, ensuring it resonates with the audience by carefully escalating the tension until it reaches its peak.

When speaking about Vampyros Lesbos, one can’t overlook the importance of Soledad Miranda. Needless to say, the films that he made with Soledad Miranda, especially the ones where she is the lead actress, like she is in Vampyros Lesbos, could not have been made with another actress, since her undeniable presence is the main reason why they stand out amongst Jess Franco’s voluminous output as a filmmaker.

Besides Soledad Miranda’s tour de force, other notable performances come from Dennis Price (Twins of Evil) in the role of Dr. Alwin Seward (a Van Helsing-like persona) and Ewa Strömberg (She Killed in Ecstasy) in the role of Linda Westinghouse. The scenes where her character and the countess interact are exceptional. Also, she has a tremendous amount of chemistry with Soledad Miranda, and it really shines through during their more intimate moments.

Last but certainly not least is Jess Franco’s own performance in Vampyros Lesbos, and this time around he portrays a deranged husband whose wife has been seduced by the Countess. His opinion of women becomes increasingly negative, and he develops a sinister desire to inflict pain on them in a manner reminiscent of the Marquis de Sade. His character delivers the film’s most shocking moment in a scene where he captures and tortures the character Linda, who bears a resemblance to his wife.

Another wonderful asset that Vampyros Lesbos has is its jazz-infused score that Manfred Hübler and Sigi Schwab composed. The albums Psychedelic Dance Party and Sexadelic would serve as the soundtrack for these three Jess Franco films: She Killed in Ecstasy, The Devil Came from Akasava, and Vampyros Lesbos.

No matter how many times over the years that I have revisited Vampyros Lesbos, it is a film that has never lost any of its luster. And with each new viewing, my appreciation for the film continues to grow. Ultimately, Vampyros Lesbos is the ultimate Jess Franco film, and more than any other of his films, it captures the essence of his cinematic style.

10 years after their Blu-ray release, Severin Films gives Vampyros Lesbos an exceptional 4K UHD upgrade that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras; highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

She Killed in Ecstasy – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany, 1971
Director: Jesús Franco
Writer: Jesús Franco
Cast: Soledad Miranda, Fred Williams, Paul Muller, Howard Vernon, Ewa Strömberg, Horst Tappert, Jesús Franco

Release Date: January 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 80 Minutes 27 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"In her greatest role—and one of her final performances before her tragic death—the luscious Soledad Miranda stars as a vengeful widow who seduces and murders the men and women responsible for her husband’s suicide." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative."

She Killed in Ecstasy comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 58.9 GB

Feature: 57.8 GB

The source looks exceptional, easily the best this film has ever looked on home media. Flesh tones look correct; colors look appropriately vibrant; image clarity, black levels, contrast, and compression are solid; and the image always looks organic.

She Killed in Ecstasy comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.9 GB

Feature: 23 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in German with removable English subtitles. While there are always going to be limitations due to the low-budget attributes of this film, it is a solid track that exceeds expectations. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Sublime Soledad (20 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Jess Franco titled Jess Killed in Ecstasy (16 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Paul Muller (6 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a locations featurette titled In The Land Of Franco Part 13 (21 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), and an interview with Stephen Thrower author of Murderous Passions, Franco Volume 1: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús and Flowers of Perversion, Volume 2: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco (41 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include a slipcover. 

Summary:

There are two things that clearly inspired She Killed in Ecstasy, and actually a third connection to something else if one factors in that the film is a loose remake of Jess Franco’s own film, The Diabolical Dr. Z. The other two inspirations for She Killed in Ecstasy include Jess Franco’s affinity for monster and mad scientist films. Additionally, there is a notable similarity between She Killed in Ecstasy and François Truffaut’s The Bride Wore Black.

Structurally, She Killed in Ecstasy's narrative is more fleshed out than the other films that Jess Franco was making during this phase of his career. The premise is simple: the protagonist stalks and kills those who drove her husband to kill himself. After a brief setup, the story progresses swiftly until the conclusion. Another strength of She Killed in Ecstasy is that all of the main players and their motivations are well defined.

In other areas of She Killed in Ecstasy, there is a satisfying mix of carnage and eroticism. The scenes that shine the most in this regard are the well-executed death scenes, most notably the one where Howard Vernon’s character gets stabbed over a dozen times in the genitals.

From a performance standpoint, the focus once again centers on Soledad Miranda. Her captivating portrayal strikes an impeccable balance between an alluring seductress and an angel of death, exacting vengeance on those who have wronged her. The scene in which her character reflects on her actions while half-naked on the couch stands out as one of Jess Franco's most visually striking moments.

Several cast members from Vampyros Lesbos return for She Killed in Ecstasy, albeit in different roles. However, aside from Soledad Miranda's performance, the rest of the cast functions primarily as props, which Jess Franco utilizes at strategic moments. Unfortunately, Fred Williams's performance as Soledad Miranda’s husband, who has taken his life after his life's work was rejected by colleagues, is the one that is most lacking. His emotionless performance makes it difficult for us to care about his plight.

On the other hand, the other three main performances are excellent in their respective roles, as they just sit back and let Soledad Miranda’s character savagely inflict pain on them. Also, there is a scene that is oddly reminiscent of a moment in Vampyros Lesbos's film. And in this scene, Jess Franco’s character becomes the victim as Soledad Miranda’s character slowly tortures him while he sits in a chair.

Manfred Hübler and Sigi Schwab composed another wonderful asset that this film has—its jazz-infused score. The albums Psychedelic Dance Party and Sexadelic would serve as the soundtrack for these three Franco films: She Killed in Ecstasy, The Devil Came from Akasava, and Vampyros Lesbos.

Shooting back-to-back with Vampyros Lesbos, there is an immediacy to the events that unfold in She Killed in Ecstasy. Unfortunately, Jess Franco and Soledad Miranda would only go on to make one more film together, The Devil Came from Akasava. She would die tragically in a car crash shortly thereafter. Ultimately, She Killed in Ecstasy is an extraordinary film that makes a perfect companion piece to Vampyros Lesbos.

10 years after their Blu-ray release, Severin Films gives She Killed in Ecstasy an exceptional 4K UHD upgrade that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras; highly recommended.

                                                   Blu-ray screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Eugenie de Sade - Blue Underground (DVD)

Theatrical Release Date: Liechtenstein/France, 1973
Director: Jesús Franco
Writer: Jesús Franco
Cast: Soledad Miranda, Paul Muller, Andrea Montchal, Greta Schmidt, Alice Arno, Jesús Franco

Release Date: January 29th, 2008
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 42 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono French, Dolby Digital English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $14.95

"Esteemed author Albert Radeck is the toast of the Berlin literati and the object of his stepdaughter Eugenie's affections. However, when his doe-eyed little darling unmasks her sophisticated father figure as a sex-crazed psychopath obsessed with perpetrating the perfect crime, she transforms from innocent ward to a willing accomplice. The deadly duo seduce and destroy everyone in their path - until Eugenie's charms spark a jealous rage in Albert that threatens to consume them both." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "remastered from its recently discovered original negative."

Eugenie de Sade comes of a dual layer DVD.

Disc Size: 6.8 GB

Before this release, Eugenie de Sade had two DVD releases: in North America by Wild East and in the UK by Oracle. Both of these releases had drawbacks, like cropping the image, colors that looked off, and edge enhancement. In 2008, we had a third release, this time via Blue Underground, which sources their release from the film’s original negative, and the difference in this release when compared to the two previous releases is monumental. Colors have never looked as vibrant or accurate, and details look equally sharp in the background and foreground. Also, Blue Underground’s source looks great, free of print debris.

Audio: 3.5/5 (Dolby Digital Mono French, Dolby Digital English)

This release comes with two audio options, a Dolby Digital mono mix in French and a Dolby Digital mono mix in English. Both of these audio tracks sound clear and balanced, and range wise they are very good. Included are removable English subtitles for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an interview with director Jess Franco titled Franco de Sade (20 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles). 

Summary:

Albert Radeck is a controversial author who has been raising his daughter, Eugenie, since her mother passed away shortly after she was born. Eugenie has always idolized her father, and when he comes to her with the idea of how to commit the perfect crime, she readily joins him in his diabolical game of murder and deceit. They become closer with each crime they commit—that is, until the day when Eugenie allows another man into her life, which enrages Albert by pushing him over the edge and further isolating him from the only person he ever loved.

No one more than the Marquis de Sade had a larger impact on the cinema of Jess Franco; several of his films were inspired by or referenced the literary works of the Marquis de Sade. Despite being born in different centuries, their views on sadism and eroticism are mirror images of each other. Though Jess Franco has made many films that incorporate elements of the Marquis de Sade, only a handful of films are faithful adaptations, notably Justine de Sade, Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion, and Justine and Eugenie de Sade.

This time around, though, Jess Franco goes for a modern-day retelling instead of making a period-era film. The narrative and its characters lend themselves to anytime and anywhere, as they are timeless in quality. The killers' identities are known from the start, and they commit murders in a more natural or crude way, driving home the brutality of their acts. Jess Franco once again places sex at the forefront, but this time without any eroticism. And though Jess Franco is known for pushing boundaries, especially when it comes to erotica, Eugenie de Sade is his most subdued Marquis de Sade adaptation.

The main draw of Eugenie de Sade is Soledad Miranda’s (She Killed in Ecstasy) portrayal of the protagonist in what would be her final completed role. She delivers a memorable performance, which is arguably one of her best. The standout moment is a strip tease her character performs to lure a victim for the murderess game she plays with her father. And there is a scene where she turns what could have been another sexy moment into an unintentional comedy moment as she struggles to remove clothing. Paul Muller (Vampyros Lesbos) is fantastic in the role of Eugenie’s deviant father.

From a production standpoint, Jess Franco once again exhibits his ability to maximize his limited resources. Visually, Eugenie de Sade looks great, and they do a great job reinforcing the dark subject matter. Composer Bruno Nicolai delivers a superb score that heightens the mood. If some music cues in the score cause a feeling of Déjà vu for you, it's because they are recycled music cues from films Bruno Nicolai and Jess Franco had previously worked on. Ultimately, Eugenie de Sade is a solid adaptation of Marquis de Sade’s novel Eugenie de Franval.

Eugenie de Sade gets a strong release from Blue Underground that comes with a good audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Count Dracula – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/West Germany/Italy/Liechtenstein, 1970
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Erich Kröhnke, Augusto Finocchi
Cast: Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, Soledad Miranda, Maria Rohm, Fred Williams, Paul Muller, Jack Taylor, Jesús Franco

Release Date: November 28th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $69.95

"In 1970, cult director Jess Franco and screen legend Christopher Lee collaborated on what they promised would be the most faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel ever filmed. From its remarkable performances – including Lee as the Count, Herbert Lom (MARK OF THE DEVIL) as Van Helsing, Soledad Miranda (VAMPYROS LESBOS) as Lucy, Maria Rohm (VENUS IN FURS) as Mina, and authentic madman Klaus Kinski as Renfield – to its lush locations and atmosphere of sinister sensuality, it remains perhaps the most spellbinding version of Dracula in movie history." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "newly scanned in 4K".

Count Dracula comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 60.8 GB

Feature: 58.2 GB

The source used for this brand new 4K transfer is in excellent shape; all print debris has been cleaned up. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. That said, this new transfer is a massive improvement over the transfer Severin Films used for their 2015 Blu-ray release.

Count Dracula comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.4 GB

Feature: 29.4 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish. Unfortunately, in the case of the latter, there are no subtitles. The English-language track is in very good shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and the score sounds robust. That said, there are a few minor sibilance-related issues. Though the Spanish-language track is comparable, it sounds fuller than its English-language counterpart. Included are removable English SDH for the English-language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), and an archival audio commentary with horror historian David Del Valle and actress Maria Rohm.

Extras on Blu-ray disc 1 include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), an archival extra titled Stake Holders, an appreciation by filmmaker Christophe Gans (7 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Jack Taylor (10 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Fred Williams titled Handsome Harker (26 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and German with removable English subtitles for German), an archival interview with director Jess Franco titled Beloved Count (26 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an archival extra titled Illustrated 1973 Christopher Lee Audio Interview With Filmmaker Donald Glut (19 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an archival audio commentary with David Del Valle and Maria Rohm.

Extras on Blu-ray disc 2 include alternate title sequences: Spanish (1 minute 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in Spanish, no subtitles), German (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), French (1 minute 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), and Italian (1 minute 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), In The Land of Franco bonus sequence with Alain Petit and Stephen Thrower (6 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author Stephen Thrower titled Jess Franco's Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula (45 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a 2017 documentary titled Dracula Barcelona (90 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include a CD with Bruno Nicolai’s 30-track score, an insert with a track listing for the CD, and a slipcover.

Summary:

From 1968 to 1970, this would mark one of Jess Franco’s most productive and fruitful eras as a filmmaker. During these years, he would work with British producer Harry Alan Towers, who would give Franco some of his biggest budgets of his career. The casts for most of these productions would feature some of the biggest names in European cinema at the time, like Klaus Kinski, Christopher Lee, and Herbert Lom. All three actors would also participate in Jess Franco’s retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Over the years, Dracula has been filmed many times. Despite the countless retellings, each version always had its own distinct take on the source material, and no matter what changes were made to the source, the end result is always like seeing an old friend you've seen hundreds of times.

By the time Jess Franco approached Christopher Lee about playing Dracula, his interest in playing this part, which had garnered him worldwide fame, had waned considerably. What changed Lee’s mind about playing Count Dracula one more time was how director Jess Franco wanted to approach the story and character the way Bram Stoker had written it.

Though Count Dracula lacks the abstract style that Jess Franco would later overuse in his subsequent films. Count Dracula still features some stellar photography and compositions, especially in the scenes where Dracula visits Lucy and drains her of her life and blood. The moments with Klaus Kinski rely heavily on his performance and not as much on the visual look of his surroundings.

Klaus Kinski does a remarkable job of playing Renfield that is on par with Dwight Frye’s memorable performance of the same character in Tod Browning’s 1931 version of Dracula. This cast is really good overall, with solid performances from Herbert Lom as Professor Van Helsing and Soledad Miranda in her first collaboration with Jess Franco as Lucy Westenra. Without a doubt, the performance that stands out is Christopher Lee's tour de force as Count Dracula. This time, Christopher Lee captures the essence of man, and the result is spellbinding.

Besides having a strong cast, Jess Franco also had at his disposal many of the sets and costumes that he had used or would use during his several collaborations with producer Harry Alan Towers. The score for this film was written by Bruno Nicolai, and his haunting arrangements perfectly complement Franco’s visual styles and moods. Ultimately, Jess Franco’s Count Dracula features one of Christopher Lee’s best performances of his career, which helps overcome the slower moments and familiarity that most will have with Bram Stoker’s original source material.

Jess Franco’s Count Dracula gets an exceptional release from Severin Films, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Count Dracula – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/West Germany/Italy/Liechtenstein, 1970
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Erich Kröhnke, Augusto Finocchi
Cast: Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, Soledad Miranda, Maria Rohm, Fred Williams, Paul Muller, Jack Taylor, Jesús Franco

Release Date: December 15th, 2015
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.98

"In 1970, cult director Jess Franco and screen legend Christopher Lee collaborated on what they promised would be the most faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel ever filmed. From its remarkable performances – including Lee as the Count, Herbert Lom (MARK OF THE DEVIL) as Van Helsing, Soledad Miranda (VAMPYROS LESBOS) as Lucy, Maria Rohm (VENUS IN FURS) as Mina, and authentic madman Klaus Kinski as Renfield – to its lush locations and atmosphere of sinister sensuality, it remains perhaps the most spellbinding version of Dracula in movie history." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "re-mastered in high-definition for the first time ever."

Count Dracula comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.6 GB

Feature: 18.1 GB

I now own this film in three formats: VHS, DVD, and now this Blu-Ray release. This is by far and away the best that I have ever seen this film look. Colors have the right amount of vibrancy to them, flesh tones look accurate, contrast and black levels look strong throughout, and the image looks sharp. It should be noted that the Gypsy woman scene, which was missing from the Dark Skies DVD, has been reinstated for this release

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English. There are issues with background noise or distortion, and the dialog comes through clearly. Range-wise, things sound very good and everything sounds balanced. Also, when it comes to the more ambient aspects of the soundtrack, things are well represented throughout and the score always sounds robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include German language trailer (3 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM mono German with removable English subtitles), German title sequence (1 minute 36 seconds) French title sequence (1 minute 23 seconds) Italian (1 minute 35 seconds) and Spanish title sequence (1 minute 35 seconds), an audio extra where Lee reads Stoker’s novel titled Christopher Lee reads Bram Stoker’s Dracula (84 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a bonus feature film titled Cuadecuc, vampir (66 minutes 18 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an interview with French filmmaker Christophe Gan titled Stake Holders: An Appreciation for Jess Franco’s Count Dracula’ s (7 minutes 32 seconds, LPCM stereo French with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Fred Williams titled Handsome Harker  (26 minutes 14 seconds, LPCM stereo English and German with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Jack Taylor titled A Conversation With Jack Taylor (10 minutes, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Jess Franco titled Beloved Count’ (26 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with actress Maria Rohm, and moderator Horror Historian David Del Valle.

Summary:

From 1968 to 1970, this would mark one of Jess Franco’s most productive and fruitful eras as a filmmaker. During these years, he would work with British producer Harry Alan Towers, who would give Franco some of his biggest budgets of his career. The casts for most of these productions would feature some of the biggest names in European cinema at the time, like Klaus Kinski, Christopher Lee, and Herbert Lom. All three actors would also participate in Jess Franco’s retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Over the years, Dracula has been filmed many times. Despite the countless retellings, each version always had its own distinct take on the source material, and no matter what changes were made to the source, the end result is always like seeing an old friend you've seen hundreds of times.

By the time Jess Franco approached Christopher Lee about playing Dracula, his interest in playing this part, which had garnered him worldwide fame, had waned considerably. What changed Lee’s mind about playing Count Dracula one more time was how director Jess Franco wanted to approach the story and character the way Bram Stoker had written it.

Though Count Dracula lacks the abstract style that Jess Franco would later overuse in his subsequent films. Count Dracula still features some stellar photography and compositions, especially in the scenes where Dracula visits Lucy and drains her of her life and blood. The moments with Klaus Kinski rely heavily on his performance and not as much on the visual look of his surroundings.

Klaus Kinski does a remarkable job of playing Renfield that is on par with Dwight Frye’s memorable performance of the same character in Tod Browning’s 1931 version of Dracula. This cast is really good overall, with solid performances from Herbert Lom as Professor Van Helsing and Soledad Miranda in her first collaboration with Jess Franco as Lucy Westenra. Without a doubt, the performance that stands out is Christopher Lee's tour de force as Count Dracula. This time, Christopher Lee captures the essence of man, and the result is spellbinding.

Besides having a strong cast, Jess Franco also had at his disposal many of the sets and costumes that he had used or would use during his several collaborations with producer Harry Alan Towers. The score for this film was written by Bruno Nicolai, and his haunting arrangements perfectly complement Franco’s visual styles and moods. Ultimately, Jess Franco’s Count Dracula features one of Christopher Lee’s best performances of his career, which helps overcome the slower moments and familiarity that most will have with Bram Stoker’s original source material.

Jess Franco’s Count Dracula gets a solid release from Severin Films, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer