Director: George Melford.
The legendary Spanish "Dracula" was filmed at night on the same sets in 1931 in Hollywood and at the same time as the famous Todd Browning/ Bela Lugosi version--but in Spanish, with a Spanish speaking cast and a British director! Film historians consider this version far superior, more "full-blooded"--the editing is more fluid (the original Dracula is quite static, basically a photographed stage play), the lighting more inventive, the camerawork and compositions much bolder, the acting is juicier, and the women are hotter :-) Like "Dracula", it contains no music--Gary Lucas provides a continuous solo guitar underscore that has won praise at film and music festivals all over the world: Review of the World Premiere of Gary Lucas' Spanish "Dracula" project at the Havana Film Festival 12/11/09: "The US guitarist Gary Lucas defied the gods and brought back to life one of the darkest and most terrifying creatures in the literature of horror... Dracula did not need to rise from his coffin in order to return from the realm of the dead; he did it through the guitar of this legendary musician, who, like the most celebrated vampire from Transylvania, has been 'condemned' to immortality." --GRANMA (Cuba), 12/12/09 Review of the European premiere of Gary Lucas' Spanish "Dracula" project at the Transylvania International Film Festival 5/30/10: "One of the most impressive events in this year's edition of the Transylvania International Film Festival... Gary Lucas was formidable--the audience was speechless as for almost 2 hours Lucas' fingers never disconnected from his guitar... an event that no one will ever forget." ADEVARUL, Romania 6/1/10 Review of the New York premiere of Gary Lucas' Spanish "Dracula" at the 48th New York Film Festival 10/9/10: "The event Saturday evening event was terrific, an intoxicating mix of music and imagery. Gary's score builds a nice, eerie immersion an atmosphere of perdition and romantic longing." --SOME CAME RUNNING (film critic Glenn Kenny's column) full review here: http://bit.ly/ckizt5 "Gary Lucas' brilliant musical dialogue with George Melford's Spanish-language "Dracula" rescues this film from mere camp, highlighting the films many innovative and indeed modernist flourishes." --Richard Pena, director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center Full house and standing ovation for the Spanish premiere of Gary Lucas' Spanish "Dracula" at the 7th Sevilla Film Festival 11/8/10: Check out an interview with Gary Lucas from Spanish National TV RTVE beginning at 3:34 here: http://bit.ly/b5i8bO 4 Star review in The Guardian for the UK premiere of Gary Lucas' Spanish "Dracula" at the London Jazz Festival at Queen Elizabeth Hall: http://bit.ly/jLaP1K