Some people hate this film. I choose to embrace it, bad acting and all. Winona was so adamant about not showing guilt (apparently she doesn’t believe in the emotion) that director and cast members had to shout horrible things to her from off camera to get any reaction. Gary Oldman’s performance as Dracula was spot on, adding layers of back story to a traditionally flat character.

A campy vampire film set dead in the middle of the 1980s. What works about this film is that the writer-director Tom Holland did his homework. The actor and vampire hunter, Peter Vincent, is a combination of Vincent Price and Peter Cushing. While the vampire Jerry Dandrige, played to the hilt by Chris Sarandon, eats up the scenery, and several apples.

Guns, vampires, werewolves, and tight leather outfits. How could you loose? Underworld takes the art direction of the Matrix and meshes it with a Mafioso-style action movie. The casting of Bill Nighy as the head vampire, Viktor, added just a bit of panache (he also was Davy Jones in the Pirates movies). The film’s original concept was to remake Romeo and Juliet only with werewolves and vampires.

I know I’m going to get crucified for putting the Bela Lugosi film in 8th. But let’s be serious, is this film really frightening anymore? The film drags, and this is due to Tod Browning’s direction. Dracula still has some stunning visuals (due mostly to Karl Freund, the photographer) like when Dracula emerges from his coffin. Dwight Frye’s manic performance as Renfield is great.

Why put a Dracula sequel (the third in Universal’s series) on a list of vampire movies? The short answer is that it sticks with me. Take Dr. Brewster, who pokes his nose where it doesn’t belong. Dracula is physical, strangling his adversaries. The special effects are well done. Dracula transforms into mist and a bat, and also dissolves when the sun rises (the first on screen since Nosferatu).