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| Buena Vista (UK). Region 2 PAL. 2.35:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 5.1, Italian DD 5.1. English, English (FHI) Subtitles. 95 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Patrick Lussier
Starring: Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Wadell, Gerard Butler, Jeri Ryan, Jennifer Esposito, Christopher Plummer
Screenplay: Joel Soisson
Tagline: The most seductive evil of all time has just been unleashed in ours.
Country: USA
AKA: Dracula 2000; Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000 |
Jonny Lee Miller,
Jeri Ryan, Justine Waddell, Gerard Butler, Omar
Epps and Jennifer Esposito star in director Patrick
Lussier's execrable Dracula 2001.
Originally entitled Dracula 2000, for the millennium, this
anemic version of the classic Gothic horror tale
adds nothing at all to horrormoviedom. Count Dracula
(Butler) is unleashed upon the modern world by
a group of ill prepared thieves, who foolishly
break into his underground vault. Free to wander
the Earth, Dracula heads for New Orleans to hunt
down virginal beauty Mary Heller (Waddell), with
whom he shares an obvious bond. But he is not
alone, an ageing Van Helsing (Plummer) is wise
to the count's plans and gives chase, pursues
a spoilt brat Count from London to New Orleans
in order to rescue his daughter from the family's
nemesis bloodsucker.
With a few well-placed
gags and a sense of its own absurdity, Dracula
2001 could have been one of the year's most
uproarious comedies, but instead this atrocious
rubbish treats the material with such gravity
and takes itself so seriously that the result
is an appalling, boring 'sucky' mess that isn't
even worth the time cooking up the accompanying
popcorn. Butler, his 'new wave curly hairstyle'
resembling more a pouting 70's Disco freak than
the 'Prince of Darkness' is an insipid Dracula,
Plummer looks as if he wonders what the heck he
is doing in such appallingly acted, dismally penned
and incompetently directed garbage.
Interesting to note that
when released theatrically in the US as Dracula
2000, moviegoers avoided Dracula 2001 like the plague - the only screams heard being
from other cinema-goers fleeing from the theatre,
demanding their money back. |
| Video |
| As is always the way, the worst films seem to
get the best transfers. Dracula 2001 is presented
in an anamorphic widescreen transfer, correctly
framed at the theatrical 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Colours
are striking and well saturated, the high level
of detail impressive and fleshtones reproduced perfectly. Dracula 2001 is a dark film and the blacks
are appropriately deep, shadow delineation excellent
and apart from some edge enhancement is a transfer
that touches reference quality. |
| Audio |
| Dracula 2001 is also possessed of an excellent
English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Dynamic range and
frequency is excellent, surround use aggressive
with terrific directional effects and the LFE is
well-employed throughout the film. Dialogue is clear,
crisp and technically intelligible, if intellectually
inarticulate. An impressive mix incorporating English
Closed Captions. |
| Extra Features |
| The R2 disc of this boasts plentiful extras including
deleted/extended scenes and commentary... I must
be honest and say I've been unable to sit through
the screen-specific audio commentary with director
Patrick Lussier and screenwriter Joel Soisson, as
I cannot bear the thought of watching this tripe
again. I am given to understand that it is mildly
interesting at best and that Lussier and Soisson
aren't aware of exactly how bad the movie is. Other
supplements are equally unbearable in that they
keep one in the company of the movie for longer
than is necessary, but here goes anyway. There are
several extended scenes, alternate opening, plus
four additional deleted scenes accessible separately
or together and offering an option to listen to
commentary with Lussier and Soisson. The film is
so dire that the temptation is to skip this one,
too. Also included is a nine-minute behind the scenes
featurette, typical promo fluff mixing effects footage
and talking heads. We get eight selectable storyboards
and a section entitled auditions with videotaped
audition screen tests for Gerard Butler, Justine
Waddell and Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick. The Theatrical
Trailer, the only good thing about this film and
what fooled me into acquiring it, is presented in
a fullscreen version. I think the Region 1 disc
of this also offered a 'Sneak Peeks' section from
the main menu that offered seven more previews in
fullscreen for The Crow, Scream and From Dusk Till Dawn DVD box sets and the
films Reindeer Games, The Faculty, Immortality and Double Trouble. I'm
not sure if they're here as I simply cannot stand
being in the company of this movie any more. |
| The Verdict |
Avoid. It has no redeeming
qualities and no enjoyable moments.
Comment Script
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