简介：WhenScreamFactoryannouncedtheywerereleasingTheReturnoftheVampire,Ididn'tthinkmuchofit,becauseIthoughtIsawitalreadyanddidn'tloveitallthatmuch.TurnsoutIwasthinkingofMarkoftheVampire(whichalsohadBelaLugosi),andhadneveractuallyseenthisone!Hedidn'tplayavampireasoftenasyoumightthink(infact,inMarkhewasonlypretendingtobeone),sogettingtoseehim,stillmoreorlessinhisprime,dontheDracula-ishguiseagaininafilmIdidn'tevenreallyknowexistedwasarealtreat.Asabonus,themoviehasawerewolftoo,andthemakeupisn'tfarofffromWolfman's,soit'slikegettingthe"DraculavsWolfman"movieweweredeniedsinceUniversalneveractuallymadeone. It'shardnottothinkabouttheUniversalfilmswhenwatchingit;evendiscountingthemakeupandBela'sappearance,theothercharactersarecutfromthesamecloth(professors,doctors,youngladieswhocatchtheeyeofDrac-er,"ArmandTesla")andhasthesamegeneralvibefromstarttofinish.Thebiggestdifferenceisthesetting;whiletheDracula(andWolfmanandFrankenstein)filmstakeplaceinthe19thcentury,thisone-apartfromalengthyprologue-takesplaceinthe(then)presentdayof1943.WorldWarII(specificallybomberplanes)evenplaysapartintheproceedings,somethingI'mnotsureI'veseenbeforeinthisparticularbrandofmonstermovie,whichIfoundkindoffascinatingandwishitwasabiggerpartofthefilm(perhapsbecauseI'mstilldisappointedbytheunderutilizedhorrorelementofOverlord).Isuspectthelowbudgetforcedthemtokeepittoaminimum,butstill-yougettoseeavampirevswerewolfclimaxinterruptedbyaNazibomber! Ialsolikedhowthewerewolfwasused,asasortofslavetothevampire.AswithLarryTalbot,thecursedguy(Andreas)isasympatheticmonster,forcedtodoevildeedsbyhismasterbutstrugglingtobreakfreeofhiscontrol.Naturally,thecopsthinkhe'stherealvillain,andthere'sonlyoneguywhosuspectsLugosi'scharacterofbeinguptonogood,makingitengagingeventhoughweintheaudiencearealwaysasteportwoaheadofeveryone.There'sarealvillaintotakedownandarelativelyinnocentmantoredeem-WolfmanhadnorealvillainandDraculahadnoanti-hero,soitreallydoeskindofofferaperfectmixofthetwohoscenarios. AlsoifyoupreferFrankenstein,theygotyoucoveredtheretoo-aguytalkstothecameraandthrowsyououtofthedamnthing. Sinceit's70yearsoldeveryoneinvolvedisdeadbutthatdidn'tstopScreamFactoryfromofferingaspecialeditionwithawhoppingthreecommentariesbyfilmhistorians,includingTroyHowarthwhoI'mrapidlybecomingafanof(theyusehimalot).Theothersarefine;onefocusesmoreonwerewolfmoviesandtheotheronLugosiingeneral,butifyouwantsomethingmorespecifictothisfilmthanHowarth'sistheonetogowith.Thetransferisalsoquitenice;itlooksbetterthansomeofthegenuineUniversalonesifyouaskme.Here'shopingSFputsoutmoreoftheunder-representedflicksfromtheclassicera;Iknowthey'vebeensteppinguptheirgamewiththe1950smonstermovies(IjustgotDeadlyMantis,infact)andthey'llobviouslyalwaysbedishingoutthe70s/80sfare,butthereareanumberofinterestinggemsfromthe30sand40sthatfellthroughthecracks(orareindeedinpublicdomain)thatdeservethepolishing. Whatsayyou?…