Steineded How sad is this?

Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Verity Robins Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Sam Panico There are lost movies because pieces of them have been lost, such as the original ending of Hammer's Horror of Dracula, and lost movies because they should remain lost. Such is the case with Son of Dracula.Directed by Freddie Francis, who was at the helm for The Evil of Frankenstein, Dracula has Risen from His Grave, Tales from the Crypt and Doctor and the Devils and produced by Apple Films, this is a film that seems like a great idea. This seems to be an ongoing theme with films that I pick to cover here.Ringo Starr wanted to be in movies, which explains why he produced and appeared as Merlin the Magician. Yes, that Merlin. So here's where Ringo is, well, Ringo. He played on Harry Nilsson's Son of Schmilsson in 1972, which was inspired by horror movies. A few months later, Ringo invited Nilsson to be part of this film. You — as well as Nilsson — would assume that that album would be the reason. And the answer is nope. Ringo never bought the album he played on and had no idea how close the themes were to his proposed movie.Nilsson was on the top of his game as this movie was being lensed, thanks to songs like Coconut, Without You and Jump into the Fire. He was also growing closer to John Lennon, becoming part of the notorious Hollywood Vampires gang that would go out and well, never come back home ( In fact, Nilsson was present for much of Lennon's "lost period."). Some claim that Nilsson was the craziest of the bunch and seeing as how this club included notorious partiers Alice Cooper, Ringo Starr, Micky Dolenz, John Belushi, Marc Bolan, Keith Moon, and Joe Walsh, that's high praise indeed.If you have any question as to the drinking power of the Vampires, there's still a plaque at the legendary second home of Lemmy, the Rainbow on Sunset, that proclaims that the loft belongs to them.So let's add it up. Well regarded horror director. One of the Beatles on board. And one of the top pop singers in the starring role. How could things go wrong?Oh how spectacularly this films goes off the rails. Read more at http://www.thatsnotcurrent.com/look-back-son-dracula-1974/

MARIO GAUCI To begin with, several people involved in this ill-advised and little-seen venture – a fusion of Gothic horror and rock music – have connections with other films featuring some of the monsters who appear in it: Freddie Francis helmed the likes of THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1964), Dracula HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968) and LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF (1975); Suzanna Leigh had been the heroine of LUST FOR A VAMPIRE (1970); Freddie Jones had appeared impressively as the creature in FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED! (1969); Dennis Price did an extended cameo in THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN (1970) and, for Jess Franco, played Van Helsing in VAMPYROS LESBOS (1970) and the Baron in Dracula – PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN (1971) and THE EROTIC RITES OF FRANKENSTEIN (1972)! In retrospect, other contemporary films attempted this formula – namely PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974) and THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) – with considerably more successful outcomes.Personally produced for Apple Films by ex-Beatle Ringo Starr (who here appears as Merlin, the famed magician of Arthurian times!), the title role – which comes equipped with a lame pun on the character’s name, Count Downe! – is filled by singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson decked-out with a hirsute look and, understandably, his performance is a pretty bland and completely forgettable one (a good thing, therefore, that the film-makers’ original plan to have David Bowie in the lead didn’t pan out!). Nonetheless, Nilsson does get to perform a number of good tunes during the course of the film (though stymied by the poor sound quality of the edition I watched!) including “Without You”, which has become perhaps his most representative song; among the session musicians one can also recognize other popular figures of the era such as guitarist Peter Frampton and drummer Keith Moon! By the way, Mrs. Michael Caine (Shakira Baksh) also appears as Merlin’s feline housekeeper.Culled from a worn-out VHS – in which dark scenes come off as extremely blurry – and slightly damaged to boot, as I said, the version of SON OF Dracula that came my way proved far from ideal viewing. Still, the film itself is a bit of a mess anyway: Dracula Snr., depicted as a Max Schreck lookalike, is killed by Jones’ Baron Frankenstein – the villain of the piece, with evil dwarf Skip Martin for an assistant; Price, on his last legs, turns up as Van Helsing (the film, in fact, was clearly shot in 1972 but released after his death) and Leigh is his luscious secretary – who attracts Nilsson’s amorous attentions…so much so that he decides to renounce his vampiric ways (except that with it goes his claim to immortality!); however, this occurs at a most inopportune time – as several monsters have been convened in order to crown him their overlord (a title which Frankenstein actually covets himself)!Unfortunately, the plodding film resolves itself in a number of tedious conversation scenes – between Dracula Jnr. and Merlin, between Merlin and Frankenstein, between Frankenstein and Van Helsing, etc.; the resolution, then, sees a happy ending for the Count and his companion – while Frankenstein’s well-deserved come-uppance is amusingly delivered over a game of pool by Merlin’s own hand. In the long run, the mournful ballads work better within the context of the narrative than the rollicking numbers – “Without You”, for instance, serves as background to the demystification/humanization of Young Dracula (a title, incidentally, by which the film’s equally well-known and which got changed presumably as a nod to Mel Brooks’ spoof of Universal’s Frankenstein saga from the same year). By the way, this SON OF Dracula shouldn’t be confused with the stylish 1943 outing of the same name Robert Siodmak made for Universal during the heyday of classic monster movies…

Fred I'm giving this a "six" because anybody who seeks out this movie will know, more or less, what he or she is getting into. The Nilsson songs do work with the melancholy of this plot: Dracula's son, who was conceived with a non-vampire woman, wants to cease being a vampire so he can experience love. Nilsson's performance isn't demonstrative and I found his remoteness appropriate. Ringo was a wizard in MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR and he's Merlin here. He's not emoting incredibly, but he is playing a comic role straight, and this, too, works for me. (By the way, check out THAT'LL BE THE DAY, in which Ringo plays a down-and-out Holiday Camp musician. It is truly a serious performance. Also, consider the part in A HARD DAY'S NIGHT with Ringo walking by the river, throwing sticks and kicking stones. He can act when he wants to.) The other actors deliver the archaic dialogue in almost classical style. Again, there is a melancholy to all of this. It is nowhere near as self-conscious as most deliberately extreme movies. The reason for this is that the director, Freddie Francis, born in 1917, had been directing for many years and had a lot of experience. There are some really interesting camera angles. The plot is nuts, but the filming is almost hallucinatory. At one point one of the mad doctors is in his office and the camera backs up to show a portrait in oils, in a gilded frame, of what appears to be the Frankenstein monster in a three-piece suit. There's a close-up of it a minute later and it resembles the Kaiser. I had a grainy copy of this movie and am wondering if the painting was one of these optical-illusion things people used to put on their walls (such as the one where, at first glance, you see people sitting at a table with candles and another look reveals a giant skull) or if the grainy quality of the DVD made me see it wrong. Even if I was wrong about it being the Frankenstein monster, I am amused at the fact that a picture of the Kaiser is on the scientist's wall in a movie taking place in 1974. (And Frankie DOES appear later on.) Yes, it's sub-par. But there's a certain genius in it nonetheless. And the music is sweet.

mayday61 This was one badly acted movie. I think everyone can agree to that, but I loved it!! I still do. I saw it as a young teenager (3 times). My friends and I were probably the only ones in the theater. It's probably more nostalgia than anything that makes me give it such high marks, but I just can't forget this movie. It had comedy, it was a love story, and it sort of fit in the horror genre (perfect movie fare for teenagers). There is a lot of great music in this video-Harry Nilsson's "Without You" for one. He may not have written the song, but no one can sing it like he does. The song is hauntingly beautiful, a perfect song for the love story aspect of the movie.I recommend it to anyone who can appreciate a bad movie with a lot of incredible music. It may not be great, but I found it unforgettable.