Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Cineanalyst
I've been seeking out a bunch of Dracula movies since reading Bram Stoker's novel. After viewing this Spanish B-picture, "The Great Love of Count Dracula," it's clear to me that I've looked too far. I've seen other vampire movies that aren't Dracula movies, per se, but still rework similar themes from Stoker, from the unauthorized adaptation of "Nosferatu" (1922), to the WW2-era "The Return of the Vampire" (1943), to the blaxploitation "Blacula" (1972). "The Great Love of Count Dracula" has a character named Dracula, but nothing else to do with Stoker, and it doesn't do anything interesting beyond blood and nude breasts--and blood on nude breasts. Besides the lesbian licking scene, there's not even that much more nudity than can be found in the mainstream 1992 "Dracula," either, for instance. And, blood splatter hasn't been uncommon in vampire films since the Hammer series began in 1958.I watched the terribly-dubbed English-language version. It includes a lot of voiceover narration in the later part, to try to explain the nonsense on screen, which includes whipping, using blood as a kind of ready-mix solution for a vampire skeleton (which is similar to Dracula's resurrection in Hammer's "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" (1966)), chained female vampires screaming under sweltering sunlight and other outrageous spectacles. Between this schlock are pathetic artsy attempts with scenes involving black-and-white photography, negative-looking images, slow-motion and reverse-motion photography. At least all of this is preferable to the exposition-heavy opening scenes, where characters tell much of the story rather than showing it. We learn, for instance, that it takes place after Van Helsing and company allegedly killed the Count, and that they're going to a Seward-like sanitarium since abandoned. I'm still not sure why there are four women with one man comprising the travelers... well, OK, I do know why, but I don't recall them explaining it within the story. Anyways, their carriage breaks down, and the film turns into an old-dark-house type of horror movie before the weird voiceover-narrated stuff starts happening.Dracula is portrayed by a short and stocky man--an oddity that's even pointed out by one of the ladies, who says she prefers her men tall and slender. Apparently, he's weak now, and he needs the voluntary love of a virgin--or something--to regain his powers. Dracula sets animal traps for some reason. Vampires have laughably white-painted faces. Dracula kills all of them, including some drawn-out fist fights with the other male vamps. Then, when the virgin rejects him, he performs hara-kiri on himself with a wooden stake. An exasperatingly-extended crosscutting sequence between sunrises and Dracula's decomposing face/skull, which is essentially a rip-off of Hammer's type of effects, plays us out.The Van Helsing-authored book in Dracula's library is probably the closest thing to something intelligent in this film, although other vampire films have had a vampire book, authored by Van Helsing or not, within their narratives.(Mirror Note: Dracula's lack of a reflection is revealed through a mirror shot in one of the film's numerous make-out scenes.)
HumanoidOfFlesh
In "Count Dracula's Great Love" Paul Naschy plays legendary vampire Dracula.The legend says that he is still lurking in his castle in the middle of nowhere.Four buxom ladies decide to spend the night at the old castle which most recently was used as a sanitarium.Quickly the passengers fall prey to Count Dracula.But Count falls in love with Karen...Javier Aguirre's "Count Dracula's Great Love" is a trashy and sleazy piece of Eurohorror with plenty of nudity and grue.The shots of white mists and dense forests are wonderfully atmospheric and the macabre mood is very sensual.Paul Naschy is memorable as Count Dracula/Dr.Wendell and he plays his evil character with gusto.8 sensual vampires out of 10.
preppy-3
A bunch of beautiful women get stranded near a castle one night. Naturally Count Dracula (Paul Naschy) lives there and attacks them all. However he falls in love with one and gives her a choice to live as his lover for all eternity...or death. At least that's what I could make out.I saw the dubbed American print. To make it even worse I caught it on TV late at night so it was edited to pieces. Naschy (an old pro at this) was good and there were a few good scenes--Dracula and his female vampires walking down a hall ready for a night out and the ultimate fate of the female vampires. But, aside from that, this was VERY confusing, made next to no sense and all the violence and sex was completely cut out! Also Naschy was showing his age when he made this one. He looks far too old (and heavy) to play Dracula. I've heard the uncut print is MUCH better so try to seek that out. This version gets a 1.
udar55
With Paul Naschy's passing, I've decided to bust out his features I own but have never watched. This is sort of a semi-sequel to Dracula as the main characters mention the likes of Jonathan Harker and Mina. Dracula (Naschy) moves into an old sanitarium and adopts the geeky name Dr. Wendell Marlow. Dinner arrives at his door in the form of 4 hot young ladies and their male companion when their carriage loses a wheel. This will work out great for ol' Drac because he needs a virgin to resurrect his dead daughter. Pretty atmospheric, this sees Naschy giving another unique turn as a classic monster. Director Javier Aquirre knows how to build the mood with nice slo-mo and smoky passageways in a huge country estate locale (watch for anachronistic water pipes in their pool). Aquirre teamed up with Naschy again a few years later for HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE, one of my favorites. What surprised me the most about this film was the ending, something I don't think has ever been done in a Dracula film before or since. See, Dracula is truly in love and, rather than resurrect his daughter, he commits suicide by driving a stake into his own heart. Now that is truly a tragic romance angle that you won't see in TWILIGHT.
