Nothing quite says Halloween like sitting down to watch a classic black and white monster movie. As I was growing up this was the normal tradition. I would eat these movies up like candy. Well, this past Halloween I relived the tradition of my childhood and watched a classic vampire movie with a werewolf thrown in the mix. Return of the Vampire was Columbia Picture's attempt at the monster movie of the time. And it was not a disappointment. They even managed to get Bela Lugosi the play infamous vampire character.
Originally Columbia Pictures had wanted to name the movie "Return of Dracula," but because Universal Studios owned the Dracula franchise Columbia wasn't allowed to use the name. So the film feels almost exactly like one of the Universal Dracula movies but simply has a vampire with a different name.
Originally Columbia Pictures had wanted to name the movie "Return of Dracula," but because Universal Studios owned the Dracula franchise Columbia wasn't allowed to use the name. So the film feels almost exactly like one of the Universal Dracula movies but simply has a vampire with a different name.
The story opens with the Vampire coming out of the classically foggy graveyard and attacking a woman. The woman ends up in the asylum and the doctors are trying to figure out how she lost so much blood. They invite an older and skilled doctor to investigate--the equivalent of a Van Helsing--and he reveals that there is a vampire prowling the streets of London.
The group quickly hunts down the vampire and stakes him in the heart. They quickly find out that the vampire had a werewolf under his power who was helping him out. Once released from the vampires power the werewolf becomes a normal man.
They bury the vampire in an unmarked grave and hope the story is over.
But then years later World War 2 is happening. A bomb dropped on London unburies the vampire and the stake comes out of his chest. The vampire is able to rise again and swears revenge on the woman who tried to kill him before.
The vampire reclaims his werewolf servant and they go around trying to kill all those closest to his target. Scottland Yard and the workers at the asylum must all work together to put the vampire to rest once and for all.
The group quickly hunts down the vampire and stakes him in the heart. They quickly find out that the vampire had a werewolf under his power who was helping him out. Once released from the vampires power the werewolf becomes a normal man.
They bury the vampire in an unmarked grave and hope the story is over.
But then years later World War 2 is happening. A bomb dropped on London unburies the vampire and the stake comes out of his chest. The vampire is able to rise again and swears revenge on the woman who tried to kill him before.
The vampire reclaims his werewolf servant and they go around trying to kill all those closest to his target. Scottland Yard and the workers at the asylum must all work together to put the vampire to rest once and for all.
Watching this movie reminded me why I got into horror movies in the first place. I grew up with these movies and quickly fell in love with the gothic tales of good vs. evil and right vs. wrong.
Return of the Vampire is classically gothic. It has an eerily misty graveyard, a creepy crypt for the vampire, and the foggy streets of London. But then they also mix this gothic atmosphere with contemporary set pieces and events. It includes the events of World War II into the stories classic vampire tale. This makes for a great and enjoyable vampire story.
The inclusion of the werewolf companion was also a nice touch because then we get both a vampire and werewolf in one movie. (This is similar to the appeal of movies like Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein and House of Dracula.)
Many modern day viewers will see these types of movies as cheesy and ridiculous. However, I believe that these classical monster movies are some of the best horror movies available. It is nice to remember that a good horror movie with great atmosphere and a fun story can be made without the grotesquery of overdone violence, the unneeded sexuality, and the often cringe worthy vulgarity.
Sometimes it is just nice to return to the roots of horror with the classics and remember why horror movies were great to begin with.
Return of the Vampire is classically gothic. It has an eerily misty graveyard, a creepy crypt for the vampire, and the foggy streets of London. But then they also mix this gothic atmosphere with contemporary set pieces and events. It includes the events of World War II into the stories classic vampire tale. This makes for a great and enjoyable vampire story.
The inclusion of the werewolf companion was also a nice touch because then we get both a vampire and werewolf in one movie. (This is similar to the appeal of movies like Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein and House of Dracula.)
Many modern day viewers will see these types of movies as cheesy and ridiculous. However, I believe that these classical monster movies are some of the best horror movies available. It is nice to remember that a good horror movie with great atmosphere and a fun story can be made without the grotesquery of overdone violence, the unneeded sexuality, and the often cringe worthy vulgarity.
Sometimes it is just nice to return to the roots of horror with the classics and remember why horror movies were great to begin with.
Summing it Up
Return of the Vampire is pure and simple monster movie fun. It deals with real issues of the time it was made and still manages to keep the classically gothic storytelling. It reminds me why horror movies are great in the first place. It has Bela Lugosi as the vampire and a werewolf companion by his side. If you're looking for some classic horror fun that doesn't have the gore of modern horror films then give this one a try.
Deaths: 4
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 1
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 4.5
Deaths: 4
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 1
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 4.5
To learn more about my rating system click here.