...He who is doomed to wander alone in darkness. ...He who is condemned to destroy even those whom he loves.

Starring: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor, Walter Ladengast, Dan van Husen, Jan Groth, Carsten Bodinus, Martje Grohmann, Rijk de Gooyer, Clemens Scheitz

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Death is not the worst. There are things more horrible than death." - Count Dracula

Why watch this? This version of the Nosferatu legend is a true work of gothic art.

Plot Summary: Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to finalize a real estate deal with the mysterious Count Dracula. Dracula, captivated by a photograph of Harker's wife Lucy, purchases a property in Harker's hometown of Wismar and journeys there, bringing with him a plague of rats and death. Lucy becomes aware of the sinister nature of Dracula and strives to end the reign of terror he unleashes upon Wismar.

Dad's Preview: Where the original Nosferatu (1922) presented the vampire as an emotionless creature, director Herzog gives us a man wracked by the torture of eternal life, ever searching for anything that can make him feel again. As in previous collaborations with Herzog, Kinski gives a masterful performance. He emanates weariness. When vampire brings the plague rats to London, the terrified townsfolk easily give up, hosting a banquet of madness, harkening back to the days of the ravaging Black Death. It's glooming, visually stunning, and oddly romantic. Again, we see that Bram Stoker's original vampiric vision is an excellent metaphorical vessel for art.

Werner Herzog Filmprod., Gaumont, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen;
20th Century Fox