United States

Dracula remains one of the immortals of screen horror. Since his first film incarnation in 1931 in the Transylvanian shape of Bela Lugosi. he has probably put more victims out for the count than any other movie fiend - with the possible, honourable, exception of Baron Frankenstein. Since 1931. film makers have tried to find new ways of depicting the blood drinker's monstrous activities. Vampires (in the cinema, at least) have been everywhere - in space and on the campus, in girl's finishing schools and even on film sets. Zoltan... Hound of Dracula (1977) however, adds a new and highly enjoyable twist to the old formula. If you ever thought that the dog was man's best friend, you have a terrifying opportunity to change your opinion! Like all first rate vampire movies, the film begins in deepest Transylvania. Here Count Dracula's long dead servant Veidt Smit is brought back to life again when Russian soldiers inadvertently discover the Count's tomb. Smit is a man with ambition - to ensure that the noble Dracula name is carried on. And so he travels with his dog Zoltan to Los Angeles. He is determined to track down the last, exiled member of the Dracula clan, Michael Drake. and make him his new master. Things don't exactly go smoothly, though. He sends Zoltan to bite the sleeping Michael... but the man's alsatians drive the hound away. So Smit is forced to follow Michael and his family by hearse when they set off on a caravan holiday, there to have another attempt to vampirise him... The horror is well handled by director Albert Band, and the dogs themselves are as scary a pack of movie monsters as the most ardent fan could hope to find. But what makes this movie unique is a strong sense of humour which never weakens the film's horrific core. It's an ingenious new twist on the vampire story- and one that is carried out in a highly entertaining way. ALAN FRANK