The main highlight of Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 2 Blu-ray box set is its 3-disc presentation of the 1976 French comedy DRACULA AND SON (originally titled DRACULA PERE ET FILS). The film is not only shown in a restored, uncut condition, it is also the recipient of several worthy extras. The notorious American re-edit of the film is also included, along with a CD of the original soundtrack.
DRACULA AND SON begins in Transylvania, 1784, where a stately vampire, referred to as The Count (Lee of course) kidnaps a young beauty (Catherine Breilliat) in order for the woman to bear his child. The new wife and mother's lack of experience as a vampire soon causes his death, while the Count grows frustrated over trying to bring up his milquetoast son, named Ferdinand, as a proper vampire over the many decades. In the late 20th Century, the Count and son (Bernard Menez) are forced out of their ancestral castle by Romanian communists. The Count winds up in England, where he becomes a star of vampire movies, while Ferdinand struggles to make a life for himself as a poor immigrant in France. Father and son are reunited, but they both fall for the same woman (Marie-Helene Breilliat), who happens to resemble the Count's long-ago wife. The two men begin to quarrel, as Ferdinand starts to question his "life" as one of the undead.
The first thing I need to point out about DRACULA AND SON is that not once during the original version of this film is Lee's character ever referred to as the Dracula. Lee maintained over the years that he most assuredly was not playing Dracula in this film...but in the extras on this Blu-ray those associated with the production speak as if Lee was portraying Stoker's famed vampire. It's up to the individual viewer whether Lee is Dracula here (I personally think he isn't).
I also don't think that it really affects the film whether Lee is Dracula or not. Either way, he's playing a very different kind of vampire than his Hammer Dracula, with a very different look and approach. Lee's vampire in DRACULA AND SON is an Old World romantic, charming and aristocratic. Lee looks magnificent in this film (this Count is a very sharp dresser, whether it be the 18th or 20th Century). He handles the comedic aspects of the story wonderfully, especially the more subtle ones--but Lee is also still able to pull off a "walking into a doorway" gag that would make Moe Howard proud. Despite the funny business, Lee effectively uses his commanding presence when he has to. DRACULA AND SON has to be considered one of Lee's best performances and showcases, especially in the context of what he was doing in the late 1970s, when he got very few chances to present his true worth as an actor.
I had never seen DRACULA AND SON in any version before this Blu-ray, and it turned out much better than I expected (this is the original uncut version of the film I'm referring to). It's not a Mel Brooks-like gag-fest--the humor is more witty than obvious. Ar times the comedy doesn't work, especially for an English-speaking audience. The movie flattens out when it focuses on the hapless Ferdinand, and it loses steam toward the end--it feels as if it has run out of things for the Count and his son to do. The beginning of the story, set in 18th Century Transylvania, is actually as atmospheric as any "serious" Hammer vampire film. DRACULA AND SON was directed by Edourd Molinaro, who is best known for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES.
Bernard Menez does a decent job as Ferdinand, but the script makes his character such a dweeb it's hard to be very interested in him (and it also doesn't give him much of a chance to make any impression when appearing in the same scene as the majestic Lee). Ironically Menez was in another French vampire farce, the absolutely horrible TENDRE DRACULA, starring Peter Cushing. Having sisters Catherine and Marie-Helene Breilliat play the two loves of the Count's existence was a clever casting decision.
Severin gives the original uncut restored version of DRACULA AND SON its own disc, with a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The visual & sound quality is superb. The original French dialogue track is included, with Lee effectively speaking that language, along with English subtitles. There's also an English track, with Lee's voice. The problem with the English track is that everyone else in the cast wind up with plain, flat American voices. I believe the best way to appreciate the film is through the French dialogue track.
A second disc includes the American re-edited version of DRACULA AND SON. This version is one of the most egregious examples of a movie being butchered for English-speaking audiences. The American version is twenty minutes shorter, and several scenes have been moved around or reworked...but worst of all, this cut features a truly terrible dub track that is filled with all sorts of ridiculous corny dialogue and "jokes". Needless to say, Lee's voice is not featured on this version. Whoever provided the voice for Bernard Menez in the American re-edit seems to be doing a Don Adams impression, for whatever reason. The disc with the American version also has a German credit sequence as an extra, and a TV spot for the re-edit which sums up how silly this version is. One may wonder why Severin even bothered to include the American version of DRACULA AND SON, but it shows that the company went all out to add as much material on the film as possible--and, experiencing the American version at least once makes you realize just how awful it actually is.
The third disc is a CD of Vladimir Cosma's quirky music score for the film, and a track listing is included in the disc case.
The first disc of this DRACULA AND SON Blu-ray contains a ton of extras. There are two new audio commentaries. One features Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons. They both appreciate DRACULA AND SON, but they also point out the film's deficiencies, while discussing the state of Christopher Lee's acting career at the time. I have to point out that Rigby uses several French names, titles and phrases during the talk, so much so that maybe the commentary should have come with subtitles for ordinary guys like me. The second commentary is by Kat Ellinger.
The extras also have a new interview with Bernard Menez (who enjoyed his experience with DRACULA AND SON) and a talk with filmmaker Patrice Leconte, who discusses his relationship with Claude Klotz, the man who wrote the novel on which DRACULA AND SON is based. Leconte barely mentions the film, except toward the end when he states that he doesn't like the vampire genre.
There's also a 1976 interview with Claude Klotz, and a 1979 audio-only talk with Edourd Molinaro. Ironically both men seem unimpressed with DRACULA AND SON. A trailer for the original French version is also included. Finally there's a very short talk with Christopher Lee, in costume, on the set of DRACULA AND SON. Lee tries to convince the interviewer that he's been in very few horror films (yeah, sure). Both Blu-rays in this set are Region A.
Severin's Blu-ray release of DRACULA AND SON is a must-see for Christopher Lee fans. It gives a proper showcase for one of Lee's best overall performances, and it also provides plenty of extras to give context to it. If you are only familiar with DRACULA AND SON through its pathetic American version, this Blu-ray is a must-see as well--the uncut French version is the true way to experience this film.
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