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Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Film and the Legend
Includes the complete shooting script, excerpts from the original novel, more than 160 photos and drawings, showing the brilliant costumes, evocative sets, and historical antecedents; features on director's innovative methods, the technical challenges, the film's literary and historical links; a Dracula filmography and bibliography. 160 illustrations including 100 in color. The Newmarket Pictorial Moviebooks, official companions to films, large format (8 3/8 x 10 7/8), heavily illustrated throughout, with color photographs, details on the making of the film, background on the filmmakers and cast.
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 1897
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About the author
Francis Ford Coppola
69 books74 followersFrancis Ford Coppola is a five-time Academy Award-winning American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Coppola is also a vintner, magazine publisher, and hotelier. He is a graduate of Hofstra University where he studied theatre. He earned an M.F.A. in film directing from the UCLA Film School. He is most renowned for directing the highly-regarded Godfather trilogy, The Conversation, and the Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 2, 2024
One of my favorite books of all time. It is a gorgeous book I have on my coffee table. And yes, my copy is over 30 years old, battered but still intact.
I was a little kid when the film was released. I had not seen other classic Dracula films such as the ones starring Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee yet.
It forever changed my life and part of my coming of age as an outsider when I saw a film that depicted Dracula, played by in a starmaking Gary Oldman performance that is part camp, truly seductive, and terrifying when he’s playing parts of Dracula’s scarier incarnations. Look out for the big beehive buns he for hairdos!
I was obsessed with Eiko Ishioka’s iconic, sexy and strange costumes:
Each character had their own motifs: Dracula’s of Dragon and Leaves, Mina of Leaves, Van Helsing of Pale Gold and Yellow Spots, Harker of Plain black and bowler hats, Lucy of Snakes, Seward of suspenders and rolled up sleeves, Holmwood in dashing vests, Quincey has Leopard Spots and the giant knife, Dracula’s Brides with gorgeous pale gold and jewelry, and Renfield’s insect like strait jackets.
Standouts include Dracula’s immortal caftan imprinted with Klint’s The Kiss, his blood red cape, his sunglasses as he galavants around London.
Other amazing standouts in costume lore are:
Lucy (Sadie Frost- where are you?!) wearing her iconic lizard frilled wedding gown, her sexy orange nightgown; Renfield (Tom Waits) wearing a strait jacket looking like a centipede, Winona Ryder’s flame red gown, and green riding outfit- I could go on and on.
Yes as an old man now who’s watched this movie more than 50 times in a lifetime, James V. Hart’s script is wooden, quite maudlin, and loosely based on Stoker’s immortal novel.
But it’s the photos of the production, costumes, and actors that make this book a must for all Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula fans. And it’s wonderful to know that the film won three Oscars at the 1992 Academy Awards, including Makeup and Costumes.
It’s fun to see Anthony Hopkins tackle another doctor character after his Oscar winning turn as Hannibal Lecter: campy Van Helsing, Keanu Reeves, is wonderfully awful- hearing him attempt a British accent is completely earnestly charming Keanu!
Lucy’s men: Richard E Grant as a sexy Dr Seward, Cary Elwes as dashing Lord Holmwood, and Billy Campbell as the big Texan with the BIG knife- are all immortalized because they starred in this daring and innovative film that used costumes and set pieces.
The haunting music composed by Wojciech Kilar also takes its place as a center piece. I believe it’s one of the most haunting film scores of all time, and sad it was not nominated for an Oscar. From the booming sounds of a cello, to the iconic lyrical motifs illustrating Dracula and Mina’s love affair, Lucy’s sinister and sexy theme, and the excitement of the Vampire Hunters.
Its spare set and production design that relied on matte drawings, miniatures, and puppets to create a world without CGI.
It’s Coppola being grand, weird, and positively a showman of a director using all of his genius as a technical director that ran with a specific, fun and unnerving film.
I was a little kid when the film was released. I had not seen other classic Dracula films such as the ones starring Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee yet.
It forever changed my life and part of my coming of age as an outsider when I saw a film that depicted Dracula, played by in a starmaking Gary Oldman performance that is part camp, truly seductive, and terrifying when he’s playing parts of Dracula’s scarier incarnations. Look out for the big beehive buns he for hairdos!
I was obsessed with Eiko Ishioka’s iconic, sexy and strange costumes:
Each character had their own motifs: Dracula’s of Dragon and Leaves, Mina of Leaves, Van Helsing of Pale Gold and Yellow Spots, Harker of Plain black and bowler hats, Lucy of Snakes, Seward of suspenders and rolled up sleeves, Holmwood in dashing vests, Quincey has Leopard Spots and the giant knife, Dracula’s Brides with gorgeous pale gold and jewelry, and Renfield’s insect like strait jackets.
Standouts include Dracula’s immortal caftan imprinted with Klint’s The Kiss, his blood red cape, his sunglasses as he galavants around London.
Other amazing standouts in costume lore are:
Lucy (Sadie Frost- where are you?!) wearing her iconic lizard frilled wedding gown, her sexy orange nightgown; Renfield (Tom Waits) wearing a strait jacket looking like a centipede, Winona Ryder’s flame red gown, and green riding outfit- I could go on and on.
Yes as an old man now who’s watched this movie more than 50 times in a lifetime, James V. Hart’s script is wooden, quite maudlin, and loosely based on Stoker’s immortal novel.
But it’s the photos of the production, costumes, and actors that make this book a must for all Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula fans. And it’s wonderful to know that the film won three Oscars at the 1992 Academy Awards, including Makeup and Costumes.
It’s fun to see Anthony Hopkins tackle another doctor character after his Oscar winning turn as Hannibal Lecter: campy Van Helsing, Keanu Reeves, is wonderfully awful- hearing him attempt a British accent is completely earnestly charming Keanu!
Lucy’s men: Richard E Grant as a sexy Dr Seward, Cary Elwes as dashing Lord Holmwood, and Billy Campbell as the big Texan with the BIG knife- are all immortalized because they starred in this daring and innovative film that used costumes and set pieces.
The haunting music composed by Wojciech Kilar also takes its place as a center piece. I believe it’s one of the most haunting film scores of all time, and sad it was not nominated for an Oscar. From the booming sounds of a cello, to the iconic lyrical motifs illustrating Dracula and Mina’s love affair, Lucy’s sinister and sexy theme, and the excitement of the Vampire Hunters.
Its spare set and production design that relied on matte drawings, miniatures, and puppets to create a world without CGI.
It’s Coppola being grand, weird, and positively a showman of a director using all of his genius as a technical director that ran with a specific, fun and unnerving film.
December 19, 2016
Some years ago, while I was learning to write screenplays, a group of us hopefully future Oscar Winners got together with a group "leader" to study the script and other elements of the story, the film, etc. Two things: 1) the movie was better than the script and 2) when you have a great director and great cast and set designers, and great costumes, etc., on top of a good script, you're probably going to wind up with a very good movie. But still, the foundation of any film is the script. Congrats to all those writers out there who have had a script made into a movie! I enjoyed this book, lots of interesting elements, but only in the movie did everything come together successfully.
September 11, 2021
Absolutely gorgeous! I learned so much about the making of one of my favorite films and the artwork is glorious.
October 12, 2024
While the majority of this book is the complete screenplay from the movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula" accompanied by a lot of full color stills, it also includes historical sidebars about Vlad Tepes, Bram Stoker's book, and various theatrical and cinematic adaptations over the years. Also details on costume and set production, special effects, interviews with actors and production team members, concept art, storyboards, and excepts from the original book. Interesting. Good balance of material. 3.5 stars.
March 10, 2017
Dieses Buch habe ich als Teenie mehrmals aus unserer Provinzbibliothek ausgeliehen - wahrscheinlich sogar bevor ich den Film überhaupt gesehen habe. Offensichtlich habe ich auch das ein oder andere abgedruckte Szenenbild abgemalt - letztens beim Aufräumen bin ich nämlich über diese Bilder gestoßen und habe mich dabei an dieses Buch erinnert bzw. an dessen Existenz.
Wie auch der Film ist das Drehbuch eher durchwachsen bis an falschen Stellen hölzern. Trotzdem mochte ich es als Teenie und mangels Auswahl und Videothekenleihkarte war es ein Ausblick auf die große, weite und bis dahin nicht erreichbare Welt des Filmes und des Buches für mich.
(Ich war 14 und bekam weder Filme ab 16 noch gewisse Bücher aus der Bibliothek - obwohl die Angestellten dort schon öfters ein Auge für mich zugedrückt haben)
Wie auch der Film ist das Drehbuch eher durchwachsen bis an falschen Stellen hölzern. Trotzdem mochte ich es als Teenie und mangels Auswahl und Videothekenleihkarte war es ein Ausblick auf die große, weite und bis dahin nicht erreichbare Welt des Filmes und des Buches für mich.
(Ich war 14 und bekam weder Filme ab 16 noch gewisse Bücher aus der Bibliothek - obwohl die Angestellten dort schon öfters ein Auge für mich zugedrückt haben)
May 13, 2010
If you were intrigued at how this masterpierce was put together by Francis Ford Copolla, then this book is for you. Complete with the history of the story, actors who played the characters and the director. Photos are priceless as well. You won't find them anywhere in the internet.
April 9, 2018
EXCELLENT NOVEL AND MOVIE. DRACULA SHOULD HAVE STAY A PRINCE AND GOT WORD TO HIS BELOVED MINA, THAT HE SURVIVE HIS CRUSADE, AND SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER JUMP TO HER DEATH, WHICH STARTED HIS REVENGE FOR HER LIFE, BY TURNING TO THE DARKNESS OF VAMPIRISM!!!!
September 17, 2024
This book was different to the movie, but the same if that makes sense
I loved this, 4.5 stars
I loved this, 4.5 stars
February 24, 2018
Some interesting insight into the making of the film but too much filler and for such a gorgeous luxurious movie they could of used better quality photographs.
March 4, 2011
This is ravishingly illustrated, fascinating making-of-book about mistitled but cinematically splendid Bram Stoker´s Dracula, featuring James V Hart´s script, and short but interesting notes of sets, costumes, characters, artistic influences, vampires in folklore and cinema and, of course, Stoker´s novel. There is some mistakes - vampires before 1922 Nosferatu walked happily in sunlight and Stoker´s vampires were created by bite, not victim drinking vampire´s blood - yes, Dracula forces Mina to drink his blood but it is for a) to torment her and b) to tie still living Mina for him stronger. Still, this is worthy celebration of sumptuous, brilliant, and endlessly creative movie, where blood is most gorgeous you have seen, and sex is equally stylized.
Unfortunately, grime comes in moral sense. Hart´s script and thus whole film create sadly fashionable pity party to Vlad Tepesh, abusing of mentally ill - which admittedly comes more or less from Stoker´s novel - is never criticized and Stoker´s characters are raped. Cast is superb, but Dracula as Mina´s lover, virginal heroine Lucy as hard-boiled nymphomaniac and vampire-hunters as "bad guys" are something which insult both Stoker and his novel. It also adds unnecessary - and unintentional - touch of misogyny to the proceedings, with "too feminine" English rose Lucy as "whore who deserved it" while Stoker shows her death as tragic.
So brilliant book, brilliant movie, but total misnomer. 4,5/5.
Unfortunately, grime comes in moral sense. Hart´s script and thus whole film create sadly fashionable pity party to Vlad Tepesh, abusing of mentally ill - which admittedly comes more or less from Stoker´s novel - is never criticized and Stoker´s characters are raped. Cast is superb, but Dracula as Mina´s lover, virginal heroine Lucy as hard-boiled nymphomaniac and vampire-hunters as "bad guys" are something which insult both Stoker and his novel. It also adds unnecessary - and unintentional - touch of misogyny to the proceedings, with "too feminine" English rose Lucy as "whore who deserved it" while Stoker shows her death as tragic.
So brilliant book, brilliant movie, but total misnomer. 4,5/5.
June 3, 2019
It's my assumption that most people don't read books like this, they just skim through the pictures and call it good. Well I'm here to tell you I read this beauty cover-to-cover, and it not only provided a wealth of information of behind the scenes info, it offers up a lot more.
Did you know Winona was just 19 when she brought the screenplay to Francis? Did you know Roman Coppola is responsible for all of the in-camera visual effects/transitions? There is so much more to the book than just pretty pictures...
Now for the technical stuff...perhaps those responsible for putting this book together also assumed no one would really bother to read the thing. It is unfortunately clumsy with typos, errors and many ill-placed words. There is even a glaring misprint within the first two paragraphs!
But I can forgive it it's flaws because it is an excellent companion to one of my very favorite films, and should not be missed.
Did you know Winona was just 19 when she brought the screenplay to Francis? Did you know Roman Coppola is responsible for all of the in-camera visual effects/transitions? There is so much more to the book than just pretty pictures...
Now for the technical stuff...perhaps those responsible for putting this book together also assumed no one would really bother to read the thing. It is unfortunately clumsy with typos, errors and many ill-placed words. There is even a glaring misprint within the first two paragraphs!
But I can forgive it it's flaws because it is an excellent companion to one of my very favorite films, and should not be missed.
March 7, 2014
This is a glorious, glossy volume! Actually, one of my favourite books I own!
Filled with beautiful movie imagery, storyboards, detailed costume designs, sets, the complete script, interviews, anecdotes, all reproduced on the highest quality paper, this book is an absolute delight!
I just wish all of my favourite films received this kind of treatment!
Filled with beautiful movie imagery, storyboards, detailed costume designs, sets, the complete script, interviews, anecdotes, all reproduced on the highest quality paper, this book is an absolute delight!
I just wish all of my favourite films received this kind of treatment!
July 31, 2017
Sumptuously illustrated, gloriously self-indulgent mockery of the novel, just like the movie. Not necessarily for the fans of Godfather films and Apocalypse Now. (I vaguely remember reading - and hating - a sleazy Mafia fantasy by Mario Puzo, but I don´t remember which book?)
December 22, 2011
it was really hard to read for me....i love vampire books, and i really wanted to read the original, but i just couldn't.
February 8, 2019
Invaluable resource for anyone as in love with this film as I am.
June 15, 2020
Exactly lwhat it says on the tin--it gives lovely little tidbits about the making of the film and interview sound bites from director and actors and crew members. This film is one of my favorite horror/gothic films and it's such a pleasure to read about behind-the-scenes decisions that contributed to the unique final product.
November 25, 2018
Beautiful pictures and fascinating insights into the making of the film. A true love story of the artist and his creation.
October 18, 2020
Very good audible book
October 27, 2021
My favorite book.
November 5, 2023
Reading the shooting script is fascinating. Lots of production and background notes.
April 27, 2008
Yep, loved the movie so much I have this book! hee hee
May 20, 2009
Vampires are my favorite reading material. Dracula is positively my favorite book of all times. On a scale of 1 to 10. A 10 and then some.
June 15, 2010
Not quite the same ending as the book, however it was still a good movie-
July 28, 2011
Some great visuals of the costumes and props in here. The movie could have been better but visually it was wonderful.
February 1, 2017
i absolutely loved this book i am going to get it for myself it is basicly like the movie in book form the movie with Winona Ryder in it
July 10, 2009
Love never dies...
April 17, 2013
one hell of a love story
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews