Own the rights?
10 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Bark at the moon..., 6 June 2005 Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada
Also known as "Zoltan, Hound of Dracula" (the DVD title).Grim, if not altogether effective, cheap little B-horror film where the Russian Army (most of whom don't have Russian accents, by the way) unearth the tomb of Dracula and his kin. Among the corpses are Veidt Schmidt (Reggie Nalder), the half-vampire servant of the original Dracula, and Schmidt's faithful Doberman Zoltan, who was turned into a vampire himself once upon a time.Schmidt and Zoltan are resurrected, and head for America to locate Dracula's last living descendant, family man Michael Drake (B movie veteran Michael Pataki), followed by Van Helsing wannabe Inspector Branco (Jose Ferrer).Zoltan sinks his teeth into the necks of the Drake family's dogs, including one puppy (now THAT's hard to watch), creating a little family of blood-sucking demon canines.Nalder, who proves that he doesn't need a makeup job to look really creepy, and Ferrer are dependable, distinguished actors who give this admittedly minor-league horror movie a little bit of professionalism, while veteran director Albert Band does what little he can. The gore is by future Oscar winner Stan Winston, in one of his earlier gigs."Dracula's Dog" is not really scary, but as a dog lover I found it hard to stomach. I found myself caring more for the canine co-stars than any of the human actors. That whole business with the puppy is really unnerving (it leads to an open ending that I find to be saddening and spooky).One sequence, with Pataki trapped in a car and besieged by the killer canines, works as a precursor to "Cujo".The film isn't really that GOOD, but I must say that I didn't come away unaffected. At least it offers a minor twist on the usual vampire saga.6/10
10 out of 11 people found the following review useful: An unintentional hoot., 4 February 2003 Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England
Depending on your country of origin, there are two titles by which you might know this film. In the U.S. it's called Dracula's Dog, which just sounds silly. In the U.K it's called Zoltan Hound of Dracula, which just sounds crap. Quite fitting, really, since crap and silly are perfect adjectives for this film!The story concerns some Russian soldiers who dig up a tomb containing descendants of the Dracula family, including a coffin occupied by a dog. The dog comes to life and, with a servant friend, makes its way to America in search of the last living Dracula ancestor, Michael Drake.The story is unintentionally funny throughout. The cuddly puppies that are supposed to be terrifying spring to mind as a perfect example of everything that's wrong with the picture. The actors give wretched performances, clearly more interested in collecting their pay cheque than the material they've been given to work with. Ferrer in particular should be ashamed of himself for slumming his talents in such a banal project. Dracula's Dog is a dog of a movie, hilariously awful from first minute to last, and one of the few films that truly must be seen to be disbelieved.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Down, boy…good Zoltan!, 25 February 2004 Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls
Oh my…I can't believe they actually made a film out of this silly theme! I was really wondering whether it would as foolish as the title leads you to suspect. Apparently, you don't need any writing skills if you're working with Albert Band. I know, respect the dead and stuff (Albert Band recently passed away, in 2002) but he and his son Charles made, wrote and produced an awful lot of bad horror and sci-fi films in their lifetimes. Visualize the cheesiest and silliest image that pops up in your head, and you've got an idea what The Hound of Dracula is about! There really is a DOG buried in a coffin with a wooden stick through his heart and he comes to life! He's controlled by a half-ling – a vampire who can stand daylight – and together, they search for the last ascendant of Count Dracula since they need a new master. In short, Veidt Smith is some sort of `Renfield' and he lets his dog do all the dirty work. Hold your breath…it becomes even better! They raise a whole army of Vampire dogs…how about that?! The Hound of Dracula is filled with bad acting, uninspired twists and lame scenery. Even the killing scenes aren't bloody enough to bother. Most of the time, it just looks like a hilarious comedy or a sadistic spoof but the only problem is…they didn't intend it to be funny! My only respect in this pile of rbage goes out to dogs themselves and to the people who trained them! They did a good job and surely deserved a better screenplay to work with.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Dracula Goes to the Dogs!, 13 June 2006 Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC
Cheaply made horror film from the 70's that is surprisingly better than you might initially expect. The film opens in Romania as soldiers uncover the underground tomb of the Dracula family. A soldier pulls the stake out of a puffy sheet in an opened casket and is soon bit to death by a giant of a hound(A Great Dane I believe). This is Zoltan and he soon pulls the stake out of his master - not Dracula but his servant - and the two begin a trek to the United States to turn the last surviving family member into their undead master. On the heels of these two is Inspector Branco who is well-versed in vampirism and folklore. Anyway, the two follow the Drake family to the woods where they camp and soon all hell breaks out as Zoltan begins to infect all the canines around. The plot sounds ridiculous - and it is, but it strangely works as reasonable entertainment. The actors are all decent with Jose Ferrer lending cachet and clout as Branco. He does a fine job bringing some much needed credibility, though I must confess seeing him drive in a convertible in black slacks, a black turtleneck, and a black beret is something not to be missed. The odd servant is played by none other than Reggie Nalder who just looks evil and up to no good. Throughout the movie he commands Zoltan telepathically. The rest of the cast is serviceable as well. Michael Pataki is believable as the last member of Castle Dracula and even plays the count in a flashback sequence. The dogs do a good job and the director Albert Band, despite a lack of any sizable budget and some real poor lighting, creates just enough suspense and tension to keep this dubious project somewhat afloat. Don't expect any real scares, but there are a few scenes that are well-shot: the dogs attacking the small rented cottage and the dogs attacking the car are just a couple to mention. I saw the denouement coming early in the picture, but is was pretty neat any way. The special effects are nothing really more than the eyes of the vampiric dogs glowing. A fun, bad film from the only decade where something like this could and would have been made.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Scared the crap out of me as a child, 27 December 2004 Author: Jorge Vidal Wulff from Chile
Alright, I've been reading the comments for this movie and I must say everyone here agrees this movie is really a piece of crap.But, like other guy said, I also saw this movie late at night when I was about 8~9 years old and it really scared the hell out of me, I couldn't even watch for more than 10 minutes without freaking out and leaving the room (only to come back a few minutes later). Maybe now, as an adult, I would laugh at this movie, but the first impression is what you remember. I remember being as scared with this as I was with Nosferatu (1979) (Damn, kinski was a horrible vampire!) I want to see Dracula's Dog again, but I can't seem to find it anywhere...
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: juvenile horror schlocker, 17 August 2003 Author: bukakkefriedchicken from fabulous Las Vega$!
"Zoltan", a canine sidekick of a Renfield-type vampire, is probably pretty scary for a sensitive 6-year-old. As for the rest of us, it's chuckles galore watching this pathetic drive-in trash from the Crown International archives. This has no qualities whatsoever, except for unintentional humor, but makes for perfect "Chiller Theater" type viewing for youngsters on late Saturday-night sleepovers. 2/10.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Woof, 13 August 2000 Author: acidxian from Haddonfield, IL
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I am sitting at my computer in a daze. I have just finished watching a film called "Dracula's Dog". This is not the kind of film that you could watch and not discuss with someone, IMDb readers, you are my shoulder to cry on for the next few minutes.The plot goes like this: soldiers in Russia are blasting with dynamite and accidentally uncover a tomb. This is no ordinary tomb, readers, it is a "Dracula" tomb, although the foolish soldiers who leave one of their own behind to "guard" the tomb all night do not realize this. Surely they would have known what tragedy might befall this man had they realized it was a "Dracula" tomb they have opened (although the tombs are clearly marked, and they see that among others, Count "Igor" Dracula was laid to rest (?) here.) But no matter...in no time at all, a diabolical dog is unleashed, as well as one Veidt Smith, a man that we later learn is a sort of non-vampire: apparently immortal, but without the craving for blood that marks your typical vampire, or the restrictions to avoid sunlight under penalty of death. This alone raises an interesting concept. I mean, why would vampires continue to make other vampires, doomed to live in darkness and drink blood, when the Veidt Smiths of the world get to roam around carefree AND get to live forever? Seems like a bum deal to me.But don't think about that. Veidt and the dog, after dispatching the unlucky tomb guard, leave the crypt just as it conveniently collapses. See, they are servants of the Dracula family, enslaved by one of the clan many years ago. They need a new Dracula to serve or they will die (a detail that was obviously overlooked by Veidt in the fine print of his immortality contract). Funny, instead of just plucking a stake from any number of skeletons in the tomb (which this movie proves is a surefire way to revive a staked vampire), instead they decide to take the long way around and seek out the last living Dracula descendant, plotting to vampirize him so that they will have a new master to serve. Why this man is not already a vampire anyway, being a Dracula and all, is never made clear.The dog's name is Zoltan, and Veidt can apparently communicate with him via telepathy (he talks a lot without opening his mouth, so either they are telepathic or Veidt is also a talented ventriloquist). Veidt's cover is blown by two nosy officials, Major Hessel and Inspector Branco. They, along with the superstitious locals (who still like to dress as if they are movie extras) live with the everyday reality of vampires. After efficiently burning the bodies of the Dracula clan from the collapsed tomb, they pinpoint Veidt's empty coffin and second-guess his fiendish intentions, but Gad...did they have to discuss the exact address of Michael Drake, the last living Dracula, while Veidt was lurking in the shadows???Veidt and Zoltan, with Branco close behind, are soon off to America, where Michael Drake is about to leave with his family for a nice camping trip. They have two German Shepherds who have just had a cute little puppy (the litter was apparently the smallest ever), and they cart the kids and the dogs off to a part of the wilderness that is sufficiently isolated enough for just the right amount of threat to occur. Veidt and Zoltan follow them to their vacation spot, driving an understated black hearse no less, and they are just waiting for the right moment for the canine cadaver Zoltan to sink his over-sized canines into Michael's neck.What follows is a number of vampire clichés with a canine twist. Zoltan's eyes glow white almost all the time, except when they are uniformly black, that is. The insidious plot to undo Michael and his family involves the rallying of several other formerly friendly dogs who have been vampirized by Zoltan (the "puppy-rises-from-the-grave" sequence is NOT to be missed). Dragged into the plot are a hapless wanderer who stumbles upon the dreaded hearse of Veidt Smith, and two amiable fishermen who are so laid-back that they don't even feel threatened when their dog goes ballistic and takes off into the woods suddenly in the middle of the night.The plot's contrivances come crashing down like fallen trees about every ten minutes or so, with the characters reciting expository dialogue that assumes we are too stupid to predict the plot ourselves (we aren't). The film's intent is to get Branco and Drake together in an even more isolated cabin (no, nothing indecent is going on) so that they can be threatened by the pack of vampire dogs by moonlight (a full moon that never shrinks, even after about four nights!).Will Michael give in to his bloodsucking family tradition? Will Veidt finally get the facelift he so desperately needs? Will Zoltan finally get that trip to PetSmart he's been dreaming about (thank God they're open 24 hours)? "Dracula's Dog" dares to ask these questions and others that none of us ever thought we would be faced with.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: What a dog, 11 February 2007 Author: Tim Hayes from Perth, Ontario, Canada
This is one of those film's that you just have to laugh at. The filmmakers' intentions are in the right place. They really do try to make the proceedings terrifying. It's just that there's not a lot to work with here. The dogs are supposed to be scary and while the scenes where they are on the attack have an urgency to them, its just hard picturing these pups as anything but cute and cuddly. Throw in some glowing eyes and really bad fangs and you have the recipe for disaster. The story revolves around some soldiers who accidentally uncover the tomb of Dracula and unleash his servant and dog upon the world. The pair travel to America to find his last living descendant and serve him. Unlike Salem's Lot, Reggie Nalder plays the servant this time instead of the master. All in all this is just one dog of a film.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Cheesy vampire dog feature, 20 January 2007 Author: slayrrr666 (slayrrr666@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles, Ca
"Dracula's Dog" is a rather defining film that really stakes up the cheese factor.**SPOILERS**Unearthed in a tomb in Romania, Veidt Smith, (Reggie Nalder) a half-man/half-vampire servant to Count Dracula, and Zoltan, Dracula's dog, are resurrected and find themselves the last remnants of the family. Discovering that the last remaining member is Michael Drake, (Michael Pataki) a surgeon living in California with his wife Marla, (Jan Shutan) and kids Linda, (Libby Chase) and Steve, (John Levin) they travel to America to find them. Uncovering their plans, the Romanian government sends Inspector Branco, (Jose Ferrer) to stop the pair but all three discover the family is out on a vacation in the woods. Catching up with them on their trip, Branco and Michael take on the vampiric family to avoid becoming the next victims in a long list of corpses left in their wake.The Good News: Of course the real star of the show here would only be the titular Zoltan himself. Fitted out with glowing eyes and ludicrously over-sized fangs, the dog often looks amusingly nonplussed with what is meant to be going on around him. He is certainly one multi-talented dog, however, as he drags heavy looking coffins out of crypts, removes stakes with his teeth and provides several other highly impressive stunts that come off as very well done and give it a certain amount of menace. It's no surprise that the best moments involve the dog. One minor plot point really makes it watchable and saves the film. During the initial dog/Dracula flashback, our title hound snacks on a random puppy. The poor pooch is found and, since his undead status is unclear, he gets buried. As the ground moves and the infant German Shepherd squeals it's way through the background, we get the classic scene from the time-honored monster movie tradition of the creature crawling out of the dirt. Naturally, it's a tiny little bundle of oatmeal-scented love, and it's absolutely hilarious. It adds to the cheesiness of the movie, as does a later scene, after the carnage is completed and all seems right with the world. We are treated to a return of the vampire puppy, and his closing shot a full close-up of jagged teeth, eyes glow with demonic glee and a Hell-spawned snarl, is another certified scene-stealer. It's aces and is quite cheesy. The house-siege scenes do have some quite tense moments, as the ethereal howling from the dogs in the background and their frantic assaults to get in anywhere they can in the house, come as close to horror as this film gets, and the several attacks do build up the tension quite nicely. There is one really excellent blood-letting scene, where a fisherman is savagely mauled by the dogs, and the bloody remains are given quite a nice look after-the-fact. But otherwise, this was just a giant cheese-fest.The Bad News: This here is quite simple. It all depends on how much the plot points stack up in the cheese stakes. There's quite simply too many to name, from the inherent stupidity of the soldiers early on who discover the corpses, to the reanimated corpses who spend the majority of the time simply staring at others, while the servant gazes at the dog who hypnotically stares at the other dogs in the area. The ludicrous situation that the film comes to, which has the dog army invade a small barricade set-up to stop them, to the events that proceeded them, are just plain cheesy, and there's no getting around them. The amount of cheese that can be absorbed from a film will be about equal to how much you can find wrong with this one, as it's the only factor that really seems off in this one, but it's still a major one.The Final Verdict: Full of cheese, this would fit right in with the 80s with it's tone and style, and for the right kind of person, this can be a really pleasant guilty pleasure. It's not that terrible, but it's still immensely cheesy film that will not really appeal to those outside of that mind-frame, so take heed with this one.Rated R: Violence and some Language
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Hilarious Horror Film, 18 August 2006 Author: alexpolstonforex (alexpolstonforex@yahoo.com) from United States
This film is great. Dog lovers should get a kick out of this movie. Seeing Zoltan lick his chops after biting both humans and fellow dogs is worth a chuckle or two. The Reinfeld-type character is probably the ugliest human being I have ever seen. Michael Pataki, seen in many more horror films such as "Grave of the Vampire" puts in another B-movie "performance." Jose Ferrer is simply there to pick up a paycheck. The dog that plays Zoltan is the second best actor in the movie. Overall, if you don't expect too much you won't be let down. Definitely a gem in the "so bad it is good" genre. Check it out while downing a few beers. You might enjoy it.
Add another review
