ohmygodohmygodohmygod. It’s finally happening. After what seems like a lifetime of waiting (okay, not my lifetime but the lifetime of the format) the new Hammer Films is releasing the original 1958 version of Dracula (aka The Horror of Dracula) on Blu-ray this March. Huzzah!
While the announcement of the release and the fact that it will not only include the 2007 BFI restoration but also a new “complete” cut of the film featuring a couple of previously “lost” scenes (“Dracula’s seduction of Mina” and “Dracula’s sunlight disintegration”, to be exact) is beyond fantastic, I have to temper my excitement by reminding my self, and you, that this is a UK only release that will most likely be Region B locked. So, those of us without a Region Free or unlocked player are just going to have to wait for Hammer and Warner to make nice and release this bad boy domestically. There’s been talk of that happening. But honestly, at this rate, I think we might be better off picking up the new player and importing from Amazon.co.uk.
DRACULA (1958)
(March 18, 2013 – MSRP £17.50)
Video: 16:9 – 1.66:1 1080p
Audio: TBA
Special Features:
- Two versions of the feature, seamlessly branched on the Blu-ray – the 2007 BFI restoration plus the 2012 Hammer restoration, which adds additional footage that has been unavailable for decades
- Brand new featurettes
- New commentary track
- Multiple bonus extras
- Stills show
