| Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse | |
| Director: | Leigh Scott |
| Producer: | David Michael Latt Paul Bales David Rimawi |
| Starring: | Thomas Downey Rhett Giles Christina Rosenberg Eliza Swenson |
| Music: | The Divine Madness |
| Cinematography: | Steven Parker |
| Editing: | Leigh Scott |
| Distributor: | The Asylum |
| Runtime: | 90 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse (also known simply as Dracula's Curse) is a 2006 horror film by The Asylum, written and directed by Leigh Scott. Despite featuring Bram Stoker's name in the title, the film is not directly based on any of his writings or a mockbuster to the 1992 film Bram Stoker's Dracula, but shares similarities to films such as , Dracula 2000, and Van Helsing. The film also shares some similarities with the 1971 Hammer horror film Countess Dracula, which also features a Dracula-esque femme fatale in the lead role.
The film takes place in an unidentified city (presumably New York City) in the modern day, and follows the characters of Rufus King (Thomas Downey) and Jacob Van Helsing (Rhett Giles), both of whom have been observing recent attacks on young teenagers in the city at night. Van Helsing correctly identifies that the attacks are being carried out by a group of vampires residing in the city. The vampires are led by a foreign seductress named Countess Bathory (Christina Rosenberg), who hopes to use the humans to feed her growing vampire clan and to eventually seize control of the city, while at the same time using her growing power to gain the powers of "the Master". Discovering Bathory's plan, Van Helsing and King begin to hunt down and destroy the vampires one by one, until they finally face the Countess herself and try to kill her once and for all, before her evil consumes the city and allows Dracula's curse to consume the human race.
Critical reaction to Dracula's Curse has been mixed to positive. Scott Foy of Dread Central wrote, "Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse isn't a bad movie. If you're looking for a vampire film cut from the same cloth as or the short-lived TV series then you'll probably dig Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse, but you'll need to have a little patience."[1] Patrick Luce of Monsters and Critics said, "Although at times some of the acting is a bit stiff and the special effects are a bit lacking, Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse ... is still packed full of enough gun fights, sword fights and vampire action to deliver a 'popcorn' rollercoaster ride of a fun movie."[2]
Trash City's review stated, "Though falling some way short of perfection, if you liked Hellsing (the anime) or Ultraviolet (the Brit-TV show), then this will probably still be of interest, and is entertaining as such. But if your tastes run more to the fast 'n' furious style of vampire cinema which Hollywood currently prefers, then it's likely less recommended."[3] Horror DNA's review said, "[It's] the best movie The Asylum has to offer. ... Scott has crafted something slick in Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse. It is a perfect starting point for those wanting to delve into the low-budget world."[4]