|
Billy the Kid vs. DraculaRating:
Release Date: 01 July, 2003 Retail Price: $12.99 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: |
Billy the Kid vs. Dracula Reviews
There is a Reason John Carradine Called This His Worst Film
What's that smell, you ask? It very easily could be this piece of cheese. John Carradine frequently referred to this as his worst movie, and although it is very poor in all ways, it is at least watchable unlike many of his other films such as 'The Astro-Zombies', or his very worst, the appalling 'Frankenstein Island' (in which he only plays a shrieking apparition.) Therefore, on balance, I have to respectfully disagree with John.
In this film, such as it is, John plays Count Dracula who makes an appearance in the old west at a ranch supervised by Billy the Kid. Dracula spends a good part of the film as a bat flying around on a string wearing a top hat. When he is in his vampire form as John Carradine, he goes by the name 'Mr. Underhill' and also wears a top hat and a very creepy beard similar to the one sported by 'Him' on 'The Powerpuff Girls.' John, never a handsome man, has on this ridiculous red makeup and fake mustache and beard set which reminds me more of a wacky European dictator from the 1920's than Count Dracula. There is also a German couple who advance the plot by first spotting the vampire for who he really is. They then take to hanging wolfsbane everywhere (I'm no expert, but I thought that protected against werewolves, but I digress.) The old woman "doctor" finally performs the mirror test on John; when he can't see his reflection he growls like a wounded badger, as he knows that the game is up. Shatner has nothing on Carradine in this movie. At any rate, John poses as the uncle of Betty, Billy's love interest, and bites a couple of women and kills some sheep (offscreen) in his bat form. All this leads up to Dracula trying to make Betty his vampire bride, which Billy with the help of the Sheriff and a local doctor try to prevent. I won't give away the ending, but I will say that Billy needs to be briefed on how to use a gun, as his technique proves a bit novel in the fateful encounter.
Some reviewers evidently had difficulties with their DVDs. Mine worked fine, played the movie from start to finish without difficulty, and even showed a couple of shorts at the beginning, including one of Julie Andrews explaining the then new MPAA symbol that predated the rating system.
This movie is not as wholly wretched as you might think from the title, and so for that I deducted two stars. I expect anything with John Carradine to stink, and given John's own repulsion with this film, I thought it would be the true bottom of the barrel. It isn't; there are many, many worse John Carradine vehicles to explore. This one is pretty tame and inoffensive, but mostly just plodding and boring.
buyer beware
This DVD isn't very good. I like the movie, but this DVD could have been better. It has that DVD-R feel to it;no extras, no widescreen, no subtitles, no language-options, no commentaries, no trailer... just looks like an old VHS tape was transfered to DVD. The version AMC plays looks a lot better. The first 4-5 minutes won't play. The last minute or so is missing (they cut the words "the end"). This must be an, uh, "unofficial" DVD. I hope to see a much-better copy someday, but until then I'll keep this one. I will say the color-sleeve is beautifully designed.
More Customer Reviews (4 total)
© 2004, 2005, 2006 DVD Booty | Don't Plunder Our Cache of Booty, Matey!
Hosting made possible by donations from Credit Card Debt Detective, The Faxless Payday, and Payday Loan Online Help
