Undescribable Perfection

Thanks for the memories!

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Universal's 1979 "Dracula" remake has been called the Disco Dracula, which I'll agree with in a derisive sense that the filmmakers, including the director of "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), lacked an appreciation for period atmosphere--importing late 1970s fashion into the story's early-20th Century setting. There was also a disco dance scene in another 1979 Dracula film, the parody "Love at First Bite." But, the real Disco Dracula of '79 is this one, "Nocturna." It's chock-full of musical interludes and disco dancing, which is welcome if you like the music, and it's a welcome relief from what is otherwise, at best, a so-good-it's-bad type of film--or, maybe, it's just the music that's good and the rest that's bad.Dracula, himself, however, only has a supporting role here, as the grandfather of the titular Nocturna. Played by John Carradine in his fourth and last film in the role, it's a rather embarrassing part even for an actor whose last appearance as the Count was in "Billy the Kid Versus Dracula" (1966). When not complaining about his granddaughter, the old master is either complaining about how he has to earn money in the modern world (by running Hotel Transylvania), about his dentures or about the malfunctions related to his genitals common to one of advanced age, apparently, even for vampires. The rest of the cast is no better and, frequently, worse. Star, producer and writer Nai Bonet's delivery is horrendously awkward. Meanwhile, Brother Theodore, as the disgruntled werewolf servant, mumbles much of his monologues, although he does deliver my favorite bad line of the script, "If only I could get in her coffin." The acting, however, couldn't be expected to be much better with a script so heavy on exposition and characters expressing their every feeling out loud and repeatedly, even when alone, lest the stupidest person in the audience barely paying attention gets lost. The wolfman's mean-spirited monologues and Nocturna's internal narration are the worst examples. Fortunately, much of the movie is spent with only the soundtrack to listen to. Early on, there's also a nude makeout session and a bath scene complete with a werewolf peeping tom.The actual story concerns Nocturna as a lovesick vamp longing to be human, a formula that was trite even by 1979. "Blacula" (1972), its sequel "Scream Blacula Scream" (1973), and "Dracula and Son" (1976), just among the Dracula films I've seen, had already done it. And, the lovesick part alone also polluted "The Great Love of Count Dracula" (1973), the 1974 TV-movie Dracula, as well as the 1979 remake of "Nosferatu." I believe this is the first instance, however, of a vamp discovering disco as the solution for their conversion from vampirism to humanism. By comparison, I can much easier tolerate the film's flimsy animated bats synchronized with ridiculous sound effects during transformations and the mostly misfired gags concerning stereotypical gangster and pimp vamps and the BSA: Blood Suckers of America meeting where the vamps complain about diabetic blood being on the rise. Regardless, you never need to wait long for the film's next disco track.(Mirror Note: Nocturna sees her reflection and then its vanishing in a mirror on the disco floor. This convinces her that she can convert from vampirism to humanism.)

An aged Dracula (a frail, yet still lively John Carradine) has problems with money and taxes, so he has to turn his castle into a hotel in order to keep himself afloat. Meanwhile, his rebellious granddaughter Nocturna (stiffly played by the gorgeous, but hopelessly wooden Nai Bonet, who also wrote the silly story and produced this film) discovers that she loves dancing to disco music and goes to New York City to romance musician Jimmy (hunky Antony Hamilton) in the wake of falling in love with him.Writer/director Harry Horwitz keeps the blithely inane plot moving along at a brisk pace, maintains a goofy good-natured tone throughout, and provides a few inspired off-the-wall touches (blood cocaine, Dracula has lost his fangs and has to make do wearing dentures, Nocturna becomes mortal whenever she dances, and so on). While this movie suffers a bit from Bonet's painfully flat acting and awkward line readings in the lead role, the more capable and energetic supporting cast fortunately compensates for this: Yvonne De Carlo has a ball as Dracula's cheery old flame Jugulia Vein, the singular Brother Theodore hams it up deliciously as deranged and lecherous servant Theodore, and Sy Richardson contributes a spot-on sly portrayal of flashy pimp RH Factor. Cute former "Playboy" Playmate Monica Tidwell pops up in a small role as spunky disco bunny Brenda. As a yummy added plus, luscious brunette knockout Bonet smokes a joint, wears lots of fancy formfitting threads, busts some sexy belly dance moves, and, best of all, takes a steamy protracted bath. The cartoony bat transformation effects are hilariously cheesy. The funky-throbbing disco soundtrack hits the get-down groovy spot. Mac Ahlberg's garish cinematography provides a glittery Day-Glo look. A dippy hoot.

Yep, this is one BAD movie...but as others noted...strangely likable. The really difficult step in viewing and reviewing this film is finding a copy. It had one Media video release(VHS) eons ago and has been MIA for the last two to three decades. You might find a copy on Ebay but will spend a pretty penny. How did I see it finally? THANK YOU YOUTUBE! Anyway, we have Nocturna, played with beauty and an amazing lack of skill as any kind of a thespian, by Nai Bonet. Bonet's claim to fame as a half-Vietnemese and half-French belly dancer with dalliances with acting on the side has been strangely baffling. She had really no entertainment career that would merit a project like this, though one must be impressed that she found a way to make this film(and another called Hoodlums). Unfortunately for Nai, this film and the other were box office poison - and she essentially left this arena. Let's talk about what is wrong with the film quickly and then move on to what I liked. Nai Bonet cannot act. Period. Yes, English is clearly not her first language. That is obvious the first moment you hear her speak. But more than that is her total lack of displaying any kind of emotion. It was an incredibly wooden performance. Her male co-star(really stretching that word here) was equally as bad. The story, written by Nai, also borders on sophomoric tripe. It seems a very old Dracula has no longer a means to kill on his own and so relies heavily on his granddaughter Nocturna. A disco group comes to Hotel Transylvania and Nocturna kicks up her heels with some beefcake and falls in love. She follows him to New York and starts to turn into a human because of her love. Touching, isn't it? The special effects of vampires turning into bats is nothing more than really out-dated animation. It looks soooo silly even in a silly picture like this. There is an awful lot of disco music and disco dancing. What do you expect in a vampire disco film? Okay, clearly this is not Citizen Kane or even some of the great low- budget films of the seventies. It isn't Love at First Bite either. There is virtually no violence at all in the film. At its heart is a nice story - just one not very well executed. Despite all of this, I found myself liking the film overall. Nai is beautiful for a woman in her mid-to-late thirties. She looks like she is in her 20's. We get to see much of that beautiful body too. I had absolutely no problem with that at all. We also have a scene where Nai is visiting a pimp and his bevy of beautiful vampires who also share her free performance style in this regard. Actually, it was a pretty funny scene as well. The budget was obviously not huge but the film looks very good. The opening scene is quite atmospheric. The set locations were all done quite well too. The music was not all that horrible. The Gloria Gaynor opening theme, "Love is but a heartbeat away" was rather catchy. I thought the entire opening sequence was done with great aplomb. Nai was smart enough to get some names, lesser names, but names nonetheless for her film. John Carradine plays Dracula in a rather lackluster manner but he has a few intriguing lines. Yvonne De Carlo plays a vampire in New York who boards Nocturna and gives her advice. Another lackluster performance particularly in a somewhat thankless role. Both these thespians add some credibility. The other supporting players are all rather decent as well with one HUGE plus. The performance of Brother Theodore moves this picture up from being wretched to being somewhat endearing. He lusts after Nocturna and in one scene in particular(the bathtub scene) he gives one of the oddest, perverse, and hilarious monologues I have ever seen. That VOICE uttering some of the most ridiculous dialog and yet transforming it into something more. Just watch the way he rolls his eyes. So funny and creepy! I wish he had been in the film a bit more. So, check this film out while you have the opportunity. it is not great by no means yet is ... well, let me put it this way ...I would watch it again at some point.

It's a shame this movie never made it to video. Hell, you never even see it on cable! I remember seeing it at a drive-in in the summer of '79 and thinking it was great cheesy fun. If they released it on video today, it would be seen as a lost campy relic of the disco/drive-in age. It's hampered somewhat by an extremely low budget (check out those groovy cartoon transformation effects) and a few dry stretches here and there, but there's plenty of gratuitous nudity and sex (Nai Bonet may not be a great actress but she is NOT shy about showing off her terrific body!) and the script is occasionally inspired, with some great one-liners. John Carradine as an aging Dracula is a particular hoot! Worthy of cult status.