Villian(s)  Vampire

Actor(s):  Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence, Kate Nelligan

Brief Description  Dracula (1979) is a gothic romantic horror film directed by John Badham, starring Frank Langella as a sensual, elegant Count Dracula and Laurence Olivier as his legendary nemesis, Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Rather than focusing strictly on terror, this lavishly budgeted adaptation reinterprets the classic story as a gothic romance, heavily advertised under the tagline "A Love Story". The screenplay by W. D. Richter is based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel but draws more directly from the 1924 stage play adaptation by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston—the same play that inspired the iconic 1931 Bela Lugosi film.

Plot:
The story begins on a dark and stormy night when a sailing ship carrying Count Dracula’s possessions perishes in a shipwreck off the coast of Whitby, England. The sole survivor, Count Dracula, washes ashore and is discovered on the beach by Mina Van Helsing. Taking up residence in the grand but semi-ruined Carfax Abbey, Dracula integrates himself into local society. He is welcomed by Mina's friend Lucy Seward, Lucy’s solicitor fiancé Jonathan Harker, and her father Dr. Jack Seward, who runs the local asylum. Dracula quickly drains the sickly Mina, who dies and rises as an undead vampire. When her father, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, arrives for her funeral, he realizes a vampire is responsible and identifies the Count as the culprit.

Meanwhile, Dracula sets his sights on seducing Lucy, intending to make her his ultimate vampire bride. Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, and Harker must unite to protect Lucy and destroy the dangerous vampire before he can take her back to Transylvania. Frank Langella’s portrayal completely strips away the heavy Transylvanian accent, cape-swishing clichés, and visible fangs. He plays Dracula as a lonely, charismatic, and deeply seductive nobleman driven by a powerful lust for life and love. Unlike most versions, the film skips the classic introductory sequence of Jonathan Harker traveling to Dracula's castle. The entire movie takes place within England after the Count arrives by sea.