Starring:
Jason Scott Lee as Father Uffizi
Jason London as Luke
Roy Scheider as Cardinal Siqueros
Diane Neal as Elizabeth Blaine
Alexandra Westcourt as Julia Hughes
Rutger Hauer as Dracula
Special Features:
Alternate Ending
Deleted Scene
A Conversation WIth Patrick Lussier On The Mythology Of Vampires
A Conversation With Special Makeup Designer Gary J. Tunnicliffe
Cast Auditions
Original Treatments
Trailers From DRACULA 2000 & DRACULA II: ASCENSION
Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Patrick Lussier, Producer Joel Soisson, and Special Makeup Designer Gary J. Tunnicliffe
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.35:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“More horror-filled terror in the modern Dracula series presented by Wes Craven, Dracula III: Legacy adds Rutger Hauer (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The Hitcher) to a hot returning cast starring Jason Scott Lee (The Jungle Book), Jason London (Gring, Out Cold) and Roy Scheider (Jaws). The feared Dracula (Hauer) leads vampire hunters Father Uffizi (Lee) and Luke (London) back to eastern Europe and a country plagued by civil war. There they discover powerful local warlords are assisting Dracula by capturing victims and delivering them to feed the vampires residing in Dracula’s castle! And to make matters worse, Father Uffizi must face his own temptations as he struggles to overcome the vampire virus within himself! With sizzling stars, a riveting story and stunning special effects, this suspense-filled thriller will satisfy anyone with a taste for terrifying entertainment!”
Dracula III: Legacy is rated R for vampire violence, language, and nudity.
The Movie:
For some reason I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Dracula II and Dracula III. Both have been better than I expected and somewhat enjoyable for a horror B-movie. I suppose my expectations were so low that it couldn’t help but seem good. Dracula III is a solid horror / adventure and it features our favorite vampire slayer, Father Uffizi, tracking down Dracula in Eastern Europe with his new sidekick, Luke. The filmmakers can’t do much with a low budget, but they do manage to get a lot of bang for their buck.
The concept of hordes of vampires fighting rebels in Eastern Europe is pretty cool. A scene where vampires descend down a cliff face and surprise the rebels was quite memorable. I wish they would have pursued this storyline with the rebels a little more. A lot of the action with Uffizi battling the vampires is quite cool as well. It’s your standard fare from the previous movies where he slices and dices them with his scythe, but it’s still entertaining. None of it is particularly scary, but it does make a decent action / adventure.
Dracula III: Legacy does have a number of problems. For example, in one scene a bunch of vampire circus performers attack our heroes. Yes, you heard that right. I never thought I’d see a vampire on stilts, but it’s in this film. Fortunately those vampires are dispatched quickly and the movie continues on. And as much as I like Rutger Hauer and his past films, he doesn’t make a terribly intimidating Dracula in this movie. He has a decent fight scene with Father Uffizi, but otherwise he’s unremarkable.
If you liked the previous Dracula movies, then I think you’ll find this one worth checking out. It’s a bit different in tone and content than its predecessors, but it delivers similar action and thrills.
The Extras:
There are a few bonus features included on this DVD:
Alternate Ending In this alternate ending, our heroes walk happily off into the sunset rather than their darker fate which occurs in the final version of the film. To be honest, I think the ending in the final version offers up more entertaining possibilities for a sequel.
Deleted Scene There’s only one deleted scene offered here and it features Luke and Uffizi getting a flat tire on their way to Dracula’s castle. It’s not terribly exciting.
A Conversation With Patrick Lussier On The Mythology Of Vampires This is an extremely brief video where a guy talks about the real life vampire legends. He discusses some of their lesser known powers and the ways to defeat them.
A Conversation With Special Makeup Designer Gary J. Tunnicliffe Tunnicliffe, who also has a small role in the film as a cameraman, talks about the various effects he used in the movie. He talks about spraying blood on people, his contact lenses freezing in his trailer, and other trials and tribulations while filming.
Cast Auditions Four of the secondary cast members are shown auditioning for the roles in this sequel. It’s interesting to see them in their street clothes trying out for the parts.
Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Patrick Lussier, Producer Joel Soisson, and Special Makeup Designer Gary J. Tunnicliffe This is your standard commentary featuring tales from the set, anecdotes about filming overseas, and more.
The Bottom Line:
If you liked Dracula II, then you’ll probably enjoy Dracula III as well. While it is still a low budget B-movie, it offers up an entertaining plot.
