Dracula Dead and Loving It 1995 is a fang-tastically hilarious Mel Brooks comedy with a cast that truly bites into their roles, writes WILLIAM BOVE
TITLE: Dracula: Dead and Loving It
RELEASED: 22 December 1995
DIRECTOR: Mel Brooks
CAST: Leslie Nielsen, Peter MacNicol, Steven Weber, Amy Yasbeck, Lysette Anthony and Harvey Korman
Review of Dracula: Dead And Loving It 1995
Among all the Mel Brooks movies, it’s hard to choose just one comedy that stands out above the rest.
For me, it’s Young Frankenstein. It’s the best classic horror comedy that he has done. The only one to rival it is Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Its comedy and creativity are unmatched.
Knowing who the cast is just makes you laugh right off the bat. Their body of work is a non-stop cavalcade of hysterical moments, riotous laughter, and never-ending hilarity. Few actors can blend slapstick, improv, and bawdy humour as well as this cast does, seemingly with little effort.
There is something alive that comes through them so naturally that you can’t help but laugh as soon as you see them on the screen. We have Leslie Nielsen (Dracula), Mel Brooks (Professor Van Helsing), Peter MacNicol (Renfield), Steven Weber (Harker), Amy Yasbeck (Mina), Lysette Anthony (Lucy), Harvey Korman (Dr. Steward), Mark Blankfield (Martin), Megan Cavanagh (Essie), Darla Haun (Brunette Vampire), Karen Roe (Blonde Vampire), and Anne Bancroft (Gypsy Woman).
The opening credits of the movie feature an array of beautiful Gothic images. The illustrations feature a gargoyle, Vlad Dracul, fallen angels and damnation, two depictions of “The Nightmare,” and female vampires preying upon the living, specifically men. The images are savage, beautiful, dark, sinister, and supernatural, detailing a rich spirit of Gothic horror and romanticism. We cannot help but be delighted by the horror and terror of it all, our senses falling in love with destinations and situations our souls long for… always.
Now without any further ado…the comedy. One of the funniest cameo scenes in the movie is the village scene at the beginning, with Anne Bancroft as the gypsy (Romani) woman who interacts with Peter MacNicol (Renfield). Urging him to take the cross to protect himself against the forces of darkness in Transylvania, but he just won’t take it.
As the hints keep missing Renfield, Anne Bancroft, already so funny with the character, gets fed up with Renfield and his Victorian niceties and says, “Dammit, just take the cross.” Her frustration and action in the moment are just so funny. As is her vocal reverberation that pokes fun at the Romanian accent. And it doesn’t stop as she walks away. The reverberation continues even when she’s off-screen, and Renfield begins to say something. Anne Bancroft cuts in right on cue with the same noise once again.
The movie never misses an opportunity, taking every chance to squeeze in a joke. With comedic genius and patented Mel Brooks style, as only he can do, it uses existing jokes to segue into even bigger and better jokes with absolute brilliant improv that never stops. Every scene is so dramatic and funny that it just leads into the next.
The original Dracula has so much over-the-top dramatic fuel that Mel Brooks did not have to search far to find so much comedy gold. The movie is just filled to overflowing with it, and we are all so thankful for the flood, drowning in it till our sides split, hoping to catch our breath just enough so we can laugh even harder, hoping like hell the next laugh won’t be our last.
The major actors in the movie are artful in creating laugh after laugh, with one hilarity after another. The laughs are slapstick, clever, obvious, situational, and bawdy. The bawdy ones are some of the best. I have two favorites in this category. Lucy finds Jonathan in the cemetery, seeking to seduce him.
One of the funniest things in the movie is how it makes fun of Victorian conservatism and how it relates to sex and seduction. Lucy’s vampiric advances leave Jonathan with only a defensive reply of, “But Lucy, I’m British.” Lucy backs off, presenting her breasts in a heaving and wanton manner, replying, “So are these.” It’s a riot. It’s so simple and subtle in that the actress doesn’t need the whole scene to make it killer funny. Just the situation. Which is what’s so perfect about the moment. It’s unforgettable and very quotable, two great hallmarks of any movie.
The second scene is when Renfield is in Dracula’s castle, and the female vampires come in to seduce him. They approach him, say nothing, and begin to straddle the furniture, rubbing themselves against the bedposts like cats in heat. They climb on the bed and do the same to Renfield. Peter MacNicol protests in fervent Victorian repression about how wrong it all is, then shouts, “Wrong me, wrong me. Wrong my brains out.” It’s the most hilarious thing. I will never forget this movie moment.
Mel Brooks is as spectacular as ever in this movie. His talent never falls short and finds ways to improve upon itself, especially with gems like Young Frankenstein and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. If you have not seen either of these movies, take the time and treat yourself to both.
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