All the Dracula talk put me in the mood, so I checked out one adaptation I've never seen before and one I haven't seen in a while.
Day 7. Dracula (Spanish version) (1931)
Day 8. Count Dracula (1977)
For anyone who doesn't know, the Spanish version of
Dracula was filmed on the same sets as the Lugosi movie, and using the same script. The Spanish cast and crew would come in and shoot at night after their English counterparts finished for the day. What's really interesting about it is that, between the different sensibilities of the two directors and the slightly more permissive nature of the Spanish market, this version of the movie is often thought of as the superior of the two. At least from a story perspective. The last act in particular is hugely improved, but the whole thing just makes a little more sense in this version.
Count Dracula was a BBC movie. I saw it once, was unimpressed, and mostly forgot about it. Watching it again, and paying closer attention to the fidelity of the adaptation, it really does edge out the Coppola movie as the closest to the book. But it's also dull as dishwater. All the right ingredients, none of the flavor.