There are a few things horror movies have taught us: never have sex in a parked car, never turn your back on the supposedly dead monster, and the bigger your boobs are, the more horrific your death will be. While these may be important life lessons, there's been few educational documentaries in the genre (no, Cannibal Holocaust doesn't count). Enter In Search of Dracula, Calvin Floyd's adaptation of the best selling expose on the truth behind the legendary vampire. While it may not be high-class film making, it's never less than one hundred percent fascinating.

After the incredibly bizarre animated opening (similar in style to the opening credits of Re-Animator) we’re shown perhaps the most comforting sight we could get: Christopher Lee, in full Dracula costume, terrorizing a bosomy maiden. In one of the smartest moves Floyd could have made, he casts Lee as the narrator, as well as in a few onscreen roles. We’re given an amazing amount of background information, as well as some beautiful shots of the European landscape. If it’s one thing this documentary is, it’s very pretty to look at, with some of the shots of the Carpathian Mountains being positively breathtaking. This movie covers all the bases, giving us history of the vampire mythology across many cultures, a rather creepy segment talking about a mentally ill man with vampiric tendencies (also giving this movie its only spot of gore) and an incredibly complete biography on Vlad The Impaler (complete with a costumed Lee gracing us with his pantomime-only acting). To say the least, it’s very peculiar at times, with the barrage of imagery being a little more random and rapid-fire than your regular documentary.

Christopher Lee has become known most for his Dracula roles for one reason: like Lugosi before him, he gives an amazing amount of class to his performance that no other can match. Certainly not Gerard Butler in the awful Dracula 2000 (but then again, what could the poor guy do with THAT?) or even Gary Oldman in Coppola’s rendition (although his performance fared much better). Lee’s rendition works because he is an astonishing presence on his own, and his performances were nothing less than world-class. That’s why he is such an asset to In Search of Dracula, with his smooth narration and fun on-screen personas. The other asset is Floyd’s positively amazing direction. He uses the camera positively frantically, mixing old silent film footage (which has sound effects dubbed in, oddly enough) with his beautiful countryside photography and still frames of paintings and woodcuts in rapid-fire succession. It’s never boring, and becomes pleasantly overwhelming at times. When the final applause-inducing warning from Lee happens, with him peering at the camera over the wench’s soon-to-be-munched neck, you’re left very satisfied, but very sad to see it go.

Wellspring presents ISOD full frame, and all the important bits seem to fit comfortably. However, the stock has definitely seen better days. Colors had an irritating strobe effect at times, print damage was prevalent, and there were many noticeable dropouts and grain. Audio is mono, and sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies were dubbed over the soundtrack. It’s pretty disappointing, to say the least. Extras are as bread-and-butter as you can get: a few trailers for other movies (Including Floyd’s Terror of Frankenstein) and a slim still gallery. It would have been to have a featurette or something, but no such luck.

All in all, the DVD is a mixed bag. While the feature itself is worth the price of admission, the presentation is pretty lacking. For about 15 bucks (as little as 10 in certain retailers) you get a lot of entertainment for your money, but be prepared to wince at the quality. At least you can tell your mother you’ve watched something educational.