Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula chronicles the fascinating rise and fall of one of horror's most recognizable on screen character icons, Bela Lugosi. Although best known as the infamous bloodsucker Dracula courtesy of Universal's classic monster series, Lugosi as an actor was actually so much more. Hollywood's Dracula chronicles Lugosi's impressive career from stage to the silents to the talkies and then back again. I found the documentary to be a quite honest portrayal of the man's life and at times very sad as well.

Through vintage film clips and interviews with friends and family (in and out of the industry) we're given a brief insight into the lives of one of the most enigmatic horror stars of yesteryear. Although many will associate Lugosi solely with the character of Dracula, they may fail to realize that he brought many characteristics of his own to the role that ultimately made him famous. Some of these characteristics are still used to this very day in conjunction with the portrayal of the Dracula character (these are characteristics that were not in the original story mind you). Lugosi was the first to portray Dracula as a suave hypnotist, and Lugosi's dreamlike use of his hands to lure his victims into his web was a first as well.

It was Lugosi's refusal to accept the role of Frankenstein (because it was a non-speaking part) that ultimately led to his spiraling downfall (and an ongoing feud between Lugosi and Boris Karloff). There were a few ups along the way as well, but it seems that Lugosi's refusal to play that part at that particular moment in time hindered what should have been his catapult to super stardom once and for all. Periodically returning to stage and screen and making numerous in person appearances Lugosi's star began to fade into the 40's. Ultimately, Lugosi wound up accepting roles in a few of Ed Wood's "schlock-fests" before his untimely death. To this day Lugosi has not been forgotten and has practically joined the ranks of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe as a pop culture icon.

Holywood's Dracula is a wonderfully interesting if not all to brief account of Lugosi's life. While self-proclaimed Lugosi experts aren't likely to find anything new here, those interested in a lesson in Lugosi should find this DVD to be very informative. The quality of the DVD varies considering the multitude of source materials. Overall the DVD is well mastered and the B&W scenes fare well. There is really no evidence of artifacting; this is a quality transfer from start to finish.

Audio quality varies as well, once again considering the multiple sources used to pull it all together it's certainly no surprise. Audio is presented mono and is quite crisp and clear. While some of the archived scenes may exhibit a bit of background noise this is to be expected. Video and Audio quality come together for a great presentation of this highly entertaining documentary feature.

Extras include about an hour of additional footage. We're treated to about 12 deleted scenes that were cut from the original documentary. Many of which are longer versions of segments that remained in the film. Next up are 6 clips including film and TV excerpts. Also included is a vintage interview with Lugosi, longtime friend Richard Sheffield and documentary filmmaker and author of no less than 3 books on Lugosi Gary Rhodes (also the writer and director of this very documentary). Last up is an interview with Lugosi's widow Hope Lugosi that runs just under 10 minutes. This interview has got to be seen to be believed and is well worth the admission price all on its own. Unfortunately a play all feature was overlooked in the extras section so after each clip you'll have to manually choose the next one. Also included on the disc is a brief text essay that gives us a bit of history about the documentary itself. As an added bonus, there is an awesome audio CD (approx. 75 minutes long) that accompanies the DVD. The CD has some vintage radio clips, interviews and more. This is an incredibly neat addition to an already impressive package.

I cannot recommend this DVD enough. Complete with its impressive extras and audio CD accompaniment this set is easily worth much more than its $20.00 price tag. Offer this disc up as a treat before you watch your next horror movie when your friends come over, or enjoy it on your own when you're fed up with all of the E! True Hollywood Stories crap-o-ramas. Either way you can't go wrong and it's sure to please.

For more info or to order you can visit the official site at LugosiDVD.com.