Since Bram Stroker wrote Dracula in 1897, there has been many feature versions of the the infamous count, from Count von Count on Sesame Street to 1971’s Count Chocula, but there was never been a more feared vampire than Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)! Director and co-screenwriter Mel Brooks is well known for his horror comedy, Young Frankenstein (1974), but this film is in the fun tradition of Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). The story and screenplay is by Rudy De Luca, who co-wrote Life Stinks (1991) with fellow screenwriter Steve Haberman. We pan in to a green book of Dracula on a red background. The shot is accompanied by eerie music by Hummie Mann who also composed music for Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The pages turn as we see Gothic pictures of demons. This moves to the steep, misty mountains of “Transylvania, 1893.”
A carriage carries several passengers including Thomas Renfield, esq. (Peter MacNicol). The actor was known for Ghostbusters II (1989), but I know him best for his first film as Galen Bradwarden in Dragonslayer (1981). He has a tweed suit, bowler hat, and goofy smile. Renfeld is a bit queasy from the ride and the other passenger, a peasant (Avery Schreiber) goes to talk to the driver, but sees the sun setting. Schreiber was also in Men in Tights, but I recognize him from Doritos commercials for some reason. Renfeld is tossed around the carriage as the driver races the sun. They reach a village, Renfeld spills out, and he says he is headed to Volga Pass. The driver (Enzio Greggio) tosses his luggage down since it is getting dark and tells him to walk. The villagers gasp with his schedule to meet Count Dracula.
I like all of the villagers gasping, “Dracula” and the last one wondering about Renfeld’s pronunciation of “shed-uled.” I just laugh. The Innkeeper (Chuck McCann) warns him about vampires. McCann is also from Men in Tights, it’s basically the same cast. Renfeld reaches Castle Dracula, the doors open, a gigantic spider-web covers the top of the steps. Then, the terrifying form of Dracula (Leslie Nielsen) appears with the classic suit and giant beehive shaped like Gary Oldman’s count in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). Nielsen was in the sci fi classic Forbidden Planet (1956), every decade was almost a change in genre, until he went heavy into comedy with the Naked Gun series based on his comedy series, Police Squad! (1982). He meets with Renfeld and asks about Carfax Abbey. Dracula signs the papers and Renfeld gets a paper cut! Renfeld is asleep when the Brides of Dracula (Darla Haun and Karen Roe) float in.
He awakes stunned and asks them what are they doing with the furniture. Very funny. Dracula interrupts them and then uses his powers to make Renfeld his servant to protect his coffin, now he has the ghastly voice, “Yes, master” as we shift to the Demeter headed to England. The Transylvanian parts were centered on Jonathan Harkness. The storm tossed seas send Dracula’s coffin slamming into the sides of the ship, funny! Renfield, now with an insane face, tries to hold onto the coffin with great physical comedy by MacNichol. We see the London Enterprise headline about the ship and the deaths blamed on Renfield. Then, “London”, where we get the Lyceum Theatre’s production of Faust, the 1859 opera. The posh theatre crowd is below the opera box with Mina (Amy Yasbeck), Jonathan Harker (Steven Weber), and Lucy Westenra (Lysette Anthony).
Yasbeck was previously Maid Marian in Men in Tights, Weber starred in the sitcom, Wings, and Anthony, I recognize from the fantasy movie, Krull (1983). Entering the opera box is Dr. Seward played by Mel Brooks regular player, Harvey Korman, who was also in History of the World: Part I (1981). He portrays a mostly serious part as Mina’s father and the asylum director, which cuts his comedy potential. Dracula outside meets with the usherette (Leslie Sachs). He hypnotizes her to deliver a message to distract Dr. Seward and he adds for her to remember nothing. So she doesn’t remember the message, funny! Dracula notes he is the owner of Carfax Abbey next to the asylum. He is about to introduce himself when the usherette delivers the message. Funny set-up. Harker introduces him to everyone and he takes an interest in Lucy.
Later, at Lucy’s house, she looks across to Carfax Abbey, and Dracula appears at the balcony. She begins to undress her night coat and he transforms into a bat! Lucy in bed gets cold so closes the window! The bat with the count’s face is hilarious like the Bugs Bunny cartoon, “Abracadabra, I’m an Umpire!” Dracula climbs into Lucy’s room and then Dr. Seward and Harker enter looking for a prowler. Dracula is pressed against the ceiling and Dr. Seward slams the door sending Dracula crashing down! He recovers, reveals his fangs, and then throws his cloak over them! The next day at the asylum, the set is a bit reduced with effects trying to show chimneys and the sky. Renfeld is huddled in the corner of his cell. A guard, Martin (Rudy De Luca), takes Renfeld to see Dr. Seward. De Luca is the screenwriter and acted in Brooks’ movie from Silent Movie (1976).
Renfeld and the good doctor have lunch, he tries to snack on insects, with Dr. Seward trying to catch him. Not the most funniest scene, the comedy should be stronger here. Lucy is pale, still in bed, when Mina visits her. She turns to find the bruised, vampire bite marks on her neck. Mina goes to her father to get him to check on Lucy. He does with Harker assisting, she doesn’t know how she got the bite marks, and falls asleep. Dr. Seward goes to contact Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Not an incredibly funny scene, but moves the story along. At the London Hospital, a sign notes that today’s lecture on autopsies is given by Van Helsing. The professor (Mel Brooks) is there with a group of med students. He says with a German accent, that this procedure will prove they are doctors, he pulls back the sheet from the corpse, and a student faints.
He continues the procedure and more students faint. Van Helsing passed around the intestines to knock out more students. Woodbridge still stands so Van Helsing opens the skull to bring him a brain, not abby-normal! The nurse walks in to bring him the message from Dr. Seward. Dracula wakes from his coffin to see the daylight thinking he is cured. He is happy to walk through a picnic, Renfield rushes in, and Dracula starts to burn. Dracula bursts from his coffin in running model and realizes he has a daymare!, funny!, what do vampires dream? Van Helsing examines Lucy and then tells Dr. Seward and Harker that they are facing a vampire!
Van Helsing finds out from Dr. Seward’s book, Nosferatu, that they can use garlic to repel the vampire. Dracula rises from his coffin and bangs into the chandelier! Dr. Seward, van Helsing, and Harker have wreathed Lucy’s bed in garlic and go to the next room. Dracula tries to enter the room, but is repelled by the garlic. He climbs down the bars of Renfeld’s cell. Renfeld flips himself upside down to talk with his master. Dracula bends the bars and has Renfeld to go to the house. He puts the garlic garlands on himself, but peeks under the covers so she screams! Renfield is taken away by the guard. Dracula uses his power to draw out Lucy and Mina screams seeing Dracula attacking her. They find out that she died!
Dr. Seward refuses to have a wooden stake to her heart as Van Helsing suggests. He can’t wonder who could be a vampire, the servant, Essie (Megan Cavanagh) introduces Count Dracula, and Seward says he is a possibility. Van Helsing is introduced to Dracula. He asks if Dracula is related to Vlad Tepes, whom he explains killed the peasants, and Dracula says, “They had it coming.”Funny! Dracula and Van Helsing get into a duel in Ancient Moldovian, hilarious! There are memorable, comedy moments with two comedy talents, but needs a specific target like the original Dracula movie or all of them, I’m thinking the Dracula of all eras like his immortality going through time! Dracula: Dead and Loving It goes out with a laugh, it is all silly fun!
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