Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

The film starts with a sailing ship "Demeter" in a storm in the late 19th century. Only one leaves footprints in the sand. Next we are in modern London. Van Helsing inspects an antique crossbow; its for his personal collection. The Carfax store is attacked by robbers who open the vault. The new technology falls to new tricks. Is it an inside job? Will something go wrong? Van Helsing does not want the police to investigate; he has his secrets. The robbers find what was hidden in that casket, and live to regret their crimes. Mary has strange nightmares. [The film loosely follows the original novel] A TV news team discovers something they won't see on TV.

There are surprises, terror, comedy, and action. Van Helsing explains his mission to stop Dracula. The story jumps around a bit. Some of the scenes lack credibility. The older films had a better story than these special effects. [Don't those firearms violate British laws?] Writers who modify classic works are seldom as good as the originals. Will those historical records provide a clue? Will Mary seek shelter in a cemetery? Revelers party in strange costumes at Mardi Gras for drama. [Are you getting tired of this movie?] There is a final surprise ending. It's a shame that all that money produced such a poor film. Special effects are no substitute for a good story.

Make no mistake, this movie is imperfect, odd and cheesy. In other words, it's a pure guilty pleasure. Sit back and enjoy it. Plus, it's got Jonny Lee Miller and Gerard Butler to look at, and Justine Waddell is a unique choice for the lead role (she hails from BBC fare such as Wives and Daughters and Tess of the D'Urbervilles).