Dracula (1931)
What's even left to say about this movie? There's a reason it became the iconic portrayal of Bram Stoker's Count and hasn't left the public consciousness in over 80 years.
Great as Bela Lugosi is in the title role (and he is!) my favorite performance is Dwight Frye as the maniacal Renfield. He's just so fantastically unhinged that it almost seems like the movie can't contain him, like his madness is bound to ooze off the screen and into your life. The crazier he gets the more fun he is to watch and hoo boy does he get crazy.
The movie is a bit stagy and creaky, but that's to be expected and adds to the charm. Lugosi's suave menace is captivating even when he's not doing the whole hypnotic stare thing. Also, it's only a little more than an hour long so you've really got no reason not to visit Castle Dracula at some point this Halloween season. You don't even have to bring any wine, he never drinks it.
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