Zoltan, le chien sanglant de Dracula

Depending on your country of origin, there are two titles by which you might know this film. In the U.S. it's called Dracula's Dog, which just sounds silly. In the U.K it's called Zoltan Hound of Dracula, which just sounds crap. Quite fitting, really, since crap and silly are perfect adjectives for this film!

The story concerns some Russian soldiers who dig up a tomb containing descendants of the Dracula family, including a coffin occupied by a dog. The dog comes to life and, with a servant friend, makes its way to America in search of the last living Dracula ancestor, Michael Drake.

The story is unintentionally funny throughout. The cuddly puppies that are supposed to be terrifying spring to mind as a perfect example of everything that's wrong with the picture. The actors give wretched performances, clearly more interested in collecting their pay cheque than the material they've been given to work with. Ferrer in particular should be ashamed of himself for slumming his talents in such a banal project. Dracula's Dog is a dog of a movie, hilariously awful from first minute to last, and one of the few films that truly must be seen to be disbelieved.

Awesome 70's B Grade horror. It pretty much has everything from the campy vibe, the synth scores, the right ending, and more. I liked the directing style as well. Anyone who likes B grade horrors from the 1970's should look out for this, it underrated that's for sure. Just don't expect great acting, well not at the start anyhow.

Blending the vampire and creature feature themes, Albert Band's "Zoltan" is a haunting filmscape canvassing Dracula's faithful undead servant Veidt Schmidt (Nalder) and bloodhound named Zoltan, awoken from their eternal slumber to locate Dracula's last known descendant (Pataki) and restore the undead dynasty. Pataki is on vacation with his family and two German Shepherds when Detective Jose Ferrer arrives to deliver the bad news.

Routinely panned as a monumental lemon, I have no trouble enjoying the creepy performance of the tight-lipped, scar-faced Nalder, his dialogue delivered telepathically as he commands the dutiful Zoltan (a savage looking greyhound) to execute opposition to their mission. Pataki is virtually a bewildered bystander as Ferrer has to convince him that not only is he the last adult descendant of Count Dracula, but that his lineage want him converted to undead status. Arlene Martel has a small supporting role as one of the foolish uniforms who exhume the long-dead vampires in the film's prologue, while some viewers might also recognise Simmy Bow and JoJo D'Amore in a humorous cameo as a pair of ill-fated fishermen.

Suspenseful at times (e.g. Ferrer and Pataki holed up in the log cabin while the pack terrorise them throughout the night), "Zoltan" is a novel twist on the Dracula theme and not, in my opinion deserved of the criticism - it's clearly a B-movie, yet technically well constructed with a moody atmosphere, some gruesome shocks and downright entertaining.

Cheaply made horror film from the 70's that is surprisingly better than you might initially expect. The film opens in Romania as soldiers uncover the underground tomb of the Dracula family. A soldier pulls the stake out of a puffy sheet in an opened casket and is soon bit to death by a giant of a hound(A Great Dane I believe). This is Zoltan and he soon pulls the stake out of his master - not Dracula but his servant - and the two begin a trek to the United States to turn the last surviving family member into their undead master. On the heels of these two is Inspector Branco who is well-versed in vampirism and folklore. Anyway, the two follow the Drake family to the woods where they camp and soon all hell breaks out as Zoltan begins to infect all the canines around. The plot sounds ridiculous - and it is, but it strangely works as reasonable entertainment. The actors are all decent with Jose Ferrer lending cachet and clout as Branco. He does a fine job bringing some much needed credibility, though I must confess seeing him drive in a convertible in black slacks, a black turtleneck, and a black beret is something not to be missed. The odd servant is played by none other than Reggie Nalder who just looks evil and up to no good. Throughout the movie he commands Zoltan telepathically. The rest of the cast is serviceable as well. Michael Pataki is believable as the last member of Castle Dracula and even plays the count in a flashback sequence. The dogs do a good job and the director Albert Band, despite a lack of any sizable budget and some real poor lighting, creates just enough suspense and tension to keep this dubious project somewhat afloat. Don't expect any real scares, but there are a few scenes that are well-shot: the dogs attacking the small rented cottage and the dogs attacking the car are just a couple to mention. I saw the denouement coming early in the picture, but is was pretty neat any way. The special effects are nothing really more than the eyes of the vampiric dogs glowing. A fun, bad film from the only decade where something like this could and would have been made.

Alright, I've been reading the comments for this movie and I must say everyone here agrees this movie is really a piece of crap.But, like other guy said, I also saw this movie late at night when I was about 8~9 years old and it really scared the hell out of me, I couldn't even watch for more than 10 minutes without freaking out and leaving the room (only to come back a few minutes later). Maybe now, as an adult, I would laugh at this movie, but the first impression is what you remember. I remember being as scared with this as I was with Nosferatu (1979) (Damn, kinski was a horrible vampire!) I want to see Dracula's Dog again, but I can't seem to find it anywhere...