Dracula (1992)
Gary Oldman chews the scenery as Vlad the Impaler, a warrior who loses his beloved wife to suicide, and later as the older Count Dracula, complete with a ridiculous wig resembling giant orbs. There are strong performances from Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins, though not so much from Keanu Reeves. Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula adaptation is hypersexual and goofy in the weirdest ways—more colorful and splashy than Gothic and dark. For some, this ostentatious style suits a character who thrives on decadence and desire. With over-the-top dialogue and dramatics, combined with camerawork that whirls and twirls through Dracula’s lavish castle, it’s an epic adaptation worth watching. It even includes stylish visual homages to the original Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
