Dracula has been interpreted by a wide range of actors, from Udo Kier and Bela Lugosi to Gary Oldman and William Marshall. But no one wore the cape quite like Christopher Lee, who returned to the role again and again with unmatched intensity. Horror of Dracula marks his first turn as the Count, a performance that reshaped the character into something befanged and sexier. Opposite Lee, Peter Cushing is a honed, relentless Van Helsing, grounding the film's supernatural terror. Breaking from the black-and-white gothic look of Universal monster movies, Hammer Studios traded shadows for garish Technicolor, fully exploiting the lurid palette to full blood-soaked effect. The result is lush, visceral, and unforgettable. (Tavi Veraldi, Chicago Film Society)