A chilling good time

‘Dracula 3D’ is a 2012 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento with a screenplay by Argento, Enrique Cerezo, Stefano Piani and Antonio Tentori. It is Argento's first 3D film. The film is not a direct adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel ‘Dracula’, but features elements from the novel.

A young librarian, Jonathan Harker, is welcomed at Castle Dracula by the Count and a young woman named Tania, who seems intent on seducing Harker. The Count prevents Tania from biting the young man, but Dracula attacks Harker himself, leaving him weak. Harker attempts to escape the castle, but is killed by a wolf. Harker's wife, Mina, arrives in the village and stays at the home of her friend, Lucy Kisslinger.

Worried about her husband, she visits the castle, and falls under the spell of the Count. It transpires that Dracula has engineered their meeting, because Mina is the reincarnation of his long-lost love, Dolinger. Lucy also becomes undead before the mysterious happenings in the village attract the attention of vampire expert Van Helsing, who prepares for final combat with his deadliest foe.

The film stars Asia Argento as Lucy Westenra, Thomas Kretschmann as Dracula, Rutger Hauer as Van Helsing and Marta Gastini as Mina. It is screening at Majestic cineplex’s Ultra theatre.