9 years before Bela Lugosi took on the role of Dracula, German actor Max Schreck portrayed a variation of the iconic monster in the 1922 F.W. Murnau silent film "Nosferatu." While the film is undoubtedly dated in spots, there's no denying how atmospheric and influential "Nosferatu" is.

The story: A real estate agent by the name of Hutter meets a buyer named Graf Orlok, who is interested in buying some property across from Hutter's home. As Hutter quickly learns, however, Orlok is not an average person. He's a blood thirsty vampire. To make matters worse, he has eyes for Hutter's wife. Until Hutter arrives at Orlok's residence, it's easy to criticize the film. The love story is schmaltzy, the set-up is slow, the exposition is heavy, and the dialogue can be downright corny. However, once the creepy as hell carriage driver and Count Orlok (perfectly played by Max Schreck) come into sight, you become sucked into the film. Make no bones about it, the wide eyed, long fingernailed, string bean vampire known as Count Orlok is the stuff nightmares are made of. Every mannerism and movement he makes can give you chills. Just watching him look out a window can send shivers down your spine. It's no wonder he has continued to scare the living hell out of movie lovers 86 years later. Director F.W. Muranu's direction is equally groundbreaking. Any director that can make a mere shadow strike fear into a viewer deserves praise. Note: This Ultimate edition is a 2 disc set. Disc 1 includes a version with English intertitles, while disc 2 contains the original German Inertitle version with optional English subtitles.

The fullscreen tinted print has been completely remastered and it's nearly flawless. I was shocked to see how little grain and scratches there were. This is arguably the best silent film print to date. The 5.1 Stereo Surround/2.0 Stereo tracks are fine. It's hard to mess up a score.

* A booklet about the restoration, the film, and music. * Gallery of images. * Scene comparison of Bram Stoker's novel, the screenplay by Henrik Galeen, and F.W. Murnau's film. * Clips from 8 other Muranu films like "Faust" and "The Last Laugh." * "Nosferatu: An Historic Film Meets Digital Restoration" (3 mins.) is a step by step look at the restoration process. * "The Language Of Shadows"- A 52 1/2 minute documentary looking at the history of director F.W. Muranu. This is an absolute treat for film buffs as we learn everything about Muranu's childhood, his filmography, and even photos and shots of his lost early works.

"Nosferatu" is a horror classic that should be required viewing for any film/horror enthusiast.