There have been countless adaptations of Bram Stoker's chilling story of Count Dracula - so many in fact that I imagine that everyone who is a fan of the book or the character has their favorite.

This adaptation, cooked up by the producers at BBC in 1977, apparently had enough fans that they demanded for a DVD release of the two-part version, starring French actor Louis Jourdain as the titular vampire. Try as I might though, the only appeal that I can see of this program is its kitsch value, akin to the many fans of the '70s horror/fantasy TV show Dark Shadows.

The production quality of this is surprisingly shoddy, a fact that is amplified by the digital reproduction. As well, the jarring shifts between 16mm film and videotape are glaring and hard not to giggle at when compared to the slick look of most modern TV programs.

Finally, other than Jourdain, who slinks through this role with the assuredness and sly wit that only an actor of his caliber is capable of, the acting is ridiculously wooden. Considering how many great British actors have either gotten their start on BBC programs or lent their talents to them, I find it hard to stomach the idea that these folks were the best available to producer Morris Barry and director Philip Saville.

I wish that I could apprecaite this on a "so bad it's good", MST3K kind of level, but it misses the mark by a wide margin. This ones for the fans and the vampire completists only.