Cuadecuc, vampir

Description: The film tells an abbreviated version of the Dracula story using behind-the-scenes footage from Count Dracula. Thus, we see crew members and lights in dramatic scenes; often, these scenes are preceded by sequences where we see the set and actors being prepared. For example, before Dracula is shown rising from his coffin, Christopher Lee is seen getting made up and climbing into the coffin as a crew member covers him in fake spiderwebs. This gives the film a humorous tone: scenes meant to shock in Jesus Franco's original film are intercut with the actors making faces between takes and fooling around with the crew. The film was considered very subversive at the time of its release; many identify Christopher Lee's Dracula with Francisco Franco. By showing the almost campy falseness that goes into creating the "frightening" image of Dracula (Portabella often focuses on the poorly-made special effects and the shoddy filming conditions), the filmmakers lampoon the similarly transparent efforts of dictators like Franco to create powerful images of themselves in the media.