DVD Features:
- Silent film
- Not Rated
- Run Time: 1 hours, 4 minutes
- Video: Black & White
- Released: November 27, 2001
- Originally Released: 1922
- Label: Alpha Video
- Encoding: Region 0; Can be played worldwide
- Packaging: Keep Case
- Aspect Ratio: Full Frame - 1.33
Performers, Cast and Crew:
Entertainment Reviews:
USA Today - 01/27/1993
"...[A] silent masterpiece..."
Entertainment Weekly - 01/12/2001
"...The bloodsucker flick that sired them all..."
Chicago Sun-Times - 09/28/1997
"...NOSFERATU inspired dozens of other Dracula films, none of them as artistic or unforgettable..."
Total Film - 09/01/2000
"...A genius of silent cinema, Murnau uses a range of primitive but still startling techniques..."
Sight and Sound - 04/01/2001
"...[A] classic..."
Premiere - 12/01/2003
"...Haunting....The nightmarish appearance of Max Schreck as history's favorite vampire remains an indelible image of horror..."
Empire - 01/01/2008
5 stars out of 5 -- "[E]ven across the oceans of time since it was made, it still creeps you out like very few creature features have ever done."
Uncut - 01/01/2008
4 stars out of 5 -- "[The film] remains the template of vampire cinema....Max Schreck still registers as one one of the eeriest ghouls of horror cinema."
Description by OLDIES.com:
Originally released in 1922 as Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie Des Grauens, director F. W. Murnau's chilling and eerie unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula is a silent masterpiece of terror which to this day is the most striking and frightening portrayal of the Bram Stoker legend. After it's premiere in 1922, Nosferatu was the subject of a lawsuit brought by Stoker's widow - who saw to it that any mention of Dracula was removed from the movie and that all "known" prints and negatives were destroyed. Most recently, this movie (and the eccentricities of actor Max Schreck) were the subject of the award winning movie Shadow of The Vampire.
Product Description:
F.W. Murnau's German silent classic is the original--and some say most frightening--DRACULA adaptation, taking Bram Stoker's novel and turning it into a haunting, shadowy dream full of dread. Names had to be changed from the novel when Stoker's wife charged his novel was being filmed without proper permission. Running times vary depending upon versions of the film. Count Orlok, the rodentlike vampire frighteningly portrayed by Max Schreck, is perhaps the most animalistic screen portrayal of a vampire ever filmed. The design was copied by Werner Herzog in his 1979 remake and by Tobe Hooper for his telefilm of Stephen King's SALEM'S LOT that same year. NOSFERATU is an eerie, menacing film that should not be missed.
Plot Keywords:
Classic |
Essential Cinema |
Germany |
Recommended |
Silent |
Theatrical Release |
Vampires |
Vintage
Production Notes:
- The last name of Max Schreck is German for "terror" or "to frighten."
- In 2000, Willem Dafoe portrayed Max Schreck and John Malkovich played F.W. Murnau in the film SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE.
Movie Lovers' Ratings & Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
Based on
244 ratings.
Write an online review to share your thoughts with other customers.
Dissapointed
Movie Lover:
Big Dix Flix from
Fairfax Abbey -- June, 2, 2005
I recently purchsed the Early Cinema Box Set with four horror classic, one of which is Nosferatu.
The edition offered here is slightly bastardized by the insertion of more than a few screens wherin Count Graf Orlok is refered to as Dracula and other charcaters are given names straight from Bram Stoker's Dracula. The charcter of Hutter is named Johnathan Hawker and many such incodents occur.
It is very important that the viewer know that the initial editon of Nosferatu made every effort to NOT relate to Dracula. In fact Stoker's widow sucessfully sued the producers citing copywright infringment.
I strongly suggest Oldies revamp this edition to reflect a more accurate portrayl n the spirit of true classic preservation or that you purchase this from another purveyor.
That's my lousy opinion.
The Best Dracula Ever Done
Movie Lover:
Wayne S from
Knoxville, TN US -- May, 6, 2004
FW Murnau creates a pretty faithful silent version of Dracula. Murnau was one of the great silent film directors ("Sunrise" 1927) who died in an auto accident before sound came out. The cinematography is always the highlight of his films -- and the images will amaze you. The story of the making of this film was featured in the Movie "The Shadow of the Vampire" with Willem Dafoe (Oscar Nominee) playing the crazy Max Schreck who plays the Vampire.
Nosferatu-The Greatest Vampire of All Time
Movie Lover:
Mitchell Gang from
Clifton, NJ US -- February, 17, 2004
Nosferatu is the first vampire movie ever, and it remains hard to beat. Even Bela Lugosi, in his vastly more famous version of the Bram Stoker tale, comes off as amateurish compared to Max Schreck's legitamitely scary performance. While there are several Nosferatu DVDs on the market, some of vastly better quality, I enjoyed Alpha's version because of the bizarre soundtrack. While many silent DVDs offer a faceless classical score (see Metropolis), this Nosferatu is chock full of weird "library music"--the type of avant garde jazz and classical stuff from the mid-60s to early 70s you find on forgotten vinyl LPs buried in the basement of your local library. Other versions of Nosferatu by other companies do the obvious vampire soundtrack thing--gothic industrial music and creepy heavy metal--but the oddball sounds on Alpha's disc--solo recorders, etc.--really creeped me out. I knocked a star and a half off for transfer quality, though.
