Universal's 1979 "Dracula" remake has been called the Disco Dracula, which I'll agree with in a derisive sense that the filmmakers, including the director of "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), lacked an appreciation for period atmosphere--importing late 1970s fashion into the story's early-20th Century setting. There was also a disco dance scene in another 1979 Dracula film, the parody "Love at First Bite." But, the real Disco Dracula of '79 is this one, "Nocturna." It's chock-full of musical interludes and disco dancing, which is welcome if you like the music, and it's a welcome relief from what is otherwise, at best, a so-good-it's-bad type of film--or, maybe, it's just the music that's good and the rest that's bad.Dracula, himself, however, only has a supporting role here, as the grandfather of the titular Nocturna. Played by John Carradine in his fourth and last film in the role, it's a rather embarrassing part even for an actor whose last appearance as the Count was in "Billy the Kid Versus Dracula" (1966). When not complaining about his granddaughter, the old master is either complaining about how he has to earn money in the modern world (by running Hotel Transylvania), about his dentures or about the malfunctions related to his genitals common to one of advanced age, apparently, even for vampires. The rest of the cast is no better and, frequently, worse. Star, producer and writer Nai Bonet's delivery is horrendously awkward. Meanwhile, Brother Theodore, as the disgruntled werewolf servant, mumbles much of his monologues, although he does deliver my favorite bad line of the script, "If only I could get in her coffin." The acting, however, couldn't be expected to be much better with a script so heavy on exposition and characters expressing their every feeling out loud and repeatedly, even when alone, lest the stupidest person in the audience barely paying attention gets lost. The wolfman's mean-spirited monologues and Nocturna's internal narration are the worst examples. Fortunately, much of the movie is spent with only the soundtrack to listen to. Early on, there's also a nude makeout session and a bath scene complete with a werewolf peeping tom.The actual story concerns Nocturna as a lovesick vamp longing to be human, a formula that was trite even by 1979. "Blacula" (1972), its sequel "Scream Blacula Scream" (1973), and "Dracula and Son" (1976), just among the Dracula films I've seen, had already done it. And, the lovesick part alone also polluted "The Great Love of Count Dracula" (1973), the 1974 TV-movie Dracula, as well as the 1979 remake of "Nosferatu." I believe this is the first instance, however, of a vamp discovering disco as the solution for their conversion from vampirism to humanism. By comparison, I can much easier tolerate the film's flimsy animated bats synchronized with ridiculous sound effects during transformations and the mostly misfired gags concerning stereotypical gangster and pimp vamps and the BSA: Blood Suckers of America meeting where the vamps complain about diabetic blood being on the rise. Regardless, you never need to wait long for the film's next disco track.(Mirror Note: Nocturna sees her reflection and then its vanishing in a mirror on the disco floor. This convinces her that she can convert from vampirism to humanism.)

There so many good vampire movies from this time period. And this is not one of them. This a comedy about Dracula. Most comedies about Dracula are funny. And this is not one of them. If a Dracula movie is not going to be funny then it should be scary. It is not scary. The actors in this movie are pretty good. They just wasted there talent being in this awful movie. I find it pretty hard not to hate this movie. I can't believe people like this awful movie. The story line is awful. I like scary Dracula movie. I do not care for one that is a romantic comedy. The Satanic rites of Dracula and Dracula (1979) are so of the best vampire movies of all time. And this one is just a pile of stink pooh. Don't see it. Don't wast your time. And don't wast your money.

"She'll get under your skin!" promised the ads. What the ads don't say is that you'll want to go straight to the pharmacy for something to get her off your skin after seeing this cinematic wonder."Nocturna" is awful, no doubt about it, but boy howdy, is it fun! The wooden Nai Benet, whose disco dancing is only slightly worse than her acting, stars as thegranddaughter of Dracula, a gal who has no interest in the local werewolf (no, seriously) and falls for a hot gay man from a local disco band (played by the late Antony Hamilton). She runs away from Transylvania to Manhattan with him but chooses to stay with friend of the family, Lily Munster -- I mean Yvonne de Carlo -- because the guy doesn't know she's a vampire. Oh yeah, Lily lives under the Brooklyn Bridge, on the Manhattan side, and leaves her front door unlocked.Next come several bad jokes and sight gags involving the Manhattan vampire gang.The young chemistry-free lovers then go to a disco where Nocturna twirls and twirls. and twirls. and twirls, because apparently that's all she knows how to do. After flinging off her shawl to reveal her stripper outfit, Nocturna does a bizarre chicken dance while the crowd watches lovingly. Full of bad writing, bad acting, bad dancing, terrific 1979 New York City street shots, a wocka-wocka disco/porn soundtrack, special effects that make "Land of the Lost" look like hard-core art, one completely gratuitous nude bathing sequence, and the least erotic sex scene I believe I've ever seen, I can't recommend this film highly enough -- that is, if you can find it.

It's a shame this movie never made it to video. Hell, you never even see it on cable! I remember seeing it at a drive-in in the summer of '79 and thinking it was great cheesy fun. If they released it on video today, it would be seen as a lost campy relic of the disco/drive-in age. It's hampered somewhat by an extremely low budget (check out those groovy cartoon transformation effects) and a few dry stretches here and there, but there's plenty of gratuitous nudity and sex (Nai Bonet may not be a great actress but she is NOT shy about showing off her terrific body!) and the script is occasionally inspired, with some great one-liners. John Carradine as an aging Dracula is a particular hoot! Worthy of cult status.