| Zoltan, Hound of Dracula | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Credits | |
| Title: | Zoltan, Hound of Dracula |
| Directed by: | Albert Band |
| Written by: | Frank Ray Perilli |
| Produced by: | Albert Band; Philip Collins; Frank Ray Perilli |
| Music by: | Andrew Belling |
| Cinematography: | Bruce Logan |
| Edited by: | Harry Keramidas Larry Carroll |
| Production | |
| Distributors: | EMI Television VIC Productions Crown International Pictures |
| Released: | June, 1978 |
| Rating: | R |
| Running time: | 90 min. |
| Country: | USA/Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | — |
| Next: | — |
Zoltan, Hound of Dracula, also known as Dracula's Dog, is a joint American-Canadian horror film of that blends elements of the vampire and predatory animal genres. It was directed and produced by Albert Band with a script written by Frank Ray Perilli, who is also a producer on the film. It was produced by EMI Television and VIC Productions and released theatrically through Crown International Pictures in June, 1978. The movie stars Michael Pataki as Michael Drake (as well as that of the vampire lord Count Dracula), along with Jan Shutan as Marla Drake, Libby Chase as Linda Drake, John Levin as Steve Drake, Reggie Nalder as Veidt Smith and Cleo Harington as Pat Parks.
Plot[]
A Russian road crew accidentally blasts open a subterranean crypt, and the captain of the road crew, fearing looters and criminals, stations a guard near the site. Late in the night, an earthquake shakes loose one of the coffins, which slides down and lands at the feet of the confused guard. Curious as to what has fallen before him, the guard opens the coffin and discovers the body of a dog, impaled by a stake. He removes the stake, which revives the vampiric hound Zoltan.
Zoltan opens another coffin shaken loose from the crypt, this one holding the body of an innkeeper, Nalder, who once owned the crypt. Zoltan removes the stake from the innkeeper's chest, reanimating the innkeeper. The movie cuts to a flashback of a village in Russia 200 years prior.
The dog of an innkeeper saves a woman from being bitten by a bat, Dracula in disguise. Furious over losing his meal to a dog, Dracula bites the woman's savior, turning the dog into a vampire. Now a vampire, the dog turns on its owner, turning the innkeeper into a vampire as well.
Back in the present, it appears that Dracula has only one surviving descendant, Michael Drake, a mild-mannered psychiatrist, played by Michael Pataki, who decides to take his wife and children (who are, technically, also Dracula's descendants) on a vacation in his Winnebago, hoping to spend some quality time with his family out in the national forest.
Still loyal to the Dracula family, the two vampires travel to the United States, shipping themselves via boat to California. Eventually, Zoltan and company find themselves in the same forest as Michael and his family.
Other campers, vacationing with their dogs, discover that their pets are being killed by a strange beast. The deceased animals soon reanimate into vampiric dogs, the minions of Zoltan. Zoltan is killed in the final scene, but a vampire puppy escapes destruction. [1]
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Michael Pataki | Michael Drake/Count Dracula |
| Jan Shutan | Marla Drake |
| Libby Chase | Linda Drake |
| John Levin | Steve Drake |
| Reggie Nalder | Veidt Smith |
| Cleo Harrington | Pat Parks |
| Tom Gerrard | Maslov, the guard |
| Bob Miller | Lieutenant |
| Gordon McGill | Second officer |
| Al Ferrara | Al, the deputy |
| Roger Pancake | Sheriff |
| Sally Mar | Camper |
| Merryl Jay | Camper |
| Jackie Drake | Camper |
| John Kirby | Traveler |
| Darlene Craviotto | Traveler |
| Lou Schumacher | Customs inspector |
| Carl Morrison | Customs inspector |
| Dimitri Logothetis | Corporal |
| Chris George | Soldier |
| Dwight Krizman | Soldier |
| Roger Schumacher | Hiker |
| Dominic Ferlan | Villager |
| Katherine Fitzpatrick | Dracula's victim |
| Joan Leone | Car rental agent |
| Arlene Martel | Major Hessel |
| Simmy Bow | Fisherman |
| JoJo D'Amore | Fisherman |
| José Ferrer | Inspector Branco |
Notes & Trivia[]
- This movie is alternatively known as Dracula's Dog.
- The tagline to this film is, "There's more to the legend than meets... the throat!"
- Zoltan, Hound of Dracula was released on DVD in Region 1 format by Lions Gate Home Entertainment on March 12th, 2012. [4]
- The movie takes place in Russia and in California.
- Crown International Pictures is also known for producing Blood of Dracula's Castle and Nightmare in Wax, both of which premiered in 1969.
- Albert Band is also known for directing the 1988 horror/comedy Ghoulies II.
- Screenwriter Frank Ray Perilli is also the screenwriter on the 1980 predatory animal film Alligator.
- This is Michael Pataki's fifth work in a horror film. His next film projects include Love at First Bite in 1979, Dead & Buried in 1981 and Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers in 1988.
External Links[]
- Zoltan, Hound of Dracula at IMDB
- Zoltan, Hound of Dracula at Wikipedia
- Zoltan, Hound of Dracula at BBC Online
- Zoltan, Hound of Dracula at Stomp Tokyo
- Zoltan, Hound of Dracula at the Terror Trap
- Zoltan, Hound of Dracula at Rotten Tomatoes
- Zoltan, Hound of Dracula at The Video Vacuum
References[]