Reportedly, the theatrical print of this film looks markedly different to recent versions. In 1991, when the film was re-released on laserdisc, director John Badham changed the color timing and as such the vibrant look of the film was desaturated. The color scheme of the film took on a virtually colorless look and consequently debates occurred on Internet chat forums.
Actor Frank Langella has often commented that men have frequently said to him after seeing him as Dracula on stage or screen: "Boy, did my wife make love to me that night when she saw "Dracula"."
A common problem with many vampire movies is repeated here: the bite marks on the ladies' necks are placed in such a way that the vampire's teeth would have to be one behind the other, not along side each other. The placement of the bites would have Dracula performing a serious contortionist act to get his teeth into the willing victims.
Just before dancing with Dracula, Lucy flips over the record on the player and sets it playing again. The record is moving around at a leisurely pace; however, the earliest disc recordings played at around 78 RPM - a much faster speed. Records playable at lower rates were much later inventions.
When undead Lucy approaches Van Helsing in the mines under the graveyard, her reflection is seen in the water. When, two scenes later, Count Dracula comes into Mina's home and walks by a mirror, Van Helsing points out that he did not see Dracula in the mirror. That Lucy does cast a reflection in the water, where she ordinarily should not have, is explainable by the fact that, just before her reflection became visible, Van Helsing had dropped a crucifix into the water. That had the effect of sanctifying the water--of making it holy water, in other words; though they cast no reflections in glass or polished metals, vampires (according to one obscure detail of the superstitions about them) WILL reflect in holy water, which is the only substance capable of showing vestigial remnants of the souls they lost to damnation when they died as living beings.
Count Dracula: [to Lucy]
Now it is you, my best beloved one. You will be flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood. You will cross land and sea to do my bidding. I need your blood. I need...