Sit back and enjoy Dracula, courtesy of Castle Films

I'm not old enough to recall seeing these Castle Films ultra-shorts of classic horror in living rooms in 8MM, or in theaters (if they actually played in theaters), but I have memories of seeing several Castle shorts (Dracula, Frankenstein ...) in public schools, during assembly time. They were mesmerizing and fun and made me want to stay up all night to see the original long versions when they played on movies-till-dawn channels. (VCRs were still not anywhere near mass marketed in the early '70s).

Thanks to YouTube, and retailers such as Sinister Cinema, it's easy to find these Castle film, and the past few years I've enjoyed watching these shorts after a 30-plus year hiatus. So, sit back, no need for popcorn, the film's over before you know it, and enjoy this almost 9-minute version of Universal's Dracula. And remember, Sunday is Bela Lugosi's birthday!

-- Doug Gibson