Horror of Dracula

Tampa Theatre is bringing Horror of Dracula to the Taylor Screening Room on Sunday, October 25, as part of the 2026 'A Nightmare on Franklin Street' series presented by Bank of America. The 1958 Hammer film runs an hour and 22 minutes, and it's the one that put Christopher Lee in the role of Count Dracula.

Outside the US, it was released simply as Dracula. The story follows Jonathan Harker, who poses as a librarian to get inside the Count's castle. From there, it's the version of the story most of us recognize, but it's the way Hammer did it that stuck. The film leans into the erotic push-and-pull that's made vampire stories such enduring metaphors ever since Bram Stoker brought Dracula into the Victorian era: Lee's brooding handsomeness, the lurid Technicolor palette, and the incipient sexual revolution of the late fifties gave the movie far more weight on the side of desire than the earlier, more gothic versions.

It's a great way to see where the modern image of the vampire really took hold, and seeing it on the big screen is the right way to do it. The screening is part of the 'A Nightmare on Franklin Street' series, so it fits right into the Halloween season.

The screening starts at 7 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. Tickets are $13 for general admission and $10 for Tampa Theatre members, plus a $2 service fee for online purchases. Seating is limited and reserved, so you'll need to buy your tickets in advance.