Van Helsing [WS]

Director: Stephen Sommers Stephen Sommers

Overview

"Stephen Sommers' summer movie extravaganza Van Helsing comes to DVD in this widescreen edition thanks to Universal Studios (the lesser-recommended full-screen edition is also available). Packed to the gills with extras, this disc presents the film in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen picture with both 5.1 and 2.0 tracks for your home theater to sink its teeth into. The multitude of extras includes an interactive tour of Dracula's castle, where the viewer is given the option to listen to Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) ramble on about the different sections of his homely abode. Other features include a ten-minute ""Bringing the Monsters to Life"" making-of that introduces the audience to the master effects technicians who brought the film's many pixels to life, while ""You Are in the Movie"" presents a look behind the scenes by an unprecedented amount of hidden cameras on the set. A blooper reel has also been included, as has a ten-minute ""Legend of Van Helsing"" special that delves into the character's lore from books to the big screen. Two commentaries are available for your listening enjoyment -- the first with director Stephen Sommers and producer/editor Bob Ducsay, and the second featuring actors Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley, and Will Kemp. Finally, a playable version of the *Van Helsing game can be accessed through an Xbox game console that allows you to play through the first exciting level of the game. If you're a pushover for Sommers' brand of over-the-top adventure antics, then this disc is for you. This movie is also available in the three-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition featuring an additional feature-packed disc along with another DVD that includes Universal's original Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolf Man movies, which inspired Van Helsing."

Product Details

Release Date:	10/19/2004
UPC:	0025192326622
Original Release:	2004
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:12:00

Special Features

Closed Caption;"Explore Dracula's Castle": Through an innovative 360° self-guided tour, discover the stunning environments of Van Helsing that you couldn't see in theaters; "Bringing the Monsters to Life": From pencil sketches through complete digital composition, the experts at Industrial Light & Magic show how the Van Helsing monsters were brought to life; "You Are in the Movie": Experience movie-making magic through miniature cameras on the set that give you the actor's perspective on the filming of a scene; "The Legend of Van Helsing": The evolution of the legendary character throughout film history; Feature commentaries with director Stephen Sommers, Bob Ducsay, Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley, and Will Kemp; Play the Van Helsing Game: Put this DVD into your Xbox console and play the first level of the stunning Van Helsing game; Outtakes

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Hugh Jackman	Van Helsing
Kate Beckinsale	Anna Valerious
Richard Roxburgh	Count Vladislaus Dracula
David Wenham	Carl
Shuler Hensley	Frankenstein's Monster,Actor
Elena Anaya	Aleera
Will Kemp	Velkan
Alun Armstrong	Cardinal Jinette
Kevin J. O'Connor	Igor
Silvia Colloca	Verona
Josie Maran	Marishka
Samuel West	Dr. Victor Frankenstein
Robbie Coltrane	Mr. Hyde
Tom Fisher	Top Hat,Dr. Jekyll
Dana Moravková	Barmaid
Zuzana Durdinova	Opera Singer
Jaroslav Vízner	Gendarme
Marek Vasut	Villager
Samantha Sommers	Vampire Child
Dorel Mois	Dracula's Ball Performer,Dracula's Ball Performer
Laurence Racine Choiniere	Dracula's Ball Performer
Patrice Wojciechowski	Dracula's Ball Performer
Kacie Borrowman	Dwerger
Martin Klebba	Dwerger
Ryan James	Villager
Alan Silvestri	Conductor,Composer

Technical Credits

Stephen Sommers

Stephen Sommers	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Bob Ducsay	Producer
Sam Mercer	Executive Producer
Dino Dimuro	Sound Effects
Christopher Assells	Sound Effects
Ezra Dweck	Sound Effects
Peter Staubli	Sound Effects
Scott Sanders	Sound Effects
Bryan Bowen	Sound Effects
Harry Cohen	Sound Effects
Dan Hegeman	Sound Effects
Mary Stuart Welch	Executive Producer
Mark Sannes	Key Grip
William Patsos	Key Grip
Benny Beaird	Key Grip
Jim Shelton	Key Grip
Loni Peristere	Executive Producer
Roman Hodek	Key Grip
Kamila Zenkerova	Stunts
Karin Silvestri Coye	Stunts
Robert Marrs	Stunts
Mark Povinelli	Stunts
Blanka Jarosova	Stunts
Filip Kadlec	Stunts
Milos Kulhavy	Stunts
Klara Moravkova	Stunts
Milan Slepicka	Stunts
Karel Vavrovec	Stunts
Misty Rosas	Stunts
Monty Stuart	Stunts
Gregory P. Alcus	Stunts
Jiri Kraus	Stunts
Petr Hnetkovsky	Stunts
Dimo Lipitkovsky	Stunts
Jaroslav Peterka	Stunts
Heidi Moneymaker	Stunts
Mark Munoz	Stunts
Carly Thomas	Stunts
Eda Hubata	Stunts
Ales Putikk	Stunts
Jiri Gazda	Key Grip
Richard Bradshaw	Stunts
Heather Kraft	Stunts
Mario Muñoz	Stunts,Stunts
Jindrich Klaus	Stunts
Rudolf Bok	Stunts
Romana Hajkova	Stunts
Jiri Horky	Stunts
Petr Vlasak	Stunts
David Listvan	Stunts
Billy Lucas	Stunts
Deep Roy	Stunts
Joseph Griffo	Stunts
Zdenek Dvoracek	Stunts
Miroslav Lhotka	Stunts
Tim Rigby	Stunts
Bob Porter	Stunts
Ladislav Lahoda	Stunts
Mike Gunther	Stunts
Debbie Rondell	Stunts
Pavel Vokoun	Stunts
Jan Holicek	Stunts
Tomas Peterac	Stunts
Laura Dash	Stunts
Douglas Snively	Stunts
Jan Vosmik	Stunts
Ales Kosnar	Stunts
David Listvan Tomas	Stunts
Danny Wynands	Stunts
Petr Horacek	Stunts
Matt McColm	Stunts
Petr Drozda	Stunts
Christian Fletcher	Stunts
Pavel Bezdek	Stunts
Nancy Bishop	Casting
Troy Brown	Stunts
Debbie Carrington	Stunts
Robert Krejcik	Stunts
Pavel Myslik	Stunts
Larry Nicholas	Stunts
Tim Trella	Stunts
Freddie Hice	Stunts
Miroslav Navratil	Stunts
Mike Justus	Stunts
Tad Griffith	Stunts
Dana Woods	Stunts
Jan Petrina	Stunts
Rene Hajek	Stunts
Jaroslav Psenicka	Stunts
Miroslav Valka	Stunts
David Leitch	Stunts
Troy Wood	Stunts
Oakley Lehman	Stunts
Petr Bozdech	Stunts
Zuzana Drdacka	Stunts
Klara Slavikova	Stunts
Michal Grün	Stunts
Bob McDougall	Stunts
Douglas Neithercut	Stunts
David Schultz	Stunts
Viktor Cervenka	Stunts
Frantisek Deak	Stunts
Antonin Hausknecht	Stunts
Robert "Robin" Lahoda	Stunts
Grant Fletcher	Stunts
David Mottl	Stunts
Tomas Tobola	Stunts
Aaron Walters	Stunts
Ivan Mares	Stunts
Vaclav Pacal	Stunts
Jiri Simbersky	Stunts
Petr Sekanina	Stunts
Hana Dvorska	Stunts
David Parker	Sound Mixer
Susumu Tokunow	Sound Mixer
Leslie Shatz	Sound Mixer
Dennis Sands	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

Having successfully re-imagined one of Universal's classic movie monsters in the recent Mummy films, director Stephen Sommers broadens his scope to include the rest of the gang in this extravagantly produced, thrill-packed motion picture. Although Sommers emphasizes action over atmosphere, Van Helsing still manages to be as creepy as it is exciting, maintaining a gothic look and establishing a pervasive mood of otherworldly malevolence. Hugh Jackman, whose turns in the X-Men movies have equipped him for the flamboyant heroics required by films like this one, portrays vampire slayer Gabriel Van Helsing, whose late-19th-century pursuit of Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) gets him caught up in a scheme that involves the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley) and the Wolf Man (Will Kemp). His closest ally is Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), a feisty young woman whose family has opposed Dracula for generations. Sommers takes considerable liberties with the various monster mythologies established in the Universal films of the '30s and '40s, and his versions of the classic creatures eschew the familiar look of their previous incarnations. But there's plenty here to warm the hearts of horror-movie fans, and more than enough dynamic, explosive action to keep other viewers interested.