Dracula (1979)

In 1913, the charming, seductive and sinister vampire Count Dracula travels to England in search of an immortal bride.

From memory: Stylish adaptation with more emphasis on romance than horror; in itself an above-average movie, but quite harmless.

Halliwell*: "A lush, expensive and romantic version which presents the count as a matinee idol and spends too much time on the romantic scenes to distract attention from an old old story."

Maltin*1/2: "Murky retelling of Bram Stoker classic, with Langella's acclaimed Broadway characterization lost amid trendy horror gimmicks and ill-conceived changes in original story."

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

A Brooklyn teenager feels his only chance to succeed is as the king of the disco floor, and his carefree youth and weekend dancing help him to forget the reality of his bleak life.

An odd movie even for its time: at its core a bleak and realistic social drama, but interspersed with pulsating pop music and perfectly choreographed dance sequences.

Halliwell***: "Foul-mouthed, fast-paced slice of life which plays like an updated version of Marty except that all the characters seem to have crawled from under stones. The slick direction, fast editing and exciting dance numbers do something to take away the sour taste."

Maltin***: "Travolta's first starring film is thoughtful study...Film pulses to dynamic Bee Gees music score...Plethora of street language may offend some..."