10 MORE Horror Movies You Knew Would Be Good After The First 10 Minutes
1. Bram Stoker's Dracula
Although Dracula's origins are etched in mystery in the source material, Francis Ford Coppola gave the bloodsucking Nosferatu a detailed backstory for his film adaptation.
Bram Stoker's Dracula opens with our titular character as a mortal man, readying for war. When his wife falsely believes her beloved fell in battle, she takes her own life, condemning her soul to Hell. Feeling betrayed by the very church he vowed to defend, Dracula renounces God, transforming into a vampire.
This prologue is a wonder to behold for two main reasons. Rather than concocting some long-winded backstory, Dracula's origins and motivation are concisely summarised in a couple of minutes.
Secondly, every visual is a feast for the eyes. The sword being driven into the cross. The statues and candles weeping blood. The silhouette of Dracula hoisting an enemy in the air with his spear. Also, all these glorious images were achieved with zero special effects. In fact, they were devised by Coppola's son, Ramon.
As the final cherry on top, the whole scene is accompanied by Anthony Hopkins' enthralling narration and Wojciech Kilar's magnificent score. After witnessing an opening this visually stunning, horror purists knew they were about to watch something special.