Zoltan: Hound of Dracula (1977) Horror Demon Dog

Zoltan: Hound of Dracula (1977)  A group of Soviet soldiers out looking for treasure blow their way into a tomb in Romania. All the names on the tombs are the family Dracula. These soldiers leave a poor soldier behind to guard the find while they settle in for the night meaning to explore more in the morning. Tremors in the night shake the tomb dislodging caskets from the tombs. In the one the soldier decides to open is something under some sheets that has a large wooden stake through the center of it. Apparently the soldier has never heard stories of vampires and so he does the one thing you should never do. He pulls the stake out to look at it. Unfortunately for him that stake was keeping the vampire dog Zoltan from rising and removing it allows the gray doberman to jump from under his sheets to kill and drink the blood of the stupid soldier.
 Reggie Nalder) say telepathically to the dog. A 'fractional larmia' is the term given to this character basically a Renfield character who will seek out the last remaining Dracula living on earth. In this case Michael who lives in Los Angelas CA. We learn about this because the Major running the operation Maj. Hessel (Arlene Martel) and Inspector Branco (Jose Ferrer) have long exposition filled scenes where they explain the plot points. At the end the Inspector is instructed to look up Michael Drake (Michael Pataki) and try to intervene before Smith could turn him into a vampire? Smith and the dog arrive in LA via ship with the dog playing dead (undead) in a shipping container. Since he only becomes active at night, like a vampire Smith can get him past customs by saying the dog is being returned home for burial.

In a dog memory flashback, yes I just said that, we learn that Zoltan was bitten by Dracula in bat form after the dog interrupted the vampires desired feast on a local village lovely. He becomes controlled by Dracula a hound of the living dead. The smart dog then opens the casket of his former master who must have been turned by Dracula and the two leave the tomb to "...find our new Master." as the risen corpse Veidt Smith (
  Michael is a forty something father of two living is a nice a neighborhood, his wife (Jan Shutan), daughter (Libby Chase) and son (John Levin) are getting ready to go on a camping vacation. They decide to bring their two beautiful German Sheppard dogs even though one is still nursing a litter of pups. a big deal was made about Michael bringing his handgun so we can be sure that it will come into play at some point. The ominous music as they pull out followed by a hearse leads to the viewer down the road that things are going to get interesting on this camping trip.
Branco arrives in LA via airplane while they are camping. Very casual in his approach considering Smith and Zoltan took a frigging steam boat.  It must have taken them weeks to sail from Romania to LA. but Branco flies in rents a sweet convertible  and heads out to find the Drake family as if there was no rush at all. He easily could have been there weeks before and prepped Michael about arriving ghoul and vampire dog. It is a slow burn this film. With Smith and the vampire dog looking for an opportunity to get to Michael but along the way having other kills. Zoltan converts some of the dogs to work with him, including the Drakes own shepherds and they start closing in on the Drake family. After a close call where Linda is attacked, Michael and family are ready to go home. Branco finds them as they pack up and explains his connection to the Dracula issue and his family history.  Michael sends his family home while he and Branco stay to confront the pack of dogs. They hold up In the shabbiest of shacks and the night looks dire when the dogs attack. They barely make it through fighting off the dogs with fire. Zoltan though eventually makes his way in, but the sun is rising and it chases him off.
  The climax of this film is Michael against four vampire dogs and even guys arriving with guns can not help him. He must be the one to deal with Zoltan and end the threat. Branco deals with Smith and then arrives just in time to help with the dog pack. Michael though must face off with the titular character but it is a really shitty final confrontation. So disappointing in fact that even the silly see you for the sequel ending can't save this slog of a film. What to take away from this film?  Well some of these actors are great. Maybe not in this role but there is a place in my heart for the work of Jose Ferrer, Both Martel and Shutan appeared on Star Trek, the original series. Still this really is not a very interesting movie. So with really no Dracula and a lame disaster of a plot this is not a recommended film.