Watch Billy the Kid vs. Dracula

In the 1966 film, Billy the Kid vs. Dracula, the vampire genre is mashed up with the Western genre in a way that leaves viewers questioning the sanity of the filmmakers. Directed by cult director William Beaudine, the film stars John Carradine as Count Dracula and Chuck Courtney as the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid. The opening credits set the stage: "All characters, places, and events portrayed in this picture are fictional. If there are any similarities to any persons, living or dead, or any events, they are purely coincidental, and the makers of this film should not be blamed in any way." With that disclaimer in hand, the film begins with a coffin being loaded onto a train. In it is the Count, en route from Europe to the Wild West.

Meanwhile, Billy the Kid and his gang are on the run from the law. They've holed up in a ghost town, where they encounter the Count's manservant, who soon reveals his master's presence nearby. At first, Billy and his gang are skeptical of the story, but soon they find themselves coming face to face with Dracula himself.

The film is a curious mix of cliched Western tropes and vampire movie conventions. There are shootouts, lassoing scenes, and bar brawls, all set against the backdrop of a dessert landscape. And then there are the vampire elements: Dracula stalking his victims, hypnotizing them with his piercing gaze, and turning them into his undead minions.

Carradine's performance as Dracula is suitably melodramatic, and he chews the scenery with abandon. He strikes an imposing figure with his flowing cape and slicked-back hair, but his accent is questionable at best. Courtney, on the other hand, gives a more reserved performance as Billy the Kid, playing it straight in the face of the film's ridiculousness.

One of the most amusing parts of the film is the way it tries to merge the Western and vampire genres. There are scenes where Billy the Kid faces off against Dracula with a whip, which is a nod to the latter's aversion to crosses. And in one particularly bizarre scene, Billy actually shoots at the Count with a silver bullet, which is supposed to be effective against him due to its association with werewolves.

Despite its ludicrous premise and low budget, Billy the Kid vs. Dracula manages to entertain in a campy, so-bad-it's-good kind of way. It's the kind of movie that's perfect for a late-night viewing with friends, where you can revel in its absurdity and mock its shortcomings.

Overall, Billy the Kid vs. Dracula is a bizarre outing that defies categorization. It's not really a Western, nor is it a horror movie in the traditional sense. Instead, it's a strange experiment that throws two disparate genres together in a madcap attempt to create something new. And while it may not be a classic by any stretch of the imagination, it's definitely a memorable experience that will leave you scratching to figure out how the filmmakers ever came up with the idea.

Billy the Kid vs. Dracula is a 1966 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 13 minutes.