Film reviews - the other Hammer Draculas (1960-1973)

In my last blog post I provided commentary on the 1958 Hammer version of Dracula aka Horror Of Dracula, which along with the previous year's The Curse Of Frankenstein kicked off a new era for horror fans nationally and internationally.  These films were so well-received that the astute economists producing them decided "Hey, we've got a cash cow here. Let's make some more!"

So today I'll provide an overview of the sequels to yesterday's subject, just to give you a flavour of what followed.  Subjectively as a fan I really enjoyed this series but objectively speaking, there's no way in pretending that the quality, at best, varied throughout.

(NB: for Hammer aficionados, I will not be commenting on The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires (1974) - often touted as part of this vampire series - purely because I've still yet to see it!)

THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960)

To kick off, we see the legendary Peter Cushing as Val Helsing make his sole appearance where he's unopposed by arch-nemesis Christopher Lee.  Here he shows up to help a young French lady (Marianne Danielle) who has just spent the night in Dracula's castle at the invitation of a baroness, after getting lost.

Her action the previous evening with helping the baronness' son escape unwittingly results in evil terror returning to the village which believed to have rid Dracula's metaphorical shadow from society.  Henceforth, vampire expert Van Helsing must again engage in battle.

The only direct successor my previous blog's muse, with sets that evidently get reused in later Hammer works.  While Cushing makes each scene his own, it's balanced by a rather forgettable antagnoist (David Peel) who tries but lacks on-screen charisma.

DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)

Two couples in holiday stop off in the European town of Karlsbad and search for somewhere to stay overnight.  Turns out only one place is free:  the late Count's castle (apparently no longer Klausenburg).  Upon arrival one of the gents is murdered by the incumbent butler, who resurrects his master via his victim's paint-like blood.

Arguably the strongest of the follow-ups, Lee reportedly refused to speak any of his written dialogue so resorts to snarling and hissing throughout.  The star of the show is Barbara Shelley who plays one of the spooked travellers whom inevitably becomes the prototypical female Hammer vampire, before meeting her then-controversial demise.

Little in the way of humour leads to a fairly tense and dry 90 minutes.  Some relief is provided early on by Andrew Keir's Father Sensor but you're lucky to get a smile from anyone else.

DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968)

Set a year after it's predecessor, Dracula's influence still looms large turning off local parishioners from church.  Something to do with a desecrated young woman's corpse found hanging from inside the bell..  Enter the town's Monsignor (Rupert Davis) who decides to climb the ominous castle with the aim to stake a massive cross up there.

Upon taking a gruesome head bump, his blood as it happens revives the Count's frozen corpse.  More gruesome violence, a touch of sexuality from Veronica Carlson's presence and the rare theme of atheism combating Dracula's unholy ways duly follow.

The last of the series that doesn't feel as if the story was written with the titular character as an afterthought.  Better character work here, if still lacking a satisfactory depth.

TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970)

Three middle-class old boys take themselves in to the town's poorer parts to fraternise in brothels but subsequently get bored.  What to do next?  Link up with the underrated Ralph Bates who claims to own Dracula's ashes which require - any guesses yet? - blood to bring him back to life.  What follows is a pagan sacrifice in a defunct church's building.

The Count's inevitable rampage sees some more creative dialogue somewhat lifted from Bram Stoker's novel.  That said, the comedy veers in to the unintentional, notably Peter Sallis' character's death scene.  Interestingly this was the only instalment to be set in England as opposed to continental Europe.

Legend has it that Christopher Lee was originally to be replaced by the younger Bates, however the studios supposedly begged Lee to return in spite of the decline in overall quality.

SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)

We're back in Transylvania thus not making this a sequel as such, yet carrying on the now traditional period setting evidently aimed at an adult audience.  Dracula is bled on by a bat from Poundland and revived, in order to welcome another poor sod as a guest, then later bloodily beat up the female slave that seduces him.

Released the same year as it's predecessor - as well as the non-Hammer work El Conde Dracula (1970) directed by Jess Franco and also starring resident lunatic Klaus Kinski - this would be Lee's third vampire effort of the new decade's onset, and saw the old pain in the neck at his most vicious.

Dennis Waterman, Patrick Troughton and Michael Ripper make up the supporting cast but, aside from the Count climbing his castle wall - a la the book - it doesn't offer anything new.

DRACULA A.D. 1972 (1972)

We fast forward a century in to the contemporary era, where funk music and loud clothing are in full flair.  A group of young folk, headed by Johnny Alucard (get it?), meet for a sacrificial ceremony in a disused church (sound familiar?), with the partial intention to freak out Val Helsing's granddaughter (Stephanie Beacham) - a descendent of the original vampire killer.  After all, the latter's grave stone is just outside.

Thank the Lord for Peter Cushing as he returns in the moral protagonist role, balancing his real-life friend Lee's villain in a daft but fun cat-and-mouse game - this time involving the police!  Oh and we're back in London, as well.

Chronological continuity is well out the window by this point, even with the fresh prologue, so let's assume we're to start afresh here.  Handy if you wish to skip past all the films before this!

THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (1973)

An apparent direct follow-up from the prior year, this film proves to be one of the darker in tone but ambitiously attempts to incorporate themes of modern sci-fi and espionage.  Here we see government officials and politicians secretly meet at night in cult form to sacrifice (*face palm*) a young virgin, so she can become a vampire.

Scotland Yard once again call on Prof. Val Helsing (Cushing) for his two cents, who eventually concludes that the cult's secret benefactor, a Dr Denim, is actually an alias for Count Dracula.

Not even a young Joanna Lumley can save this, as blatantly low-budget production standards, along with some trashy female vampire brides, make this one hard to watch.  Lee's final murder climax is however a visual highlight.