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You can't beat the price here on Amazon for this 4-movie set of Dracula movies, i.e. Horror of Dracula, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula, and Dracula A.D. 1972. The one thing I did wonder is why they didn't include the second Dracula instalment, i.e. Dracula Prince of Darkness [which by the way is being sold by third parties here on Amazon for exorbitant amounts].
Horror of Dracula
"Horror of Dracula" may not be a faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic Gothic vampire tale, in fact far from it, but it is a fine take of Stoker's novel.In this version, Jonathan Harker goes to Dracula's castle at the beginning under the guise of a librarian, but he actually knows what Dracula is and his purpose is to destroy him. Unfortunately, he is killed by Dracula and the vampire goes to London to prey upon Harker's fiancee, Lucy Holmwood [yes, they changed the names too], and later on Mina Holmwood, Lucy's sister-in-law. It is left to Van Helsing [Peter Cushing] and Arthur Holmwood [Lucy's brother and Mina's husband] to destroy the monster.
Christopher Lee, in his first portrayal of the evil Count Dracula, may not have much screen time, but he makes the most of the limited time he does have. His Count is sensual and evil at the same time - exerting a hypnotic effect upon his female victims that have them eagerly disrobing for the count's pleasure [and fangs:)].
Peter Cushing does an amazing job as Dr Van Helsing, vampire hunter and his commanding presence and determination to hunt down and destroy the monster that is Dracula is so credibly done that I was cheering him on all through the movie.
The female victims are suitably beautiful and helpless in the face of Dracula's charm and manipulations, and though this movie doesn't exactly scream big budget, I thought the production values were pretty decent - the vivid colors, the sets and scenery all enhanced the movie experience.There is a genuine atmosphere of menace that is effectively conveyed via the creepy score and sets.
Dracula Has Risen From the Grave
Though there are mixed reactions to "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave", I personally found it to be very interesting and thought-provoking. The story here begins with the little village in which Castle Dracula is located. It's been a year since the count's reign of terror ended, and yet mysterious events still plague the villagers. When the Monsignor [Rupert Davies] returns for a routine visit, he finds the villagers cowering in fear, including the Parish Priest himself [Ewan Hooper]. When the Monsignor undertakes to exorcise the Castle once and for all, events transpire differently - an unfortunate cut on the Priest's head proves to be the nourishment that brings the Count back to life, though the Monsignor remains oblivious of this fact, returning to his own village. The Count and his now faithful servant, the priest follow hot on the Monsignor's heels, bent on revenge - the target being the Monsignor's lovely niece, Maria [Veronica Carlson]. It's left to the Monsignor and Maria's atheist boyfriend, Paul [Barry Andrews] to save Maria before it's too late.
The production values in this movie were actually quite good - the sets, the score, and cinematography all enhanced the storytelling and made this movie very dark and menacing [the cellar under the inn where the Count is forced to reside looks very authentic].
The acting was good - Christopher Lee returns as the Count and this time, he is really mad and bent on revenge, with more screen time and dialogue to convey his anger. His lust for his prey is convincingly portrayed as usual and the female victims once again fall hopelessly under his spell, baring their necks in anticipation of the Count's 'embrace'. Rupert Davies is also strong in his portrayal of the Monsignor and special mention needs to be made of Ewan Hooper's fallen priest. His guilt and conflict comes across as genuine, and this was one aspect of the movie that made it really good for me - the corruption of good by Dracula, and the test of faith in both the Priest and also the atheist Paul.
Taste the Blood of Dracula
This is the fourth instalment in Hammer productions' Dracula series. The storyline is quite unique in that it centers on a group of middle-aged businessmen who inadvertently cause the Count to be resurrected via an occult ritual conducted by a young nobleman, Courtley. They kill Courtley during the ritual, and leave in a hurry, not realising that by committing murder, they have not only caused Dracula to rise again, but awakened his anger. Dracula is bent on revenge for his acolyte's death and proceeds to kill the trio off by manipulating their children.
The acting in this movie was actually pretty good. Christopher Lee reprises his role as the evil Count and actually has quite a few lines of dialogue here, all delivered in his usual deadpan style. His blood- red eyes and demented expressions are all portrayed with chilling effect. The three doomed men are also played really well - Geoffrey Keen as William Hargood, Peter Sallis as Samuel Paxton, and John Carson as Jonathan Secker are all believable in their roles as lecherous middle-aged men whose lust eventually lead to their downfall. The two girls who play Dracula's victims, Linda Hayden as Alice Hargood and Isla Blair as Lucy Paxton are suitably beautiful and do their roles justice.
I thought the production values were above average - the score was effectively creepy, and the sets were well-done, especially the derelict chapel that is the scene of Dracula's resurrection and also the final battle.
Dracula A.D. 1972
Dracula A.D. 1972 is a campy instalment in the Dracula series made by Hammer Films. The gist of the movie is that Dracula gets resurrected in 1972 by a young acolyte, Johnny Alucard and seeks to destroy the remaining Van Helsings, i.e. Dr Van Helsing [Peter Cushing] and his beautiful, hippie granddaughter Jessica [Stephanie Beacham].
Though Christopher Lee reprises his role as the malevolent count, his screen time is quite limited and I felt too much screen time was wasted on portraying the debauchery and free-swinging lifestyle of 70s Hippie culture - drugs, sex and rock n roll. But, when he does appear, Lee is magnetic as the count and doesn't disappoint in his performance.
But the best performance in this movie is Peter Cushing's 20th century Van Helsing - he is assured, intelligent and above-all single-minded in his determination to save his granddaughter Jessica from the vampire's clutches. Stephanie Beacham is luscious to look at and feisty in her portrayal as the strong-willed Jessica.
The rest of the actors were ho-hum - a bit overdone in some instances [the guy who played Johnny Alucard for example].
All in all, this isn't a great Dracula movie, but it isn't the worst either.
Final Verdict - this is a set worth owning for fans of Dracula movie and the vampire genre/classic horror.
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2008
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- Tommy BReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2020
Great bargain, awesome films in the traditional blood and thunder Hammer tradition
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