The Satanic Rites of Dracula 2006 Horror Movie Review

Draculas: 4 Film Favorites - Horror of Dracula / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave / Taste the Blood of Dracula / Dracula A.D. 1972 (2DVD)


After Dracula A.D 1972, once again directed by Alan Gibson for Hammer. This time the film is a mixture of motorcycle gangs, black magic, big business and cellars filled with female vampires. The film is somewhat better than DRACULA A.D 1972, in integrating Dracula into modern London and establishing some Gothic atmosphere, it still represents a continuing decline from the high standards set by Terence Fisher’s HORROR OF DRACULA in 1958. Lee is suitably both impressive as the property millionaire D.D.Denham, and, when unmasked, as the snarling Count himself. Peter Cushing acquits himself as admirably as ever in the part of Professor Van Helsing, this time called into battle not only by his old friend, Inspector Murray of Scotland Yard, but also at the request of Colonel Mathews, head of the Secret Service Department, S 1.7! But the concept of Count Dracula sponsoring a deadly Bacterial Research Programme aimed at world domination, “mod” motorcycle gangs as protection for the Vampire, and black magic never settle into a unity and the film literally ends on a dying fall. Dracula, in hot pursuit of Van Helsing, who has already failed to kill him with the traditional silver bullet, stumbles and falls into the (for him) deadly embrace of a Hawthorn bush.