(1960)
Dir - Terence Fisher
Overall: MEH
While director Terence Fisher, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, and Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helson all return, Christopher Lee briefly stepped away from the title role for the Horror of Dracula follow up The Brides of Dracula. Said title is misleading as not only is the seminal, undead count nowhere to be found, but only two women fall victim to new vampire David Peel's diabolical charm and neither of them garnish hardly enough screen time to warrant a "bride" moniker. In any event, there are some memorable, striking, bloody-eyed and fanged images here, plus Cushing brutally cauterizes a vampire bite with a scalding iron and holy water. Unfortunately, the story leaves room for a lot of pacing lulls, particularly in the middle act which slows to a standstill with lackluster townsfolk and a random cameo from comic relief character actor Miles Malleson. Also, this probably has the lamest vampire death in any Hammer film, though it does come after an efficiently heart-racing final showdown. It is certainly a disappointing sequel and noticeably suffers from Lee's absence, but at least he would come back for the next six installments even if the quality, (or lack-thereof), of each was largely out of his hands.
(1966)
Dir - Terence Fisher
Overall: GOOD
The last Hammer Dracula film to have Terence Fisher behind the lens and the first to bring back Christopher Lee as the titular vampire, Dracula: Prince of Darkness fails to mention the previous, Christopher Lee-less The Brides of Dracula, instead serving as a proper follow-up to Horror of Dracula from eight years prior. Opening with archive footage from the previous movie in case anyone in the audience forgot what they were seeing a sequel to, this entry helped further set the template for several that would follow. Meaning that Dracula does not show up until at least halfway through the movie, comes back to "life" rather effortlessly, barely if at all speaks, and superstitious villagers act superstitiously. This early in the franchise, simply having Lee back even as a blood-crazed mute is probably enough to hold over most Gothic horror buffs, but this one also benefits from a forceful performance from Hammer regular Andrew Keir as Dracula's holy man foible, who makes up for Peter Cushing's absence. Lee's demise is both unique and pathetic, (Dracula can't swim, really?), but at least it continues the deviation from the usual stake through the heart undoing. Though Barbara Shelley fills that particular demise quota here.
(1968)
Dir - Freddie Francis
Overall: GOOD
Freddie Francis had the distinction of taking over for Terence Fisher in the director's chair for both their Frankenstein and Dracula series. The forth installment Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is a direct sequel to the previous film and a more accurate title would have been "Dracula Has Risen from Being Delicately Frozen in Ice". Christopher Lee thankfully gets some dialog again, though his screen time is still unfortunately limited. He excels all the same though with blood-shot eyes and a vehemently cruel demeanor that is every bit as nasty as his many other portrayals of the undead count. Scream queen Veronica Carlson makes her first appearance in a Hammer production, filling the role of "beautiful, innocent girl who unwillingly becomes engulfed by Dracula's spell". The vampire mythos are given a mild update as now one must pray when staking Dracula through the heart, otherwise he will just be really uncomfortable thrashing around for a few minutes before pulling the device out. This fits in cleverly enough with the story as our dashing, atheist hero, (Barry Andrews), has an altercation with his love interest's Monsignor Uncle, (Rupert Davis), and another priest becomes the vampire's feeble henchmen. The faith-challenging angle is not really explored much, but it gives the familiar story an interesting enough backbone at least to layer some more atmospheric, ghastly fun on top of.
(1970)
Dir - Peter Sasdy
Overall: MEH
The fifth Dracula installment for Hammer Studios Taste the Blood of Dracula is a bit of a frustrating effort. Screenwriter Anthony Hinds returns with Peter Sandsy making his Hammer debut behind the lens and this far into the series, they were still able to tweak enough things for it not to be a complete rehash. Opening with the ending of Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, it introduces the concept of Satanism for the first time in the series with a young, disgraced, heathen Lord, (Hammer mainstay Ralph Bates), trying to summon his "master" Dracula by way of an oddball ritual where he and a bunch of bored, wealthy hypocrites are supposed to drink the vampire's blood. Both the way that the titular Count regains his Christopher Lee form and the way in which he mees his demise are either ingeniously bizarre or just plain lazy depending on how gracious the viewer is. Dracula's revenge scheme is fun though, with some gruesome deaths and bosomy maiden hypnotism. Speaking of bosoms, this was the first entry in the series to feature nudity which appears near the beginning of the film in a brothel run by a flamingly effeminate man-madame. If it was not for the weak ending and maybe one too many sloppy plot points, this could be a more positive stand-out as opposed to just an unrealized one.
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