The Satanic Rites
of Dracula (1973)
By: David Michael Brown on August 29, 2006.
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| Big Sky Video (Australia). All Regions, NTSC. 1.85:1 (Non-anamorphic). English DD 2.0. 87 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Alan Gibson
Starring: Brook Adams,
Peter Cushing, John Carradine
Screenplay: Don Houghton
Music: John Cacavas
Tagline: "The
Masters of Menace Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
They're dead but they're alive..."
Country: UK
AKA: Count Dracula and
His Vampire Bride; Dracula Is Dead... and Well
and Living in London; Rites of Dracula
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Many thought Hammer had reached their nadir with Dracula 1972 AD. From 1958's Horror of Dracula through to 1972's Scars of Dracula Christopher Lee
had made the role his own, giving the vampire a
graceful and stately presence. Fans had become accustomed
to seeing Dracula in the distant past but Dracula
1972 AD brought the dark lord screaming
into the 21st Century. This time he had to deal
with jazz listening hippies and some unspeakably
hip Seventies dialogue, and looked very uneasy doing
so. The film is certainly a guilty pleasure for
this reviewer but Hammer listened to the majority
with what was to be Dracula's swan song with
the Studio, The Satanic Rites of Dracula.
Director Alan Gibson ignores the psychedelic
kitsch that he gave Dracula 1972 AD,
instead giving this film a gritty and sombre outlook
whilst maintaining the films modern day setting.
The plot, involving Dracula spreading the black-death
throughout the world to destroy the human race,
is the stuff of James Bond films. In fact the
whole film plays more like a Sixties spy movie
than a horror film. Yes, Dracula uses the occult
and bloody sacrifices to spread his cloak of evil
but you keep expecting 007 to pop up and save
the day. The hilarious credits featuring a silhouette
of Dracula casting his shadow over the empty streets
of London recalls the eerie otherworld frequented
by Steed and Emma Peel in The Avengers.
The performances are what you expect from a Hammer
film. By this point Christopher Lee was sleep
walking through the role and is not given much
to do apart from menace a young lady every 10
minutes or so. The High Priestess Chin Yang played
by Barbara Yu Ling and Dracula's vampire
brides provide more chills than their leader.
Whenever one of our heroes ventures down to the
coffin filled basement you know you're in
for a thrill. Able support is given by the likes
of genre stalwart Freddie Jones, and the legendary
Peter Cushing brings authority and realism to
even the daftest of dialogue and does so in the
role of a descendent of vampire hunter Van Helsing.
The film was called Dracula Is Dead...
and Well and Living in London in some
territories and the streets of the UK capitol
certainly play an ominous role in the film. Strangely
enough Dracula didn't really need to be
in the film as the rest of the cast provide enough
scares and excitement to make the film work; its'
almost as if Hammer already had a storyline and
then added in Dracula at the last minute. Saying
that it's all great fun, providing your
tongue is firmly in your cheek and you don't
hold the earlier Hammer Dracula films in to high
a reverence. |
| Video |
| The print isn't too bad. Some scenes are
a bit murky and therefore grain is present but on
the whole the picture is sharp and free of noise.
The reds of the opening satanic rituals in particular
are bright and vibrant and make a colourful contrast
to the grey streets of London town. There is a small
amount of print damage present but it doesn't
distract. |
| Audio |
| Nothing spectacular to report; the mono soundtrack
is clear but that's about it. |
| Extra Features |
| All you get is the trailer! |
| The Verdict |
| A fun modern take on a horror classic. The leads
are obviously over their roles but everyone else
seems to having fun. Hammer were constantly trying
to reinvent their catalogue and with The
Satanic Rites of Dracula they succeeded
in giving Dracula a entertaining, if un-traditional,
send off. A thumbs up for Dracula's fanged
brides and his motorcycle henchman then but the
disc does lose a point for its almost complete lack
of extras. |
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