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.

After the success of "Horror of Dracula," Hammer Horror apparently decided to wring the last buck out of the Dracula franchise, with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as the hero and villain. The final chapter is "Satanic Rites of Dracula," a limp horror flick that is rather boring when it's not silly. Throw in some naked breasts and dated haircuts too.

Scotland Yard uncovers a rural cult of satanists, and learn that their members include prominent scientists and politicians. It would be a scandal if they made an error, so they ask Professor Larimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) to investigate. Van Helsing pays a visit to one of the cultists (his old college buddy) and discovers a horrific secret: a new, superstrain of the Black Death.

Even worse, Van Helsing finds that his old nemesis Dracula (Christopher Lee) has returned from the grave (how many times is it now?) and is the leader of this cult. While Scotland Yard battles hordes of vampiric women hidden in the cult's house, Van Helsing is taken prisoner by Dracula himself -- and his granddaughter Jessica may be Dracula's next victim.

Horror isn't supposed to be silly, and it's not supposed to be tedious. "Satanic Rites of Dracula" is both. It feels as if Hammer Horror was running out of potential Dracula scenarios, so they threw in some cheesy satanism and lots of because-we-can nudity. (Apparently to stake a female vampire, you have to pull open her shirt first)

Worst of all, very little of it makes sense -- why does Dracula want to kill everyone, and thus himself? Uh... he just does, okay? That's about the whole explanation. And the illogical storyline is bogged down by really bad dialogue ("My revenge has spread over centuries and has just begun!").

Most of the movie revolves around Scotland Yard's idiot inspectors bumbling around, getting into trouble and barely escaping those vampire sexpots. Occasionally they stake somebody, but not often enough. It takes most of the movie for Dracula to even show up, and when he does, Lee looks kind of peevish, like he resents being in this cheesy movie. Somehow, I can't blame him.

It's especially a shame because Lee and Cushing are the sole bright points. Lee was as impressive and creepy as ever, with his sonorous voice and seductive bloodsucking. And Cushing had the toughness and steeliness to play a good Van Helsing, although they water down his character by giving him a twerpy granddaughter.

It's a good thing "Satanic Rites of Dracula" was the last of Hammer's Dracula movies, because this one was a pathetic enough finale to the series. Lee and Cushing are the only reasons to watch at all.