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Christopher Lee (Dracula & other cool movies) Discussion

chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
edited September 2014 in General Movies & TV Posts: 17,804
We know him better as Scaramanga, but how many have seen him as the Count?
Which are your favourites?
For ME, his first, The Horror Of Dracula (aka Dracula in the UK) was the best. Paired with Peter Cushing (which would not happen again until Dracula AD 1972) it was just a total win.
Taste The Blood Of Dracula was kind of intense.

Thoughts?
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Comments

  • bondtheorybondtheory
    Posts: 96
    Great thought! Yes, HOD was a fine film, and I also found TTBOD to have several wonderful moments (including Roy Kinnear, who was the father of Tanner/Rory). I enjoyed how these two really showed Dracula seeking to corrupt Victorian Europe (particularly in Taste, which definitively set the location as London). And yes, Lee, always superb, regardless of his dwindling on-screen time. @Chrisisall, ever wonder what took Hammer so long to bring back Cushing in the series?
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    bondtheory wrote: »
    @Chrisisall, ever wonder what took Hammer so long to bring back Cushing in the series?

    Constantly. They were quite a team.
    I just wish that Lee had done Legend Of The Seven Golden Vampires with Cushing- THAT would have made it so much more awesome.
  • Pajan005Pajan005 Stockholm, Sweden
    Posts: 432
    You drink, you drink this filth!

    I like the Hammer films. Good updates of classic stories.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,186
    Horror of Dracula and Prince Of Darkness are my favourites. I have a soft spot for Satanic Rites, however.

    Brides Of Dracula is another one in the series I cherish but of course Lee is absent from that film.

    I hope I won't offend anyone by saying that Cushing means more to me than Lee. I like them both but I like Cushing a little bit better than Lee. That explains why Hammer's Frankenstein series is closer to my heart than their Dracula series. ;-)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Prince Of Darkness
    Does Dracula even have one line in that one? I remember growling only...
  • LudovicoLudovico
    edited September 2014 Posts: 15,125
    HOD is my favourite Dracula of his and Lee is my favourite Dracula, even though he did not always play in the best adaptations. If you read the original novel, you can see how his interpretation was so close to the source material. In fact give Lee a moustache or a pointy beard, and he looks almost exactly like the novel's vampire.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,186
    @chrisisall, indeed in some of the films he hardly utters a word at all.
  • bondtheorybondtheory
    Posts: 96
    chrisisall wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Prince Of Darkness
    Does Dracula even have one line in that one? I remember growling only...

    @chrisisall Just a shriek, and a hiss.

    @pajan005 I also love that line in TTBOD from Geoffrey Keen's group: "You drink the filth"!

    @darthdimi Cushing was superb in everything he did. I have often thought about how he would be as Q, as Blofeld, or M.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,186
    @bondtheory, correct! Cushing should have been in a Bond film. More than once. :)
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited September 2014 Posts: 13,978
    Of the Christopher Lee Hammer: Dracula films, I actually like The Satanic Rites Of Dracula, most. I love it's mix of germ warfare spy thriller and contemporary Dracula.

    However, my favourite Dracula is Lugosi, followed closely by Palance, then Kinski and finally Lee.
  • bondtheorybondtheory
    Posts: 96
    Ludovico wrote: »
    HOD is my favourite Dracula of his and Lee is my favourite Dracula, even though he did not always play in the best adaptations. If you read the original novel, you can see how his interpretation was so close to the source material. In fact give Lee a moustache or a pointy beard, and he looks almost exactly like the novel's vampire.

    @ludovico Agree! Have you seen Lee in Franco's take on the novel, Il Conde Dracula (1970)? Lee has the stache, and grey hair.

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,186
    bondtheory wrote: »
    Have you seen Lee in Franco's take on the novel, Il Conde Dracula (1970)? Lee has the stache, and grey hair.

    I have! :) Low-budget Italian trash from the 70s and 80s is what I eat for breakfast, sir. ;-)

    Incidentally, I demand respect for Oldman's Dracula! :-)

  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    bondtheory wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    HOD is my favourite Dracula of his and Lee is my favourite Dracula, even though he did not always play in the best adaptations. If you read the original novel, you can see how his interpretation was so close to the source material. In fact give Lee a moustache or a pointy beard, and he looks almost exactly like the novel's vampire.

    @ludovico Agree! Have you seen Lee in Franco's take on the novel, Il Conde Dracula (1970)? Lee has the stache, and grey hair.

    Yes I did. Awful, awful movie. But it is worth watching for the few moments when Lee says lines from the book.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    MajorDSmythe wrote: »

    However, my favourite Dracula is Lugosi, followed closely by Palance, then Kinski and finally Lee.
    No Langella for you?
    ;)
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    bondtheory wrote: »
    chrisisall wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Prince Of Darkness
    Does Dracula even have one line in that one? I remember growling only...

    @chrisisall Just a shriek, and a hiss.

    @pajan005 I also love that line in TTBOD from Geoffrey Keen's group: "You drink the filth"!

    @darthdimi Cushing was superb in everything he did. I have often thought about how he would be as Q, as Blofeld, or M.

    Off topic, but Cushing should have been Blofeld. Imagine him in YOLT and we have a different movie. And no need of a scar or bald head.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    chrisisall wrote: »
    MajorDSmythe wrote: »

    However, my favourite Dracula is Lugosi, followed closely by Palance, then Kinski and finally Lee.
    No Langella for you?
    ;)

    Nah, he lacked.... bite. >:)
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 5,994
    As someone who read the book before seeing any of the adaptations, my Dracula will always be Sir Christopher Lee. He was the closest to the character in the novel. As for my favourite of his vampire movies, it's "Dracula has Risen from the Grave", no doubt about that. I even had the poster, until someone nicked it (and I still feel raw about that).
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Gerard wrote: »
    As for my favourite of his vampire movies, it's "Dracula has Risen from the Grave", no doubt about that. I even had the poster, until someone nicked it (and I still feel raw about that).
    That sucks.
    (sorry, it was an easy pun)
    I own Horror Of Dracula, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, Taste The Blood Of Dracula, & Dracula A.D.1972 (That one I actually saw in the theatre as a child). Been thinking about getting Dracula: Prince Of Darkness & Satanic Rites Of Dracula...

  • bondtheorybondtheory
    Posts: 96
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Gerard wrote: »
    As for my favourite of his vampire movies, it's "Dracula has Risen from the Grave", no doubt about that. I even had the poster, until someone nicked it (and I still feel raw about that).
    That sucks.
    (sorry, it was an easy pun)
    I own Horror Of Dracula, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, Taste The Blood Of Dracula, & Dracula A.D.1972 (That one I actually saw in the theatre as a child). Been thinking about getting Dracula: Prince Of Darkness & Satanic Rites Of Dracula...

    That does suck. The poster image was great: Veronica Carlson with a bandage on her throat.

    Briefly off-topic, but for anyone who has seen The Wicker Man with Lee, have you noticed how wonderful he is in that? I saw his character as a more playful Scaramanga at times.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    bondtheory wrote: »
    Briefly off-topic, but for anyone who has seen The Wicker Man with Lee,
    Actually I haven't- shame on me!
    And I changed the title so any Lee film is game.
  • TracyTracy
    edited September 2014 Posts: 1,708
    Horror Express beats the hell out of the later Draculas ("Rites" or "AD '72") : Lee , Cushing AND Savalas plus great score by Cacavas :D

    "PoD" (prolly my fav , also love Klove the butler and Shelleys character esp)

    "SoD (underrated and I loved Troughton as Klove.....he has a crush on Framsen played by Jenny Hanley but realizes he can never have her due to class difference/status. Drac himself is downright sadistic in this one so more gore is expected)

    "DHRFTG" , pretty good

    "TTBoD" , pretty good and I enjoyed "our" Geoff as the strict father , unfortunately I expected a more epic death scene.

    "AD '72" , I think had they had Drac roamed the streets of 70s London it could've been better and that Munro didn't turn into a vampire surprised me.....Neame is cool as Alucard. Def a "time capsule" type of movie. Nice to see Cushing again , too.

    "SR" , the plot seems Bondian or something that Batman's Ra's al Ghul would've come up with , it's obvious that al Ghul was inspired by Drac but instead of blood he lives thru his Lazarus Pit.
  • Pajan005Pajan005 Stockholm, Sweden
    Posts: 432
    Another line I remember is when Dracula says: "Now my revenge is complete." And the music starts pumping.
  • Agent7FAgent7F
    Posts: 825
    Well this good post @chrisisall. I've seen Christopher Lee in a lot of movies before Man with the Golden GunLee destroyed Callen/original Equalizer Late Edward Woodward in Wicker Man where Britt Ekland & Sean Connery ex Late Diane Cilento. He was like Goldfinger Villain in Eye for An Eyein 1980 which was Chuck Norries movie locate in San Francisco Where had his oddjob henchman which Chuck Mange to defeat with out electrocuting him & almost strangle Christopher Lee but John Shaft star Richard said let the law have him. That was great movie. Five year later Bond movie A view to Kill was taken there in San Francisco 1985 was Roger Moore Last Bond movie. Christopher Lee appear in Couple of Star Wars movies as Villain. He did a few documentaries But I can't remember them.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    Christopher Lee gives us many chills and thrills and not just as "The Count". A cool movie I would like to add is the 1963 Hammer film, "The Gorgon".
    It has a damned good and very chilly story. Peter Cushing is also in the film but both he and Lee are more secondary characters as the film concentrates on the younger stars.
    Still I highly recommend this "cool" movie.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,186
    @bondtheory, I love Lee in the original Wicker Man but he doesn't leave quite the impression Britt Ekland does. ;-) Either way, his hair in that film... WOW! :D

    ChristopherLee-WickerMan.jpg

    But now you've got me thinking of Willow's Song and that nocturnal dance... ;-) Another sleepless night for me.
  • bondtheorybondtheory
    Posts: 96
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    @bondtheory, I love Lee in the original Wicker Man but he doesn't leave quite the impression Britt Ekland does. ;-) Either way, his hair in that film... WOW! :D

    ChristopherLee-WickerMan.jpg

    But now you've got me thinking of Willow's Song and that nocturnal dance... ;-) Another sleepless night for me.

    @darthdimi Yes, I can appreciate your thoughts re: Britt Ekland (and her stand-in for some of that scene).

    Funny, speaking of Peter Cushing, I always thought Lee's hair in Wicker Man resembled the Helen Hayes/Barry Manilow hairdo in Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell. I love both films by the way.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Lee absolutely rocked in the Three & Four Musketeers.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,186
    Lee shines in everything he does. Even Gremlins 2.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    OHMSS69 wrote: »
    Christopher Lee gives us many chills and thrills and not just as "The Count". A cool movie I would like to add is the 1963 Hammer film, "The Gorgon".
    It has a damned good and very chilly story. Peter Cushing is also in the film but both he and Lee are more secondary characters as the film concentrates on the younger stars.
    Still I highly recommend this "cool" movie.

    And in it Lee plays against type. The Devil Rides Out was an amazing performance too and I believe his favourite Hammer movie.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    The Wicker Man was a very disturbing movie. Britt's dance scene had a very surreal look to it. And during the festival with Christopher Lee dressed as the maiden is timeless.
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