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"I don t drink...wine."- The Dracula Thread

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  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,169
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Is this the right place to do a ranking of the Hammer Dracs?

    1. Dracula (1958) 10/10
    2. The Brides of Dracula (1960) 9/10
    3. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) 8/10
    4. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) 8/10
    5. Scars of Dracula (1970) 7/10
    6. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) 6/10
    7. Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) 6/10
    8. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) 5/10
    9. The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1972) 5/10

    Good idea. Here's my current ranking:

    1. HORROR OF DRACULA (1958)
    2. DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968)
    3. SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)
    4. DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)
    5. DRACULA AD 1972 (1972)
    6. TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970)
    7. SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (1973)
    8. THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960)
    9. THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (1974)
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I see you have SCARS OF DRACULA in your top three.
    220px-Scarsofdracula.jpg
    Second Hammer Dracula to come out that year. Directed by Roy Ward Baker, it was the first of several "R" rated Hammer Horror films.Anouska Hempel, who played the Australian girl in OHMSS, has a part.
    the+scars+of+dracula+10.jpg
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,136
    I quite like Scars as well because it has a larger part than usual for Lee. I once read Lee liked this one more than the other sequels. Maybe someone in the know could tell us more?

    It’s also a bit edgier than most Hammer Dracs with added gore and a bit more nudity. Still though, the pretty terrible bat effects take it slightly down too.
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,169
    I think of SCARS as a fun entry. Kind of a throw back to the Universal horrors with big phony bats, and torch wielding villagers. Anouska Hempel is great here as well. Also I love the Castle Dracula set. Lee is great, though for some off reason his make-up isn't quite as natural as the next two films. Still, wonderful to hear his deep voice throughout.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    Scars is the first Hammer's Dracula movie I saw. It's rather weak but it has its moments.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited November 2018 Posts: 24,184
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Is this the right place to do a ranking of the Hammer Dracs?

    1. Dracula (1958) 10/10
    2. The Brides of Dracula (1960) 9/10
    3. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) 8/10
    4. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) 8/10
    5. Scars of Dracula (1970) 7/10
    6. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) 6/10
    7. Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) 6/10
    8. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) 5/10
    9. The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1972) 5/10

    Good idea. Here's my current ranking:

    1. HORROR OF DRACULA (1958)
    2. DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968)
    3. SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)
    4. DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)
    5. DRACULA AD 1972 (1972)
    6. TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970)
    7. SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (1973)
    8. THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960)
    9. THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (1974)

    Mine would be:

    1. Prince
    2. Horror
    3. Brides
    4. Grave
    5. Scars
    6. Satanic Rites
    7. Blood
    8. A.D. 1972
    9. 7 Golden Vampires

    I generally prefer the Frankenstein series to Hammer's Dracula.
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,169
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Is this the right place to do a ranking of the Hammer Dracs?

    1. Dracula (1958) 10/10
    2. The Brides of Dracula (1960) 9/10
    3. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) 8/10
    4. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) 8/10
    5. Scars of Dracula (1970) 7/10
    6. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) 6/10
    7. Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) 6/10
    8. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) 5/10
    9. The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1972) 5/10

    Good idea. Here's my current ranking:

    1. HORROR OF DRACULA (1958)
    2. DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968)
    3. SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)
    4. DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)
    5. DRACULA AD 1972 (1972)
    6. TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970)
    7. SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (1973)
    8. THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960)
    9. THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (1974)

    Mine would be:

    1. Prince
    2. Horror
    3. Brides
    4. Grave
    5. Scars
    6. Satanic Rites
    7. Blood
    8. A.D. 1972
    9. 7 Golden Vampires

    I generally prefer the Frankenstein series to Hammer's Dracula.

    I love the Frankenstein series as well. Peter Cushing is great. Actually I love the Ralph Bates entry as well.

    Good ranking, BTW. DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS was the first Hammer film I saw and loved it. It often ends up in my number one spot. BRIDES would be higher for me if it had a James Bernard score. It's a great film, but the music isn't quite there for me, so I tend to rank it lower.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    edited November 2018 Posts: 45,489
    In 1971 came DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN directed by Al Adamson. Lon Chaney has a part as a descendant of the original Dr Frankenstein living in California, and Dracula is played by Zandor Vorkov. Here it is on Youtube, for anyone interested.I tried, but ended up watching just bits here and there. It is dreadful.
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,169
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    In 1971 came DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN directed by Al Adamson. Lon Chaney has a part as a descendant of the original Dr Frankenstein living in California, and Dracula is played by Zandor Vorkov. Here it is on Youtube, for anyone interested.I tried, but ended up watching just bits here and there. It is dreadful.

    Definitely an acquired taste and hard to get through in one sitting. Still, I love it. Zandor Vorkov (a.k.a. Roger Engel) is pretty funny. He wears a black turtle neck and sports jacket under what looks like a store bought Halloween vampire cape. His fangs are the cheap plastic kind you get for $1 . Great stuff!
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,136
    @DarthDimi It was my first Hammer Drac, but I like most of the others better than Prince of Darkness. Never liked it that Lee doesn’t speak in the movie.

    Also like the Frankenstein films, though I’m primarily a Drac fan. The Revenge of Frankenstein would be my favourite.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    Lee does not speak in Prince of Darkness because he refused to speak, if I'm not mistaken.
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,169
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Lee does not speak in Prince of Darkness because he refused to speak, if I'm not mistaken.

    He always said the lines written were unspeakable: "I AM THE APOCALYPSE!!!!"

    Somehow I wonder if that particular line might have been written for SATANIC RITES instead, though Lee referred it to PRINCE.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Lee does not speak in Prince of Darkness because he refused to speak, if I'm not mistaken.

    He found his lines in the original screenplay abysmal.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Lee does not speak in Prince of Darkness because he refused to speak, if I'm not mistaken.

    He always said the lines written were unspeakable: "I AM THE APOCALYPSE!!!!"

    Somehow I wonder if that particular line might have been written for SATANIC RITES instead, though Lee referred it to PRINCE.

    I was wondering the same. He might have mistaken some of the Hammer entries to others. I personally liked Rites. It was flawed but at least Dracula had proper ambitions there, not merely attacking a few people out of revenge. In the novel, he wanted to invade the world starting with England. That was very rarely if at all touched in the adaptations.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    1971 also saw the release of the Spanish experimental film CUADECUC, VAMPIR directed by Pere Portabella, shot the previous year on the set of Jesus Franco s Count Dracula. Cuadecuc is Catalan for worm s tail, which is an expression used for the unexposed end of a roll of film.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    I would like to point out that Sheridan Le Fanu's delicious vampire story "Carmilla" predates Stoker's Dracula with several years. The character of Carmilla Karnstein inspired film adaptations which I highly recommend, such as

    - Roger Vadim's experimental film "Blood and Roses" (1960), a film I truly love.
    - Hammer's "The Vampire Lovers", starring LALD's Madeline Smith (who shows quite a lot of skin in the film. :p )
    - Japanese animation "Vampire Hunder D: Bloodlust", a terrific film made by the animator who also made "Ninja Scroll" and "Wicked City".

    In "The Batman vs Dracula", Carmilla is even mentioned as Dracula's bride.
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I would like to point out that Sheridan Le Fanu's delicious vampire story "Carmilla" predates Stoker's Dracula with several years. The character of Carmilla Karnstein inspired film adaptations which I highly recommend, such as

    - Roger Vadim's experimental film "Blood and Roses" (1960), a film I truly love.
    - Hammer's "The Vampire Lovers", starring LALD's Madeline Smith (who shows quite a lot of skin in the film. :p )
    - Japanese animation "Vampire Hunder D: Bloodlust", a terrific film made by the animator who also made "Ninja Scroll" and "Wicked City".

    In "The Batman vs Dracula", Carmilla is even mentioned as Dracula's bride.

    You can add Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1932 Vampyr to that list. Thanks for the recommendations, @DarthDimi. I’m interested in seeing more takes on Carmilla on film.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    In 1972 came BLACULA directed by William Crain and starring William Marshall as the titular character, whose real name in the movie is Prince Mamuwalde. Turned into a vampire and trapped in Dracula s castle in 1780, and released by two decorators who have purchased his coffin, in the US in 1972.
    blacula-bar-scene.jpg?resize=536%2C412&ssl=1

    Dracula only appears in the beginning, and is played by Charles Macaulay.

    When I first saw the trailer for this, I thought it looked hilarious. Turned out it wasn t a comedy, but a real stinker. The follow-up SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM was released the year after.
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,169
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    In 1972 came BLACULA directed by William Crain and starring William Marshall as the titular character, whose real name in the movie is Prince Mamuwalde. Turned into a vampire and trapped in Dracula s castle in 1780, and released by two decorators who have purchased his coffin, in the US in 1972.
    blacula-bar-scene.jpg?resize=536%2C412&ssl=1

    Dracula only appears in the beginning, and is played by Charles Macaulay.

    When I first saw the trailer for this, I thought it looked hilarious. Turned out it wasn t a comedy, but a real stinker. The follow-up SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM was released the year after.

    Arnold Williams is in the 2nd Blacula film.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    In 1972 came BLACULA directed by William Crain and starring William Marshall as the titular character, whose real name in the movie is Prince Mamuwalde. Turned into a vampire and trapped in Dracula s castle in 1780, and released by two decorators who have purchased his coffin, in the US in 1972.
    blacula-bar-scene.jpg?resize=536%2C412&ssl=1

    Dracula only appears in the beginning, and is played by Charles Macaulay.

    When I first saw the trailer for this, I thought it looked hilarious. Turned out it wasn t a comedy, but a real stinker. The follow-up SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM was released the year after.

    The lady on the right is fine.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    DRACULA A.D.1972 was the first Hammer Dracula set in contemporary times, except the opening scene set in 1872 (making the previous continuity null and void). It is also the first to include both Lee and Cushing since the first installment.
    MV5BYjE4YmUwZjktNTMzMi00Yzk5LWI1ZmQtNzJlOGI0OGQzZjU2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDc2NjEyMw@@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182,268_AL_.jpg

    From the Bond films we recognize Christopher Neame, Caroline Munro and Michael Kitchen. (And Lee, of course.)
  • CraterGunsCraterGuns
    Posts: 618
    BLACULA isn’t a stinker. It’s a low budget exploitation pic, true. But William Marshall is absolutely terrific as the title character. He could have played it as a joke, but gives a dignified performance and lends class to the movie.

    Marshall would have made a fantastic Kananga in LALD. As much as I like Yaphet Kotto, I wish Marshall had been cast instead.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    CraterGuns wrote: »
    BLACULA isn’t a stinker. It’s a low budget exploitation pic, true. But William Marshall is absolutely terrific as the title character. He could have played it as a joke, but gives a dignified performance and lends class to the movie.

    Marshall would have made a fantastic Kananga in LALD. As much as I like Yaphet Kotto, I wish Marshall had been cast instead.

    Marshall isn t the problem. Good call on him as Kananga.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,041
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    DRACULA A.D.1972 was the first Hammer Dracula set in contemporary times, except the opening scene set in 1872 (making the previous continuity null and void). It is also the first to include both Lee and Cushing since the first installment.
    MV5BYjE4YmUwZjktNTMzMi00Yzk5LWI1ZmQtNzJlOGI0OGQzZjU2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDc2NjEyMw@@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182,268_AL_.jpg

    From the Bond films we recognize Christopher Neame, Caroline Munro and Michael Kitchen. (And Lee, of course.)
    I vaguely remember watching that one in (probably) 1972, or at worst 1973, in my home town's small and old cinema, for probably no more than what is now a euro of entrance fee. The German title, a classic example of German distributors' idiotic naming schemes, was DRACULA JAGT MINI-MÄDCHEN (Dracula Chases Mini-Skirt Girls). Nevertheless, even at my tender age of 15 or 16 it left the impression of being a cheap, contrived, and stupid exploitative movie, in spite of Lee and Cushing whom I both did know at the time. Maybe I'd enjoy it more today.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I get the sense it is generally the most despised Hammer Dracula film.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    I get the sense it is generally the most despised Hammer Dracula film.

    Deservedly so imo. Satanic Rites was far superior.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    I get the sense it is generally the most despised Hammer Dracula film.

    Deservedly so imo. Satanic Rites was far superior.

    Also directed by Alan Gibson.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited November 2018 Posts: 7,136
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    I get the sense it is generally the most despised Hammer Dracula film.

    It is one of my favourites. The film has more energy and originality than most sequels that came before it. I did a ranking earlier but on seconds thoughts, I think it might end up second behind Horror and just before Brides.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    My issues with many Dracula adaptations, including many of the Hammer ones (which I otherwise love), is that Dracula is often turned into a glorified Jason or Freddie. Gone is the large scale threat he represents to the civilized world.
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,169
    CraterGuns wrote: »
    BLACULA isn’t a stinker. It’s a low budget exploitation pic, true. But William Marshall is absolutely terrific as the title character. He could have played it as a joke, but gives a dignified performance and lends class to the movie.

    Marshall would have made a fantastic Kananga in LALD. As much as I like Yaphet Kotto, I wish Marshall had been cast instead.

    I've always loved it, myself. William Marshall is excellent. I also liked Charles Macaulay's performance as Dracula in the PTS.
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