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The Satanic Rites of Dracula

The Satanic Rites of Dracula

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Worst of the Hammer film series
Review: It seems almost a rule of nature that the further a sequel gets from it's source material, the weaker the film turns out to be. Originally called Satanic Rites of Dracula in the US, this film is interesting only for the interplay between Lee and Cushing. The film is dated and campy but in all the wrong ways. I didn't think that a film could get much worse than Dracula A.D. 1972 (save for the opening sequence set in the 1800's with it's imaginative fight between Lee & Cushing), but this film proved me wrong. I thought it was bad even as a 14 year old.

Christopher Lee makes a very good point in his autobiography; if you can substitute the main character with any other character (Fu Manchu, Goldfinger, etc.) and the effect on the script is nil, then it's a pretty weak project to begin with. Lee's Dracula and Cushing's Van Helsing both seem like a bad experiment (sort of like The Thing With Two Heads)gone awry. Clearly this transplant is a failure.

A pity, too, since it would have been nice to see the series concluded with a fang and not a whimper.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: SLOOOOOOOW MOVING
Review: It's London in the 1970's, and Scottish Yard investigators think they have undiscovered a case of vampirism. Unbelievable, it becomes terribly apparent that the culprit may be none other than dracula him self, secretly plotting to unleash a fatal virus upon the world. this movie is only 87 minutes and it seems like it takes at least 4 hours to end! this movie makes no sense and the only reason why i gave it 2 stars is because it has vampires in it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Really pretty good
Review: It's true that Hammer's Dracula DID need to move out of the 19th century for the sake of refreshing the plot. While it could have been better, it came out quite good in my opinion. The older films were very good atmospherically, but lacked originality. This movie has that. The Black Plague plot was really a great twist, though it might have made a better ending if Dracula had won! One problem though, these movies take too long to introduce Dracula. Especially this one since it didn't have the atmosphere of the other films, though it was great when Dracula did show up! As for the DVD I bought, it was only 6.99, though it had almost no extras. Just biographies on Lee and Cushing and a quiz. I don't recall the company, but it was not anchor bay. It was Widescreen, but I don't know if it was a "fake" widescreen like the Anchor Bay one supposedly is. All in all though, I was pleased. Just hope I didn't get ripped off with the Fake Widescreen.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: leave it alone!
Review: jeez, all those reviews saying how camp and trashy Satanic rites is... maybe so, but its more entertaining than almost all of its dismal predecessors. has risen from the grave is nearly unwatchable, prince of darkness overrated, taste the blood falls apart as soon as dracula is introduced and scars of dracula is just plain daft. At least in satanic rites you get the wonderful portentious intonements of Peter cushing "this evil is more addictive than heroin" "this plague is more virulent than the black death" etc etc, wonderful, especially his explanation of how Earth is destined for an imminent catastrophe "where the circles meet". Haha, great 70s music, surprisingly good cast and atmospheric direction makes this great fun. So its rubbish, i can think of many hammers that are both awful AND boring... Now thats a real crime. Disc itself isn't great, anchor bay sharpened up their later releases like the plague of the zombies but its good enough for me

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Worst of the Hammer-Dracula series
Review: Let's see...Dracula is hardley in this movie to start off with, there is very little vampire action, the plot is complete nonsense and features a totaly unnecessary occult sub-plot (which was used purely for the fact that Satanism and the occult was popular during the 60's-70's), and features the weakest ending possible...Yet somehow, this movie IS entertaining and worth getting if you're a hardcore Dracula/Christopher Lee fan, or you find weird/obscure/bad horror movies fun.

The good news is, Peter Cushing is in the movie alongside Lee, so that helps, and there are literally dozens of cheap bargan bin issues of this movie on DVD available. I got mine for only $3 and it was in widescreen taboot! If you MUST see this movie, rent it or try looking in the budget-cheapo bins at Walmart!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Evil of the Vampire.
Review: London ~ 1974. Dracula (Christopher Lee) is undead and plotting mayhem. With a select group of powerful men, the Prince of Darkness plans to unleash an upgrade of bubonic plague. This is the inherent vileness of evil, according to Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing). Van Helsing is a descendant of the 19th century vampire-slayer. He and his delectable granddaughter, Jessica (Joanna Lumley), join the battle raging against the menace from beyond the grave. Michael Coles repeats his role from "Dracula A. D. 1972" as a police inspector with a silly Buster Brown haircut that only the '70s could tolerate. A remote country house, full of devil worship and bloody ritual, conceals the vampire coven. Dracula's screen time is limited, but his first appearance is a great Hammer moment. The kiss of the vampire prevails, as fearful female captives become eagerly wanton women, consumed with unholy bloodlust. Instead of typical Hammer heaving bosoms in diaphanous gowns, there is good old bare-breasted nudity. Family viewing, of course, is not encouraged. Lee's towering image in the flowing black cape, and his menacing demeanor transcend mere acting and dialogue. This virtue carries the film over some weak points. In addition, never miss an opportunity to view Lee and Cushing together. Dracula's drastic plot to lay waste the world is one way to find final release from his peculiar malady. No more potential victims left alive. This is the last of Hammer's Dracula series. The ending is a little weak, but otherwise the series goes out in a blaze of glory. This movie is great fun for genre fans and Hammer Horror-Heads everywhere. ;-)

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Stay away from this turkey!
Review: Not worth watching unless you like silliness. Dracula gets hold of a viral plague that can wipe out the Earth's population? So, if he unleashes this plague, who's going to be left for him to feed on?

Dracula belongs in the 1800's, not the 20th century. Even having Professor Van Helsing in this film does not help matters. Thank goodness Christopher Lee knew what he was doing when he decided to not make another of these movies. It was time to hang it up for sure.

An all-time Hammer turkey to avoid all together.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Warning! Buyer Beware!
Review: OK, first let me say that I love this movie! Count Dracula decides to wipe out mankind with a super-plague, just so he can finally die. Just thinking about it makes me drool! He has a host of eeevil helpers, including chained-up vampire babes in the basement! Lots of fanged action! There are also satanic snipers, a mad scientist, motorcycle-riding hitmen, a naked sacrifice, etc.,etc., etc. Not to mention the fact that both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are awesome! Now, I got that out of the way to warn folks that this DVD has another title. It is also known as "Count Dracula And His Vampire Brides" (I think it should've been called "Dracula: Apocolypse" or something). .... Just thought you'd like to know...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Good Actors Wasted in Bad Film.
Review: real life friends, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing teamed up one more time in this final Dracula film that sees that Count clashing with the Van Hesling family in the present day world, weak script and poor dialoge really hamper the movie however, and it's apparent that both actors did not like making this movie, thus no more were made after this one. I think it also marked the end of Hammer Films itself as it went out of business not long after this film was made.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A dismal ending to a great series
Review: Satanic Rites of Dracula is an appalling film. Presumably some bright spark at the Hammer studios hit upon a cast off script for "The Avengers" and crudely grafted the undead Count into the role of chief villain. The attempt to hybridise the spy and gothic horror genres is a dismal failure.

A low budget, poor special effects, a sound track which is frankly offensive and serves even more effectively than the 1970s decor to render the gothic monster Dracula ridiculous, and some lousy acting combine with the pathetic plot to produce a horror film which is laughably bad, and a sad ending to a series which had in its earlier stages seen some fine cinematic moments.

Should any definitive proof of the low standard of this film be required it is enough to reveal that, in the final denouement, Count Dracula is ultimately destroyed by becoming entangled in some shrubbery. A more ludicrous ending could not have been devised.


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