Rating: 
Summary: Shut up, Christopher Lee
Review: I always liked this movie and the transfer to DVD is great. What is not so great is the commentary by the actors. Christopher Lee barely lets his co-stars get in a word edgewise. I would liked to have heard Barbara Shelley more, because I thought she was the star of this film and stole it away from Lee.
Rating: 
Summary: Atmospheric Dracula sequel only let down by weak script.
Review: This third entry in Hammer's Dracula series (the second to star Lee) is most definitely a step down in terms of effective story telling. Whilst the set design, lighting and direction is as impeccable as Hammer ever produced, the fatal flaw is the script. Anthony Hinds' narrative spends too much time setting up the Count's reincarnation, and although being ingeniously well done when it comes, one cannot help but feel it has taken too long to get there (over 40 minutes to be precise). With Dracula risen from his coffin, it then feels as though the producers had little idea what to do with him. Lee's (perhaps wise) refusal to utter any of the lines Hammer gave him means that he spends most of the time in total silence and the action flitters from the castle to Andrew Keir's monastery with no real sense of purpose or direction. There are, undoubtedly, moments of suspense. The final chase through the forest to Dracula's watery demise is gripping 'til the last, and the superbly named butler Clove is portrayed with eerie aplomb by Philip Latham as the Count's guests gradually lose their minds. The atmosphere and period are so well reproduced in fact, and the scary moments exploited so fully by director Terence Fisher that if the viewer is willing to suspend belief totally for one and a half hours then the film is genuinely unnerving. A very good point made by Christopher Lee in the commentary is that the actors played their roles as genuinely and as straight as possible so that the audience is far more willing to accept the fantastical elements of the plot. It works, and the performances of Lee, Barbera Shelley and Andrew Keir in particular, show the method to be extremely effective. Note in particular Lee's inhuman shriek as he spots Shelley's vampire muscling in on his fresh prey - disturbing! This DVD special edition is excellent. The (too long unavailable) widescreen version looks superb and adds to the enjoyment of the film greatly, the sound is fine, and there are no small irritating pauses at all. The extras are where the disc really comes into it's own though. The commentary, featuring Lee, Shelley, Farmer, and the odd utterance from Matthews is as enjoyable as it sounds like it was to make. Although Lee dominates, the most unusual fact raised is by Shelley who admits that all her screams were in fact re-dubbed by Farmer, as she found it impossible to reach such a high pitch. The behind the scenes home video, however, has to be the best find of the disc by Anchor Bay. Although a mere five minutes long, it provides an extremely rare glimpse of the opposite side of the Hammer operation... and lets the viewer experience the special Hammer atmosphere. Combined with further commentary from the cast, it alone makes the disc worth buying. The trailers are amongst the best in Hammer's library as well, being graced with the presence of the most deliciously over the top voice over artist I've ever heard. All in all, whilst the film may lack the coherent script it needs, this is the last truly atmospheric Hammer Dracula film, and by getting the disc it deserves Anchor Bay have produced the ultimate special edition package.
Rating: 
Summary: Kind of predictable.
Review: [not so good] sequal with Lee again playing the Count, although how he returns from the dead in his second movie is a bit far-fetched. More gore, and shocking scenes like the first movie, but it doesn't really scare anymore.
Rating:
Summary: By no means the best, but has its moments
Review: When Hammer was churning out pictures in the mid 1960s rasputin and dracula prince of darkness were intended to be the first halves of two double bills with weaker hammer films backing them up. However as fate would have it those second half films, Plague of the zombies and the reptile were far better films than the two slightly crude (in comparison) vehicles for christopher Lee. This film has some wonderful moments, when dracula burts out of his coffin at the end, when the body is left dangling over his coffin to reanimate him, extremely eerie moments courtesy of the great terence fisher. But the effect of most of the film, hashed together from the original story and the bela lugosi film from the 30s is soporific, guests, castles, warnings from villagers, all the details are perhaps over familiar to us (to me anyway), i found my attention wandering. But as with most good hammers this is a visually fascinating film. christopher lee's voice is missing, a shame as he's wonderful as the vampire that speaks in the horror of dracula. Throley walters and that great british stage actor playing draculas servant (curses forgotten his name) are wasted too, Andrew kier is, to paraphrase robert deniro impersonating jake lamotta "no olivier" this was the best hammer film he appeared in. If you're new to hammer films go get plague of the zombies or the devil rides out first, this film is always worth buying after the best of the hammer collection have been added to your library of DVDs I'd probably buy the DVD for the trailers alone "Boys, get your dracula fangs, fight back, bite back against the worlds most dangerous man!!" hehe
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT movie, but so-so DVD
Review: This is without a doubt one of the greatest horror movies of all time and easily the best Hammer ever did. The eerie mood begins with the very first scene and does not ease up until the end credits. "Will your master be joining us?" NO, SIR. "Is he indisposed?" HE'S DEAD. Even the dialog is eerie! I am obviously a huge Hammer fan and I have the utmost respect for Mr. Christopher Lee, so it was with incredible anticipation that I looked forward to the audio commentary on this DVD, and I must say it was very disappointing. I would say that during their audio commentary, the cast talked about Dracula, Prince of Darkness for about only 20% of the time. The other 80% of them time was spent talking about such things from Ben-Hur auditions to minor arguments over the minutia of how to pronounce an actor's last name (an actor, mind you, who's not even in this film.) There was WAY TOO MUCH trivial conversation about the current whereabouts of minor British actors of the 60s. Mr. Lee's stature and class is incredible as he speaks, but he spoke of the wrong things. That is, he spoke not enough about the movie I was watching (His stories about Karloff and Wyler were quite moving, for example, but not appropriate for people who bought this DVD to hear about Dracula, Prince of Darkness.) Of the 20% or so when the cast DID speak about Dracula, Prince of Darkness, sadly there was much that they did not remember. Barbara Shelley had the best memory, and it was sad to hear her ask (with great enthusiasm) the others, "Do you remember what happened the day we filmed this scene..." and no one knew what she was talking about. Granted, 35 years is a long time ago to remember exact details, but it would be forgivable if they ALL forgot something, but sad to us fans that only some of them forgot. This DVD is a must for any Hammer fan, but maybe not as moving as we hope audio commentary would be.
Rating: 
Summary: A WORTHY SEQUEL
Review: HORROR OF DRACULA was a tough act to follow, and this one comes pretty close. When a stranded group of Englishmen come across Castle Dracula, Dracula's loyal servant kills one traveller, pouring the blood on Dracula's remains. With Dracula revived in a memorable sequence, the Prince of Darkness begins to prey on the others. Only two make it out of the castle, where they meet the vampire hunter Father Sandor.When Dracula comes to finish his work, Sandor and one traveller pursue the vampire to his castle where he is subdued by an icy tomb. Though less elaborately plotted than its predecessor, this film is very good. It was my first taste of Lee as Dracula, and I was instantly hooked. Lee is phenomonal without dialogue - delivering the savage facial expressions that have become his trademark Dracula. I highly reccommend this one!
Rating:
Summary: "Fisher's lucisouly poetic beautifully mounted sequel"
Review: It was seven years until Hammer made a follow up to Fisher's Tour de force Horror of Dracula (1958), with Fisher once again at the helm. Yet this time rather than taking the "innocent" approach to Dracula, Fisher opted for a film consisting of a unsettling combination of graphically gorey vilionce, and a lucisouly poetic atmosphere that creates a sort of stylish formalism that invites a apreacion on how the story is told, concentrating on character and atmosphere rather than shock effects. This may not be one of Fisher's best-in fact in a way it's one of his minor gothic masterpieces-a small masterpiece for that matter. Yet the film emerges as exellent showcase for Fisher's directoral abilties on his use of his masterful framing and compostion, and his use of color, which is very remiscient of Mario Bava. The film is crammed with many of Fisher's directoral Touches, such as how he shoots his actors behind bars during the first portion of the film as the group of travelers lodge at castle Dracula, note how Fisher constantly shoots his actor behind bars-mainly through candle sticks, pillars and so forth, emphaising the impisoned oppressed sensuality of Dracula's victorian victims, conveyed by Fisher so beautifully. Perhaps the best part of the film comes When Dracula's servent revives his master by hanging one of the travler's upside-down over the tomb containing Dracula's ashes and draining the blood from him. The scene is one of hallucinatory beauty as bright colors and swirling mist emphasize the overwhelming physicality of the ritual which allows the Travlers lifeblood to be released as pure energy making Dracula swell into blood-gorged body dedicated to the pursuit of sensual pleasure. Rating: 3 out of 5 Grade: B 86%
Rating:
Summary: Christopher Lee is still the best Dracula
Review: This DVD is a must for all those who remember those wonderful Hammer vampire films. Christopher Lee's performance is pure evil..none of the "Dracula as misunderstood romantic" nonsense that has plagued new versions of the tale.It would have been nice to have Peter Cushing in this movie, but one can't complain. This is a solid, atmospheric Gothic horror movie with a performance by the definite Dracula, Christopher Lee.Sometimes I wish people in Hollywood had the sense to bring him back to horror movies. After all, he is the last of the classic horror stars still with us. The DVD extras are also terrific, especially the audio commentary by Christopher Lee and members of the cast.
Rating:
Summary: My First Hammer Experience A Good One!
Review: Christopher Lee doesn't utter one word in "Dracula Prince of Darkness", the follow-up to "Horror of Dracula". He doesn't have to. With those boiling red eyes, that tall, imposing figure and the swirl and dash of a black cape lined in red satin, Lee projects enough on-screen menance to leave no doubt in the mind of the viewer as to his Count's blood-thirsty intentions. A literate script and fine acting on everyone's part contribute to the obvious high production values of this film. Extras include two original trailers (one of which is a double-bill with a Hammer zombie film) and a documentary narrated by the late, great Oliver Reed containing all the information on Hammer Dracula/Vampire films that one might ever need. There are also home movies taken on the set of "DPofD" which contain commentary done in 1997 by Lee and some other surviving co-stars. (In these frames, sunlight doesn't seem to hurt the Count one little bit.) All in all, a great DVD for watching on a cold, rainy night ... all alone ... in an unfamiliar house? Just don't invite any tall, handsome strangers in ... or you might wind up as dinner yourself!
Rating:
Summary: DPoD - One of Hammer's best Dracula films
Review: Good production values, excellent photography, fine acting. All this & more makes DPoD well worth your time. Stranded travelers stumble upon an eerie castle & decide to stay a while. Original concept? Hardly. But what it lacks in originality it more than makes up for in other areas. The Count's revivification scene was deemed too shocking by British censors, so was toned down. Still, it packs quite a wallop. Barbara Shelley is marvelous as the proper & prudish Helen, & then deliciously wanton & wicked as the vampiress. Andrew Keir is very good as Father Sandor, this film's version of Van Helsing. That Christopher Lee is able to bring as much to the title character as he does speaks volumes for the man as an actor, seeing that he has no dialogue in the movie! What makes the DVD worth it's weight in gold is the feature length commentary by Lee, Shelley, Suzan Farmer & Francis Matthews. You'll hear Hammer insider info not found anywhere else.
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