Various Plot Holes


I was wondering if anyone else was bothered by some of the plot holes in this film.

First of all, when the carriage leaves the Kents "stranded" in the woods, a sign clearly says they're two kilometres from their intended destination. I'm not sure what's a bigger wonderment -that the driver couldn't take them the extra two kilometres (it would take him all of ten minutes, if that, round trip); or the Kent party would actually consider staying in an abandoned hut rather than walk the two kilometres (@ 1.2 miles)? I mean, even carrying their luggage, it would have taken them 15 or 20 minutes to make it from there to the town. A 20 minute walk, opposed to a cold, hungry night in an abandoned hut?

Second, why would it take Klove ten years to be able to resurrect Dracula? Yes, locals would likely not go near the place, but Klove would probably be cunning enough to advertise for someone from out of the region to come and work at the place. Was he waiting every night for the off-chance of tourists happening along the road? I mean, he already had things in motion for them. He had two rooms prepared, dinner underway, etc.

Third, how could Dracula set enter the monastery? He may have been invited, but the grounds of the monastery would have been sanctified and thus be considered holy ground. He should not have been able to enter it.

reply

Who says the movie took place 10 whole years after the events in Horror of Dracula?

Your other points are good ones. I don't remember any vampire movie where they said a vampire couldn't enter a sanctified place. But it would make sense, as holy water is just ordinary water that has been blessed. They should have blessed the monastery when they established it. Maybe they neglected to.

reply

Father Sandor mentions that Dracula has been gone for 10 whole years at the beginning of the film in the inn.

reply

Oh, and here's another good plot hole.

When discovering the wagon Klove, Dracula and Helen used to get to the monastery, Father Sandor simply places a rosary in each coffin. He then leaves them in place.

He doesn't smash and burn each coffin, making sure the vampires would have no place to shelter when the sun rises. He even leaves the wagon alone. I would have had the wagon dismantled and the horses locked away somewhere.

reply

How could Klove resurrect Drac....the ashes were blown away by wind ?

reply

all good points

reply

How could Klove resurrect Drac....the ashes were blown away by wind ?


But they were inside not outside.

reply

People like yourself just don't understand what a plot hole is. What you posted was a character flaw or error in his judgement and not a plot hole

reply

Another plot hole was why was there a frozen sheet of ice? The movie didn't look at all like it took place in the winter, it looked more like spring time!

reply

Another plot hole was why was there a frozen sheet of ice? The movie didn't look at all like it took place in the winter, it looked more like spring time!


The castle is supposed to be at higher altitude making it colder. There can be a significant variation in temps even when the altitude isn't all that great. Ice can remain surprisingly for a long time, especially if the sun isn't hitting it.

reply

Hammer films are campy and not very consistent in terms of geographical location or perfectly coherent scripts. Their undoubted virtues are the great Terence Fisher behind the cameras, James Bernard's chilling score and above all Lee and Cushing's charisma. Of course, hot bombshells can be thrown in aswell for the sake of visual delight

reply

That's another good plot hole.

Around the castle, you see snow on the ground and the moat is frozen over. Yet, when Charles and Helen are in the woods there's clearly spring foliage showing.

I can't wait to hear the Audio Commentary when the Blu-Ray is released. I'm hoping they'll lampshade some of these.

reply

jimmy sangster's writing too. and the music of...ahhh - I think he's either Mexican or Italian. he composed a ton of great hammer horror scores though.

reply

Regarding the holy ground. In folk lore it is often said that a vampire can cross any threshold so long as they are invited.

Gordon P. Clarkson

reply

These are valid in some regards but I've seen modern horror movies with far more plot holes (and much bigger) than these. Overall the movie is one of the best Hammer/Dracula films.

It is creepy and well-written & acted. I own it on DVD and watch it every Halloween along with my other horror movies.

reply

These are good points, but for the most part they aren't necessarily 'plot holes' per se. To me plot holes (to quote wiki) are 'illogical or impossible events, or statements or events that contradict earlier events in the storyline.' Take the first point about walking to town. As you noted the town is less than two miles away, and can easily be walked in under 30 minutes. All of them could walk it, or one or more could walk, then send a carriage for the others once they get to town. I totally agree with you....BUT...the characters did not think of this. Perhaps they should have, but I have to tell you, when I was watching the film, it didn't occur to me either. Only after I read your post did I realize how short it really was. My point here is, people don't always 'think on their feet,' or sometimes the best idea or best option doesn't always come to mind until hours or days later. So that isn't really a plot hole....yes, the characters should have thought of walking, but the fact they didn't just means they didn't and that's all. Plus Dracula's carriage arrived soon after they were dropped off, so within a few minutes the whole thing was forgotten anyway. Now they had a carriage and could ride to town.

The same goes for the coffins and the carriage. Heck, Father Sandor could have saved himself a day's ride by just destroying the coffins and the carriage as you mentioned. Then Dracula would have been stuck in the daylight hours away from his castle and that would have been the end of him. But again....if the character doesn't think of it, that's not a plot hole. Especially in the heat of the moment, we don't always think straight or think clearly. So yes, had he or someone thought to destroy the coffins, the movie would have been over 15 minutes sooner...but again, the fact that no one did isn't a plot hole. It just would have been better/easier for them if someone had thought of it.

As for Klove and the 10 years...I haven't seen anyone mention this yet...there is nothing that states Klove was around for 10 years, was there? We know Dracula had been dead for 10 years, but at the end of "Horror," there was no Klove. Dracula disintegrated into dust and that was that. So for all we know, Klove only came on the scene 3 months ago or 6 months ago. It was never established that I can remember when Klove came into Dracula's employ. So the 10 years isn't a plot hole to me either. But this sort of is: how exactly did Klove come to be the servant of a destroyed and disintegrated Dracula? Again, he was not around at the end of "Horror of Dracula," when Van Helsing destroyed Dracula. And since that time, Dracula was just dust. So how did he come to be influenced by Dracula, to gather his ashes, to be instructed on how to resurrect Dracula, to keep watch for strangers, etc.? It's not like they had a conversation about it. And it's one thing to say the castle had a permeating evil, but it's quite another to gather detailed information like 'this is how to bring me back to life.' That seems rather implausible to me and does fall under a 'plot hole.'

reply