As far as sequels go,this is a remarkable one !
It is a lot more interesting than the first from '58 : Horror of Dracula;
-there is so much going on...Keir's character,for example;
-also there is the malevolent Clove who rivals the Count in that department !
All in all,a fine cast w\the ever lovely and classy Barbara Shelley(she co-stars effectively w\Keir in "5 Million Miles to Earth").
It is wildly ambient and the ending is an iconic climax !
-mby
I thought it was a fine movie, but I still like "Dracula Has Risen From The Grave" and "Taste The Blood Of Dracula" more.
shareIt is my favourite 'Dracula' film.
Sadly, when i first watched it as a child in the 70s, it caused me to have nightmares.
N
Nightmarish,indeed !
-this has to be one of the most ghastly scenes when Klove brings back Dracula by slitting the throat of a tenant of the Castle who was warned by Keir to stay away !
-mby
great indeedWhen there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...
British and Irish actors are #1 and most of their movies are watchable!
shareIt is the best Dracula film EVER!!! Even surpasses the original me thinks, Fisher was on top form here and this is his masterpiece.
sharegreat film
shareI agree. Horror of Dracula was truly spectacular but this one was more creepy. Both are must owns for the real vampire/Dracula fan. Brides of Dracula is good but not on the same level as this and Horror...
shareLee should have had lines ... instead all he does is snarl ... "Horror of Dracula" was better ... at lest Lee had a few lines in that. I don't understand why they could give a perfectly good actor ...who is suppose to be the star ... some lines to say ... it would have been a much better film.
shareThere are 2 different reasons why no lines were spoken by Lee. Jimmy Sangster maintains no lines were written for Dracula whereas Christopher Lee has always said he refused to speak the lines that were given, hence he performed the role silent. Whatever the reason I actually think he is better this time round as Dracula, he really is an angel of death and a violent force to be reckoned with, if he did speak it would lessen the impact the character has this time round. Only an actor like Christopher Lee could pull this off.
shareSo you are saying you found some "insider" scoop that indicated Lee wasn't happy with the dialog and decided to remain silent? That would be understandable.
shareI actually kind of like the concept of Dracula saying nothing in this film. It's as if he feels such contempt for normal humans that he doesn't even lower himself to engage in dialogue with them.
A novel concept for Dracula.
Similarly,in Bride of Frankenstein,Karloff hated having lines,and,so,i concur that Lee's Drac is sooooo much more effective "snarling" and wincing and being terrifying in a mute manner.
The fact that Lee does not speak really bothered me, I read that he thought the dialogue was terrible so he did not say any lines. But there were reactions that should have followed up with some sort of speech and it weakened the film.
The Horror of Dracula may be the best hammer in existence. I would rate Scars of Dracula up there (if you can overlook the goofy looking bat in the first sequence) but if you are a Christopher Lee fan, he takes his role more eloquently.
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Scars of Drac is a most excellent addition to the CANON
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I disagree. I thought this one was the weakest of the Hammer Dracula series. It's a very flat movie in my eyes. I'm not saying it's awful or even bad. It's just a "5 stars out of 10" middling picture that should have been a whole lot better. Ironically, this one was the first of the Hammer Draculas I saw. I was about 11 at the time. When I saw the next one in the series, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE, about a year or two later, I was filled with the strong sense that I was watching a superior flick, and I did indeed find it far more enjoyable.
The first mistake in PRINCE OF DARKNESS was to provide a re-cap of the events at the end of HORROR OF DRACULA. Why do I call it a mistake? Because of the way it is done (incorporating footage from the previous entry) is a powerful reminder to fans of that movie that a great predecessor to PRINCE OF DARKNESS had been made. So expectations are raised immediately by many viewers that the sequel should be at least as good.
Andrew Keir and Barbara Shelley are nowhere near as enjoyable in this as they were in the truly magnificent, QUATERMASS AND THE PIT. Indeed, I believe their presence drags down PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Don't get me wrong here, I like these two actors very much as I hope I have illustrated in my earlier remarks but their characters in PRINCE OF DARKNESS were simply either annoying or unlikeable.
Charles Tingwell goes through the motions in this one, which is a shame. I think he was miscast to be honest. In my eyes, he will always be the best Inspector Craddock in the Miss Marple flicks. And it's this that I choose to remember the actor for (he passed away just three years ago).
Susan Farmer always plays characters who are innocent and well covered up (in terms of dress). This is very different from the usual Hammer starlets. Unfortunately none of the movies she has been in (at least out of the ones I have seen) has ever taken the opportunities of the character traits mentioned to bring about an interesting character. PRINCE OF DARKNESS was no different.
I don't like the ending of PRINCE OF DARKNESS at all. I find it the weakest of the lot. It's clear running water, not falling into a moat, that could kill him. The water in the moat is not running, so Dracula would not be killed.
I do agree with your comments about Clove, though.
Clove(Klove)is one of the BEST things going in this sequel;
he is foreboding ,menacing, creepy, diabolical and unpredictable. Just the sinister look of his character's face and manner would give Medusa a run for her money ! He is the ultimate shill for Drac bar none.
When it comes to Miss Farmer you make a valid point: she doesn't do diddly to advance the story. On the other hand, I find Miss Shelley quite the contrast from being a sort of "stick in the mud" to the seductive vampiress. Talk of a complete turnabout ! And, I concur, that Keir and Barbara make a lethal pair in Qatermass & the Pit.
The final scene is a delight as it is unforeseen and rather creative. And, at the very end, when Lee is slipping into the drink and the credits roll, it is somewhat "goose pimply" for yours truly.