4 Film Favorites: Draculas (Dbl DVD)

You can't beat the price here on Amazon for this 4-movie set of Dracula movies, i.e. Horror of Dracula, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula, and Dracula A.D. 1972. The one thing I did wonder is why they didn't include the second Dracula instalment, i.e. Dracula Prince of Darkness [which by the way is being sold by third parties here on Amazon for exorbitant amounts]. Horror of Dracula "Horror of Dracula" may not be a faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic Gothic vampire tale, in fact far from it, but it is a fine take of Stoker's novel.In this version, Jonathan Harker goes to Dracula's castle at the beginning under the guise of a librarian, but he actually knows what Dracula is and his purpose is to destroy him. Unfortunately, he is killed by Dracula and the vampire goes to London to prey upon Harker's fiancee, Lucy Holmwood [yes, they changed the names too], and later on Mina Holmwood, Lucy's sister-in-law. It is left to Van Helsing [Peter Cushing] and Arthur Holmwood [Lucy's brother and Mina's husband] to destroy the monster. Christopher Lee, in his first portrayal of the evil Count Dracula, may not have much screen time, but he makes the most of the limited time he does have. His Count is sensual and evil at the same time - exerting a hypnotic effect upon his female victims that have them eagerly disrobing for the count's pleasure [and fangs:)]. Peter Cushing does an amazing job as Dr Van Helsing, vampire hunter and his commanding presence and determination to hunt down and destroy the monster that is Dracula is so credibly done that I was cheering him on all through the movie. The female victims are suitably beautiful and helpless in the face of Dracula's charm and manipulations, and though this movie doesn't exactly scream big budget, I thought the production values were pretty decent - the vivid colors, the sets and scenery all enhanced the movie experience.There is a genuine atmosphere of menace that is effectively conveyed via the creepy score and sets. Dracula Has Risen From the Grave Though there are mixed reactions to "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave", I personally found it to be very interesting and thought-provoking. The story here begins with the little village in which Castle Dracula is located. It's been a year since the count's reign of terror ended, and yet mysterious events still plague the villagers. When the Monsignor [Rupert Davies] returns for a routine visit, he finds the villagers cowering in fear, including the Parish Priest himself [Ewan Hooper]. When the Monsignor undertakes to exorcise the Castle once and for all, events transpire differently - an unfortunate cut on the Priest's head proves to be the nourishment that brings the Count back to life, though the Monsignor remains oblivious of this fact, returning to his own village. The Count and his now faithful servant, the priest follow hot on the Monsignor's heels, bent on revenge - the target being the Monsignor's lovely niece, Maria [Veronica Carlson]. It's left to the Monsignor and Maria's atheist boyfriend, Paul [Barry Andrews] to save Maria before it's too late. The production values in this movie were actually quite good - the sets, the score, and cinematography all enhanced the storytelling and made this movie very dark and menacing [the cellar under the inn where the Count is forced to reside looks very authentic]. The acting was good - Christopher Lee returns as the Count and this time, he is really mad and bent on revenge, with more screen time and dialogue to convey his anger. His lust for his prey is convincingly portrayed as usual and the female victims once again fall hopelessly under his spell, baring their necks in anticipation of the Count's 'embrace'. Rupert Davies is also strong in his portrayal of the Monsignor and special mention needs to be made of Ewan Hooper's fallen priest. His guilt and conflict comes across as genuine, and this was one aspect of the movie that made it really good for me - the corruption of good by Dracula, and the test of faith in both the Priest and also the atheist Paul. Taste the Blood of Dracula This is the fourth instalment in Hammer productions' Dracula series. The storyline is quite unique in that it centers on a group of middle-aged businessmen who inadvertently cause the Count to be resurrected via an occult ritual conducted by a young nobleman, Courtley. They kill Courtley during the ritual, and leave in a hurry, not realising that by committing murder, they have not only caused Dracula to rise again, but awakened his anger. Dracula is bent on revenge for his acolyte's death and proceeds to kill the trio off by manipulating their children. The acting in this movie was actually pretty good. Christopher Lee reprises his role as the evil Count and actually has quite a few lines of dialogue here, all delivered in his usual deadpan style. His blood- red eyes and demented expressions are all portrayed with chilling effect. The three doomed men are also played really well - Geoffrey Keen as William Hargood, Peter Sallis as Samuel Paxton, and John Carson as Jonathan Secker are all believable in their roles as lecherous middle-aged men whose lust eventually lead to their downfall. The two girls who play Dracula's victims, Linda Hayden as Alice Hargood and Isla Blair as Lucy Paxton are suitably beautiful and do their roles justice. I thought the production values were above average - the score was effectively creepy, and the sets were well-done, especially the derelict chapel that is the scene of Dracula's resurrection and also the final battle. Dracula A.D. 1972 Dracula A.D. 1972 is a campy instalment in the Dracula series made by Hammer Films. The gist of the movie is that Dracula gets resurrected in 1972 by a young acolyte, Johnny Alucard and seeks to destroy the remaining Van Helsings, i.e. Dr Van Helsing [Peter Cushing] and his beautiful, hippie granddaughter Jessica [Stephanie Beacham]. Though Christopher Lee reprises his role as the malevolent count, his screen time is quite limited and I felt too much screen time was wasted on portraying the debauchery and free-swinging lifestyle of 70s Hippie culture - drugs, sex and rock n roll. But, when he does appear, Lee is magnetic as the count and doesn't disappoint in his performance. But the best performance in this movie is Peter Cushing's 20th century Van Helsing - he is assured, intelligent and above-all single-minded in his determination to save his granddaughter Jessica from the vampire's clutches. Stephanie Beacham is luscious to look at and feisty in her portrayal as the strong-willed Jessica. The rest of the actors were ho-hum - a bit overdone in some instances [the guy who played Johnny Alucard for example]. All in all, this isn't a great Dracula movie, but it isn't the worst either. Final Verdict - this is a set worth owning for fans of Dracula movie and the vampire genre/classic horror.

A brief run-down will follow: "Horror of Dracula"--this one is a classic and deserves its reputation. Lee is my favorite Count, despite some purists complaining that he is too handsome for the role and that he shouldn't have blood dripping from his teeth (please!). "Dracula has Risen from the Grave"--this one is a personal favorite. I like the story about an atheistic young man learning to believe in the mysteries of ancient superstitions, by way of coming across the Count. As good as an entry as you'll find from the Hammer vampire archives, this one is always entertaining, with many beautiful women on display, and a lot of creepy atmosphere (this is one horror film that understands HOW atmosphere is supposed to be used, building tension rather than simply layers of fog). "Taste the Blood of Dracula"--this one is not as tasty as its title promises. Nonetheless, the Satanic ritual angle is somewhat fresh, but no less disgusting, and the Count is underused in this one. Not at all in the vein of the classic stories concerning the Count; Lee is good here, but he's used differently, and the story is dark without being terribly scary. This is a C- effort if anything. "Dracula, A. D., 1972"--Despite its intriguing premise concerning an allegory of the Highgate Vampire case (check your records), this one is simply parody. Good to see Peter Cushing back on board, but this is an even more pathetic entry, still a good black magic/Devil worship ceremony set-up (to invoke all of the ghastly ghouls back into the empirical world of the 70's), but nothing much revelatory about the ending. Cushing is good here, but even he can't save the grotesque deformity that is the script for this item. Stoker's "Dracula" was about modern science being able to combat disease and viral plague by way of re-interpreting old superstitions in a modern (maybe secularized?) way--there is nothing in this film that cares about vampire mythology, so you're pretty much stuck with a fairly good cast but not much else in terms of story development. Overall, the DVD is very good though, and one can't beat the purchase for the price. The first disc is obviously the better but it's worth the price tag to get 4 (now hard to find) film classics. If you like horror titles, you need this set! The picture and sound transfers are very good (much improved image compared with the grainy VHS releases from years back), and the double-sided discs do not bother me that much. A+

Excelente compilación, con audio en inglés y con subtítulos en español francés e ingles. Una cosa sorprendente es que a pesar de que la descripción del empaque menciona que los discos son región 1; no tuve ningún problema reproduciendoslos en mis lectores de bluray que están bloqueados en las regiónes A/4.

Lee always makes this role his own as a fan this is a great deal for the money a welcome addition to my Vampire moves.

Produto de excelente qualidade.Imprortado e vem com legendas em Português.

This box set is a superb way of gaining a colection of Dracula films from Hammer studios. The prints are fantastic, boasting the rich colour schemes and clarity of picture expected from a decent release of these movies. All four of the titles included are usually quite pricey when bought individually, so to get them at a good price is key. This also means that you instantly have a bulk of the films in the series without needing to track them down on their own. The sound is crystal clear, the transfers are crisp and the look and feel of the overall picture is one of being in the cinema and watching them. All this and the packaging is also nicely crafted, with all four cover designs displayed on the front. This is a lovely collection if you are just after owning these titles. There is no 'special edition' treatment here with the usual lobby cards, collectible booklets and never ending extras. However, if like me you are an avid cult and classic horror fan and collector, then this stands up as one of the very best ways to obtain these fright gems. The DVDs arrived on time, in very good condition and were a joy to watch again after so many years. I used to own all of these on old VHS copies back in the day, so it was lovely to see nice clear visuals as opposed to the old 'bad tracking', crackling appearance of my ex rental video copies, without it spoiling the authenticity of the Hammer 'look'. That rich colour scheme, the fog-like grainy appeal that we all know and love. So, turn the lights out, kick back, pour yourself a glass of blood, stick the fangs in and relive those fond memories of watching these genre milestones of yesteryear. Hell, not all of the Hammer Dracula output was good, but, as with every good horror cycle, there has to be some movies showcasing hammy acting, wooden performances, cheesy dialogue and cleavage close-ups as 'filler'. But, this is what makes us love them. After all, who would dare to complain too much. As Hammer studios would have us believe, evil lurks just round the corner. Sweet dreams.

Four great Hammer classics.Dracula lovers will expressly like the very good tranfers and some of Hammer's favourite actors.