Hammer Studios’ Dracula: Prince of Darkness is one of those sequels that defines both the studio’s style and its limitations. It marked Christopher Lee’s triumphant return to the cape after sitting out The Brides of Dracula, and his presence alone gives the film a weight it might otherwise lack. What results is a moody, atmospheric…
Tag: Bram Stoker
The Brides of Dracula (1960) – Review
Hammer’s The Brides of Dracula is a curious beast. It’s a direct sequel to 1958’s Dracula, yet it lacks the very thing the title promises: Dracula himself. What it does have is Peter Cushing returning as Van Helsing, and that alone keeps the film afloat, even as Hammer serves us a Dracula substitute with a…
Dracula (1958) – Review
Forget the cobwebs and stagey theatrics of old; Hammer’s Dracula kicks down the crypt door with blood-red Technicolor, erotic menace, and two titans of horror: Christopher Lee as the most dangerous Count yet, and Peter Cushing as the steely Van Helsing determined to stop him. This was the film that made Dracula frightening—and sexy—again.
Dracula (1931) – Review
Long before vampires were brooding emo creatures who sparkled and stalked high school girls, Universal Pictures launched what could be considered the first “Cinematic Universe” in their adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic horror tale, Dracula, with the man who had already made a compelling performance in the stage version, Bela Lugosi.
Dracula (1979) – Review
Before there were vampires being interviewed, and well before any of them sparkled, there was John Badham’s Dracula in what must be the earliest truly romantic vampire movie.