The success of The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957 led Hammer Studios to make a slew of horror films, many of which were essentially reboots of the classic Universal Horror monster films (Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Wolfman). They made nine Dracula films, seven of which star Christopher Lee as the titular vampire.
Buy Scars of Dracula 4K UHDThe second film in the series, The Brides of Dracula, does not feature Dracula at all (presumably because the character is killed at the end of the first film and they didn’t think it was right to bring him back from the dead – they would get over this by the third film), and a different actor portrays him in the final film in the series, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (a crossover with Shaw Brothers Studio featuring kung fu and vampires!)
During pre-production for Scars of Dracula, it was uncertain if Lee was going to once again reprise his role, so the screenplay by Anthony Hinds was written as a sort of soft reboot of the series, presuming that a new actor would portray Dracula. When Lee did sign on to return, they made no attempts to create any sort of continuity with his other films.
In the film before this, Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), Dracula was killed and turned into dust inside his castle. At the beginning of this film, he is still dust but has been inexplicably moved to a new castle in a new village. A bat flies over his remains, drools blood onto them, and Dracula is reborn (again.) And then we don’t see him again for another 30 minutes or so.
We do meet Paul Carlson (Christopher Matthews), who is currently seducing the Bürgermaster’s daughter. Or I should say he has just seduced the Bürgermeister’s daughter Alice (Delia Lindsay), as we find them in bed, post-coitus. I laughed with my wife at this scene as Alice, sans shirt, is either cupping her breasts with the sheets pulled down or suddenly finding herself covered up with the sheets pulled high. Then he gets out of bed to get dressed with some strategically placed items on a desk covering up his bits and pieces.
The Bürgermeister then walked in on them and chases Paul out of the room. She claims it was rape, and he puts a price on Paul’s head. Then she runs up the stairs with her bare bottom showing. I guess nothing needed to be strategically placed around that.
From the very beginning, Hammer Horror was noted for having much more explicit sex and violence than those Universal films ever allowed. They made these films over the course of about 15 years, and it is fascinating to watch what they could get away with in each consecutive year.
Anyway, Paul then flees to a mountain village. It is late at night, and the pretty, young lady at the inn says they have no rooms and he cannot come in. But once again he uses his charms to have his way with her. Just as things are about to progress, the owner of the place chases him out. He’s heard tales of a nearby castle (though everyone he meets warns him not to approach) and decides to pay it a visit.
There, he is met by Tania (Anouska Hempel), yet another beautiful woman he is able to seduce. Ah, but she is Dracula’s mistress, and he takes none too kindly to those advances. Especially when he realizes she’s trying to get Paul to help her escape. A little blood-soaked violence and we meet our actual heroes.
Simon (Dennis Waterman) is Paul’s brother, and he goes looking for him with Simon’s fiancée, Sarah (Jenny Hanley). They eventually wind up at that same inn near Dracula’s castle and learn about the mysterious goings-on up there. They head up hoping to find Paul and instead get captured by Dracula and his servant Klove (Patrick Troughton). It will come as no surprise that our heroes eventually defeat Dracula.
This film is often derided by fans, but I found it to be quite enjoyable. Lee is clearly having fun, and it is delightful watching Patrick Troughton in a non-Doctor Who role. He’s wonderful as the sniveling, dirty Clove.
The sets and effects work is fine. The bats (and there are a lot of bats) look totally fake, but that kind of thing doesn’t bother me. The financing for this film was significantly less than with Hammer’s other horror films, and you can see that in how the sets aren’t quite as intricate as they have been, and some of the effects are a little cheesy. But again, I don’t really mind. All of these films are filled with artifice; the fact that the artifice in this film is a little more noticeable doesn’t distract me from the fun. And this film is a lot of fun.
It is by no means the best of the Hammer Dracula films, but if you are a fan, then there is plenty to enjoy here. This is especially true with this new 4K UHD transfer. Previous prints that I have seen were murky and muddy at best; this is a revelation. It looks so clear, so beautiful, one can hardly believe it.
Extras on this Kino Lorber include the following:
DISC 1 (4K UHD):
- Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
- Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
- Audio Commentary by Director Roy Ward Baker, Actor Christopher Lee, and Hammer Films Historian Marcus Hearn
- Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
- Optional English Subtitles
- DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
- Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
- Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
- Audio Commentary by Director Roy Ward Baker, Actor Christopher Lee and Hammer Films Historian Marcus Hearn
- Blood Rites – Inside Scars of Dracula: Documentary
- Theatrical Trailer and Double-bill Theatrical Trailer with Horror of Frankenstein
- Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
- Optional English Subtitles
While Scars of Dracula might not be anyone’s favorite Hammer Horror film, we should all rejoice at these films getting the treatment they deserve.
