Dracula - Prince Of Darkness DVD

Advantages: Some nice Stoker references, exciting climax
Disadvantages: Tedious exposition, no dialogue for Lee

...ounce of tension from the various set pieces and the climax is one of the better demises for the Count. James Bernard gives a second airing to his booming Dracula motif, and fashions a very enjoyable score. All in all 'Prince of Darkness' is a very polished product, but a slow beginning worked around a tiring plot device seriously dents the films challenge to 'Dracula' and 'Brides'. The leads in Charles and Diana are insipid creations and fail to garner any great audience sympathy, but Father Sandor, Helen and Ludwig bring some blood to the aenemic cast of characters. Released in January of 1966, 'Prince' did great box office business paired with 'Plague of the Zombies' and cemented Christopher Lee's connection with the Dracula role. He would go on to revive the count a further 5 times for Hammer with wildly differing results. The DVD... Read review

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Advantages: Dark atmosphere and style, well- cast, hsitoric subtones
Disadvantages: None really

...This is THE greatest vampire film of all time, after Nosferatu and Blade, for one good reason. All vampire fils fall into three types: slayfests, like Blade and the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer film, vampire sexfests (being em I ain't seen any of them) and very rare explorations of the vampire legend. BS Dracula is one of the latter films. BS Dracula gives a whole new light, or darkness. This film gives vampirism a new rich and deep style, a true gothic masterpiece. As we know, it concerns the undead Count Dracula (Gary Oldman), who comes to England to begin his siring of Londons population from his abse at Fairfax Abbey, hired for him by the young laywer Jonathon Harker (Keano Reeves). Whilst at Castle Dracula, Harker is exposed to some wierd stuff- gravity defyign liquids, a non- reflective Dracula, Draculs female vampire cohorts... Read review

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Advantages: Some nice Stoker references, exciting climax
Disadvantages: Tedious exposition, no dialogue for Lee

...ounce of tension from the various set pieces and the climax is one of the better demises for the Count. James Bernard gives a second airing to his booming Dracula motif, and fashions a very enjoyable score. All in all 'Prince of Darkness' is a very polished product, but a slow beginning worked around a tiring plot device seriously dents the films challenge to 'Dracula' and 'Brides'. The leads in Charles and Diana are insipid creations and fail to garner any great audience sympathy, but Father Sandor, Helen and Ludwig bring some blood to the aenemic cast of characters. Released in January of 1966, 'Prince' did great box office business paired with 'Plague of the Zombies' and cemented Christopher Lee's connection with the Dracula role. He would go on to revive the count a further 5 times for Hammer with wildly differing results. The DVD... Read review

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Advantages: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing
Disadvantages: May seem somewhat tame to todays audience

...of their life' and have a passing acquaintance with Scooby Doo. However, it is no less gripping for that. The movie begins in classic gothic horror fashion with a horse drawn carriage pulling up near an imposing castle,around which,eerily,there are no birds singing and a constant chill persists. Jonathan Harker has arrived at Dracula's castle posing as a librarian (yes, you heard right) but with the unenviable real purpose of destroying the Prince of Darkness. Count Dracula's entrance in the film is really quite startling. Seen in silhouette at the top of a staircase, he sweeps down it and his face zooms into camera. Unexpectedly,we are greeted by a seemingly normal, handsome aristocrat instead of the evil snarling monster expected. Harker settles in and awaits his moment.Does he succeed? Well, we wouldn't have much of a movie if he did would we... Read review

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