Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
Starring: Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Andrew Keir
Writers: Jimmy Sangster & Anthony Hinds
Director: Terence Fisher
Synopsis (From Millennium Entertainment):
Four English tourists find themselves
stranded in the mysterious village of Karlsbad, a sinister and remote
place of a deadly, dark legend. Their journey leads them to an
abandoned castle where a nightmarish destiny awaits them. However, it
wasn't just fate that brought them here, but an evil force in need of
resurrection, a blood craving beast known only as Count Dracula,
Prince of Darkness.
Synopsis:
Dracula: Prince of Darkness follows
Brides of Dracula, but marks the return of the legendary Christopher
Lee, in his second outing as the Count. This is eight years after the
first Hammer/Drac film (10 years, in story terms), and extremities in film had become greater,
so Terence Fisher ups the ante to compete. It doesn't quite contain the
level of sleaziness that some of the later films had, but the hint is
definitely there. However, as far as bloodletting goes, Dracula: Prince
of Darkness is fairly intense.
The movie runs roughly an hour and a half, and
we don't get to see the evil count until about 40 minutes in. That
may seem like a ridiculous wait to once again gaze your eyes on the evil
Prince, but the time is well spent. During the first act, we're given a
whole slew of great characters to bite into (har har, couldn't
resist). Wait, we don't have Van Helsing on our side this go
around!? Never fear, Father Sandor is here to help kick ghoulish ass,
and he's one of the coolest protagonists in Hammer Film history.
Dracula: Prince of Darkness is heavy on creep factor, too, especially
once our tourists make it to the castle. Dracula's servant, Klove, is
more than enough to keep you feeling plenty squeamish until the Count
is resurrected.
I've been enjoying Hammer Films for
close to fifteen years now. That's admittedly light in comparison to
some of the fanbase, but for me, I can't even believe it's already
been that long. Either way, ever since I first saw Christopher Lee
dawning the cloak and protruding his vampiric fangs, he's been my
favorite Dracula. Even void of dialog, as he is in this film, Lee is fantastic. No disrespect to Lugosi; his interpretation will
always remain a staple, but for me, Lee just had a more suave and
sinister aura about him. Neither version are quite what you get from
reading Bram Stoker's novel, but that doesn't erase the fact that
both are iconic symbols in horror. Again, much love for Bela, but
Christopher Lee remains supreme, as far as I'm concerned.
As previously mentioned, the character
of Father Sandor is more than adequate to fight the battle against
the Prince of Darkness. The late Andrew Keir is a true delight in
this role. Full of funny dialog, yet, serious as ever when he needs
to be. That thick voice is truly enchanting. Whether he's
warming his bum by the fire, or shoving a stake through a lapdog of
Dracula, he's never not enjoyable. So good.
And this brings us to the tourists. The
two brothers, Charles and Alan (Francis Matthews & Charles
Tingwell), are accompanied by their wives on the trip, Diana and
Helen (Suzan Farmer and Barbara Shelley). Francis Matthews is given a bit
more beef to work with in his role than the late Charles Tingwell, but
together, they perform the brotherly dynamic convincingly.
And ahh, yes, the lovely ladies of Hammer. Suzan Farmer and Barbara
Shelley were quite the lookers in their time, and they give some fine
performances in this film. Shelley plays the more hesitant female,
and had the others listened to her, they'd have been much better off.
Farmer's character doesn't exactly want to go to the castle, herself,
but she's a much more flexible about it once they arrive. Ultimately, this double duo are really on point in their roles, and a lot of fun to watch.
Lastly, total standout performances
from Philip Latham as Dracula's servant, Klove, and the late Thorley
Waters, as Ludwig.
Dracula: Price of Darkness definitely
gets intense, and gives enough to be relevant by today's
standards. The resurrection scene is amazing, for lack of a better
word. Bowie Films FX really brought the nasty, and watching the
sequence unfold is pretty mesmerizing even now. Good stuff, indeed.
The late James Bernard's score is also
a high point for the film. The suspense build-ups and chase scenes
are out-of-control and keep you on your toes. It's a great parallel
for the visuals at hand.
Final Word:
At the end of the day, I probably still
prefer Hammer's first Dracula outing, but I
don't want that to sound like this is a lesser film, as it really
isn't. Dracula: Prince of Darkness kind of stands on its own, and for
a film that waits as long as it does to bring back its evil menace,
it manages to be thoroughly entertaining. Definitely recommended.
Blu-ray:
First off, let me say that I simply adore the innards of this Blu-ray release. I miss getting stuff like collectible cards inside a disc case, so it's really nice to see Hammer Films and Millennium Entertainment offering such a cool physical feature. The film is, of course, presented in High-Definition 1080p, with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The picture is absolutely pristine, and color is exceptionally brightened. For audio, we get English 2.0 Dolby Stereo. For 2.0, this is pretty awesome. Obviously, you're not going to feel like Dracula is breathing on the back of your neck or anything, but overall, it's loud and proud. Subtitles included are English SDH and Spanish.
Special Features
Commentary Featuring Christopher Lee, Suzan Farmer, Francis Matthews, and Barbara Shelley - I'd previously listened to this commentary via the Anchor Bay-Hammer Collection-Double Feature release of Dracula: Prince of Darkness and The Satanic Rites of Dracula. If you've never heard it, I suggest you check it out. Hell, even if you have heard it, give it another go. I personally love commentaries, and this is a fun one. Barbara Shelley and Suzan Farmer get pretty giddy a few times, and Lee is a real treat to listen to. There's some instances where they get kind of sidetracked, but hearing actors with such large careers under their belt -especially Lee- talk about their past works is hardly a hindrance.
World of Hammer Episode 'Hammer Stars: Christopher Lee' - Oliver Reed narrates a look back at many of Christopher Lee's performances/characters in Hammer Film history.
Documentary- Back to Black- The Making of Dracula: Prince of Darkness - 30 minute featurette on production of the film, featuring interviews with historians and some of the cast, such as Barbara Shelley and Francis Matthews. Really nice feature.
Restoration Comparison - Holy WOW. Side-by-side shots of before-and-after. Definitely worth your time.
Restored Original Trailer - Double Feature Preview with Dracula: Prince of Darkness and Frankenstein Created Woman. Largely a teaser, but still pretty cool.
Stills Gallery - Accompanied by music, this is a neat little slide show of sorts, featuring poster art, lobby cards, and black & white publicity stills.
Final Word:
Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Dracula: Prince of Darkness is a Hammer fan's dream. The movie looks gorgeous and there's a good amount of cool features. A must own... no other words needed.
Order HERE
- Eric (Brobocop)
