Hammer's penultimate Dracula film and the last one to feature a tired Christopher Lee in the title role. Also known as Count Dracula and his Vampire Bride. Saw Satanic Rites last night for the second time, and paid more attention this time. It is a pretty scary premise. In this the last of the Hammer Dracula films, screenwriters tried to add a touch of James Bond, with Dracula heading a SPECTRE-like organization bent on world destruction and, of course, out to suck a little blood on his way to Armageddon. As complicated as the plot is, I'll explain as best as I can. Jane, however, has already had an encounter with the Count…. Our full colour luxury guide to The Satanic Rites of Dracula celebrates the making of this much-loved Hammer movie, the studio’s second to be set in the modern age and once again scripted with flair by Don Houghton. This time, though, it actually sort of fits because “The Satanic Rites Of Dracula” actually is a cheesy seventies spy thriller of sorts. THE HORROR OF Dracula is one of the best Dracula movies ever made. He regarded the last Hammer's as such a departure from Stoker as to be sacrilegious. Blu-ray review of Warner Bros.' blu-ray release of The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), directed by Alan Gibson and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Michael Coles As a Dracula film, this is rather sad and misguided and very typical of the late Hammer fare. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was the last of the Hammer Draculas. New one on me. The action between our hero and villain gets going, and builds up to a reasonable finale. Visually, it's pretty drab, apart from some fun 1970s fashion, if you're into that sort of thing. The Satanic Rites of Dracula was perhaps the most original Dracula tale ever told and one that I am very glad to have seen and have in my collection. Beyond that, I really cannot recommend the film very much. Dec 04 2018 . Despite the public's disinterest, the studio pushed ahead with another Dracula film set in the modern day. Something sinister is afoot in modern swinging 70's London. Pretty good, considering some of the others in the series. By the early 70's Hammer Studios began making attempts to revitalize their by now trite'n'tired period Gothic horror formula with varying degrees of success. Dracula, Prince of Darkness introduced clear running water, as used at the end of DPOD, in Dracula AD 1972, and in Satanic Rites. This movie is so awful, it's great. The Satanic Rites of Dracula. My review of 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula'#Dracula #Hammer #horror Needless, unerotic nudity in this one. Metacritic Reviews. Reviews of The Satanic Rites of Dracula. well the count now has a satanic cult of followers that sacrifice naked women and etc;so you know this is an r rated movie right.its a pretty good hammer feature,i believe Christopher lee was getting tired of playing count Dracula and wanted to end the series.and i think Christopher lee is one of the greatest actors around,he's a legend like Boris Karloff,Bela Lugosi,Vincent price,and Lon Chaney Sr and Jr.i would'nt rate this as the best Dracula movie but its good none the less. Investigating the evidence, secret agent Torrence (William Franklyn) is joined by Scotland Yard’s Inspector Murray (Michael Coles, reprising his role from Dracula A.D. 1972), who suggests that Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) and his daughter Jessica (Joanna Lumley) might be of assistance. Cushing(and Lee's) scenes are brief and stilted for the most part. A Universal/Hammer double bill. Warts and all, The Satanic Rites Of Dracula was my first Hammer horror, and will always hold a very special place in my heart. In his final appearance as Dracula, Lee gets a bit more to do than just snarl and hiss. byDon Houghton StarringChristopher Lee Peter Cushing Michael Coles William Franklyn For starters, there's a dastardly Satanic cult made up of wealthy businessmen and powerful politicians who participate in sick and kinky unholy rituals. Hammer's Dracula series started with a bang. This is one I had seen on numerous occasions. THE WHOLE WORLD! But as a piece of classic cheesy 70's British filmmaking, it's a treasure! Peter Cushing is dependable as always as the warm yet formidable Van Helsing (or his descendant anyway), and Joanna Lumley is certainly pretty as his granddaughter and assistant but despite an introduction that promises some kind of competency on her part she is never allowed to be anything but a hysterical, run-of-the-mill damsel in distress. Joanna Lumley is radiant as Jessica, who's character returns from the previous film. But The Satanic Rites of Dracula even fails at being their usual consistent piece of mindless entertainment. Not bad at all, as a matter of fact. Since the impeccable Dracula and Dracula, Prince of Darkness, the series was getting a trifle predictable. I just watched this again in a moment of supreme boredom, when all I wanted was a bit of televisual entertainment, and all that was offered was complete drivel. Well, sorry friends, but this time the accepted wisdom is wrong. The Satanic Rites of Dracula operates on a captivating premise. (He appears in a scene obviously stuck in because they realized he had not made an appearance at all so long into the film). Because of it's science fiction overtones, this feels more like an instalment of The Avengers or Doctor Who than a typical Hammer film. Part of the charm of the Hammer franchise IS the formula, which is virtually abandoned for this often dull story of corporate machinations and devil worship. Still one of my favourite Hammer movies, I am upping my score to 8/10. But it is very evident Hammer was at the end of their creative process. Worse yet, brilliant, yet batty Professor Julian Keeley (a delightfully dotty Freddie Jones) has been commissioned by Dracula to create a virulent new strain of bubonic plague which could wipe out all mankind. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It’s still a fascinating curate’s egg, however, and a most enjoyable ride, like a particularly outlandish episode of The New Avengers or The Professionals (Lumley was appearing in the former at the time I first saw the film). Consequently Dracula makes almost no appearance until the last 15 minutes. Denham, but he dies from his injuries before he can give any further details, leaving only a series of photos indicting all of these men, along with another picture which seems to show nobody at all…. If you view the film without expecting it to have any real cinematic value, you can have a great time laughing at all the cheesy dialogue and poor 1970s special effects. Grood, groovy 70's fright feature fun. Moreover, the leader of said cult is none other than Dracula (Christopher Lee, as fearsome and imposing as ever). RICHARD PHILLIPS-JONES is Spooky Isles' Film Editor, and lives with his wife close to the Dorset Coast. The accepted wisdom regarding the Hammer Dracula pictures is that they started great, tailed off to good, and, by the time the 70's rolled round, were stinkers. Besides, to see Lee and Cushing one last time, as arch-vampire and nemesis, is a real pleasure, Dracula’s final dispatchment utilising a method covered in Bram Stoker’s original novel, but rarely exploited on screen. I had no idea what satanic rites were, but I did have a rough idea what a Dracula was. Dracula, finally sick of being resurrected for 2 or 3 days at a time, wants to end it all, but in doing this, he wants to take everyone with him. The Satanic Rites of Dracula Blu-ray Review. Guess where Drac ends up near the end? I yield to no one in my liking for the standard Hammer Gothic horror set in the Mittel Europe Carpathian mountains complete with villagers who refuse to go near to Castle Dracula unless armed with flaming torches to burn the place down. In some of the Dracula films, we are introduced to new but apparently tested ways of dealing with the fanged one. Two Great Beasts: Aleister Crowley and the Loch Ness Monster, Old Sarum, the rise and fall of an ancient settlement, Andy Collier & Tor Mian, Sacrifice (2020) directors INTERVIEW, Thriller (S4, E6): Where The Action Is REVIEW, Thriller (S4, E5): A Killer In Every Corner REVIEW, Thriller (S4, E4): Killer With Two Faces REVIEW, Travelling in Jonathan Harker’s Footsteps through Romania. The Satanic Rites of Dracula is a marginally better film than Dracula A.D. 1972, showing some of the way Hammer could have gone to contemporize Dracula – Dracula is now a Howard Hughes-modeled reclusive millionaire, the shadowy figure behind a sinister corporation. This replaces horror with a thriller. There are quite a few new ideas in this one, although they are not organised well and it does become a bit of a mess. She could have at least livened up an otherwise drab scenery with her bouncing presence. External Reviews Strange tale of Sir Roger Tichborne, a butcher or baronet? Although it's Hammer movie about Dracula, with Christopher Lee in the lead role, this is not a horror but a conspiracy crime thriller. My Mum was working on a late shift, and my grandmother (a real horror fan) settled down for the late movies, probably thinking I would get sleepy before long and she would send me off to bed. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was classified 'X' for theatrical release in 1973 with the following cuts - Reels 1-2 - Shot of actual incision in cockerel's neck was removed.The ritual stabbing of woman, and her screams was considerably reduced.The shots of the woman's body smeared with blood was considerably reduced. It's up to occult expert Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing in typically fine form), his comely granddaughter Jessica (a pleasingly perky turn by ravishing redhead Joanna Lumley) and stalwart Scotland Yard special agent Inspector Murray (dashing Michael Coles) to stop Dracula before it's too late. It is entertaining if you like horror films from the seventies as a rule and/or enjoy seeing Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee. It’s arguably an improvement on its predecessor, making a better stab of placing the Count in a contemporary setting. Look, it isn't Horror of Dracula but it isn't Dracula 1972 A.D. either. It is best to go into this film completely cold, with no foreknowledge of plot. Even a lesser Hammer film is better than most others... A hugely entertaining change-of-pace Hammer horror vampire/action/thriller hybrid romp. The police and British security forces call in Professor Van Helsing to help them investigate Satanic ritual which has been occurring in a large country house, and which has been attended by a… ‎The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) directed by Alan Gibson • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd Yes, Dracula is taken out of the Gothic/Victorian setting which works so well in those earlier Hammer thrillers, but the vampire lord's transition to 1970s London is handled reasonably well and there's a neat twist put on his motivation which hearkens back to the self-loathing inherent in vampirism which Van Helsing references in Horror of Dracula. The strangest and perhaps most complicated sequel in the series. Loads of tacky scenes and acting, rough looking down-and-out location work and a collection of cheddary extras and character actors. Spooky Isles is a website dedicated to horror & supernatural in the UK & Ireland, including ghost stories, horror films and haunted and mysterious places! The Satanic Rites of Dracula was the last film in the Hammer Dracula series. Review. I can remember staying up late to watch this on the BBC back in the 1980's when I was a kid and I loved it. Satanic Rites of Dracula gets bashed pretty regularly and it's time that stops. When Peter Cushing appears, you start to feel like this is a proper Hammer film after all. For once Christopher Lee gets a reasonably decent script and delivers his lines beautifully. Christopher Lee's final turn as Count Dracula for Hammer studios. If the opening part of this double feature had entertained me, this next one had me hooked. Dracula in a thriller? Honestly, it's my second favorite Hammer Dracula film next to Horror of Dracula, which was really the only one that could be taken quasi-seriously. I always love how Dracula states that he's going to win this time but I can't help but say over his mouth "You've defeated me numerous times before, what makes you think you can do it again?!". "...the Hawthorne tree, which provided Christ with His crown of thorns..." 3. It's a sexy mix of black magic and vampirism, set in modern London, though naturally it does look dated now. RICHARD PHILLIPS-JONES describes watching his first Hammer Horror, The Satanic Rites of Dracula! A review by Wuchak. The words “A HAMMER PRODUCTION” lit up our Radio Rentals TV, the credits rolled over a series of London views, and a spooky looking shadow loomed slowly larger. I'm sure though that Christopher Lee was happy, sadly he just didn't enjoy these movies. We start out where “Dracula A.D. 1972” ended: with terrible music. But as a piece of classic cheesy 70's British filmmaking, it's a treasure! Lots of ideas for Lee's final Dracula, but a bit of a mess overall, Ignore the naysayers - one of Hammer's best. Others such as "Dracula A.D. 72" (often known unofficially as Dracula meets the hippies) and this one, "The Satanic Rites of Dracula", which drag Dracula into modern seventies London, were less critically regarded. Dracula AD 1972, for all intents and purposes was a pretty bad movie sometimes dipping into the borderline unwatchable stage. The Satanic Rites of Dracula is the kind of breezy entertainment that doesn't linger in your memory much but affords the viewer a good amount of pleasure while watching it. The rest of the film is a chase between his henchmen and Cushing with the police. Its images and practises have been used by the Church of Satan and other occult groups. The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) review-Christopher Lee deserved a better send-off as the Count Kyle Darbyson Blog , Reviews July 28, 2019 February 15, 2020 5 Minutes Besides Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee is probably the most prolific actor to ever don Count Dracula’s cape on the silver screen. The George and Pilgrims Hotel and Berkeley Castle: Great British Ghosts…, 5 Haunted Places to Visit in County Kildare, Ireland, Dobhar Chu, Ireland’s vicious supernatural crocodile otter monster, Olney and the folklore of my childhood home, Avebury Stone Circles and their ancient mysteries. The last proper Hammer Dracula film (because surely nobody counts the Shaw Brothers one, come on) sees Hammer desperately clawing at any passing concept they can to try and keep themselves going. My favorite quotes: 1. Warts and all, The Satanic Rites Of Dracula was my first Hammer horror, and will always hold a very special place in my heart. Or is it just that sunlight and the old stake are boring now, and the writers just make these things up? 2. The gamble didn't pay off the second time either. One of the figures photographed with the cult is Van Helsing’s old friend, Professor Julian Keeley (Freddie Jones). He agrees to visit him, and gradually realises that not only is his family’s arch nemesis Dracula involved, but the Count has come up with a plan to destroy humanity, and thus ensure his own eternal rest…, Meanwhile, the cult captures the agents’ assistant Jane (Valerie Van Ost), and when Torrence, Murray and Jessica go to investigate, they find Jane chained in a basement, along with a variety of other young ladies.