Count Dracula and His Vampire Brides Review

8/10

Hammer Productions was iconic for their Dracula movies starring legend Christopher Lee. This 1973 classic(which was also known as The Satanic Rites of Dracula) was the last movie of the series, and it is definitely one of the most iconic.  It is a very hip and brutal film of its time, and it was quite original. 

The movie starts off showing a cult giving a baptism of chicken blood to a woman. This is a very creepy scene, because you can tell the hell that the girl is going through, and it is very realistic.  We also see a man get shot, and he lives. At the beginning, there is no way of knowing why this happened, but something mysterious is definitely going on. This scene is quite bloody, and it was pretty neat. 

The first thing I noticed about this movie was that it really fell into the formula of a 70's action flick. There was the funky music in the intro, and some of the film reminded me of James Bond.  The problem with this is that it shows a lack of direction in genre. There are the shootouts and chase scenes of action, and the gruesome scenes of horror. While it doesn't ruin the movie for me, it definitely takes away from the scare factor. 

Being the movie is about Dracula, there isn't a whole bunch of surprise of when he is going to kill someone. Whenever the viewer sees him try to kiss a girl, you know she's going to be bloodless.  Regardless of this, the scenes are very well done, and they still have a small amount of freakiness to them.  Christopher Lee is also amazing in the role, because he is extremely dark and larger than life.

The true surprise comes from the fact that many other women turn into vampires, and you never know when they're going to kill. I found the first scene of attacks to be extremely intense and horrifying, and it was one of the best in the genre. 

Another positive of the film was the cast.  Peter Cushing was very cool as Van Helsing, because he was a very dark and tough character, which works perfectly for Cushing.  William Franklyn was cool as Peter, because he was a likable guy, and he showed his weakness for the woman he loved. Freddie a Jones was amazing as always in the role of Julian, because he gave his typical crazy performance, and excelled at it. Michael Coles gave a very stern and tough performance as Inspector Murray, and even though he isn't as big of a name as the others, he was still very talented.  Barbara Yu Ling was piercing as Chin Yang, and she was totally believable as a cult leader. 

The fact that the movie is a satanic flick really gives it an eerie feel. These scenes were done very well, because there was a red lighting in the filming that made it very evil. The music in the background is also very demonic, and the lack of soul in the people makes a realistic effect.  This definitely has one of the best depictions of a cult that I have ever seen. 

The last 10-15 minutes of the movie are absolutely epic. Right when Lee started to get crazy, and his eyes turned red, I knew something crazy was going to happen.  Then all hell broke loose, fire started to burn, things got destroyed, and there was a terror that filled the whole room.  Then in the next moments, there was the final showdown between Van Helsing and Count Dracula. I really find this ending to be one of the most shocking ever, and it made up for any little blemish that filled the rest of the movie. 

Overall, while this movie wasn't perfect, it was still one heck of a movie. It was brutal, shocking, and a lot of fun.  It is also the perfect example of why Christopher Lee is the all time actor in the role of Count Dracula.  I highly recommend it to any fans of the genre, because it is definitely one of the coolest of the 70's.