The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

 The Satanic Rites Of Dracula

Christopher Lee first put on the cloak as Dracula in 1958 when Hammer Films Productions released Dracula, eight films later in 1973 in the final Hammer Horror Dracula film The Satanic Rites Of Dracula, Lee's Dracula faces off one last time against Peter Cushing's Dr. Van Helsing.   However this film was not a well received entry in the Hammer Dracula film series.   The film played more like a less witty episode of The Avengers, but with supernatural horror elements, and overall it just struggles to find itself.  The Satanic Rites Of Dracula was directed by Alan Gibson, and written by Don Houghton (who made a name for himself by writing for BBC's Dr Who television series), and was originally planned to be called "Dracula Is Dead...And Well, and Living In London".   Though Christopher Lee protested the comical title for a film that has no actual humour in it.  The film was made by Hammer Film Productions, and was distributed by Columbia-Warner Distributors in the UK, and Dynamite Entertainment in the US.  The US saw a heavily edited version of the film released in 1979 with the title of Count Dracula And His Vampire Brides. 

The Satanic Rites Of Dracula stars many of the same cast members as Dracula A.D. 1972.  The film stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula/D.D. Denham, Peter Cushing as Lorrimer Van Helsing, Joanna Lumley plays his granddaughter Jessica Van Helsing, Michael Coles as Inspector Murray, and William Franklyn as Peter Torrence.  The film had a decent cast, and it is always nice seeing Lee as Dracula and Cushing as Van Helsing.  Though Christopher Lee doesn't appear until the last half hour of the film, as the bulk of the film is more focused on Inspector Murray and his team investigating the strange going ons at a mysterious mansion, and the dark sacrificial ceremony that one of their spies caught on a recording. 

Though Bela Lugosi will always be my favourite Dracula, I would say that Christopher Lee is probably my second favourite, he plays the role so well.   The scenes with Lee and Cushing are done so well, but the bulk of the film is a bit slow and dull.  The opening with the sacrifice is wonderfully done, though quite drawn out, but the scenes were quite artistically done.   Overall this, like other Hammer films has a beautiful artistic quality to it, it isn't hard for a film like this to quickly become trashy, but Hammer somehow finds a way to keep it uniquely British, and tasteful.  Even the nudity in the film (and there is a fair amount), and the violence and blood, is done in a tasteful way that keeps on the side of artistic rather than slipping down the side of trashy, and I respect that. 

This film however didn't fare well with either the fans or the critics, and on IMBDb it holds an average rating.  This is probably one of the more forgettable titles in the Hammer Dracula series, and it is just an okay movie, not one that really asks to be seen multiple times.   I think that unless you are a die-hard Hammer Dracula fan, you could probably be just fine skipping this one.  But if you are a fan of British films with a mixture of science-fiction/horror/and police investigator mystery/drama then you might really enjoy this film, but I feel that it appeals to a particular type of viewer.   I liked this film, please don't think that I didn't, however it is definitely not a must see, and there are much better Hammer Dracula films with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in them.