Dracula A.D. 1972
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Movie Reviews of Dracula A.D. 1972
Movie Review: Hurry Up
Summary: 5 Stars
This My Favorite in the Hammer Dracula Series It Seems so far away for this to come out on DVD all the way in October jeeez
Movie Review: Most Unappreciated Dracula Film
Summary: 4 Stars
Dracula AD 1972 is without a doubt, the most unappreciated Dracula film ever created, and that includes the NON Hammer ones...Many compare this to Taste the Blood of Dracula, as they have a very similar plot...the main part being resurrecting Dracula via a bizarre ritual performed by individuals who have no idea whatsoever what they are messing with, they just want a thrill plain and simple...well they get a thrill alright, and then some...the difference between AD 72 and Taste the Blood is most noticeably the former taking place in modern times (hippy counter culture time period), and the latter taking place in the 19th century sometime...this change in time period makes for a refreshing take on the Hammer Dracula series, which by the time Taste the Blood had come out, was starting to get a bit old...it worked for the first few, but was in need of a change...on a side note, Scars of Dracula, which was in between Taste the Blood and AD 72, was arguably the best Dracula film ever made, but doesn't get the credit it's due, although it doesn't get bashed nearly as much as AD 72 does...anyways, the character development is mediocre as usual, aside from the main character(s), but it's developed enough that you do in fact care about the people Dracula is planning to feast on...having Peter Cushing back as Van Helsing definitely helped...now let's be real here, of course we are always rooting for Count Dracula because Christopher Lee is just TOO cool and impossible to dislike, but there is the occasional film where you care about the other characters, and this film does achieve that contrary to popular belief...the ambiance is there, music, scenery, etc...and for once the police actually seem relatively competent and interested in stopping Dracula from continuing his murder spree...you get everything that you should get from a Hammer Dracula flick, but you ALSO get a nice change of pace with the 100+ year fast forward and seeing Dracula operate in modern times...to boot, Chris Lee hasn't yet showed he is entirely sick of portraying the Count, that comes in the next and final Hammer film, Satanic Rights...there he is obviously tired of it, and it shows...much like Sean Connery in his final Bond film Diamonds are Forever, etc...so all in all, there is very little to complain about here...no it's not perfect, yes it's flawed to some degree, but to all the naysayers, cmon, give this one a break, it actually IS pretty decent...it has more going for it than Taste the Blood, Satanic Rights, and possibly even Risen From the Grave...no, it's not as good as Horror of Dracula or Prince of Darkness, but what do you expect by this point? nothing is ever as good as the originals...Movie Review: Never Trust A Vampire Over 30
Summary: 4 Stars
The results are obviously mixed on this one. Since the series has grown kinda..eh..long in the tooth, Hammer decided to try something different and stick Dracula in modern times. Personally, I've always felt that Dracula never belonged in modern times and attempts to do that have all been disasterous(see Dracula 2000 for a good example). I have to admit though that I love this film. Does it work? That depends on who you ask, but I say it does. It actually works on two levels. Everything in this film is 100% in your face early 70s London. The fashion, the lingo, the music, none of it is background, it's almost overdone! I'm not sure if director Gibson was trying way too hard to be cool, or simply making a kind of parody. On that level the film is fun for schlock. When Cushing and Lee are on camera, it feels like a Hammer flick regardless of the hippy teens. Both actors still play their roles to the hilt, and it's difficult to laugh at them coz they give credibility to the film, especially Cushing. Cushing consistently does such a great job, and can make the silliest movie halfway decent. You could stick Cushing in Plan 9 From Outer Space or Xanadu and he'd give the film some credibility. One thing I just love about his Van Helsing is when he throws his crucifix into the vampire's coffin, preventing him from getting back in and sleeping. That's so friggin' cool, and I've never seen anyone other than Cushing do that. Cushing was a kickass Van Helsing. Plotwise, it's really nothing new. Dracula's resurrected by yet another Dracula worshipping schmuck called Johnny Alucard. This "Alucard" thing grates on my nerves. It was cute when Lon Chaney jr. did it, but who the hell do screenwriters think they're fooling now? Dracula comes back and is hell bent on killing Van Helsing's great-grandson(Cushing) and enslaving his granddaughter. Fill in the blanks for the rest. The film seems to be attempting some kind of promotion for this band Stoneground which is featured in the first few minutes of the film. It seems like a promotion coz the band gets more screen time than bands tend to get in films. Two songs practically! The scene almost screams, "This is Stoneground! Buy their new album today!!". They never caught on though, at least not in the states. Anyhow, I wouldn't just disregard this film. It's got a corniness factor to it, but it's easy(for me anyhow) to just go with it. If you don't like the approach, there's always the great gothic Dracula flicks that preceeded it to fall back on.Movie Review: So much fun.
Summary: 4 Stars
Every horror fan knows the feeling of when you rent a cheesy sequel to a great film, such as one of the later Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street's or Halloween films. You know you are renting a bad film but you hope there is something in there that you will enjoy. Dracula 1972 AD has gotten some bad reviews and holds little credibility as a horror film, especially one with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, but it has it's charm. The film's time and place in the 70's may have made it easy to sweep under the rug but in the resurgance of Hammer Horror and the rapid growing DVD market make this film a beautiful gem. With Low expectations and an understanding that the Horror of Dracula is a Citizen Kane of this kind of film you maybe able to have a good time watching a vampire die by running water or seeing a ridiculous black mass held by stupid teenagers or finally, the immortal Christopher Lee dawning the cape again to play around 9 minutes of screen time as the fearsome Dracula battling Van Helsing in 1972. However with all that said, it is a good time, only I think it can be appreciated now, and not then.
The film takes place time line wise right at the end of Taste the Blood of Dracula and throws Van Helsing conveniently there as Dracula is dying then fast forwards a hundred years, yes the math does'nt add up, to the present of where the film takes place. Comparing Horror of Dracula with say the first Black Sabbath album then safely saying Dracula 1972 AD can be if Black Sabbath attempted to record an album in space is about the same level of seriousness you can take this film.
Movie Review: A terribly underappreciated gem!
Summary: 4 Stars
I find it amusing that many fans absolutely gush over "Taste the Blood of Dracula," yet completely dump on this one, when they're basically the same film. A group of friends, bored with their lives, decide that performing a black mass ritual that will literally raise Hell sounds like a fun new way to get kicks, and just happen to resurrect a thoroughly pissed-off Count Dracula in the process. That's the premise of both movies, and both movies carry it off nicely.
"Dracula A.D. 1972" admittedly contains some awkward moments, most notably the absurd and insulting scene in which the brilliant Prof. Van Helsing has to write the name 'Alucard' down on paper and study it before making the all-too-terribly-obvious connection to his family's arch-nemesis, but these are nit-picks. It's a beautifully-photographed, slickly-produced and generally well-acted piece, featuring both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee at the height of their game. The '70s pop soundtrack, much-maligned, is actually quite effective and suits the movie. It's fast-paced, entertaining fun, and isn't that all any genre film really needs to be?
If you love Hammer Horror as I do, appreciate the work of the legendary Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, and/or just have a nostalgic appreciation for movies of this very bygone era, please ignore the bad press and give this classic film a chance.