Scars of Dracula
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Movie Reviews of Scars of Dracula
Movie Review: The Best One
Summary: 5 Stars
In Scars of Dracula Christopher Lee looks the best in this movie the sets and everything was great i like the part where the villagers come up to Castle Dracula and try to set it on Fire Scars of Dracula and Dracula A.D. 1972 are my two favorite ones in the series get this movie also check out The Other ones except Satanic Rites of DraculaMovie Review: Christopher Lee's Last Period Dracula Film
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very Good Film. The cast is first rate, in this one Lee has more to do than in his other Dracula movies. A very fine performance by Christopher Lee, the rest of the cast is great! Patrick Troughton as the servant Klove is quite good, look also for Michael Gwynn as the priest. This was Hammer Films last period Dracula movie.Movie Review: "He's evil...he's the embodiment of all that is evil."
Summary: 4 Stars
As an ardent fan of Hammer films in general, this purchase was pretty much a no-brainer...I mean Christopher Lee reprising his role as Dracula? Color me there...and even though the film is ultimately flawed, I still had a really good time overall given this was the last time Lee would play Dracula in a Hammer film set within the period of prior films (the following incarnation would be titled `Dracula A.D. 1972', featuring a more contemporary setting). Directed by the renowned Roy Ward Baker (Quatermass and the Pit, The Vampire Lovers, The Monster Club), the film stars, as I mentioned, Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), along with Dennis Waterman (School for Unclaimed Girls), and Jenny Hanley (The Flesh and Blood Show). Also appearing is Patrick Troughton (The Gorgon, The Viking Queen), Michael Gwynn (Jason and the Argonauts), Christopher Matthews (Scream and Scream Again), and perennial English character actor Michael Ripper (X the Unknown, The Plague of the Zombies, The Reptile).
The film opens on an ominous miniature...er, I mean an ominous castle, and we see a cape covered with red dust (the immortal remains of Dracula). With a little help from a winged friend, we witness a bit of the old reconstitution, proving once again you can't keep an evil bloodsucker down. The residents of a nearby village soon learn their nightmare begins anew, decide to take matters in their own hands by torching the castle (I wouldn't have thought stone could burn, but hey, what do I know?), despite warnings from the priest who fears that what goes around comes around...and perhaps they should have listened to him as when they return to the village, well, it's not a pretty sight. It's at this point we meet three young people, two brothers in Paul (Matthews), the philanderer type, and Simon (Waterman), the goodie-two shoes type, along with the comely Sara (Hanley), the object of Simon's desires, whereas Paul, well, his desires tend to vary, not being restricted by that whole `monogamy' nonsense. After a series of events (or as I like to call them `the dalliances of Paul'), Paul ends up at the partially charred castle (the renovation seems to be going well), not realizing the nature of the danger he's in until it's too late. Soon afterwards, both Simon and Sara come looking, and their search also leads them to the castle, to which they meet Dracula (Lee) and his less than savory, heavily eye browed (he's got the Abe Vigoda eyebrows) manservant Klove (I actually didn't learn his name until the end, and thus referred to him throughout as Uni-brow, due to the fact his two eyebrows had since merged into one, gigantic hairy entity on his forehead). The Count's hospitality soon turns to bloodthirsty lust, which leads to a climatic, almost biblical ending...
As I mentioned, while I did enjoy this film, the overall sense was that it was somewhat lacking and unfocused. The story starts off really strong, but then drops off for about the next 45 minutes or so...but that didn't really bother me much as even a half-baked Hammer film is still a lot of fun. The one thing that did annoy me a little was the introduction of so many characters that really had little to do with story as a whole. I didn't mind them being brought forth, but there was a sense within their presentation that they would be more integral than they actually were...a perfect example is that of the character of Paul, who is the primary focus as the film begins, only to disappear (we actually do see him later on hanging around the castle) about 20 minutes in basically turning into a plot device. In terms of the characters, since there were so many of them packed into this 95-minute film, there wasn't a whole lot of room for development and, as others have mentioned, chemistry was lacking between Simon and Sara. I did find it interesting how much attention was given to Dracula's manservant Uni-Brow aka Klove...talk about being used and abused (his relatively minor indiscretions elicited some very harsh punishments) . His character did have a role within the story, but not one that would warrant the amount of screen time he had...although he was featured in one of my favorite scenes as he found himself in the position of having to clean up one of the Count's `messes'...using a hacksaw, meat cleaver, and other various implements. As far as Lee, his screen presence is definitely menacing and authoritative, and has a comparatively copious amount of dialog compared to his previous cinematic appearances as Dracula...and then there are those red eyes as the bloodlust overtakes the character soon followed by the baring of the bitey fangs. The special effects ranged from so-so (the goofy looking bats) to very effective (Dracula's eyes glowing through his lids as he slept). Some have mentioned the film lacking the `gothic' feel of previous movies, and I would also agree, but while the atmosphere may not have been suitably oppressive, it still worked well for me to create a certain cinematic sense appropriate to the material. Perhaps they didn't have the budget of previous films, but it did feel whatever they did have went towards the overall production, making the most of what they had...and that's one element I've felt generally consistent with Hammer productions is while they may have been restricted in one way or another, there never seemed to be a short supply of effort and heart put forth towards the material, along with a sense of a wanting to entertain audiences...but then that's just my opinion.
The widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1) looks sharp and clean, and the Dolby Digital 2.0 audio comes through clearly. With regards to special features, there are plenty, enough to fill two discs, which is why a 2nd DVD is included. On the DVD that contains the films is featured both a UK and US theatrical trailer for the film (the US trailer is actually a combo), poster and still gallery, talent bios, and a commentary track with Christopher Lee, director Roy Ward Baker, moderated by film historian Marcus Hearn. On the 2nd disc is a 57-minute piece titled The Many Faces of Christopher Lee produced in 1995 featuring a reflective Lee in a personal setting talking about his lengthy career and providing all kinds of interesting details. This is interspersed with clips from his films, behind the scenes footage, and still photographs. He does come off as a little pompous at times, but he's certainly earned that right...also included are two music videos (?!) with Lee performing duet with someone named Gary Curtis...actually, the first video, featuring the songs `O Sole Mio/It's Now or Never, is a duet while the 2nd video, featuring a song titled `She'll Fall for Me' has Curtis doing most of the singing and Lee providing dialog within the song rather than singing. Curiously interesting, to be sure...
Cookieman108
Movie Review: Terrific DVD package for lukewarm Hammer Dracula flick
Summary: 4 Stars
For Scars of Dracula, Christopher Lee's 5th outing as the Count, Lee gets more screen time and dialogue than usual, but for most of its length SoD is only mildly diverting. The film has a drab, low-budget aura, and the script is composed mostly of recycled ideas. Roy Ward Baker (director of a number of fine genre movies, e.g. Quatermass and the Pit, Asylum, Vampire Lovers), was apparently shocked by the sadism of Anthony Hinds' screenplay, and cynically decided to give Hammer what they wanted, accounting for the even greater emphasis on bloody violence than usual for a Hammer production. Unfortunately, the overall results don't come close to Baker's usually high standard. The normally sumptuous Hammer sets are cluttery and chintzy-looking and Moray Grant's cinematography is flat and TV-like; the whole movie really looks too bright and clean to generate any real gothic atmosphere. The miniature of Dracula's castle is fairly convincing (until it's set on fire), but the splatter makeups are simply wretched, and the mechanical bat might be more effective were it not so overused and overlit. Dennis Waterman and Jenny Hanley generate little chemistry or charisma as the hero and heroine, and Patrick Troughton as Klove is just sort of there with no explanation whatsoever (though it's nice to see Michael Ripper in a bit larger part than usual as the innkeeper). Also on the plus side: a few effective action sequences and shocks, Hanley and Anouska Hempel are gorgeous, and Delia Lindsay reveals her derriere early in the film (the only bit of nudity in a movie that could've used more, if only to liven things up). Surprisingly, just when you think the movie's a goner, things pick up at the climax: Dracula's eyes glowing through his eyelids (a very eerie effect), a brief shot of Lee crawling up the castle wall as in Stoker's novel, and a rousing pyrotechnic finale. But it's pretty much a case of "too little too late." Scars really makes me appreciate the freshness and style of Freddie Francis' Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (so far MIA on DVD). While not as disastrous as some have described, Scars of Dracula just barely aces Prince of Darkness for least of the Hammer Draculas (up to that point anyway). Check out Anchor Bay's excellent Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde or Quatermass and the Pit DVDs to see what Roy Ward Baker can do with a well-written, original script and decent production values.Hammer completists, Chris Lee fans, and Dracula/vampire cultists will no doubt want this for their movie collections anyway and for those hardy souls Anchor Bay once again delivers the goods. The source print for the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is virtually flawless, with excellent brightness, contrast, detail, and sharpness, and richly saturated, well-balanced color. There are virtually no noticeable physical defects. Extras include a very clean 1.85:1 letterboxed British release trailer, rather shabby-looking letterboxed American release combo trailer (with Horror of Frankenstein), poster/still gallery, talent bios for Lee and Baker, and an audio commentary by the star and director, moderated by Hammer historian Marcus Hearn. Erudite and opinionated, Lee tends to dominate the discussion, but all three contribute plenty of interesting information about the film and many other topics (mostly Hammer-related) as well. My copy of this DVD also came with a special `limited edition' bonus disc featuring a 1995 documentary "The Many Faces of Christopher Lee." Rather than the expected tired rehash of Lee's film appearances, the hour-long program is actually a pleasant surprise, as Christopher Lee literally invites us into his home, displays prized memorabilia and photos, relates personal anecdotes (on such wide-ranging subjects as his operatic ancestors, Bela Lugosi's ring, Rasputin, Vincent and Peter, and Fu Manchu), and even gives brief lessons on fencing and gunfighting, all interspersed with numerous clips from his films. The bonus disc also includes two lame music videos by some really cheesy lounge act co-featuring Mr. Lee (he duets on O Sole Mio/It's Now or Never in one). You'll probably view these once out of curiosity and never look at them again. In total another fine package from Anchor (unfortunately one that makes you wish the movie itself was as meticulously crafted). Three stars for the movie, five for the DVD.
Movie Review: It must be me
Summary: 4 Stars
This has always been one of those movies, where the generally negative reaction genuinely mystifies me. There are plenty of "guilty pleasure" films where I can objectively see why people dislike them, and yet I don't. This is one of those rare cases where I just don't get the criticism. It's almost as if the rest of the world saw a different movie than I did. I first saw "Scars" probably 20-odd years ago on TV, and remembered loving it. When I saw this DVD advertised recently, and started reading various reviews about how bad it was, I thought:"Hmmm well..I was 13 years old or so", but when I saw that Anchor Bay was releasing a neat special edition with a bonus documentary I had to have it anyway. I thought if it really was bad, I could always sell it on Ebay. Well, to my semi-suprise, I liked it almost as much as I remembered, and (get those not helpful buttons ready folks), I found it far more fast-paced and fun than Horror of Dracula or the unbelievably boring Dracula-Prince Of Darkness. Christopher Lee has by far the best role of the series here. He even has dialogue! The women are beautiful, the small amount of gore was a neat suprise, and the demise of Dracula at the end was alot less anti-climactic than the previous films. Compared to the "Room with a View" tedium of Prince Of Darkness, Scars is a roller coaster ride. As far as the criticism that the bat was phoney-looking, ummm here's some news for those who don't know...ALL the bats in the series are phoney-looking. It's Hammer, not Spielberg. The effects here are no worse than any other of the films in the series. I guess there's no way to know whether you'll like this or not until you see it, so try a rental first, but I suspect some of the bad reviews are coming from people who simply follow the popular line. As far as the package goes, it's Anchor Bay. They are as close these days to a guarantee of quality as you're likely to find. The Video transfer looks great, the audio is mono, but perfectly servicable, and the bonus interview with Lee is a gem. If you like this movie, then you should be more than happy with this release. Just remember, Christopher Lee didn't care for this movie because he felt there was too much nudity and violence in it. Hmmmmmmmm...and this is supposed to dissuade a horror fan? :)