To the Devil Goes the Spoils
Ralph Bates' Lord Courtley proposes to three gentlemen of high society quite the experience unlike any other if they are willing to sell their soul and drink from the blood of Dracula, collected at the sight of the Count himself by a buyer and seller of antiquities, odds and ends, items of peculiarity and the like.
The cloak, clasp, signet ring, and dry blood all of what remains of Dracula, Lord Courtley fully prepared with payment from the "circle" to resurrect the Count through Satanic ceremony. The men, not quite aware of what they really are part of, embellish Courtley but after he drinks from the blood, they just can't do it. They attack him as he demands they follow him in the blood drink ritual, leaving Dracula, resurrecting from the body of Courtley, to seek revenge for his "fallen disciple".
The scholarly Secker, sweaty, nervy Paxton, and bossy, scruff Harwood just couldn't drink the blood. But their canes and kicks made sure Courtley wouldn't bother them...not that he would be their real problem.
Keen as Hayden's vile father is thankfully the first of the inner circle to get the "spate" (someone else killing him, his actual daughter, commanded by Dracula, was an ironic touch). Higgens as the upright Paul, happening to be the son of Paxton, makes for a worthwhile young hero...Keen's hatred of him is added bonus to cheer on Paul. With Ripper as the bewildering detective who seems to care very little about homicides and missing Hayden can be quite infuriating. At least Lee is out in the open some instead of remaining in a dreary, damp basement or castle. Blair is another redhead, full of spirit and pizazz, used as cattle for Dracula to feed from. Hayden really gets into the role of possessed vixen with an incredible form barely contained in her tight-fitting yellow party dress. The visit to the "east district" where Secker, Paxton, and Harwood hideaway with a fey pimp's prostitutes in the Sunday evening after earlier seeing them at church in the morn masquerading as moral pious members of the community adds infamy to them, basic hypocrites putting on a facade. Hayden assisting in the staking of her friend's father, seemingly reveling in the murder as Dracula commands from a distance is quite a different approach...though possessed she gets her hands dirty! I still think the moment Lee sees the church as it once was seemingly falling from a ledge because that vision hurt him somehow is baffling but I dig the bright, shiny crucifix and after Dracula dies, returning to red dry bloody ash, a red mist of him stirring within the worship altar is quite aesthetically Gothic in the best way possible.
"Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970)
October 2006 user comments...
The cloak, clasp, signet ring, and dry blood all of what remains of Dracula, Lord Courtley fully prepared with payment from the "circle" to resurrect the Count through Satanic ceremony. The men, not quite aware of what they really are part of, embellish Courtley but after he drinks from the blood, they just can't do it. They attack him as he demands they follow him in the blood drink ritual, leaving Dracula, resurrecting from the body of Courtley, to seek revenge for his "fallen disciple".
The scholarly Secker, sweaty, nervy Paxton, and bossy, scruff Harwood just couldn't drink the blood. But their canes and kicks made sure Courtley wouldn't bother them...not that he would be their real problem.
Keen as Hayden's vile father is thankfully the first of the inner circle to get the "spate" (someone else killing him, his actual daughter, commanded by Dracula, was an ironic touch). Higgens as the upright Paul, happening to be the son of Paxton, makes for a worthwhile young hero...Keen's hatred of him is added bonus to cheer on Paul. With Ripper as the bewildering detective who seems to care very little about homicides and missing Hayden can be quite infuriating. At least Lee is out in the open some instead of remaining in a dreary, damp basement or castle. Blair is another redhead, full of spirit and pizazz, used as cattle for Dracula to feed from. Hayden really gets into the role of possessed vixen with an incredible form barely contained in her tight-fitting yellow party dress. The visit to the "east district" where Secker, Paxton, and Harwood hideaway with a fey pimp's prostitutes in the Sunday evening after earlier seeing them at church in the morn masquerading as moral pious members of the community adds infamy to them, basic hypocrites putting on a facade. Hayden assisting in the staking of her friend's father, seemingly reveling in the murder as Dracula commands from a distance is quite a different approach...though possessed she gets her hands dirty! I still think the moment Lee sees the church as it once was seemingly falling from a ledge because that vision hurt him somehow is baffling but I dig the bright, shiny crucifix and after Dracula dies, returning to red dry bloody ash, a red mist of him stirring within the worship altar is quite aesthetically Gothic in the best way possible.
"Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970)
October 2006 user comments...
Okay Dracula effort from Hammer studios has Dracula(Christopher Lee)seeking revenge on the three wealthy aristocrats who murdered his Satanic servant. He uses their children as a means to destroy them. It's up to the son of Mr. Paxton, Paul(Anthony Higgins), to stop him. Dracula cunningly is using young virginal Alice(Linda Hayden, who is wonderfully endowed), Paul's squeeze, as his main manipulative tool to wreak vengeance. As he kills each man, he whispers their number until all three are silenced.
This film really suffers because of Lee's lack of screen time. It's got a decent cast who puts forth an effort, but there seems to be missing something from this film. It takes a bit too long to get going, but Lee's Dracula is worth the wait even if we get just fifteen or so minutes of his sinister vampire. The film's certainly not hurting in the style department or period setting, the film still has wonderful atmosphere, but perhaps having us wait so long for the star of the film takes much away from this film.
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