Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Country: UK
Year:1966
Studio: Hammer
Director: Terence Fisher
Stars: Christopher Lee (Count Dracula), Barbara Shelley (Helen Kent), Francis Matthews (Charles Kent), Suzan Farmer (Diana Kent), Charles 'Bud' Tingwell (Alan Kent), Andrew Keir (Father Sandor).
Genre: Vampire
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Another outing with the fabulous Christopher Lee donning Hammer's Dracula cape. This time, two couple are travelling in the area around Carlstad and despite a warning against it, decide to visit the Count's abode. After servant Klove drains the blood of one of the visitors into Dracula's coffin, the master is resurrected and free to go about his bloodsucking ways.
This is the first sequel in Hammer's series of Dracula films starring Lee and supposedly he found his character's lines so completely dreadful that he chose to omit them completely and play the role silently. It was a good call here because a silent Dracula is even creepier than a talkative one. Apart from that, it's the usual Hammer fare - heaving bosoms, bloodsucking, creepy castles etc. Not the best instalment in the Dracula series and Cushing only appears in "archive footage" (read: regurgitating the ending from the previous film) which is kinda disappointing. It's alright - if you're a Hammer fan you'll enjoy it, if not then I wouldn't bother with this one.
Reviewer - @helen_of_horror
