Scars of Dracula (1970)
Country: UK
Year: 1970
Studio: Hammer
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Stars: Christopher Lee (Dracula), Dennis Waterman (Simon Carlson) Jenny Hanley (Sarah Framsen), Christopher Matthews (Paul Carlson), Patrick Troughton (Klove), Michael Gwynn (The Priest), Michael Ripper (Landlord)
Genre: Vampire
Scars of Dracula
Let me begin by pointing out that this movie starts with the funniest plastic bat flapping over Dracula's ashes and dripping fake blood over them to reanimate the master. It's brilliant! You'd think they'd want to play down the plasticky awfulness of the wee bat but noooo - this director goes for a big close up of something that looks like it came out of my daughter's toybox (yes, she has a stuffed bat called Vincent and she loves the wee guy). It's ace in its crappitude!
This is one of those rarities in that it was a Hammer film I'd never seen before reviewing it for this site - always a treat, I thought I'd seen them all! Libertine Paul Carlson (another word for a ye-olde serial shagger) is on the run from the Burgomaster after being caught with his pants down in the company of the burgomaster's daughter. An apparently driverless cab takes him to the castle of Count Dracula where his trail abruptly ends. His brother Simon and his fiancee Sarah follow Paul's trail in an attempt to retrieve him.
Not the greatest Hammer Dracula by any manner of means. It's quite amusing and worth a look for Hammer completeists. The main issue seems to be a wafer thin plot and an unfortunate miscasting in Dennis Waterman as Simon Carlson - the stakes in this movie are less wooden. He seems somewhat lost without Arfur Daley or a theme tune to sing. Although I'm always pleased to see a film starring second Doctor Patrick Troughton - especially with such comedy facial hair - this Hammer film is for fans only!
Reviewer - @helen_of_horror
Scars Of Dracula Trailer
Movie Spoiler - If you want to know the ending of the film.
