Thanks for watching. Did you miss part 1 - check it out here ruclips.net/video/KCX1j5YZkls/видео.html and our Top 10 Hammer Dracula moments here ruclips.net/video/TFQrc7hAzNs/видео.html
It should be noted that part of the reason Satanic Rites feels so out of place with the feel of the series is because it didn't even start life as a Dracula script. It was a Dr Who script. With the Doctor in what became the Van Helsing part and The Master in what became the Dracula part and you can tell as the plot plays out way more like a typical seventies Who script. This was because the writer Don Houghton was a regular writer on Dr Who. Incidentally his work on Dr Who was a lot better than his three Hammer Dracula contributions.
Gleefully awaiting a retrospective episode highlighting best scenes from each of the Hammer Dracula movies. I enjoyed all Lee's Dracula but have to give thumbs up for only the first 3..with exception of Scars being a guilty pleasure with bats..blood and gore galores. The opening scene in Dracula AD 1972 is very good though.😬
That was worth waiting for - thank you. I think the reason Christopher Lee was Dracula was because he cared about the character as envisaged by Bram Stoker. He didn’t betray that vision.
My dad took me to see Dracula has risen from the grave when I was 7! I had nightmares for 2 weeks! Christopher Lee’s bloodshot eyes haunted me for months! I enjoyed his acting. And appreciate this homage to his legacy at Hammer.
Lee was amazing. My favourite anecdote is from LotR - when scripted to cry out when stabbed, Lee calmly pointed out that people are remarkably silent when stabbed. The heavy implication that Lee was speaking from his wartime experience as an intelligence officer led to the scene being rewritten. His love of heavy metal music (he had his own band) is also telling. This is a man who experienced so much - dining with Churchill as a child, his military service etc - and he never lost his passion for life. He will always be Dracula, and I think he loved the novel, as much as he loved Tolkiens works, and he always played Dracula as true to the original as possible. A well deserved legend of the screen.
It's a wonderful example to follow...treat the world as a neverending adventure and keep striving for new horizons. He wasn't the only nonagenarian to be part of the metal scene, BTW. A Holocaust survivor of similar vintage was convinced by her younger friends to set her dark poetry inspired by that harrowing time of her life to death metal.
I have to confess a soft spot for "Dracula AD 1972", if only because I really like Jessica and her relationship with her grandfather. I wish it was explored more in the movie, but Stephanie Beacham and Peter Cushing have very sweet familial chemistry from the few scenes they do have together.
I honestly think AD1972 gets unfairly maligned. I am crazy about Dracula running around in the late 20th century? No, but the film is actually pretty decent.
Is this the same Stephanie Beecham who, in the early '80s appeared on "Dynasty," and several other American tv shows? I always her performances! And, of course, Joanna Lumley is immaculate!
Mr. Lee's sentiments about Dracula were rather like Leonard Nimoy's about Spock: It wasn't that they didn't want to play the characters, it was that they didn't want to play them unless they were written well.
It's awesome now that Star Wars has now basically immortalized Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, main just for their roles as Grand Moff Tarkin and Count Dooku.
Christopher Lee I think was one of those just most amazing of people. It's amazing to see what he did during his lifetime, and while it is tragic that like so many great actors he fell into the trap of being type cast as a horror actor, that typecasting enshrined a legacy I don't think he could have dreamed off. Horror fans remember, whether new or old, what good horror is. Few fanbases really are so openly loving of their genre, and able to cite specifics why. Hammer Horror lives on because of such fans, and Christopher Lee, for many people, is still their definitive image of Dracula.
It wasn't really typecasting; Lee wasn't just any old bloodsucker (let's forget Uncle was a Vampire), he was Dracula! He owned that character. No matter how skimpy the script, if Lee is playing Dracula, you know you're getting the King of Counts. What he could have done with scripts that were written around Dracula instead of just using him as window dressing is one of the great missed opportunities of the cinema.
Great video. RIP Christopher Lee, you were and still are one of my absolute favorite actors, a man of deep passion, talent, intelligence, and lasting friendships. You are greatly missed.
I already really enjoyed Sir Christopher Lee as a person, but now having heard about how loyal he is to the people that made him famous, I stand by my statement that when it comes to this day and age Sir Christopher Lee... is the man, the myth, the legend.
You could trace that back to the early part of his career. Remember that he started acting in 1947 and, as noted by our own Dark Corners, struggled to find work.
What Christopher Lee said about Hammer being like a family always rung true for me, it was the bit players and supporting actors I looked forward to seeing because of that familiarity it was some how reassuring. OK you were going to be scared but there was always a familiar face so you were not THAT scared Like Micheal Ripper or George (Mr Pipkin) Woodridge or Mile Malleson as a batty doctor or undertaker, Charles Lloyd Pack (Triggers dad from only fools and horses) as a priest or an inspector or Doctor and then there were the lines of amazing supporting actresses, Who played innkeepers wives or Buxom wenches, Victims or their mums etc. The Hammer Hammer Horror films ( and also the Universal Horror movies) worked because they were an ensemble that every year or so would perform a Grand Guignol for the fans that loved them. We will never see their like again. I would add that though they were low budget had poor effects and sometimes weak plots they were still 1000 times better than the crap they turn out now. In fact before I came on here to watch this. I was watching the fully restored 1958 Dracula it's still the best nothing comes close.
If I may be forgiven my own spin on the above, let us refrain from downing whatever is popular with the current generation. Yes, what Hammer and Universal had WAS unique to the point of never being replicated. There is a reason for this...the cultural and political climate contributed a good many factors that have long since faded from the scene. It stands to reason that whatever ultimately stands the test of time from this generation will have similar idiosyncrasies that ONLY this era could have made possible. Whenever I remember how both Universal Monsters and Hammer Horror started off being called cheap trash, it makes me refrain from similar snipes on things I neither understand nor like. It would therefore behoove us to be more understanding and less judgmental than every one of Hammer's contemporary critics who completely missed the boat.
@@johnathonhaney8291 to be successful. A horror movie must have good characters and a good story. As has been proved on many an occasion it does not need a budget or indeed expensive CGI effects if those other two are in place whilst there are odd blips on the radar such as the Babdook or the Pack or even Guillermo Del Toro's output the the La Llorona and Annabelles of today however need binning simple as. Horror Some films are now based around the jump scare not the story or the characters. You can literals set your watch and predict what is going to happen next. Time tells with good horror movies and you just have to look at what are considered classics and have lasted to come to the conclusion that certain films ( like your Freddys and Childs play and maniac cops) will never be anything but what they are junk
@@andrewtate4897 I hardly see any of the above as a problem worth complaining about. The stuff without legs will not last and the opposite will be true for the stuff that does. Posterity ultimately took care of Universal Monsters and Hammer Horror. It'll ultimately do the same for those that will make it.
@@johnathonhaney8291 Depends on your feelings regarding the genre? My Uncle was the Guy who directed Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein the Invisible man and the Old Dark house. It kind of makes it very personal for me. I am very passionate about this genre. agree with what you say regarding stuff not having legs that's been very much proved. However I have a young son, who I would like to have the same feeling as I did when watching these old movies but he doesn't ( he likes the Old movies very much and he often say I wish that movies today had more imagination instead of stupid jump scares (his words) ) I mean when you have a company who practically invented the genre and they can't make a Mummy movie there's something seriously wrong in the House of Frankenstein
@@andrewtate4897 I personally would argue that they never got the Mummy right after the very first one but that's me. I always found it a bit telling, however, how many folks retired just after that one, including director Karl Fruend from the director's chair so he could go back to being a cinematographer. So your uncle was James Whale, then? I very much admired his work on the first two Frankensteins and Invisible Man (the latter being my personal fave of his). I confess to having a love of older horror films as well (nothing past 1970 in that category with the exception of late period Hammer Horror) but I also recognize it's not the only way to do it. When I see something like the Iranian horror film Under The Shadow, a film that runs on dread and psychological horror more informed by its historical context than its sole supernatural element, I worry much less for the genre's future. Said future will likely come from somewhere other than the US or UK is all.
As a kid I would rush to the Movies to see Hammer's latest horror films Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein as soon as they would open here in the US The amazing Sir Christopher Lee was the Lon Chaney of the UK and had many great films even as James Bond villain in The Man With The Golden Gun, Lord of the Rings, on and on what a true BadAss he was. Even today the Hammer classics hold up as well as The Universal Monsters , Love them all, With Halloween fast approaching now is the right time to enjoy them all over again.
Always loved the way Lee played Dracula, and the Frankenstein monster. Have a glossy professional portrait of the actor as Dracula on the kitchen wall looking down on me as I write this. His auto biography - Tall Dark and GRUESOME !!!!!!! Is a great read. His teaming with Peter Cushing
That scene with Depp in "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" is one of the most moving ever. The brief closing of the eyes, the cautious embrace...masterly acting in a few moments.
I actually quite liked the lines that Christopher Lee refused to speak. I mean, how badass is it to have Dracula referring to himself as "Apolyon"? Maybe it's because I'm rather versed in Greek mythology? At any rate, I think those lines would've fit the character perfectly.
I have such brilliant memories of watching these movies when i was a kid, they used to show the Hammer classics late night on BBC2 back in the 80s. Sir Christopher Lee is a legend of British and World cinema, both these videos are a fantastic tribute to him, thank you DCR......
Just got all the Dracula films on DVD and blue ray. A mish mash but now got them all. Love these films for yrs . There is only 1 Dracula mr lee will live on forever..wish he was still making them
I'm surprised you didn't mention Lee's cameo as a vampire with fangs and a cape in the 1969 film _The Magic Christian_ starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. It's a short part, but he's clearly playing Dracula in it.
The character's not specified as Dracula so we didn't count it (same for Uncle was a Vampire). Probably should have mentioned it but there was so much material to get through.
An amusing detail about the 3 Musketeers he appeared in, it was only planned as one movie, but the studio realized there was enough plot and footage for two so they made the adjustments. This resulted in most of the cast suing them since they were all only paid for one movie. To this day all Hollywood contracts have to include the number of movies being made even though I don't think this has really happened again.
This really got cemented when Crispin Glover was not paid when they cut him into back to the future 2 and used a look-alike with prosthetics for the future scenes. The case was more about personality rites.
@@DarkCornersReviews I just realized one of the only other movies ever to be split like the Musketeers as the Hobbit which was planned as 2 movies but released as 3, and by an amazing coincidence featured Christopher Lee.
The more I know about actors from the 50's,60,s and 70's,I realize how cute they were.Gregory Peck and now Christopher Lee.I was Born in the 80's,so i saw them as grandparents. I whish i were a lady in the 50's.Mr Lee was so sexy as Dracula
I grew up on Hammer Horror. I plopped myself down in front of the television Saturday afternoon for the Hammer Horror double feature loaded around me with snacks of every kind. Ah, the memories of a pre-teen. I even repeat the ritual once a year at 56! Count Dracula was and is in my mind Christopher Lee’s performance. Any other actor trying at the role is subpar. An Reggie Nalder as Kurt Barlow in 1979’s Salem’s Lot is Quiescence Vampire. I’m so glad that Classical Trained Actor Christopher Lee fought back against the humiliation actors feel about typecasting and reprised his character for ten films. Because none other than Christopher Lee could play Count Dracula to such a masterpiece and leave us with such a rich and powerful legacy to enjoy.
R.I.P *Sir* Christopher Lee. I remember being 5 years old when Revenge in the sith came out and I instantly wanted to meet him, it wasnt until his death that I learned about all his other life achievments, his service to the Army, Heavy metal albums, and just his contribution to the horror genre in general. I have yet to see most of the Hammer films starring him but I will one day. I never did get to meet him, but im glad other fans like Dark Corners Reviews have made videos and documentaries about him and all the film preservationist that have saved old interviews of him. I may not have met him but thx to fans I still got to know him, Thank You @Dark Corners Reviews.
Great team of actors, all. Always enjoyed seeing Michael Ripper in the cast time after time - always a fun character role. Have loved Hammer for decades, never gets old.
While I enjoyed Christopher Lee in many , if not all of his Dracula roles, I must admit, I loved him as Lord Summerisle in the Wicker Man. To me, that was his paramount role, and that is how I best remember him.
Hi there l like Christopher Lee as Dracula lve seen all of his Hammer movies and l got lucky l was able to buy Dracula has risen from the grave and l always take it out during Halloween oh it's on DVD so Christopher Lee is so gorgeous and handsome and cute.
Hey Jonathon thanks for getting back to me l didn't know that l had a fan of Dracula movies from Hammer productions, l went online to Turner classic movies and l checked the schedule for Dracula movies and found there is not going to be any horror movies on Halloween and Dracula Prince of darkness is gonna be on 11-1-19 what is wrong with people don't they ever show good movies so that fans like you and me could enjoy watching them.
@@josephgalla717 Well, I haven't watched regular TV in years unless I had family which had it on. DVD is superior in that you can watch anytime. Now if the streaming services just get around to showing Hammer off more often, especially during Halloween...!
I love the Hammer Dracula films and Christopher Lee will always be the definitive Dracula to me. Although, unlike most it would seem, I love Dracula A.D. 1972. So much so, that I think it might be my second favourite in the series (after The Horror of Dracula). Dracula's death in the opening scenes is one of the best of the series, the faux hippie milieu is entertaining and both Stephanie Beacham and Caroline Munro are gorgeous, and the resurrection scene, set to the music of White Noise on the portable reel to reel, is electrifying. When Christopher Neame says, "I did it! I summoned you!" and Lee as Dracula says with cold, intense power, "It was my will," it sends shivers up my spine. It's also great to have Lee and Cushing back together in it as well.
I actually have a great deal of affection for Satanic Rites, mostly for the office confrontation between Dracula and Van Helsing. Given his political savvy noted in the novel, the basic premise is plausible even if the execution is ridiculous as hell.
The scene when Cushing forges the single silver bullet in anticipation of the scene you mentioned always struck me as particularly moving, as well. Something about the resolve in Cushing's demeanor, coupled with the excellent score for that scene, makes it as good as anything Hammer did in their heyday.
@@douglasmontgomery2063 Yeah, that was good too. But hey, it's Peter Cushing in one of his iconic roles. Even with the toll of his beloved wife's death, you can see the quality shine through him.
I just watched satanic rites and it’s definitely tied with taste for the worst of the bunch... maybe even the worst of them all; AD ‘72 was cool as he’ll though.
I fancied Christopher Lee’s Dracula,I was a strange teenager. This might seem an odd thing 2 say but they were good because they were so sweet,in a naive innocent kinda of way. Thank you for this is was soooooo good
@@amysands2413 no! Bela lugosi's Dracula is to iconic and the music score is hypnotic and Erie! Plus Peter Cushing's Dr Van Helsing is to dominant in this!! But anyway I love the film so much love Cushing and Lee!! Especially love those vampire women
What a legend Christopher Lee was. As good and versatile actor he was he could never escape Dracula. Lets face it. You hear the name Christopher Lee and you think of Dracula drawing his fangs out. He couldnt even escape it in Star Wars with Count Dooku clearly an homage to Dracula.
According to a mutual friend who knew Lee - he referred to Dracula as “ that accursed role “. However I truly believe he was the greatest Dracula that ever graced the screen .
i don’t know why i adore dracula a.d. 1972 so much. the campy early 70s energy is just infectious i suppose. it’s probably the one i rewatch the most just bc it’s the sort of movie i can turn on and have on in the background while i do stuff.
The human characters are underwritten but the actors put so much into them. Except for Alucard, Jessica's posse feels like a fun group of people before things go bad, and the softer, more grandfatherly 1970s Van Helsing-a frail old man who's out of step with his own era, and knows it-makes a nice contrast to the steely action hero from Horror and Brides. And the soundtrack is fun.
I honestly like all the Dracula films except Scars which I thought was awful. actually like Dracula AD 1972 even though the people in the movie were so far from hippies it was more that a bit Jarring and as for Johnny Alucard? The character I'd most like to punch ( along with the idiot in the monks habit) As for Satanic Rites If this had been a few years earlier Christopher Lee could have asked his best School friend Patrick Macnee and Linda Thorson to guest alongside Peter Cushing becaue this seriously could be an Avengers Episode! And We come to the movie I have a real fondness for. The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires which I snuck into the Cinema to see when I was 12 or 13 it was a right of passage back then. Much later on I took a girlfriend to see it and much to my Chagrin she made fun of it. She kept asking why the zombie type creature were hopping? Having read a lot of Mythology I irritably informed her that was what Chinese Vampires do. I never went to see another movie with her!
Was going to make a bunch of comments on all the Doctor Who actors here (at least 3, including Troughton), but will keep it brief instead. As a huge fan of classic Who ever since I saw it as a kind back on PBS (circa 1978 -early 80s or so), it's great to also see the actors in Hammer horror!
What a wonderful retrospective! I'm so glad to discover the story of Lee's Dracula is more than just a bitter actor taking another schlocky job just for the money. That's quite right, given the power of his performances.
I always really liked Dracula Has Risen From The Grave. My best friend and I loved it when we were 14. We're both 60 now and still in touch. Even Dracula couldn't have imagined Facebook. Thank You for posting. Excellent vids. This and Part I.
I don't understand why anyone had a problem with the idea of bringing Dracula to the "current" year. The novel was set contemporaneously with its publication, so that English readers could get the chilling feeling that all of this might have been going on just down the road. Gothic tones were provided by the opening scenes set in exotic locals in darkest mittal Europe, but the rest was right up to date, with modern technology & scientific techniques abounding. Even keeping Dracula in the church works for AD72; after all, he's spent the last 100 years as Dracula dust & has a lot of things to catch up on before he can get out and interact with the whirl of humanity. His minions could bring him take-away, teach him current English usage (shades of Harker in the novel) and explain all of the intricacies of this Brave New World so that Dracula would not stand out like a sore thumb if he went for a walk. What lets this film down is the "young people" and the attempt to make them way too trendy, resulting in them being laughably outdated by the time it was released. Christopher Lee's performance was classic and timeless; it is quite believable that this Dracula, having thoroughly acclimated, would be able to amass a fortune & Fu Manchu style horde of minions and hangers-on. What is not believable is that he would want to either conquer the world (what would he do with it?) or destroy it with plague; after all, if he had a death wish, all he had to do was seek out Van Helsing!
First Hammer Film I ever saw was Freddie Francis's Dracula Has Risen From the Grave at a big movie theater in Brooklyn when it was first released. I was hooked and I was sad when Hammer degenerated into shlock. I looked forward to the release of their films and even subscribed to Famous Monsters to keep up on them. Childhood nostalgia.
Fantastic conclusion to your DracuLee appreciation. Lee remains the definitive Drac imo even if he never quite made the definitive Drac movie. The first in 1958 was certainly a classic though and probably the best although I like Prince, Risen and Taste a great deal too. The two contemporary set episodes (AD 1972 & Satanic Rites) are a great deal of fun I think, not to mention boosted by the addition of Cushing. Only the cheap looking Scars lets the series down. The Hammer Dracs are actually bloody great! Thanks for these fine documentaries giving them some well deserved love 👍
I loved all of the Hammer Dracula films. Christopher Lee is the ultimate Dracula. I love those Hammer films. Thank you for doing this great two part videos 😊 .
I absolutely loved TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA,and later desperation born movies like DRACULA A.D. 1972. These had standout moments and exploitation elements that added to the legendary quality of this franchise.
Thanks for the review!!! I actually like Christopher Lee's Performance on Jess Franco's Count Dracula (1970) because it was a little closer to the book despite some of the terrible pacing.
Another bloody great video about some films that, for all their faults, were usually bloody good fun and the bloody amazing man and national bloody treasure who was Christopher Lee. I bloody loved it!
FANGS for the Memories....ever since I saw Part 1 of your brilliant Dracula video. I was egarly awaiting part 2 and it has lived up to my expectations and more. Wonderfully edited and paced with great narration and a wealth of information on Lee and Hammer. I'm sure the great man himself would be mighty impressed by your excellent presentation and work.
Here's a bizarre observation I've made to prove how sadly obsessive I am about Hammer films, and classic horror in general: Actor John Carson ( the "proper" Victorian gentleman with the improper mustache) ALWAYS held wine glasses by the foot, rather than the stem. He does it in Taste the Blood of Dracula, Plague of the Zombies, and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter. I've always wondered if that was something he did in real life, or if it was just an affectation he was in the habit of giving his characters? Anyway, GREAT vid! Keep 'em coming!
Just a terrific video essay - really enjoyed this look at Lee in the Dracula role. What a pity that a possible Bram Stoker/Henry Irving film didn't come off; Lee would have been perfection as Irving.
I think Lee loved wearing that cape! This was great.Thank you! Do you know the Hammer show, Children of the Full Moon with Diana Dors? I love that one.
I think Christopher Lee kept going back because he had fun. Like yeah, maybe they weren't the most progressive or challenging films, but like he said -- it was a family, and he put so much into the character... and maybe because he couldn't stand knowing someone else would be screwing it up. XD I keep going back to my community theatres because I get to put on a play with friends and I have a good time. Why would Christopher Lee be any different? Another character he will always embody for me: King Haggard in The Last Unicorn. His voice will always ring in my brain.
I want to thank Dark Corners for producing both this series and the one they did on the Hammer Frankenstein series, as I've devoted this October to all things Hammer on a blog I do. Both of these series provided invaluable research and behind-the-scenes information.
there's a documentary about hammer studios, in which a scene from an unmade direct sequel to taste the blood of dracula is recreated: his ashes and ring are discovered by vagabonds in the ruined chapel, and blood would presumably fall on them in a scuffle with a piliceman.
20:03 I don't care how "bad" it is...I would've loved to have seen Lee play Dracula one last time against Cushing's Van Helsing in a Shaw Bros. Martial Arts film.
lol, german distributors were quite creative with that kind of stuff around the time - the german release title of "dracula a.d. 1972" was "dracula chases mini-girls" ("dracula jagt mini-maedchen") ("mini" being the short dress of the girls)
Brilliant synopsis, thanks for putting this montage together. Loved watching the old Hammer movies on BBC late on saturday nights. My 2 favourites were "The Devil Rides out" and "Horror Express". Lee shines in these because of the great scripts.
Thanks! That was a cracking good two-parter, and a wonderful tribute to the memory of Christopher Lee, and a period for British filmmaking the likes of which will never be seen again, (for better or worse!)
Wonderful look at Lee & the Dracula series. Really looking forward to Part III. I love the way that Lee uses his hands, especially in the seduction scenes. I also love it when he is very quiet - to Zena in Risen "You have failed me. You must be punished." Very quiet, hiding the fury that lurked beneath. To Alucard in AD72 "You have not yet learned to obey." Again, quiet, but scary. And I love that in every one of those films, no matter the quality of the script or his reasons for taking the part, he always brought something new & different to the character, a look, a gesture, a way of moving or approaching the current donor, there was always something. I am eternally grateful that he did decide to make them because just seeing Lee as Count Dracula for those few minutes was worth the price of admission!
I just loved this series as I'm rewatching all the Hammer Dracula films at the moment. This was such a great insight into the wonderful Mr Lee's performance and a great review of the films themselves. Well done .You've done it again! 👍😎
Love your videos, thank you. Live how Lee wrote "no" and "ridiculous " on his script, I heard that is why he refused to speak in one of the Dracula films, I felt he was far more terrifying when he didn't speak
Another excellent documentary. You can see Lee's skill as an actor even in the bad Dracula Movies. One of my favourite roles his was when he played M.R James and just sat around telling his (M.R James'S) ghost stories.
Thanks for watching. Did you miss part 1 - check it out here ruclips.net/video/KCX1j5YZkls/видео.html and our Top 10 Hammer Dracula moments here ruclips.net/video/TFQrc7hAzNs/видео.html
I always tend to think Ralph Bates looks SO much like Ozzy.
It should be noted that part of the reason Satanic Rites feels so out of place with the feel of the series is because it didn't even start life as a Dracula script. It was a Dr Who script. With the Doctor in what became the Van Helsing part and The Master in what became the Dracula part and you can tell as the plot plays out way more like a typical seventies Who script. This was because the writer Don Houghton was a regular writer on Dr Who. Incidentally his work on Dr Who was a lot better than his three Hammer Dracula contributions.
Gleefully awaiting a retrospective episode highlighting best scenes from each of the Hammer Dracula movies. I enjoyed all Lee's Dracula but have to give thumbs up for only the first 3..with exception of Scars being a guilty pleasure with bats..blood and gore galores. The opening scene in Dracula AD 1972 is very good though.😬
Your franchise retrospectives are absolutely perfect. Thank you for posting these - I learn a lot from you, and I look forward to the next one.
That was worth waiting for - thank you. I think the reason Christopher Lee was Dracula was because he cared about the character as envisaged by Bram Stoker. He didn’t betray that vision.
My dad took me to see Dracula has risen from the grave when I was 7! I had nightmares for 2 weeks! Christopher Lee’s bloodshot eyes haunted me for months! I enjoyed his acting. And appreciate this homage to his legacy at Hammer.
Lee was amazing. My favourite anecdote is from LotR - when scripted to cry out when stabbed, Lee calmly pointed out that people are remarkably silent when stabbed. The heavy implication that Lee was speaking from his wartime experience as an intelligence officer led to the scene being rewritten. His love of heavy metal music (he had his own band) is also telling. This is a man who experienced so much - dining with Churchill as a child, his military service etc - and he never lost his passion for life. He will always be Dracula, and I think he loved the novel, as much as he loved Tolkiens works, and he always played Dracula as true to the original as possible. A well deserved legend of the screen.
Ah, the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare...
It's a wonderful example to follow...treat the world as a neverending adventure and keep striving for new horizons. He wasn't the only nonagenarian to be part of the metal scene, BTW. A Holocaust survivor of similar vintage was convinced by her younger friends to set her dark poetry inspired by that harrowing time of her life to death metal.
@Im wearing tights that I borrowed from your mum. Churchill was, but he still dined with a well known historical figure.
@Im wearing tights that I borrowed from your mum. - When the bombs drop, you forget everything but surviving.
When stabbed, the person takes a deep breath of air IN. So, Lee was wrong. Ergo....
It was the way that Lee could snap from sophisticated stillness to the bestial that always got me. Good work!
I have to confess a soft spot for "Dracula AD 1972", if only because I really like Jessica and her relationship with her grandfather. I wish it was explored more in the movie, but Stephanie Beacham and Peter Cushing have very sweet familial chemistry from the few scenes they do have together.
I honestly think AD1972 gets unfairly maligned. I am crazy about Dracula running around in the late 20th century? No, but the film is actually pretty decent.
Is this the same Stephanie Beecham who, in the early '80s appeared on "Dynasty," and several other American tv shows? I always her performances! And, of course, Joanna Lumley is immaculate!
Caroline Munro, one of my fave Hammer actresses was in it which was a major draw for me.
Mr. Lee's sentiments about Dracula were rather like Leonard Nimoy's about Spock:
It wasn't that they didn't want to play the characters, it was that they didn't want to play them unless they were written well.
There were many men and women that deserved immortality and Lee and Cushing were two of them...
I kinda dig Dracula AD 1972. Peter Cushing running around 70s London hunting vampires with jazz playing in the background is the height of cinema.
It's awesome now that Star Wars has now basically immortalized Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, main just for their roles as Grand Moff Tarkin and Count Dooku.
Christopher Lee I think was one of those just most amazing of people. It's amazing to see what he did during his lifetime, and while it is tragic that like so many great actors he fell into the trap of being type cast as a horror actor, that typecasting enshrined a legacy I don't think he could have dreamed off. Horror fans remember, whether new or old, what good horror is. Few fanbases really are so openly loving of their genre, and able to cite specifics why. Hammer Horror lives on because of such fans, and Christopher Lee, for many people, is still their definitive image of Dracula.
It wasn't really typecasting; Lee wasn't just any old bloodsucker (let's forget Uncle was a Vampire), he was Dracula! He owned that character. No matter how skimpy the script, if Lee is playing Dracula, you know you're getting the King of Counts. What he could have done with scripts that were written around Dracula instead of just using him as window dressing is one of the great missed opportunities of the cinema.
His deliverance of the Edward van Sloan's speech is haunting.
Great video. RIP Christopher Lee, you were and still are one of my absolute favorite actors, a man of deep passion, talent, intelligence, and lasting friendships. You are greatly missed.
Christopher Lee’s script notes made me crack up
It would've been interesting to get Lee's opinion on Oldman's Dracula as well as Langella's and Jourdan's version as well.
I already really enjoyed Sir Christopher Lee as a person, but now having heard about how loyal he is to the people that made him famous, I stand by my statement that when it comes to this day and age Sir Christopher Lee... is the man, the myth, the legend.
You could trace that back to the early part of his career. Remember that he started acting in 1947 and, as noted by our own Dark Corners, struggled to find work.
@@johnathonhaney8291 And before that he was an assassin, and before that a spy...
He's my favorite Dracula 👍👍👏💗❣️💕 may he rest easy 💕💗❣️😊
What Christopher Lee said about Hammer being like a family always rung true for me, it was the bit players and supporting actors I looked forward to seeing because of that familiarity it was some how reassuring. OK you were going to be scared but there was always a familiar face so you were not THAT scared Like Micheal Ripper or George (Mr Pipkin) Woodridge or Mile Malleson as a batty doctor or undertaker, Charles Lloyd Pack (Triggers dad from only fools and horses) as a priest or an inspector or Doctor and then there were the lines of amazing supporting actresses, Who played innkeepers wives or Buxom wenches, Victims or their mums etc. The Hammer Hammer Horror films ( and also the Universal Horror movies) worked because they were an ensemble that every year or so would perform a Grand Guignol for the fans that loved them. We will never see their like again.
I would add that though they were low budget had poor effects and sometimes weak plots they were still 1000 times better than the crap they turn out now. In fact before I came on here to watch this. I was watching the fully restored 1958 Dracula it's still the best nothing comes close.
If I may be forgiven my own spin on the above, let us refrain from downing whatever is popular with the current generation. Yes, what Hammer and Universal had WAS unique to the point of never being replicated. There is a reason for this...the cultural and political climate contributed a good many factors that have long since faded from the scene. It stands to reason that whatever ultimately stands the test of time from this generation will have similar idiosyncrasies that ONLY this era could have made possible. Whenever I remember how both Universal Monsters and Hammer Horror started off being called cheap trash, it makes me refrain from similar snipes on things I neither understand nor like. It would therefore behoove us to be more understanding and less judgmental than every one of Hammer's contemporary critics who completely missed the boat.
@@johnathonhaney8291 to be successful. A horror movie must have good characters and a good story. As has been proved on many an occasion it does not need a budget or indeed expensive CGI effects if those other two are in place whilst there are odd blips on the radar such as the Babdook or the Pack or even Guillermo Del Toro's output the the La Llorona and Annabelles of today however need binning simple as. Horror Some films are now based around the jump scare not the story or the characters. You can literals set your watch and predict what is going to happen next. Time tells with good horror movies and you just have to look at what are considered classics and have lasted to come to the conclusion that certain films ( like your Freddys and Childs play and maniac cops) will never be anything but what they are junk
@@andrewtate4897 I hardly see any of the above as a problem worth complaining about. The stuff without legs will not last and the opposite will be true for the stuff that does. Posterity ultimately took care of Universal Monsters and Hammer Horror. It'll ultimately do the same for those that will make it.
@@johnathonhaney8291 Depends on your feelings regarding the genre? My Uncle was the Guy who directed Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein the Invisible man and the Old Dark house. It kind of makes it very personal for me. I am very passionate about this genre. agree with what you say regarding stuff not having legs that's been very much proved. However I have a young son, who I would like to have the same feeling as I did when watching these old movies but he doesn't ( he likes the Old movies very much and he often say I wish that movies today had more imagination instead of stupid jump scares (his words) ) I mean when you have a company who practically invented the genre and they can't make a Mummy movie there's something seriously wrong in the House of Frankenstein
@@andrewtate4897 I personally would argue that they never got the Mummy right after the very first one but that's me. I always found it a bit telling, however, how many folks retired just after that one, including director Karl Fruend from the director's chair so he could go back to being a cinematographer.
So your uncle was James Whale, then? I very much admired his work on the first two Frankensteins and Invisible Man (the latter being my personal fave of his). I confess to having a love of older horror films as well (nothing past 1970 in that category with the exception of late period Hammer Horror) but I also recognize it's not the only way to do it. When I see something like the Iranian horror film Under The Shadow, a film that runs on dread and psychological horror more informed by its historical context than its sole supernatural element, I worry much less for the genre's future. Said future will likely come from somewhere other than the US or UK is all.
"Scars.." wasn't too bad, despite the continuity errors.It gave Lee the most dialogue and interaction with other characters he'd had since 1958.
Maybe, but apart from the two modern day ones it's my least favourite. It just looks cheaply made.
Scars is good
It's one of my fav sequels and refreshing when you think about it risen and taste were just revenge stories
As a kid I would rush to the Movies to see Hammer's latest horror films Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein as soon as they would open here in the US The amazing Sir Christopher Lee was the Lon Chaney of the UK and had many great films even as James Bond villain in The Man With The Golden Gun, Lord of the Rings, on and on what a true BadAss he was. Even today the Hammer classics hold up as well as The Universal Monsters , Love them all, With Halloween fast approaching now is the right time to enjoy them all over again.
Fun fact on Man With The Golden Gun: Lee was actually Ian Fleming's cousin and, I believe, the latter's first choice for Dr. No.
Always loved the way Lee played Dracula, and the Frankenstein monster. Have a glossy professional portrait of the actor as Dracula on the kitchen wall looking down on me as I write this. His auto biography - Tall Dark and GRUESOME !!!!!!! Is a great read. His teaming with Peter Cushing
Christopher Lee will ALWAYS be my Favorite Dracula 🧛🏻♂️
That scene with Depp in "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" is one of the most moving ever. The brief closing of the eyes, the cautious embrace...masterly acting in a few moments.
I actually quite liked the lines that Christopher Lee refused to speak. I mean, how badass is it to have Dracula referring to himself as "Apolyon"? Maybe it's because I'm rather versed in Greek mythology? At any rate, I think those lines would've fit the character perfectly.
I agree with you-they strike me as quite powerful.
Lee it's simply phenomenal 👏
I have such brilliant memories of watching these movies when i was a kid, they used to show the Hammer classics late night on BBC2 back in the 80s. Sir Christopher Lee is a legend of British and World cinema, both these videos are a fantastic tribute to him, thank you DCR......
Sir christopher Lee wil ALWAYS be my favorite"Dracula" that I grew watching his films during the hammer era of the 1950s 1960s and 1970s.
Just got all the Dracula films on DVD and blue ray. A mish mash but now got them all. Love these films for yrs . There is only 1 Dracula mr lee will live on forever..wish he was still making them
I’m looking forward to this one. I found your channel based off the first Christopher Lee video and I’ve been going through them ever since.
Same here.
I'm surprised you didn't mention Lee's cameo as a vampire with fangs and a cape in the 1969 film _The Magic Christian_ starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. It's a short part, but he's clearly playing Dracula in it.
The character's not specified as Dracula so we didn't count it (same for Uncle was a Vampire). Probably should have mentioned it but there was so much material to get through.
An amusing detail about the 3 Musketeers he appeared in, it was only planned as one movie, but the studio realized there was enough plot and footage for two so they made the adjustments. This resulted in most of the cast suing them since they were all only paid for one movie. To this day all Hollywood contracts have to include the number of movies being made even though I don't think this has really happened again.
This really got cemented when Crispin Glover was not paid when they cut him into back to the future 2 and used a look-alike with prosthetics for the future scenes. The case was more about personality rites.
@@DarkCornersReviews I just realized one of the only other movies ever to be split like the Musketeers as the Hobbit which was planned as 2 movies but released as 3, and by an amazing coincidence featured Christopher Lee.
The more I know about actors from the 50's,60,s and 70's,I realize how cute they were.Gregory Peck and now Christopher Lee.I was Born in the 80's,so i saw them as grandparents. I whish i were a lady in the 50's.Mr Lee was so sexy as Dracula
I grew up on Hammer Horror. I plopped myself down in front of the television Saturday afternoon for the Hammer Horror double feature loaded around me with snacks of every kind. Ah, the memories of a pre-teen. I even repeat the ritual once a year at 56! Count Dracula was and is in my mind Christopher Lee’s performance. Any other actor trying at the role is subpar. An Reggie Nalder as Kurt Barlow in 1979’s Salem’s Lot is Quiescence Vampire. I’m so glad that Classical Trained Actor Christopher Lee fought back against the humiliation actors feel about typecasting and reprised his character for ten films. Because none other than Christopher Lee could play Count Dracula to such a masterpiece and leave us with such a rich and powerful legacy to enjoy.
"They have destroyed my servant, they will be destroyed"
The menace and the authority in which Christopher Lee says that is amazing.
R.I.P *Sir* Christopher Lee. I remember being 5 years old when Revenge in the sith came out and I instantly wanted to meet him, it wasnt until his death that I learned about all his other life achievments, his service to the Army, Heavy metal albums, and just his contribution to the horror genre in general. I have yet to see most of the Hammer films starring him but I will one day.
I never did get to meet him, but im glad other fans like Dark Corners Reviews have made videos and documentaries about him and all the film preservationist that have saved old interviews of him. I may not have met him but thx to fans I still got to know him, Thank You @Dark Corners Reviews.
Lol thx for the love!
Fantasric documentary about Lee and Hammer's Draculas,
Great team of actors, all. Always enjoyed seeing Michael Ripper in the cast time after time - always a fun character role. Have loved Hammer for decades, never gets old.
"More blood of Dracula, Gromit?"
I understood that reference
I am a “Lee is Sauruman” fan, but Lee is a fantastic actor in everything. I’m glad to have enjoyed his films while he was alive.
Favorite old memory is the early Hammer Dracula movies.
The women in these movies were stunningly beautiful.
While I enjoyed Christopher Lee in many , if not all of his Dracula roles, I must admit, I loved him as Lord Summerisle in the Wicker Man. To me, that was his paramount role, and that is how I best remember him.
I would love to have seen a full film of the opening of AD 1972, one of my favourite scenes in the series
Hi there l like Christopher Lee as Dracula lve seen all of his Hammer movies and l got lucky l was able to buy Dracula has risen from the grave and l always take it out during Halloween oh it's on DVD so Christopher Lee is so gorgeous and handsome and cute.
Funny fact about Dracula Has Risen From The Grave: it's the only one in the series to be given a G (!) rating.
Hey Jonathon thanks for getting back to me l didn't know that l had a fan of Dracula movies from Hammer productions, l went online to Turner classic movies and l checked the schedule for Dracula movies and found there is not going to be any horror movies on Halloween and Dracula Prince of darkness is gonna be on 11-1-19 what is wrong with people don't they ever show good movies so that fans like you and me could enjoy watching them.
@@josephgalla717 Well, I haven't watched regular TV in years unless I had family which had it on. DVD is superior in that you can watch anytime. Now if the streaming services just get around to showing Hammer off more often, especially during Halloween...!
I love the Hammer Dracula films and Christopher Lee will always be the definitive Dracula to me. Although, unlike most it would seem, I love Dracula A.D. 1972. So much so, that I think it might be my second favourite in the series (after The Horror of Dracula). Dracula's death in the opening scenes is one of the best of the series, the faux hippie milieu is entertaining and both Stephanie Beacham and Caroline Munro are gorgeous, and the resurrection scene, set to the music of White Noise on the portable reel to reel, is electrifying. When Christopher Neame says, "I did it! I summoned you!" and Lee as Dracula says with cold, intense power, "It was my will," it sends shivers up my spine. It's also great to have Lee and Cushing back together in it as well.
I actually have a great deal of affection for Satanic Rites, mostly for the office confrontation between Dracula and Van Helsing. Given his political savvy noted in the novel, the basic premise is plausible even if the execution is ridiculous as hell.
Any time you have Cushing and Lee in a a scene it is going to be gold.
The scene when Cushing forges the single silver bullet in anticipation of the scene you mentioned always struck me as particularly moving, as well. Something about the resolve in Cushing's demeanor, coupled with the excellent score for that scene, makes it as good as anything Hammer did in their heyday.
@@douglasmontgomery2063 Yeah, that was good too. But hey, it's Peter Cushing in one of his iconic roles. Even with the toll of his beloved wife's death, you can see the quality shine through him.
I just watched satanic rites and it’s definitely tied with taste for the worst of the bunch... maybe even the worst of them all; AD ‘72 was cool as he’ll though.
Peter Cushing is the only person I've ever seen that has the same shade of blue eyes that my late father had!
I fancied Christopher Lee’s Dracula,I was a strange teenager. This might seem an odd thing 2 say but they were good because they were so sweet,in a naive innocent kinda of way. Thank you for this is was soooooo good
Christopher Lee was the greatest actor of our time.
Outstanding sir. Thank you so much for this. I love Sir Christopher Lee and for me he is the only Dracula.
There was Bella Lugosi!! But Christopher Lee Miles ahead of the rest
@@mickirving6779
Bela Lougsi different time. He was the best at that time. And still rememberd. That says it all.
@@amysands2413 no! Bela lugosi's Dracula is to iconic and the music score is hypnotic and Erie! Plus Peter Cushing's Dr Van Helsing is to dominant in this!! But anyway I love the film so much love Cushing and Lee!! Especially love those vampire women
What a legend Christopher Lee was. As good and versatile actor he was he could never escape Dracula. Lets face it. You hear the name Christopher Lee and you think of Dracula drawing his fangs out. He couldnt even escape it in Star Wars with Count Dooku clearly an homage to Dracula.
According to a mutual friend who knew Lee - he referred to Dracula as “ that accursed role “. However I truly believe he was the greatest Dracula that ever graced the screen .
i don’t know why i adore dracula a.d. 1972 so much. the campy early 70s energy is just infectious i suppose. it’s probably the one i rewatch the most just bc it’s the sort of movie i can turn on and have on in the background while i do stuff.
The human characters are underwritten but the actors put so much into them. Except for Alucard, Jessica's posse feels like a fun group of people before things go bad, and the softer, more grandfatherly 1970s Van Helsing-a frail old man who's out of step with his own era, and knows it-makes a nice contrast to the steely action hero from Horror and Brides. And the soundtrack is fun.
I honestly like all the Dracula films except Scars which I thought was awful. actually like Dracula AD 1972 even though the people in the movie were so far from hippies it was more that a bit Jarring and as for Johnny Alucard? The character I'd most like to punch ( along with the idiot in the monks habit) As for Satanic Rites If this had been a few years earlier Christopher Lee could have asked his best School friend Patrick Macnee and Linda Thorson to guest alongside Peter Cushing becaue this seriously could be an Avengers Episode! And We come to the movie I have a real fondness for. The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires which I snuck into the Cinema to see when I was 12 or 13 it was a right of passage back then. Much later on I took a girlfriend to see it and much to my Chagrin she made fun of it. She kept asking why the zombie type creature were hopping? Having read a lot of Mythology I irritably informed her that was what Chinese Vampires do. I never went to see another movie with her!
Was going to make a bunch of comments on all the Doctor Who actors here (at least 3, including Troughton), but will keep it brief instead. As a huge fan of classic Who ever since I saw it as a kind back on PBS (circa 1978 -early 80s or so), it's great to also see the actors in Hammer horror!
What a wonderful retrospective! I'm so glad to discover the story of Lee's Dracula is more than just a bitter actor taking another schlocky job just for the money. That's quite right, given the power of his performances.
Sam Dee: "What business you in, Salt?"
Mr. Salt: "Selling Dracula's powdered blood."
Sam Dee: "What?"
Mr. Salt: "I-I mean, nuts."
I understood that reference.
I always really liked Dracula Has Risen From The Grave. My best friend and I loved it when we were 14. We're both 60 now and still in touch. Even Dracula couldn't have imagined Facebook. Thank You for posting. Excellent vids. This and Part I.
Definitely the best one in the series
Set my reminders....the classics are always the best and this is the best horror genre of all time...patience is virtue
I don't understand why anyone had a problem with the idea of bringing Dracula to the "current" year. The novel was set contemporaneously with its publication, so that English readers could get the chilling feeling that all of this might have been going on just down the road. Gothic tones were provided by the opening scenes set in exotic locals in darkest mittal Europe, but the rest was right up to date, with modern technology & scientific techniques abounding. Even keeping Dracula in the church works for AD72; after all, he's spent the last 100 years as Dracula dust & has a lot of things to catch up on before he can get out and interact with the whirl of humanity. His minions could bring him take-away, teach him current English usage (shades of Harker in the novel) and explain all of the intricacies of this Brave New World so that Dracula would not stand out like a sore thumb if he went for a walk. What lets this film down is the "young people" and the attempt to make them way too trendy, resulting in them being laughably outdated by the time it was released. Christopher Lee's performance was classic and timeless; it is quite believable that this Dracula, having thoroughly acclimated, would be able to amass a fortune & Fu Manchu style horde of minions and hangers-on. What is not believable is that he would want to either conquer the world (what would he do with it?) or destroy it with plague; after all, if he had a death wish, all he had to do was seek out Van Helsing!
First Hammer Film I ever saw was Freddie Francis's Dracula Has Risen From the Grave at a big movie theater in Brooklyn when it was first released. I was hooked and I was sad when Hammer degenerated into shlock. I looked forward to the release of their films and even subscribed to Famous Monsters to keep up on them. Childhood nostalgia.
Another half-hour of smashing entertainment, and so informative!
Fantastic conclusion to your DracuLee appreciation. Lee remains the definitive Drac imo even if he never quite made the definitive Drac movie. The first in 1958 was certainly a classic though and probably the best although I like Prince, Risen and Taste a great deal too. The two contemporary set episodes (AD 1972 & Satanic Rites) are a great deal of fun I think, not to mention boosted by the addition of Cushing. Only the cheap looking Scars lets the series down. The Hammer Dracs are actually bloody great! Thanks for these fine documentaries giving them some well deserved love 👍
Thanks for the kind words.
I love that olive velvet outfit @5:13!
I loved all of the Hammer Dracula films. Christopher Lee is the ultimate Dracula. I love those Hammer films. Thank you for doing this great two part videos 😊 .
Lee has THE voice.
I absolutely loved TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA,and later desperation born movies like DRACULA A.D. 1972. These had standout moments and exploitation elements that added to the legendary quality of this franchise.
Thanks for the review!!! I actually like Christopher Lee's Performance on Jess Franco's Count Dracula (1970) because it was a little closer to the book despite some of the terrible pacing.
The Film Didn't Have the Budget to be completely faithful to the novel.
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is my favorite ❤️
Another bloody great video about some films that, for all their faults, were usually bloody good fun and the bloody amazing man and national bloody treasure who was Christopher Lee. I bloody loved it!
love all these films, hammer knew what the fans wanted even if lee didn't
Just watched Dracula has risen from the grave after 20 yrs only just found it on DVD. Please we need them all on 4k
Favorite moments: the razzle dazzle disintegration/resurrection scenes, with all the fog, old fashioned lap disolves and gobs of Kensington Gore.
FANGS for the Memories....ever since I saw Part 1 of your brilliant Dracula video. I was egarly awaiting part 2 and it has lived up to my expectations and more. Wonderfully edited and paced with great narration and a wealth of information on Lee and Hammer.
I'm sure the great man himself would be mighty impressed by your excellent presentation and work.
very nice video (both), review/analysis, and great hommage to Lee, Cushing, etc. :-)
I always found The Devil Rides Out to be Lee's & Hammer's best work.
Lee should have been a leading man especialy in his prime;)
Here's a bizarre observation I've made to prove how sadly obsessive I am about Hammer films, and classic horror in general: Actor John Carson ( the "proper" Victorian gentleman with the improper mustache) ALWAYS held wine glasses by the foot, rather than the stem. He does it in Taste the Blood of Dracula, Plague of the Zombies, and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter. I've always wondered if that was something he did in real life, or if it was just an affectation he was in the habit of giving his characters? Anyway, GREAT vid! Keep 'em coming!
Could be!! Bring his own thing to the role
Just a terrific video essay - really enjoyed this look at Lee in the Dracula role. What a pity that a possible Bram Stoker/Henry Irving film didn't come off; Lee would have been perfection as Irving.
The resurrection scene in Dracula: Prince of Darkness is my favorite part of the whole series.
This was fangtastic
I think Lee loved wearing that cape! This was great.Thank you! Do you know the Hammer show, Children of the Full Moon with Diana Dors? I love that one.
I think Christopher Lee kept going back because he had fun. Like yeah, maybe they weren't the most progressive or challenging films, but like he said -- it was a family, and he put so much into the character... and maybe because he couldn't stand knowing someone else would be screwing it up. XD I keep going back to my community theatres because I get to put on a play with friends and I have a good time. Why would Christopher Lee be any different?
Another character he will always embody for me: King Haggard in The Last Unicorn. His voice will always ring in my brain.
Your voice is so soothing and peaceful. I love watching this videos and I hope to see a lot more of them in the future
I want to thank Dark Corners for producing both this series and the one they did on the Hammer Frankenstein series, as I've devoted this October to all things Hammer on a blog I do. Both of these series provided invaluable research and behind-the-scenes information.
The worst mistake Hammer ever made was killing off Christopher Neame's Johnny Alucard in AD1972. He was worth a film series by himself!!
there's a documentary about hammer studios, in which a scene from an unmade direct sequel to taste the blood of dracula is recreated: his ashes and ring are discovered by vagabonds in the ruined chapel, and blood would presumably fall on them in a scuffle with a piliceman.
20:03 I don't care how "bad" it is...I would've loved to have seen Lee play Dracula one last time against Cushing's Van Helsing in a Shaw Bros. Martial Arts film.
lol, german distributors were quite creative with that kind of stuff around the time - the german release title of "dracula a.d. 1972" was "dracula chases mini-girls" ("dracula jagt mini-maedchen") ("mini" being the short dress of the girls)
Brilliant synopsis, thanks for putting this montage together. Loved watching the old Hammer movies on BBC late on saturday nights. My 2 favourites were "The Devil Rides out" and "Horror Express". Lee shines in these because of the great scripts.
Thanks! That was a cracking good two-parter, and a wonderful tribute to the memory of Christopher Lee, and a period for British filmmaking the likes of which will never be seen again, (for better or worse!)
Wonderful look at Lee & the Dracula series. Really looking forward to Part III. I love the way that Lee uses his hands, especially in the seduction scenes. I also love it when he is very quiet - to Zena in Risen "You have failed me. You must be punished." Very quiet, hiding the fury that lurked beneath. To Alucard in AD72 "You have not yet learned to obey." Again, quiet, but scary. And I love that in every one of those films, no matter the quality of the script or his reasons for taking the part, he always brought something new & different to the character, a look, a gesture, a way of moving or approaching the current donor, there was always something. I am eternally grateful that he did decide to make them because just seeing Lee as Count Dracula for those few minutes was worth the price of admission!
Absolutely fantastic viewing,a real treat for an old Hammer fan.
Simply brilliant...I plan on watching both parts back to back again. Thank you for such fine work.
I just loved this series as I'm rewatching all the Hammer Dracula films at the moment. This was such a great insight into the wonderful Mr Lee's performance and a great review of the films themselves. Well done .You've done it again! 👍😎
Flawless. Simply amazing work. Thank you.
Love your videos, thank you.
Live how Lee wrote "no" and "ridiculous " on his script, I heard that is why he refused to speak in one of the Dracula films, I felt he was far more terrifying when he didn't speak
That was a superb Part II. Well researched, written and narrated with superb insights. Bravo! 👏👏👏
This is a great video - can't wait for the next one!!
Another excellent documentary. You can see Lee's skill as an actor even in the bad Dracula Movies. One of my favourite roles his was when he played M.R James and just sat around telling his (M.R James'S) ghost stories.
Completely agree about his performance as M. R. James, that was a wonderful series.
Hyped for this one, boys! Hit me with that Hammer goodness
Loved part1 and have waited anxiously for part 2. Great job 👍
I love went you talk about horror movie thank you very much.