Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969)

I'm very surprised more people don't see this film as the turkey it is. Notwithstanding my love for Hammer horror films and the first 2 films in the Dracula series (Dracula: Prince of Darkness is one of my favorite horror films which I don't believe gets the respect it deserves), I barely got through this film my second time around. The biggest problem is of course the script, with giant holes and unexplained motifs, and the decision to have a pathetic weak bald priest at the center of it all, spoiling everything, plus giving a big chunk of time to a plump busty non-sexy redhead girl (some comments describe her as "strikingly beautiful", really?; others as "hot", well, different strokes for different folks, but she didn't do a thing for me even when she was practically naked most of the time, and I find many other Hammer girls (Valerie Leon, Susan Denberg, Hazel Court, e.g.) much sexier. I guess that has a lot to do with why so many people like this film, and why I don't). You add the too-old monsignor who might save the film but is taken out of action, the young, dull, not too-bright Paul and the blonde, dull, naïve non-sexy niece, and you find yourself with a bunch of uninteresting characters you don't care a hoot about. If Jimmy Sangster instead of Anthony Hinds had written the screenplay, or Terence Fisher had directed, the results I'm sure would have been different (having just seen Revenge of Frankenstein, now I'm not that sure). Dracula, besides the ridiculous, out-of-character premise of him seeking revenge does nothing but give orders (why didn't he ask the bald priest at the beginning of the film to remove the cross? Guess only a virgin could remove it, but this is never explained, similarly to other scenes), wait on the fringes, make dramatic entrances, and be a pussy. The script is unbelievably bad: who killed the girl at the beginning? (having seen the film a third and hopefully final time, I guess she was killed before he was himself killed as shown in the previous Dracula film). Vampires are supposed to have no reflection, but I guess this doesn't apply to water. A stake through the heart should do it for Dracula, not in this film, and the reason why is not clear. Dracula is been pursued by the young lad after this, and suddenly he's not mad at the lad anymore: he's just standing there at the rooftop waiting for the blonde girl, who seemingly has a knack for walking on rooftops; the annoying priest, who seems to be involved in every scene to ruin any chances of success, hits the young lad over the head with a candlestick, and 30 seconds later the lad is up and confronting him; before that the lad asks him at the inn's stairs to go visit the blonde girl at her home; minutes later he finds him again in the same exact place climbing the stairs (it seems this actually happened several hours later, but the film is so poorly constructed you need to watch the film more than once to find out), where the priest of course lies to him again. Dracula sucks the blood of the redhead, later Paul finds her in her underwear and talks to her matter-of-fact as if he's used to seeing her undressed. Dracula sucks the blood of the blonde at her room and the next night she is again at her room, unguarded, with the monsignor reading some books downstairs. When Dracula enters the room the monsignor appears, thank God, but for what, but to end up hit in the head by the annoying bald priest, while Dracula runs away from the monsignor like a pussy. The monsignor before dying asks the lad to save his niece, but forgets to tell him about the annoying bald priest who hit him over the head. Of course Paul goes to the bald priest for help, who then proceeds to hit him over the head. Besides the convoluted script the film is badly directed as discussed above, with another example: while Dracula is with his fiancé for what seems like an eternity, Paul, who was downstairs and didn't see her, goes upstairs and is told to look for her downstairs, can't find her again, goes upstairs, is told again to look for her this time further upstairs, he goes upstairs and sees some smoke and decides to go downstairs a third time and finally finds her. That is a very clumsy way to create suspense. It would have helped if someone had mentioned the subbasement where Dracula and his girl were located. The scene between the redhead and the blonde prior to that scene now I understand is the first helping the second escape Dracula, and that is why Dracula accuses her of failing him and kills her (I was confused since the redhead actually managed to bring the blonde to Dracula, and it was because of Dracula being a pussy that she escaped). And Dracula is impaled not once but twice! dying only by a silly accident instead of by the actions of the hero. Only the very spiritual and redeeming ending has some value for people of faith, the rest is simply unbearable.

This one has all the Ingredients of the Hammer Horror Films. Striking Sets, Gorgeous over modulated Color, A Good Cast, Bombastic Music, Beautiful Women with a Concern on Cleavage, and another Entry in the "Famous Monster" Category.Determining the Best in the Series is an Arbitrary Affair and Opinions Vary wildly but this could be Considered one of the Better Ones. Despite being made in the Late Sixties when the Respected Studio would start to Lose a Bit of that Creative and Artistic Flare, this one Shows No Signs of the Slide that would Follow.The Movie has a definitive Psychedelic Influence starting with the Title Sequence and is forever Present in the Color Scheme and Lush Lighting that Frames the Scenes with the Count. It is Striking and Bathes the Film in a Wash of Wonderful Surreal Imagery.There are a number of Unforgettable Scenes, like the Clergy's Trip to the Castle that is Tense. This Results in one of the Eerie Lines delivered by Dracula..."Who has done this thing? Who has done this thing?". This Sets the Movie in Motion that Includes another Short and Compelling Uttering from Christopher Lee..."Bring her to ME." So Few Lines but so Much Impact. Lee Looks Commanding, Striking various Poses, He is Like some Demi-God about to Wreak Evil Doings and is Proud to Announce His Arrival. The Movie also Concerns itself with Religion (more than usual) and Atheism, in the Script for Contrast and was not so Common.Many consider this one of the Best in the Hammer's Dracula Series and a Case could be made. It's Bloody, Ultra-Stylish, and Commanding Fun.

Dracula Has Risen From The Grave has always been one of my favourite movies. In so many ways it is the quintessential Hammer horror film. It has all of the elements which have made me a fan of the Studio. The fairy-tale Central European setting , the Gothic Castle Dracula with the quaint little village huddling under it's menacing presence, Christopher Lee as the Count , Veronica Carlson as the flaxen-haired maiden threatened by the powers of darkness, the iconography of the crucifixes, garlic and rituals. But it has much more than that .One of Freddy Francis' best outings , DHRFTG has lashings of atmosphere, greatly enhanced by an exceptional score by James Bernard .The usual Hammer issue with day-for-night photography aside , Arthur Grant's cinematography is excellent, giving the Production that unique Hammer "look" which so often belied the minuscule budgets the company operated within.The performances are several notches above the Hammer average. The young leads acquit themselves admirably . Barry Andrews is much more animated than is usual for the *romantic hero" of British Gothic movies and Veronica Carlson is far from being merely the feeble screaming heroine. While Lee has few lines as Dracula, he doesn't need many words to dominate every scene he graces with his commanding presence. Throw in Rupert Davies reprising his pompous ,but kindly and avuncular priest from Witchfinder General ( 1968) and you have a very superior cast indeed.It is the unusually complex thematic elements and the way in which they are explored that makes "Risen From The Grave " more than just another genre entry for me. The movie digs deeper into spiritual, psychological and sexual layers than is customary in a Hammer film .Importantly it deals with more than just the Manichean struggle between Good and Evil. We see the tortured priest whom Graves' Monsignor has taken under his wing ,struggle with his fears and doubts . Atheism enters the arena in the form of student Paul who must find his faith to prepare himself for the final, epic struggle , by far the most visually and emotionally stunning of climaxes seen in any Dracula movie.Never before has the sensual power of Dracula been so effectively foregrounded . In his first encounter with the virtuous Maria, we see her grip a childhood doll before embracing adult sexuality and pushing the toy from her bed. Similarly, we observe the Count draw the besotted Zena ,like a moth, quite literally , to the flame. On it's release , this, the second Hammer Dracula sequel ,( if one discounts "Brides" ) , was treated with a large measure of contempt by those critics who deigned to review it. I have been deeply gratified to witness the films improving reputation over recent years . A Blu-ray release with all the appropriate extras would seem to have been delayed by copyright issues and is now well over-due.

Has anyone ever played Dracula as such an angry vampire the way Christopher Lee has? When a monsignor "cleanses" Dracula's castle and leaves a cross at his front door, the vampire rises and wreaks havoc on everyone he encounters. After hypnotizing a cowardly priest and doing away with a sassy barroom wench, he goes after the monsignor's nubile niece. Though off camera for much of the time, Lee dominates the movie. He's evil incarnate, a maniac out for blood (literally). The direction by Freddie Francis is great, all high pitched and very colorful. The supporting cast includes hammy Rupert Davies as the monsignor, Veronica Carlson as his niece, Barry Andrews (as the dull hero), Barbara Ewing and Ewan Hooper. Norman Bacon plays an idiot man- child who alerts the townspeople of Dracula's return. Arthur Grant provided the high gloss cinematography and the rousing music is by James Bernard, who scored Hammer's first Dracula film 10 years earlier.