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Vampire Circus (1972)
Vampire Circus (1972)
1972 | Horror
7
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Visually striking if rather unsubtle and slightly incoherent Hammer horror movie. The usual sort of thing: humble townsfolk have enough of the local vampire and do him in, only to face a dreadful revenge years later. This time the instrument of vengeance is a circus full of (you'll never guess!) vampires.

Pretty much as extravagant as Hammer ever got, in terms of gore and nudity; the impact of the film is helped by lurid production design and cinematography. That said, the story's nothing special and most of the acting from the leads is very drab. (Extraordinary supporting cast full of culty names who don't get much to do.) The odd decent moment and sequence, not far off the average standard of early seventies Hammer. Vacuous but watchable.
  
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
1970 | Horror
7
7.3 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Vampire's Blood
Taste The Blood of Dracula- is the fifth Dracula movie made by Hammer. The Fourth with Christopher Lee.

The plot: Three elderly and distinguished gentlemen, searching for some excitement in their boring lives, get in contact with one of Count Dracula's servants.

Taste the Blood of Dracula was originally written without Dracula appearing at all. With Christopher Lee's increasing reluctance to reprise the role, Hammer intended to replace Lee and Dracula in the franchise with the Lord Courtley character played by Ralph Bates, who would rise as a vampire after his death and seek revenge on Hargood, Paxton, and Secker.

Hammer intended to replace Lee and Dracula in the franchise with the Lord Courtley character played by Ralph Bates, who would rise as a vampire after his death and seek revenge on Hargood, Paxton, and Secker. Hammer's American distributor refused to release the film if it lacked an appearance by Dracula; this prompted Hammer to convince Lee to return, with Dracula replacing the resurrected Courtley.

In its original United States release, it was rated GP (General audience, Parental guidance suggested—the forerunner to today's PG), but when it was re-released to DVD it was rated R for sexual content/nudity and brief violence.

Its a hammer film, what else do you expect.
  
The Mummy's Shroud (1967)
The Mummy's Shroud (1967)
1967 | Horror
5
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Third-division Hammer horror - the one with 'Beware the beat of the cloth-wrapped feet' as its advertising slogan, which may be the most memorable thing about it. Has pretty much the same plot as all of these movies (expedition, tomb, curse, murders) with the marginal addition of a rich businessman running everything just asking for a comeuppance.

Some decent direction, an unusually good role for perennial Hammer supporting actor Michael Ripper, and some inventive set pieces, but the general lack of imagination and new ideas means the whole thing drags. None of Hammer's A-team are involved (with the possible exception of Ripper) and you do feel the film is desperately lacking a big star or a genuinely new idea. Sort of passes the time agreeably but probably one for Hammer completists only.