Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Awix (3310 KP) rated Scars of Dracula (1970) in Movies

Feb 24, 2018 (Updated Feb 25, 2018)  
Scars of Dracula (1970)
Scars of Dracula (1970)
1970 | Classics, Horror, International
Hammer's sixth film with Dracula in the title was supposed to reboot the series from scratch, with a new actor in the title role; distributors insisted on Christopher Lee being brought back, which explains both the opening sequence in which Dracula is (somewhat bafflingly) resurrected, and the general sense of resignation in Lee's performance.

Script rambles, attempts to inject more gore and sex into the Hammer Dracula formula; director Baker doesn't seem to be really up for it, somehow. Some elements from the original novel reappear, also a few from previous Hammer Draculas. Patrick Troughton (looking like Liam Gallagher's granddad) is good value as Dracula's long-suffering handyman Klove. Some of the younger cast would go on to have decent careers; nothing to suggest that here, though. The rubber bat puppet from this film would go on to have no career whatsoever, which is not at all surprising. All really kind of perfunctory and mechanical.
  
Scars of Dracula (1970)
Scars of Dracula (1970)
1970 | Classics, Horror, International
Start From Scratch
Scars of Dracula- is the sixth Dracula film from Hammer and fifth starring Christopher Lee. Its a re-introducting to Dracula, even though its the six one in the Hammer franchise. Its also takes place after Taste, so im not sure why their did do a re-introducting. Anyways

The plot: Bat's blood hits Dracula's (Christopher Lee) ashes, and he rises again to fight a couple (Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley) looking for trouble.

It also gives Lee more to do and say than any other Hammer Dracula film except its first, 1958's Dracula.

This film breaks the continuity maintained through the previous entries in the Hammer Dracula series: whereas at the end of the preceding film, Taste the Blood of Dracula, the Count met his end in a disused church near London, this film opens with a resurrection scene set in Dracula's castle in Transylvania, with no explanation of how his ashes got there (although, they might have been returned from England, as a contingency, by the young acolyte from the prologue of Dracula A.D. 1972). Furthermore; in Scars of Dracula, the Count has a servant named Klove, played by Patrick Troughton; in the third film of the series, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Dracula has a servant named Klove (played by Philip Latham) who appears to be a different character, though identically named. The disruption of continuity caused by Scars of Dracula reflects the fact the film was originally tooled as a possible reboot of the series in the event Christopher Lee elected not to reprise the role of Dracula.

The British Film group EMI took over distribution of the film after Warner Bros., Universal Pictures and other American studios refused to distribute it in the U.S. It was also the first of several Hammer films to get an 'R' rating.

Its a good film.