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A Movie A Day: Quint visits DRACULA A.D. 1972 (1972)
I have returned to destroy the house of Van Helsing forever.

Seems like a good Grind House-y flick. by iamnicksaicnsn	Aug 20th, 2008 05:26:00 AM
AHH, have to study! Announce Barack, damn you!
1st? by superbenitez	Aug 20th, 2008 05:26:04 AM
1st?? Anyways, I remember this moviw from when I was a kid. Lee and Cushing were excellent as usual. I need to re-visit this film asap
FIRST! by B Arnold Quizzling	Aug 20th, 2008 05:26:26 AM
FIRST with very first post! I need a life...
D'OH by B Arnold Quizzling	Aug 20th, 2008 05:27:14 AM
Okay, not. But I still need a life anyway.
Since by tomdolan04	Aug 20th, 2008 05:28:38 AM
every person I mention this says "Hell Yeah watch it, it's not a classic but is batshit insane and indictive of this genre" I'll be adding it onto my list of ones to follow. Will miss this column when its gone. Realize it's quite a challenge to get these in consistently over a long period so kudos. Why not have a dedicated column of some kind where one reader review of a forgotten classic gets printed twice weekly or something? Not sure how the logistics would work but I know I've found quite a few flicks I've enjoyed (D.O.A, Klute) due to this column. Moar!
another great musician died by GavinVanDraven	Aug 20th, 2008 05:35:08 AM
and no coverage on AICN. i guess you have to be a singer to be recognized? LeRoi Moore, sax man from the Dave Matthews Band, died yesterday from complications from the injuries he suffered in an ATV accident on June 30th. RIP brother.
I'm sad for Moore too by tomdolan04	Aug 20th, 2008 05:40:32 AM
but for a movie site it would be a bit of a strech
It's watchable... by Dr Eric Vornoff	Aug 20th, 2008 05:49:05 AM
...but the following 'modern' Dracula movie The Satanic Rites of Dracula is a good deal better. It actually has some idea of what to do with the character rather than just gimmickly throwing him in the midst of a bunch of hippies.
if it was Dave himself by GavinVanDraven	Aug 20th, 2008 05:53:06 AM
im sure it would get more coverage... and he does act.
Who doesn't have an eye for London's hot pants? by tonagan	Aug 20th, 2008 06:01:27 AM
Scream and Scream Again is one of my personal faves.
sequel by the_mighty_boosh	Aug 20th, 2008 06:10:33 AM
i grew up watching the hammer films as a kid and they did do a sequel to this a year later great film they took in a different direction if you've not seen it do its called satanic rites of dracula pairing cushing and lee in a dracula movie for the last time
Cushing does not exist in this dojo by Cobra--Kai	Aug 20th, 2008 06:10:42 AM
Great description of Peter Cushing as an actor Quint. We all know him as Grand Moff Tarkin but perhaps cos of his looks or his genre roles status the guy never really got the kudos he deserves. As you say he always played it straight-up and with 100 percent conviction even when the material was 2nd rate and he remains one of my favourite actors. Great column.
I doubt if this is Chris Lee's favourite... by Rameses	Aug 20th, 2008 06:13:30 AM
It's unbelievable how dated it looks.Full on Austin Powers and be cool daddio! dialogue.Is this the one where Chris is only in it at the end , and then gets chased into Hyde park before being killed by blackberry bushes and a bit of park fencing?
no by the_mighty_boosh	Aug 20th, 2008 06:14:46 AM
no thats satanic rites of dracula
Orbital sampled this movie by Fuck The Napkin	Aug 20th, 2008 06:33:50 AM
When Orbital played Satan live on their last few tours they'd drop a speech from this movie into the middle. Here's a clip of them doing it at the Glastonbury festival. Epic! http://tiny.cc/H5a7F
Watched this a few months ago for the first time in years. . . by Samson_K	Aug 20th, 2008 06:33:56 AM
It's okay but it suffers from the very British syndrome of older men trying to write 'hip dialogue for exciting young characters' and I am almost positive that when it came out in 1972 it would have almost seemed as dated as it does now. Great performances from Lee, Cushing and especially Neame and some very effective scenes - the black mass is still unsettling as you say. It has a great, if not entirely appropriate score but on the whole it doesn't entirely work. I think the main problem is that the 'gang' at the beginning are actually quite interesting but because of a short running length they get sidelined or written out entirely. I have a warm spot in my heart for this movie but for me it's better of as a nostalgic memory. It is far more successful than the bizarre Avengers / Department S / Fu-Manchu hybrid that is 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' though. And the less said about Dracula and the Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires the better.
One minute he's Dracula, the next he's by Grammaton Cleric Binks	Aug 20th, 2008 06:34:28 AM
Scaramanga. Didn't The Man with the Golden Gun come out right around this time? I'm too lazy to hit imdb now.
Satanic Rights !!!! by Dude_gimme_tabs	Aug 20th, 2008 06:36:24 AM
"Satanic Rights of Dracula", with it's Wakka Wakka soundtrack, ginormous flares on all cast members and the henchman in furry afghan tanktops is frickin' marvellous !!! I also have a soft spot for "Taste The Blood of Dracula". "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave" can bite my balls though !
hmm hotpants by Mr_X	Aug 20th, 2008 06:56:50 AM
who would have thought me and drac had something in common?
Christopher Neame by Gislef_crow	Aug 20th, 2008 07:16:09 AM
Neame's career is a bit more substantial than cited here. He's probably best known s the bad guy in the sidelined Doctor Who/Douglas Adam episode Shada, but they must have liked him on MacGyver: he played three different characters. He was in Babylon 5, Seven Days, Invisible Man, and Enterprise, making him a genre favorite. He was basically your go-to guy when you need an Englishy-sort of villain in the 80s and some of the 90s.
I totally like this movie by WalkingToaster	Aug 20th, 2008 07:27:30 AM
It's simply the best Hammer/Lee Dracula ever. And not only because of Carolin Munroe ;-) Finally Lee had some lines in the script that made his Dracula more dangerous than when he was hissing all the time in most of the other films. The Music was also adequate. Sometimes I thought the music was compareable with Space 1999 Season 2 from Derek Wadsworth. Best Scene: Dracula appearing on the graveyard. Alucard: "Master! I did it! I summoned you!" Dracula: "It was my will!"
Lee's Favourite Movies by Samson_K	Aug 20th, 2008 07:48:11 AM
He also cites 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' and 'the Musketeer' movies as his favourites too. He made some batshit crazy Finnish fantasty film sometime in the late 70's or maybe the early 80's where they filmed in Finland and then in Scotland and most of the crew turned out to be KGB agents using the movie as an excuse to spy on the UK. TRUE STORY!!
I loved the Jedi Knight cut scenes. by rbatty024	Aug 20th, 2008 07:52:02 AM
They just don't do video game cut scenes like they used to. It's a real shame too. They were often very strange, cheesy, and wonderful.
Dracula was only mute in one Hammer film by Samson_K	Aug 20th, 2008 08:06:43 AM
Can't remember which one but Lee refused to say any of the dialogue in one. The one thing I never understood about Christopher Lee is his almost Connery-esque attitude to the Hammer Dracula films when his entire CV is an enormous pile of shit studded with a number of diamonds!
Samson_K does not exist in this dojo by Cobra--Kai	Aug 20th, 2008 08:16:23 AM
'Shit Studded Diamonds' you've got your title for an unofficial Chris Lee biog right there my man.
But does Drac make time with the Hot Pants? by frakthetoasters	Aug 20th, 2008 08:19:49 AM
That what I want to know.
Hammer! by fiester	Aug 20th, 2008 08:33:51 AM
Love the Hammer flicks. Quint you should dig up "The Devil Rides Out" a.k.a. "Satan's Bride". Lee is in it and says it's his favorite of all the Hammer flicks.
Dracula Prince of Darkness by Wilfy Fredericks	Aug 20th, 2008 08:39:01 AM
That was the one where Dracula didn't speak. Apparently it was a deliberate idea that he wouldn't be able to talk after rising from the dead. He didn't speak much in Taste the Blood of Dracula either but by Christ could he count to three. I'm sure that's where Sesame Street got the idea from.
This is a great movie by freerangecelt	Aug 20th, 2008 08:43:46 AM
and it's dated but still a bit of fun, and Stephanie Beacham is drop dead gorgeous as well. Kudo's to whoever shot the film, because towards the end of the film, they manage to keep Cushing, Lee, and one of Beacham's perfect breasts in the same shot. They are perfect, watch and see.
I miss Hammer.... by Gungan Slayer	Aug 20th, 2008 08:51:19 AM
...and their recent revival doesn't seem to promising either.
The Strangles Of Bombay... by Manos	Aug 20th, 2008 08:57:08 AM
I think you'll enjoy that one,Quint.
What a handsome little craft. by Mr Gorilla	Aug 20th, 2008 09:06:30 AM
Such lovely lines.
oh blacula...brings up this funny line by Bouncy X	Aug 20th, 2008 09:10:27 AM
"Next, on Exploitation Theatre...Blacula, followed by Blackenstein, and The Blunchblack of Blotre Blame!"
The mute Dracula movie by Klytus_I.m_Bored	Aug 20th, 2008 09:47:25 AM
Isn't that the one where he's "killed" at the end by falling under some ice? I remember as a kid knowing that vampires couldn't handle running water but being disappointed that they used that device to take out Dracula.
ricarleite by Quint	Aug 20th, 2008 09:54:33 AM
Good call. I was actually thinking of Blacula while watching Dracula A.D. 1972. Great double feature that.
The Nightcomers by Darthkrusty	Aug 20th, 2008 09:57:23 AM
If you liked Stephanie Beacham in Drac '72, then you'll love her in this obscure early 70's film starring Marlon Brando. Kind of a mix of Turn of the Screw and Lady Chatterly. Weird, sexy stuff.
deleted scene by ArcadianDS	Aug 20th, 2008 10:00:49 AM
Sir, should I go warm up the car? Leave the castle? At our moment of triumph?!
"Dig the music, kids!" by Biggie Kaiju	Aug 20th, 2008 10:16:04 AM
I read that Lee refused to say the dialogue written for "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" because it sucked so much. He was supposed to shout things like, "I am the apocalypse!" He also had a major beef with the staking scene in "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave." He was right, but the scene is classic. Dracula hissing and screaming with a stake the size of a tree trunk in his chest, blood pouring out in a river. "Dracula A.D. 1972" is definitely a camp classic, but has serious and nasty moments, like the unforgettable shot of Caroline Munro having a giant goblet of blood poured over her heaving bosoms. Hammer in a nutshell.
Munro in Golden Voyage by Knobules	Aug 20th, 2008 10:21:03 AM
My god. Even now that sends me running to the bathroom.
My favourite Hammer... by Dr Eric Vornoff	Aug 20th, 2008 10:29:48 AM
...is probably their version of Hound of the Baskervilles, Cushing was a perfect Holmes. The Devil Rides Out and Plague of the Zombies are both top-notch too. To be honest, all the Dracula and Frankenstein's seem to blend into one another, some stand-out moments but nowhere near as iconic as the Universal versions. I think Lee's best movie has to be The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes though. Even in it's truncated form it's a masterpiece. I'd put Wilder's original cut of that up there with Stroheim's Greed and The Magnificent Ambersons as one of the great lost classics of cinema.
SoylentMean by BenBraddock	Aug 20th, 2008 10:33:16 AM
I completely agree with you on those 2 same posters!! Especially that first one you mentioned. Fantastic poster. I agree even more completely on your opinion of Sinbad Munro - but then who wouldn't??!!
Yes!! by JohnnyVengeance	Aug 20th, 2008 10:35:16 AM
What a fun silly little flick!
Lee rules you all by Purgatori	Aug 20th, 2008 10:57:18 AM
And Cushing was the man. Hammer needs to return hardcore to this type of film. That's why when I got a chance to talk to Tim Burton I asked him if he ever would do a REAL Hammer flick. He said he was actually talking to them about it. That made me happy. As for Kurt in Death Proof, he knew what sort of movie it was. And he loved it. That's why he was so great in it. I need to rewatch those films again because I still get let down by Death Proof at the end. Planet Terror was kitschy goodness the whole way through. Death Proof even lost the pop and crackle old look half way through the movie. Just stay away from the Satanic Rites of Dracula. I still don't know what the hell they were thinking about with that one.
Loved the American International flicks of the era also by skimn	Aug 20th, 2008 11:11:41 AM
Was fond of the anthology films inspired by Tales From The Crypt, which itself was filmed with Peter Cushing as The Cryptkeeper of sorts. A favorite was an episode featuring a disembodied hand, that belonged to Michael Gough, that kept haunting Christopher Lee.
I've been kissed by Caroline Munro by JIMBOCOP	Aug 20th, 2008 11:20:49 AM
Yup. Although I was only about 8 years old at the time (she knew my Mum and Dad when she was based in Leeds filming "3 2 1". She was by far the sexiest bond girl...
Ah Stephanie Beacham's boobs..... by thecomedian	Aug 20th, 2008 11:48:09 AM
Her right boob pretty much shares the scene with Dracula at the end.
Caroline Munro in Golden Voyage of Sinbad by Paul Bucciarelli	Aug 20th, 2008 12:05:59 PM
Absolutely gorgeous. It's a shame she never found stardom here in the states. I think that it would be different had she come along today.
Caroline Munro by RobinP	Aug 20th, 2008 12:13:22 PM
I was fortunate enough to interview Caroline Munro about her career for Gorezone magazine earlier this year, and met up with her in person a couple of months ago. She is STILL stunning, believe me. Some cool snippets of information - she was the first actress to be awarded a Hammer contract, and because of this, went unbilled in the Phibes movies. She chose to do those, just to get to work with Vincent Price. As for this movie - not Hammer's best...the studio was in decline and tried to update their franchises to please the youth of the day. Quint - I'd choose Captain Kronos as the follow up to this film. Classic Hammer's best of this period, plus another Caroline Munro performance.
Agreed Mr Saxon. This should be a regular feature from now on. by alucardvsdracula	Aug 20th, 2008 12:56:07 PM
Seriously, all of you lot at aintitcool SHOULD keep this idea alive of revisiting classic, and not so classic, genre movies. Retro reviews or whatever, I really, really love what Quint is doing here, please, please let it continue, especially in this horrible climate of rancid pointless souless remakes. Its just so refreshing to read again about original movies, the good and the bad. Quint you da man.
Ralph Fiennes is the new Christopher Lee! by cookylamoo	Aug 20th, 2008 01:05:07 PM
Watch In Bruges and tell me I'm wrong. Good thing too, because we've pretty much worn out the old one.
Ralph Fiennes by skimn	Aug 20th, 2008 01:12:54 PM
WOULD make an excellent Dracula. Why didn't I notice that sooner!!? Chris Lee still kicking it at 86..pretty damn impressive.
Another cool Dracula by Darthkrusty	Aug 20th, 2008 01:25:54 PM
besides Jack Palance's wonderful perfomance is the PBS version from the 70's starring Louis Jordan. A unique take on the tale. And I also agree... Ralph Fiennes would be an excellent Dracula. Seems like Hollywood is taking a break from the story since Copolla's version, (except those Wes Craven flicks)
Dracula has risen from the Grave by eustisclay	Aug 20th, 2008 01:28:43 PM
is probably my favorite sequel. It was the first one I saw in a theater as a kid, part of a double feature with The Valley of Gwangi.
Dracula pick by Paul Bucciarelli	Aug 20th, 2008 01:48:52 PM
I always thought that Daniel Day Lewis would make a great Dracula. He's got the right fierce countenance . I'd love to see them get back to making Dracula a monster and lay off all of this sexual nonsense. Read the book. He's an evil parasite. There's nothing sexual whatsoever about the character as written. The whole book being an assault on Victorian mores thing has gotten way more credence than it deserves.
Even though he did look like a gay hairdresser by skimn	Aug 20th, 2008 01:49:26 PM
I did like Frank Langella's take in '79. Can't wait to see his Nixon.
A terrible Dracula... by Paul Bucciarelli	Aug 20th, 2008 02:13:56 PM
was Richard Roxburgh in the all around shitty Van Helsing. He looked like he just minced out of a Flock of Seagulls video.
Quint shames the other writers. by Irina Spanko	Aug 20th, 2008 02:21:33 PM
He has really kept this column going as promised. An AICN first.
Peter Cushing in The Ghoul by Lunch	Aug 20th, 2008 02:29:31 PM
Is an absolute splendid film from the 70s. Not sure if it has already been mentioned, but Laurence Olivier described Cushing as "the greatest screen actor." The Ghoul also stars a young John Hurt,Don Henderson and Alexander Bastedo.(Her out The Champions).The film is set in a house by a swamp. QUOTE: The army used to use the swamp, but they lost too many men....
Dracu-lite by Darthkrusty	Aug 20th, 2008 02:29:56 PM
I guess Louis Jordan looks a bit like a gay hairdresser as well. I remember being more creeped out by Dracula's brides in the Langella version than by Dracula himself. It was okay though... Langella rules now more than ever. But that Van Helsing movie I consider a children's flick and the Wes Craven "Dracula" movies to me don't Count.
by Paul Bucciarelli	Aug 20th, 2008 02:38:21 PM

JIMBOCOP by The_Skook	Aug 20th, 2008 02:46:24 PM
You're not the only one to get a kiss off Ms Munro! :) She signed a piccy for me too! Still scrummy! Once known as the 'Lambs Navy Rum' girl, before she Hammered it up! Quint, as you're off on a Brit movie binge right now, how about checking out some Ealing comedies too, like 'Kind Hearts and Coronets', 'Passport to Pimlico', or even 'The Ladykillers' which the Coen brothers kind of turkeyed in their otherwise illustrious career! If you haven't already... Simon Pegg should be the next Dracula... ahem...
Caroline Munro... by REDD	Aug 20th, 2008 03:12:02 PM
Yummy...
I have a taste for London's Hot Pants by jackofhearts29	Aug 20th, 2008 03:49:31 PM
... especially if they are served with Walker's Curry Mayonnaise, or Malt Vinegar
Lovin' this AMAD talkback by Mace Tofu	Aug 20th, 2008 04:12:55 PM
Old movies kick ass!
THE GHOUL rips off PSYCHO by palimpsest	Aug 20th, 2008 04:19:54 PM
watch it again - it's the same story, pretty much beat for beat. Still majestic tosh though. That being said, it's no CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER...
which starred Caroline Munro.... by palimpsest	Aug 20th, 2008 04:23:03 PM
(insert Homer Simpson-style mmmmmmm at the mention of her name...)
Mr_Saxon is correct. We're going to enjoy by Grammaton Cleric Binks	Aug 20th, 2008 04:54:30 PM
this until Quint burns himself out.
CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER by Geekgasm	Aug 20th, 2008 05:03:47 PM
Hell yes. What a great picture that is. I love this: the rare AICN talkback where nobody has anything shitty to say about the subject matter.
At the Earth's Core by Gorgomel	Aug 20th, 2008 05:45:05 PM
another great munro's flick with peter cushing. It's pretty silly but very entertaining! and caroline is just... whoa
This movie is great. by radio1_mike	Aug 20th, 2008 08:16:03 PM
As a kid in the 70's, I remember seeing it in the mid-70's on our local Creature Double Feature... When it was out, I remember I had just started to read, and I remember thinking, "Wow. Dracula in 1972..." Which was quite the thought since Hammer/AIP Dracula scared the beejeezus out of me when I was a kid.
RobinP, Jimbocop, and The_Skook=lucky devils by MGTHEDJ	Aug 20th, 2008 09:02:27 PM
Oh man, you are a bunch of lucky bastards!! I first fell for Miss Caroline in the Sinbad film, then her turn (finally!!) as a Bond Girl in Spy Who Loved Me. And I was all of about 8 years old. To this day I have a thing for long-haired brunettes. I'll need to track this one down. I agree, Captain Kronos is great fun. keep it up Quint. I can't wait for your take on "Little Girl Who Lived Down The Lane."------later-----m
Skook by Quint	Aug 20th, 2008 09:35:19 PM
Seen the original Ladykillers, but the rest are already on the list. Got a load of Ealing comedies and British War Movies. As currently planned, we'll hit those in November.
I can't believe it! by Paul Bucciarelli	Aug 20th, 2008 10:05:11 PM
People are actually having a civil discourse on old Hammer movies without refrains of "Plant!" "(fill in the blank) must die for raping my childhood" or vitriolic political rants. It's just like a real movie geek's site up in here. Count me in also as a lover of Captain Kronos. Those who appriate a good old-fashioned monster comic should read Robert Tinnell's graphic novel The Black Forest. It's the cool Frankenstein/Nosferatu tale that Van Helsing failed so miserably to be. Great fun.
Taste the blood of dracula by ianlegend	Aug 21st, 2008 03:18:35 AM
...was always one of my faves, although Christopher Lee was barely in it. I seem to recall that Peter Sallis (of Wallace & Gromit fame) also appeared. He didn't roll down a hill in a bathtub though. His 'Last of the Summer Wine' days were still ahead of him at that point...
Robin P... by Charlie & Tex	Aug 21st, 2008 04:07:04 AM
We wrote a few articles for Gorezone a while back and our paths have crossed with Ms Munro now and again - she IS still gorgeous! K & N
To all of you who responded to my post... by RobinP	Aug 21st, 2008 06:44:01 AM
..lets's just have a deep, reflective sigh. Anyhow, I'll be meeting her again in a few weeks so I'll be sure to pass on your regards.
The cleavage fueled DRACULA A.D. '72 by thegreatwhatzit	Aug 21st, 2008 10:15:45 AM
Cushing and Lee, as customary, kicked ass (most especially Mr. Cushing, the most underrated actor in cinema history. Lee was perpetually aristocratic but Cushing's art was his flexibility). But DRAC '72 suffered from a very generic script; hence, the scene stealers were Stephanie Beacham and Caroline Munro (i.e. their heaving bosoms, one of Hammer's trademarks). Ms. Munro, incidentally, is still gorgeous. By the way, the American release was introduced with a HorrorRitual (free lapel button in the lobby!); the vampire, featured exclusively in this U.S. exposition, was played by Barry Atwater (who was cast as THE NIGHT STALKER during the same year).
The Ghoul is nothing like Psycho. by Lunch	Aug 21st, 2008 10:47:10 AM
Except maybe the first murder with the mosquito net doubling up as the shower curtain. I do not recall Norman Bates eating any of his victims. It was just a classic "something evil in the attic" film.
Memories-Of-Muder by thegreatwhatzit	Aug 21st, 2008 11:34:29 AM
Right on the money, dude. A definite sleeper (Marianne Morris recently appeared at a convention or two; I'll kill for an interview). There's an even more sapphic indulgence than was visible in THE VAMPIRE LOVERS. I never understood the opening scene (two hot, naked chicks engaging in some mattress action; the bedroom door swings open, both girls are shot but are subsequently resurrected as vampires. WTF? Who was the assassin? How did the girls convert into blood parasites?). But, to be honest,it never bothered me. It's just very surreal and the film has not dated.
I love how by Rando Calrisian	Aug 21st, 2008 12:21:05 PM
Almost all of the posters in the story have a very similar creepy Dracula freak out face - but they are all a little different. Great posters, there. Not like today's photoshop crap.

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A Movie A Day: Quint visits DRACULA A.D. 1972 (1972)
I have returned to destroy the house of Van Helsing forever.

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A Movie A Day: Quint visits DRACULA A.D. 1972 (1972) I have returned to destroy the house of Van Helsing forever.

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A Movie A Day: Quint visits DRACULA A.D. 1972 (1972)
I have returned to destroy the house of Van Helsing forever.