Another night, another of the new local Hammer Blu-rays given the once-over. Last night's title was SCARS OF DRACULA (1970), which I got up to watch at 2am as this always seems to be the hour when gothic Hammer is most effective to me (no doubt partly due to the fact that this was the time I first saw a lot of these films on TV when growing-up).
Produced at the same time as HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN in order for the two films to share a double-bill, SCARS OF DRACULA is not only the worst of Hammer's DRACULA films starring Christopher Lee, but possibly the studio's worst vampire film, period. It is good to see Lee getting more screen time (and dialogue) than usual, but the absence of Peter Cushing's Van Helsing is sorely felt, and the cheaper than usual production values (brick castle walls that wobble when bumped, rubber knives that bend when hitting skin, clearly fake vampire bats) are even more obvious in hi-def. And the mod hairdos on young male stars Dennis Waterman and Christopher Matthews make the characters better suited for the modern-day follow up DRACUL A.D. 1972 than a period gothic piece. And I can't help but hear the Benny Hill theme tune play when Bob Todd turns up as the Burgomaster.
On the plus side, one-time Doctor Who Patrick Troughton is great as Klove, Dracula's servant, and its nice to see Hammer regular Michael Ripper getting more scenes than usual (as the tavern landlord, of course). Dracula's death by lightning strike is also different and effective (despite the obvious rubber Chris Lee mask on the burning stuntman), and the film is surprisingly graphic thanks to the studio taking advantage of the recent change in the British X certificate (which raised the minimum viewing age from 16 to 18). The TV version I grew-up with on Channel 9 was clearly cut to ribbons. The Hammer glamour quota in SCARS OF DRACULA is filled by Jenny Hanley, Anouska Hempel and Wendy Hamilton.
