quote:

---

Unfortunately it is after Satanic rites of Dracula the worst Christopher Lee Dracula feature.

---

Don't forget about that other nasty: DRACULA A.D. 1972. Woeful. I would have to place SCARS above that one.
 

---

Posted by Oemer Yalinkilic (Member # 86) on November 24, 2011, 04:47 PM:
 
Oh no, Dracula A.D. 1972 is a great movie.
It is a different kind of Dracula movie, but I love the music and the Hippi gang. Especialy Carolin Munro wowwwwww.
 

---

Posted by Brian Hendel (Member # 61) on November 24, 2011, 05:02 PM:
 
Sorry, but I have to stand up for my 2nd favorite film of all time, The Scars of Dracula. I find it the most atmospheric and action-packed of all the Hammer Dracula films. Sure, you can see the bat's wires here and there... and some of the acting's a bit wooden... but since I was around 12 and received the feature from Derann (4X400') back in the 70's I have watched the film hundreds of times and know every word by heart. I never tire of it...and Chris Lee has more screen time than perhaps all the other Draculas put together... so how can that be bad?! I will never undertand why the world doesn't share my opinion about it.

By the way, my first favorite film of all time is Barbarella. So my taste may be a bit off!

Here's my list of Hammer Draculas favorite to least...

1) SCARS OF DRACULA
2) DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS
3) HORROR OF DRACULA
4) DRACULA AD '72
5) DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE
6) TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA
7) SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA

While I'm at it here's the Frankensteins:

1) CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN
2) FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN
3) HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN
4) FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED
5) REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN
6) EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN
7) FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL
 

---

Posted by Thomas Smith (Member # 1889) on November 24, 2011, 05:56 PM:
 
i agree with brian derann also release this in b/w 4x400ft reels as budget version if you could not afford the colour
print,and i think this film comes over better in b/w
 

---

Posted by Oemer Yalinkilic (Member # 86) on November 25, 2011, 02:02 AM:
 
Brian, I noticed most of us collectors like more his childhood memories so I can understand your taste of Scars of Dracula.
I watched first time Dracula at age of 12 and few weeks later Prince of Darknes.
So this two are my favorites.
I watched also at this time Dracula A.D.72 and I was disappointed because the view of a child at age 12 is different as now as adult.
I watched “Dracula has risen from the grave” many years later and I like it because it´s look like a real sequel to the first two movies.
I watched Scars of Dracula few years ago first time and realy the scene with the Bat at the beginning is so bad that I don´t like so much this one of the Dracula movies.
I never watched “Taste the blood of Dracula” so I can´t judge this one.
I bought few months ago a 35mm Technicolor print of “Satanic Rites of Dracula”, before I bought it, I watched parts of the movie on Youtube and I thought it is a mistake to buy this print but later I find out that this movie looks much better on the big screen in Technicolor.
But all in all this is my ranking:

Dracula prince of Darkniss
Horror of Dracula
Dracula A.D. 72
Dracula has risen from the grave
Scars of Dracula
Satanic rites of Dracula

(“Taste the blood of Dracula” is not include)
You see except Scars of Dracula is my ranking similar to yours
 

---

Posted by Ralf Hoff (Member # 36) on November 25, 2011, 02:38 AM:
 
Oemer and Brian,

you both have forgotten the last of the dracula films in the hammer series. The title of this film is "The Legend of the seven golden vampires".

Of course in this film Dracula is not played by Chris Lee but replaced by John Forbes Robertson. Only Peter Cushing plays one more time Dr. van Helsing.

I think this film is worse to the others, because the kung fu is no element of a dracula film.

My first Dracula film with Mr. Lee was Dracula A.D. 1972 and I like it. OK the present day is a litle bit strange for this kind of movie, but he has a very good soundtrack and the beginning was great.

Here is my list:

1) Taste the blood of Dracula
2) Horror of Dracula
3) Dracula Prince of Darkness
4) Dracula has risen from the grave
5) Dracula A.D. 1972
6) Scars of Dracula
7) The satanic rites of Dracula
8) The legend of the seven golden vampires

By the way the film on offer I think is the slightly abriged version (4 x 400ft.).

Ralf Hoff

Cine 8-16 - the magazine for film making and film collecting
http://www.celluloidfilm.de
 

---

Posted by Oemer Yalinkilic (Member # 86) on November 25, 2011, 03:20 AM:
 
Its not worth to count "The Legend of the seven golden vampires" in this list.
If I count also Dracula Hammer movies without Chris. Lee, so its "The Brides of Dracula" more on top of the list.
 

---

Posted by Ralf Hoff (Member # 36) on November 25, 2011, 04:26 AM:
 
A yes the brides of dracula. I forget this film. But I remember the character played by David Peel dont called Dracula in this film. His name was Baron Meinster. In contrast to Legend of 7 golden vampires were John Forbes Robertson plays Dracula.

But as I know The brides is official the sequel to Horror of Dracula. Peter Cushing plays again van Helsing and the story tells that Dracula himself make Baron Meinster to a vampire.

So here my new list:

1) Taste the blood of Dracula
2) Horror of Dracula together with Brides of Dracula
3) Dracula Prince of Darkness
4) Dracula has risen from the grave
5) Dracula A.D. 1972
6) Scars of Dracula
7) The satanic rites of Dracula
8) The legend of the seven golden vampires

Ralf Hoff

Cine 8-16 - the magazine for film making and film collecting
http://www.celluloidfilm.de
 

---

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on November 25, 2011, 01:13 PM:
 
For what it's worth..... and I've written about this before..Back when Scars was released...there was a film critic for the Washington Post , Gary Arnold. He hated everything...and what he didn't hate, he analyzed to death. BUT..for Scars of Dracula he wrote a very complimentary review. I went out to see it and was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining it was..plus.. Lee actually has some nice dialog...and that spectacular finale was great. I finally got hold of the full derann feature and it is indeed nearly perfect.

Also...I don't know why, but I find Satanic Rites to be one of my favorites. Actually, maybe I do know why. Aside from the outfits of the motorcycle gang..and the hair style of the young policeman, it is not dated like ad 1972.....Lee gets to have some nice dialog , direct from the novel at the end...and another great scene as D.D. Denham.....using some sort of east European accent. The plot is well developed...Peter Cushing is particularly good...and the actor who plays the developer of the plague is tremendous in his part. it is far more realistic in its approach to how Dracula might operate in modern times....not just hanging an old church...but using his powers to create an awesome financial giant of a company. It's part horror, part suspense thriller, part spy movie (a la Avengers) I've shown my print ..low fade...to many people and they have all said they enjoyed it.
It's not my favorite...the first one is my favorite, followed by Prince of Darkness. Then Scars...then Risen and Taste...then AD 72. Like I said, for what it's worth.
 

---

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on November 25, 2011, 04:02 PM:
 
I first saw "Risen From The Grave" at a Saturday matinee showing at a local theater in Massachusetts and was blown away. The film was already close to 9 years old at the time and it was a one-time revival showing just for the weekend. "Risen" is my 1st favorite - best Drac death scene in my opinion. Aside from the '58 original all the others are pale in comparison. "Brides" would definitely be my 2nd favorite Hammer Dracula. I remember watching it on tv on the late show one night in the early 70's and the scene where the old woman pushes her hands through the grass in the graveyard sent me reeling out of the room. Incredible what impresses us and sticks in our memories after 40 some odd years later.
 

---

Posted by Brian Hendel (Member # 61) on November 25, 2011, 04:06 PM:
 
Gary - Thanks for the info about that old positive "Scars of Dracula" review from The Washington Post. I will have to look for that online. I'm glad you got to see the film in a theater... I often fantasize about finding a time machine and going back to 1970 and heading to a theater to see "Scars" and "Horror of Frankenstein" in a theater (I know historically I should make a few other stops to prevent a few plagues and assassinations... but, you know...) Anyway, I challenge anyone to view my gorgeous uncut Derann print of Scars and not admit that it is a highly underrated film.

And as for the mention of "Brides of Dracula" -- that is a personal favorite as well, but it's not really part of the Hammer Dracula series so I did not include it on my list - but it would be high up there. I think it's the quintessential example of classic Hammer atmosphere... as well as the main inspiration for Polanski's "Fearless Vampire Killers."
 

---

Posted by Oemer Yalinkilic (Member # 86) on November 26, 2011, 04:35 PM:
 
Gary: You have a low fade Super 8 print of "Satanic Rites of Dracula" ?
How many of the Dracula features were released by Derann?
 

---

Posted by Paul Spinks (Member # 573) on November 27, 2011, 05:20 AM:
 
I bought the 4X400ft version years ago in black and white and as Tom has stated, it does look quite atmospheric this way. When the villagers storm Dracula's castle with their flaming torches it is reminicent of an old Universal monster picture from the golden age. An added bonus is that fadeing is not an issue with the print being in black and white. However Derann's full feature in lovely low fade poly stock is definely the one to get. Being of a certain age, I saw this film at the cinema when it was released and I loved it so much I went to see it again. It is also my favourite of the Hammer Draculas, followed by "Dracula: AD 72", but then there's no accounting for taste.
 

---

Posted by Brian Hendel (Member # 61) on November 27, 2011, 04:49 PM:
 
Oemer - I think the "Satanic Rites" print that was referred to was a 16mm print. This is the only Hammer Dracula of which absolutely nothing was released on Super 8. Which is suprising since the copyright seems a little loose on this film judging from all the bootleg DVD's that are around. It would have been nice to have at least a 400' digest of this film on 8mm. Can't complain too much considering four of the seven films were released as super 8 features.
 

---

Posted by Oemer Yalinkilic (Member # 86) on November 28, 2011, 05:07 AM:
 
Hey, I think it is worth to contact CHC if they want release this. I have a very good 35mm Technicolor Print (english version) and the german lab used few times 35mm prints as master from my collection.
 

---

Posted by Alexander Prell (Member # 2607) on November 29, 2011, 12:32 AM:
 
Hello to all, to respond: for sale is the Derann 4x 400 ft Version in colour and english sound. I have never heard of longer version realised by Derann - and I am collecting films since over 35 years!
So if there really exist a 4x 600ft version, who has realised it? Also in wikipedia there is a webside aboud Derann, where it's written that Scars of Dracula was their first great success.
Best regards
Alex
 

---

Posted by Ralf Hoff (Member # 36) on November 29, 2011, 02:02 AM:
 
Derann released Scars of Dracula in many versions:

As far as I know in the following versions:

4 x 400 ft color sound
4 x 400 ft black and white sound
1 x 400 ft color sound

and later

as the full feature version 4 x 600 ft. The print was outstanding in the quality.

Also there was a trailer.

Ralf Hoff

Cine 8-16 - the magazine for film making and film collecting
http://www.celluloidfilm.de
 

---

Visit www.film-tech.com for free equipment manual downloads. Copyright 2003-2019 Film-Tech Cinema Systems LLC


UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2