Dracula: Prince of Darkness.

Review #859: Dracula: Prince of Darkness.

Cast:
Christopher Lee (Count Dracula), Barbara Shelley (Helen Kent), Andrew Keir (Father Sandor), Francis Matthews (Charles Kent), Suzan Farmer (Diana Kent), Charles Tingwell (Alan Kent), Thorley Walters (Ludwig), Philip Latham (Klove), Walter Brown (Brother Mark), and Jack Lambert (Brother Peter) Directed by Terence Fisher (#257 - The Curse of Frankenstein, #258 - Dracula (1958), #272 - The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), #469 - The Revenge of Frankenstein, #833 - Spaceways, #857 - Frankenstein Created Woman, and #858 - Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed)

Review:
This was the second of the Dracula Hammer films to feature Christopher Lee (eight years after his last appearance), though this time Peter Cushing (as Van Helsing) does not return. In fact, Cushing wouldn't feature with Lee in a Dracula film again until Dracula A.D. 1972 (I should note that Cushing starred in The Brides of Dracula, whereas Lee did not), though he is shown in the prologue, taken right from Dracula (#258) and its climax. This time around, the Kent family are the ones who encounter Dracula, revived due to mixing blood of one of the Kents with his ashes. The scenery is brilliant as usual. Dracula appears halfway through the movie, and the effects used to show his revival (along with his awakening from the place he was buried) is quite excellent. It should be noted that Lee doesn't speak all throughout the movie, with it either being due to Lee not wanting to speak the lines written for him (as said by Lee) or that there were no lines written for him (as said by the writer). In any case, his performance relies on his facial expressions, his hissing, and his imposing features, which he does quite well. Shelley is somewhat annoying (yes, she is the one who warns them to leave), but she is interesting after she becomes one of the undead. Keir is good at giving some sort of exposition about Dracula but also being quite entertaining. Matthews and Farmer are fine, having the sort of chemistry together one would expect in a horror film like this, which isn't overbearing nor too radically different. The scene where Lee and Farmer are alone together is also quite eerie and creepy, in part due to the music by James Bernard. It's interesting to see Walters (who you'd recognize from Frankenstein Created Women) as a sort of Renfield type of character, and he has a certain strangeness about him that works. You don't have to see the first one in order to get a grip on this film, which is nice. This time around, Dracula succumbs not due to the sun or a stake, but...(are you ready for this): running water. There is something amusing about that, in part because of Lee flailing around in the ice, but the movie doesn't really lose too much steam, in part because it ends not long after. On the whole, it's obviously not as good as the first film, but it is enjoyable in its own right, even after over 50 years.

Side note: If one is checking the Labels section and wondering why (British born) Jack Lambert is listed with a (B) next to his label, it is to differentiate him from the American actor of the same name.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Pirates of Blood River.

Review #593: The Pirates of Blood River.

Cast
Kerwin Mathews (Jonathon Standing), Glenn Corbett (Henry), Christopher Lee (Captain LaRoche), Peter Arne (Hench), Marla Landi (Bess Standing), Desmond Llewelyn (Tom Blackthorne), Oliver Reed (Brocaire), Andrew Keir (Jason Standing), and Michael Ripper (Mack) Directed by John Gilling.

Review
Christopher Lee (a regular occurring actor on this show) as the villain in a Hammer pirate movie? What could go wrong? As it turns out, a few things. The biggest problem is that the film is so dull. It feels so standard, like it's fulfilling a checklist of stuff without much excitement to it. The movie has one sword fight, and it's at the end of the movie, but by the time you get to the end you'll either be asleep or won't care. The actors are just okay, it's a shame that Lee is wasted in this movie, stuck in a ridiculous haircut that makes him look like Moe from the Three Stooges and an eye patch from your local dollar store. The pirates are the most interesting characters as our main character is just boring, and so is the rest of the non pirate cast. The action is sparse, but there sure is a good deal of dialogue. They do have a sword fight between two pirates...blindfolded, which sounds fun for about 2 minutes. This is just a mediocre/boring film that is just a disappointment. Stick to better pirate movies. Countdown to 600: 10, 9, 8, 7...

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.

Review #472: Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.

Cast
Peter Cushing (Dr. Who), Bernard Cribbins (Tom Campbell), Ray Brooks (David), Andrew Keir (Wyler), Jill Curzon (Louise), Roberta Tovey (Susan), Roger Avon (Wells), Geoffrey Cheshire (Roboman), Keith Marsh (Conway), and Philip Madoc (Brockley) Directed by Gordon Flemyng (#341 - Dr. Who and the Daleks)

Review
If I wanted to, I'd reuse all my statements I said for the first film for this, considering there's really no change of quality between the two. The character still retains the incorrect version of his name, the Daleks actualyl manage to overshadow the entire film, and...Ian and Barbara are not in this film. You know, the two companions introduced in the last film, who now seem to be replaced by...Tom and Louise. What, did Barbara (a relative of *sigh* Dr. Who) just leave *sigh* TARDIS in between films? Lazy explanations or not, Cribbins is okay, but I'd best stick to his appearence in The Stolen Earth instead. I'd like to mention the ads for Sugar Puffs, only because advertising cereal in a wasteland is...either the most brilliant idea ever or the dumbest. Cushing apparently had an illness during filming, which explains why he isn't seen as much as the other characters. His performance, sadly, isn't one of his best. Maybe it's just me, but the "elderly grandfather" act doesn't work when you have Van Helsing as your Doctor and you don't utilize him. The Daleks sure are colorful, but their..."plan" isn't. It has something to do with destroying the Earth's core so they can motor it to Skaro, but I stopped thinking after the bomb was stopped from completing its drop...with a few wood blocks...and later diverted, mind you. The effects aren't too much, the actors are mediocre at best, and I can see why this was a failure: It's not really interesting. The first film, though flawed, introduced a "universe" of ideas. The second doesn't really do anything different. The only attraction is the Daleks, and there were plans for a third based on The Chase, which thankfully was never made. I suppose this could help anyone waiting impatiently for the anniversary special, though.

Overall, I give it 3 out of 10 stars.