Scars of Dracula
by Roy Ward Baker
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DVD details
Actor: Christopher Lee, Christopher Matthews, Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Patrick TroughtonDirector: Roy Ward Baker
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-08-07
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Reviews of Scars of Dracula
DVD Review: "He's evil...he's the embodiment of all that is evil."
Summary: 4 Stars
As an ardent fan of Hammer films in general, this purchase was pretty much a no-brainer...I mean Christopher Lee reprising his role as Dracula? Color me there...and even though the film is ultimately flawed, I still had a really good time overall given this was the last time Lee would play Dracula in a Hammer film set within the period of prior films (the following incarnation would be titled `Dracula A.D. 1972', featuring a more contemporary setting). Directed by the renowned Roy Ward Baker (Quatermass and the Pit, The Vampire Lovers, The Monster Club), the film stars, as I mentioned, Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), along with Dennis Waterman (School for Unclaimed Girls), and Jenny Hanley (The Flesh and Blood Show). Also appearing is Patrick Troughton (The Gorgon, The Viking Queen), Michael Gwynn (Jason and the Argonauts), Christopher Matthews (Scream and Scream Again), and perennial English character actor Michael Ripper (X the Unknown, The Plague of the Zombies, The Reptile).
The film opens on an ominous miniature...er, I mean an ominous castle, and we see a cape covered with red dust (the immortal remains of Dracula). With a little help from a winged friend, we witness a bit of the old reconstitution, proving once again you can't keep an evil bloodsucker down. The residents of a nearby village soon learn their nightmare begins anew, decide to take matters in their own hands by torching the castle (I wouldn't have thought stone could burn, but hey, what do I know?), despite warnings from the priest who fears that what goes around comes around...and perhaps they should have listened to him as when they return to the village, well, it's not a pretty sight. It's at this point we meet three young people, two brothers in Paul (Matthews), the philanderer type, and Simon (Waterman), the goodie-two shoes type, along with the comely Sara (Hanley), the object of Simon's desires, whereas Paul, well, his desires tend to vary, not being restricted by that whole `monogamy' nonsense. After a series of events (or as I like to call them `the dalliances of Paul'), Paul ends up at the partially charred castle (the renovation seems to be going well), not realizing the nature of the danger he's in until it's too late. Soon afterwards, both Simon and Sara come looking, and their search also leads them to the castle, to which they meet Dracula (Lee) and his less than savory, heavily eye browed (he's got the Abe Vigoda eyebrows) manservant Klove (I actually didn't learn his name until the end, and thus referred to him throughout as Uni-brow, due to the fact his two eyebrows had since merged into one, gigantic hairy entity on his forehead). The Count's hospitality soon turns to bloodthirsty lust, which leads to a climatic, almost biblical ending...
As I mentioned, while I did enjoy this film, the overall sense was that it was somewhat lacking and unfocused. The story starts off really strong, but then drops off for about the next 45 minutes or so...but that didn't really bother me much as even a half-baked Hammer film is still a lot of fun. The one thing that did annoy me a little was the introduction of so many characters that really had little to do with story as a whole. I didn't mind them being brought forth, but there was a sense within their presentation that they would be more integral than they actually were...a perfect example is that of the character of Paul, who is the primary focus as the film begins, only to disappear (we actually do see him later on hanging around the castle) about 20 minutes in basically turning into a plot device. In terms of the characters, since there were so many of them packed into this 95-minute film, there wasn't a whole lot of room for development and, as others have mentioned, chemistry was lacking between Simon and Sara. I did find it interesting how much attention was given to Dracula's manservant Uni-Brow aka Klove...talk about being used and abused (his relatively minor indiscretions elicited some very harsh punishments) . His character did have a role within the story, but not one that would warrant the amount of screen time he had...although he was featured in one of my favorite scenes as he found himself in the position of having to clean up one of the Count's `messes'...using a hacksaw, meat cleaver, and other various implements. As far as Lee, his screen presence is definitely menacing and authoritative, and has a comparatively copious amount of dialog compared to his previous cinematic appearances as Dracula...and then there are those red eyes as the bloodlust overtakes the character soon followed by the baring of the bitey fangs. The special effects ranged from so-so (the goofy looking bats) to very effective (Dracula's eyes glowing through his lids as he slept). Some have mentioned the film lacking the `gothic' feel of previous movies, and I would also agree, but while the atmosphere may not have been suitably oppressive, it still worked well for me to create a certain cinematic sense appropriate to the material. Perhaps they didn't have the budget of previous films, but it did feel whatever they did have went towards the overall production, making the most of what they had...and that's one element I've felt generally consistent with Hammer productions is while they may have been restricted in one way or another, there never seemed to be a short supply of effort and heart put forth towards the material, along with a sense of a wanting to entertain audiences...but then that's just my opinion.
The widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1) looks sharp and clean, and the Dolby Digital 2.0 audio comes through clearly. With regards to special features, there are plenty, enough to fill two discs, which is why a 2nd DVD is included. On the DVD that contains the films is featured both a UK and US theatrical trailer for the film (the US trailer is actually a combo), poster and still gallery, talent bios, and a commentary track with Christopher Lee, director Roy Ward Baker, moderated by film historian Marcus Hearn. On the 2nd disc is a 57-minute piece titled The Many Faces of Christopher Lee produced in 1995 featuring a reflective Lee in a personal setting talking about his lengthy career and providing all kinds of interesting details. This is interspersed with clips from his films, behind the scenes footage, and still photographs. He does come off as a little pompous at times, but he's certainly earned that right...also included are two music videos (?!) with Lee performing duet with someone named Gary Curtis...actually, the first video, featuring the songs `O Sole Mio/It's Now or Never, is a duet while the 2nd video, featuring a song titled `She'll Fall for Me' has Curtis doing most of the singing and Lee providing dialog within the song rather than singing. Curiously interesting, to be sure...
Cookieman108
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