The Top 5 Dracula Movies You Need To See Before You’re Undead – Decider

From the cheesy narration setting up a jump from the 19th to the 20th century to the horn-driven opening credits music, theres a real sense of trying-too-hard at work here. The concept is implied by the title and is hardly a bad one resurrect the Count in present-day Swinging London and set him at some inverted flower children. Its just that the execution is a little square, as they used to say.

After the prologue we kick things off in the present day at a house party where the entertainment is U.S. band Stoneground (whose members would later splinter into the likes of Pablo Cruise and Jefferson Starship). They are permitted by the filmmakers to perform their atrocious Alligator Man in its entirety while dancing hippies behave rudely at a prim estate. After this vandalization, hippie layabout clique leader Johnny Alucard (I know, I know) proposes Something newyet as old as time in his lust for kicks: A date with the devil. Its all a scheme to raise Johnnys uncle Drac, played again by Christopher Lee, whos mostly silent (long story, part of his odd relationship not just to the role but to Hammer pictures). Fortunately for the forces of good, vivacious Stephanie Beacham is the granddaughter of Cushings Van Helsing.

This outing isnt as orgiastic as the changing times might lead you to hope/expect, particularly if youre conversant with Beachams performance in The Nightcomers. But. The movies got a number of assets pushing the parental guidance envelope, including Caroline Munro in a satanic rite of blood-covered cleavage. Marsha Hunt, soul singer (she could put Stoneground under the table) and bride of Soft Machine keyboardist Mike Ratledge also appears to intriguing measure. For the benefit of sentimentalists, this is Cushing and Lees first outing together in a Dracula film after 14 years.

Veteran critic Glenn Kenny reviews new releases at RogerEbert.com, the New York Times, and, as befits someone of his advanced age, the AARP magazine. He blogs, very occasionally, at Some Came Running and tweets, mostly in jest, at @glenn__kenny. He is the author of the acclaimed 2020 book Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas, published by Hanover Square Press.

Where to stream Dracula A.D. 1972

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The Top 5 Dracula Movies You Need To See Before You're Undead - Decider