Christopher Lee and the Hammer Dracula Franchise

Christopher Lee and the Hammer Dracula Franchise - Part 2

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4 жыл бұрын

When we left off Christopher Lee had reluctantly returned to the role that made his name. In part 2 we see how changing trends lead to dramatic genre changes for the popular franchise.
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Films covered in the Documentry
Taste the Blood of Dracula - UK: amzn.to/2Az1yJY USA: amzn.to/34UZtWT
The Scars of Dracula - UK: amzn.to/2QiQYBw USA: amzn.to/2OaW0gY
Dracula A.D. 1972 - UK: amzn.to/2LFbTus USA: amzn.to/2QiEnys
The Satanic Rites of Dracula - UK: amzn.to/2Noyai1 USA: amzn.to/2LC40Ws
Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires - UK: amzn.to/31BJpqW USA: amzn.to/2LFc7BE
Dracula: Prince of Darkness - UK: amzn.to/2LfLi5L USA: amzn.to/2NB0jSq
Dracula Has Risen From the Grave - UK: amzn.to/2Zygp1u USA: amzn.to/2zAD5mY
A special thanks to our Dark Cultist Patreon supporters.
Shadows - Michael Bailes, Steve Scibelli, Luke Chaston, Dan D Doty, Aidan Woodard, Hidden Trail Video, Micheal Jackson, Christie Bryden, Joseph Dougherty, Chris Hewson, David Adler, Chris Weakely, Brad Webb, Zachary Nolan, Ben Simpson, The Blue Room, Brent Beebe, Connor Brennan, iForgot
Acolytes - Dave Smith, Scott Gillespie, Dark_Roast, Colleen Crouch, Kathy Shaidle, Lavaughn Towell
Initiates - Maria Gd, Melissa Hayes, Felix Weibig , Alexandra Virgiel, Stephen LaPlante, Greg Hartwick, Jim Parshall, Tim Smith, Frazer Rymph, Derek Summers, Bob de Builder, Michael Schwern, Raven House Mystery, Gadget Blues, Jakub Kabenski, Double-U, Brian Ullmark, Roop 298, Karl Bunker, Russ Chandler, Greg Galanos
Written and presented by Robin Bailes @robinbailes
Directed and Edited by Graham Trelfer
DARK CORNERS OF THIS SICK WORLD
Christopher Lee & the Hammer Dracula Franchise Part 2
#HammerHorror #DarkCornersReview #CultMovieReview

Пікірлер: 403

@DarkCornersReviews 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. Did you miss part 1 - check it out here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gamIZM1mvsDPnKc.html and our Top 10 Hammer Dracula moments here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iqyBpcZozafefqc.html

@davebooshty299 4 жыл бұрын

I always tend to think Ralph Bates looks SO much like Ozzy.

@jasonhebedead1710 4 жыл бұрын

It should be noted that part of the reason Satanic Rites feels so out of place with the feel of the series is because it didn't even start life as a Dracula script. It was a Dr Who script. With the Doctor in what became the Van Helsing part and The Master in what became the Dracula part and you can tell as the plot plays out way more like a typical seventies Who script. This was because the writer Don Houghton was a regular writer on Dr Who. Incidentally his work on Dr Who was a lot better than his three Hammer Dracula contributions.

@salamwati9281 4 жыл бұрын

Gleefully awaiting a retrospective episode highlighting best scenes from each of the Hammer Dracula movies. I enjoyed all Lee's Dracula but have to give thumbs up for only the first 3..with exception of Scars being a guilty pleasure with bats..blood and gore galores. The opening scene in Dracula AD 1972 is very good though.😬

@kali3665 4 жыл бұрын

Your franchise retrospectives are absolutely perfect. Thank you for posting these - I learn a lot from you, and I look forward to the next one.

@fizzao1342 4 жыл бұрын

That was worth waiting for - thank you. I think the reason Christopher Lee was Dracula was because he cared about the character as envisaged by Bram Stoker. He didn’t betray that vision.

@Rafferty1968 4 жыл бұрын

Lee was amazing. My favourite anecdote is from LotR - when scripted to cry out when stabbed, Lee calmly pointed out that people are remarkably silent when stabbed. The heavy implication that Lee was speaking from his wartime experience as an intelligence officer led to the scene being rewritten. His love of heavy metal music (he had his own band) is also telling. This is a man who experienced so much - dining with Churchill as a child, his military service etc - and he never lost his passion for life. He will always be Dracula, and I think he loved the novel, as much as he loved Tolkiens works, and he always played Dracula as true to the original as possible. A well deserved legend of the screen.

@douglasmontgomery2063 4 жыл бұрын

Ah, the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare...

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

It's a wonderful example to follow...treat the world as a neverending adventure and keep striving for new horizons. He wasn't the only nonagenarian to be part of the metal scene, BTW. A Holocaust survivor of similar vintage was convinced by her younger friends to set her dark poetry inspired by that harrowing time of her life to death metal.

@jturner2577 4 жыл бұрын

@Im wearing tights that I borrowed from your mum. Churchill was, but he still dined with a well known historical figure.

@julietfischer5056 4 жыл бұрын

@Im wearing tights that I borrowed from your mum. - When the bombs drop, you forget everything but surviving.

@JohnVKaravitis 4 жыл бұрын

When stabbed, the person takes a deep breath of air IN. So, Lee was wrong. Ergo....

@ajivins1 4 жыл бұрын

It was the way that Lee could snap from sophisticated stillness to the bestial that always got me. Good work!

@amiefortman7220 4 жыл бұрын

I have to confess a soft spot for "Dracula AD 1972", if only because I really like Jessica and her relationship with her grandfather. I wish it was explored more in the movie, but Stephanie Beacham and Peter Cushing have very sweet familial chemistry from the few scenes they do have together.

@ricardocantoral7672 8 ай бұрын

I honestly think AD1972 gets unfairly maligned. I am crazy about Dracula running around in the late 20th century? No, but the film is actually pretty decent.

@jeraldbaxter3532 3 ай бұрын

Is this the same Stephanie Beecham who, in the early '80s appeared on "Dynasty," and several other American tv shows? I always her performances! And, of course, Joanna Lumley is immaculate!

@jacksonwayneputnam1599 3 жыл бұрын

Christopher Lee’s script notes made me crack up

@cassyblack3346 4 жыл бұрын

Christopher Lee I think was one of those just most amazing of people. It's amazing to see what he did during his lifetime, and while it is tragic that like so many great actors he fell into the trap of being type cast as a horror actor, that typecasting enshrined a legacy I don't think he could have dreamed off. Horror fans remember, whether new or old, what good horror is. Few fanbases really are so openly loving of their genre, and able to cite specifics why. Hammer Horror lives on because of such fans, and Christopher Lee, for many people, is still their definitive image of Dracula.

@colleencrouch4346 4 жыл бұрын

It wasn't really typecasting; Lee wasn't just any old bloodsucker (let's forget Uncle was a Vampire), he was Dracula! He owned that character. No matter how skimpy the script, if Lee is playing Dracula, you know you're getting the King of Counts. What he could have done with scripts that were written around Dracula instead of just using him as window dressing is one of the great missed opportunities of the cinema.

@jamiebraswell5520 4 жыл бұрын

Great video. RIP Christopher Lee, you were and still are one of my absolute favorite actors, a man of deep passion, talent, intelligence, and lasting friendships. You are greatly missed.

@bignutz9857 3 жыл бұрын

I kinda dig Dracula AD 1972. Peter Cushing running around 70s London hunting vampires with jazz playing in the background is the height of cinema.

@CCulh Жыл бұрын

His deliverance of the Edward van Sloan's speech is haunting.

@stevengalindo7932 2 ай бұрын

My dad took me to see Dracula has risen from the grave when I was 7! I had nightmares for 2 weeks! Christopher Lee’s bloodshot eyes haunted me for months! I enjoyed his acting. And appreciate this homage to his legacy at Hammer.

@TorontoJediMaster 4 жыл бұрын

"Scars.." wasn't too bad, despite the continuity errors.It gave Lee the most dialogue and interaction with other characters he'd had since 1958.

@vordman 3 жыл бұрын

Maybe, but apart from the two modern day ones it's my least favourite. It just looks cheaply made.

@Njbear7453 3 жыл бұрын

Scars is good

@bradleylawson2956 10 ай бұрын

It's one of my fav sequels and refreshing when you think about it risen and taste were just revenge stories

@Mailed-Knight 4 жыл бұрын

I already really enjoyed Sir Christopher Lee as a person, but now having heard about how loyal he is to the people that made him famous, I stand by my statement that when it comes to this day and age Sir Christopher Lee... is the man, the myth, the legend.

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

You could trace that back to the early part of his career. Remember that he started acting in 1947 and, as noted by our own Dark Corners, struggled to find work.

@Mailed-Knight 4 жыл бұрын

@@johnathonhaney8291 And before that he was an assassin, and before that a spy...

@andrewtate4897 4 жыл бұрын

What Christopher Lee said about Hammer being like a family always rung true for me, it was the bit players and supporting actors I looked forward to seeing because of that familiarity it was some how reassuring. OK you were going to be scared but there was always a familiar face so you were not THAT scared Like Micheal Ripper or George (Mr Pipkin) Woodridge or Mile Malleson as a batty doctor or undertaker, Charles Lloyd Pack (Triggers dad from only fools and horses) as a priest or an inspector or Doctor and then there were the lines of amazing supporting actresses, Who played innkeepers wives or Buxom wenches, Victims or their mums etc. The Hammer Hammer Horror films ( and also the Universal Horror movies) worked because they were an ensemble that every year or so would perform a Grand Guignol for the fans that loved them. We will never see their like again. I would add that though they were low budget had poor effects and sometimes weak plots they were still 1000 times better than the crap they turn out now. In fact before I came on here to watch this. I was watching the fully restored 1958 Dracula it's still the best nothing comes close.

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

If I may be forgiven my own spin on the above, let us refrain from downing whatever is popular with the current generation. Yes, what Hammer and Universal had WAS unique to the point of never being replicated. There is a reason for this...the cultural and political climate contributed a good many factors that have long since faded from the scene. It stands to reason that whatever ultimately stands the test of time from this generation will have similar idiosyncrasies that ONLY this era could have made possible. Whenever I remember how both Universal Monsters and Hammer Horror started off being called cheap trash, it makes me refrain from similar snipes on things I neither understand nor like. It would therefore behoove us to be more understanding and less judgmental than every one of Hammer's contemporary critics who completely missed the boat.

@andrewtate4897 4 жыл бұрын

@@johnathonhaney8291 to be successful. A horror movie must have good characters and a good story. As has been proved on many an occasion it does not need a budget or indeed expensive CGI effects if those other two are in place whilst there are odd blips on the radar such as the Babdook or the Pack or even Guillermo Del Toro's output the the La Llorona and Annabelles of today however need binning simple as. Horror Some films are now based around the jump scare not the story or the characters. You can literals set your watch and predict what is going to happen next. Time tells with good horror movies and you just have to look at what are considered classics and have lasted to come to the conclusion that certain films ( like your Freddys and Childs play and maniac cops) will never be anything but what they are junk

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

@@andrewtate4897 I hardly see any of the above as a problem worth complaining about. The stuff without legs will not last and the opposite will be true for the stuff that does. Posterity ultimately took care of Universal Monsters and Hammer Horror. It'll ultimately do the same for those that will make it.

@andrewtate4897 4 жыл бұрын

@@johnathonhaney8291 Depends on your feelings regarding the genre? My Uncle was the Guy who directed Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein the Invisible man and the Old Dark house. It kind of makes it very personal for me. I am very passionate about this genre. agree with what you say regarding stuff not having legs that's been very much proved. However I have a young son, who I would like to have the same feeling as I did when watching these old movies but he doesn't ( he likes the Old movies very much and he often say I wish that movies today had more imagination instead of stupid jump scares (his words) ) I mean when you have a company who practically invented the genre and they can't make a Mummy movie there's something seriously wrong in the House of Frankenstein

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

@@andrewtate4897 I personally would argue that they never got the Mummy right after the very first one but that's me. I always found it a bit telling, however, how many folks retired just after that one, including director Karl Fruend from the director's chair so he could go back to being a cinematographer. So your uncle was James Whale, then? I very much admired his work on the first two Frankensteins and Invisible Man (the latter being my personal fave of his). I confess to having a love of older horror films as well (nothing past 1970 in that category with the exception of late period Hammer Horror) but I also recognize it's not the only way to do it. When I see something like the Iranian horror film Under The Shadow, a film that runs on dread and psychological horror more informed by its historical context than its sole supernatural element, I worry much less for the genre's future. Said future will likely come from somewhere other than the US or UK is all.

@reneerichburg8023 Ай бұрын

He's my favorite Dracula 👍👍👏💗❣️💕 may he rest easy 💕💗❣️😊

@improperbostonian6722 4 жыл бұрын

As a kid I would rush to the Movies to see Hammer's latest horror films Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein as soon as they would open here in the US The amazing Sir Christopher Lee was the Lon Chaney of the UK and had many great films even as James Bond villain in The Man With The Golden Gun, Lord of the Rings, on and on what a true BadAss he was. Even today the Hammer classics hold up as well as The Universal Monsters , Love them all, With Halloween fast approaching now is the right time to enjoy them all over again.

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

Fun fact on Man With The Golden Gun: Lee was actually Ian Fleming's cousin and, I believe, the latter's first choice for Dr. No.

@johnbaxter5766 4 жыл бұрын

Always loved the way Lee played Dracula, and the Frankenstein monster. Have a glossy professional portrait of the actor as Dracula on the kitchen wall looking down on me as I write this. His auto biography - Tall Dark and GRUESOME !!!!!!! Is a great read. His teaming with Peter Cushing

@superby1 4 жыл бұрын

I’m looking forward to this one. I found your channel based off the first Christopher Lee video and I’ve been going through them ever since.

@nathanielfincher4394 4 жыл бұрын

Same here.

@mcarp555 4 жыл бұрын

I'm surprised you didn't mention Lee's cameo as a vampire with fangs and a cape in the 1969 film _The Magic Christian_ starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. It's a short part, but he's clearly playing Dracula in it.

@robinbailes5236 4 жыл бұрын

The character's not specified as Dracula so we didn't count it (same for Uncle was a Vampire). Probably should have mentioned it but there was so much material to get through.

@guilhermehank4938 3 жыл бұрын

There were many men and women that deserved immortality and Lee and Cushing were two of them...

@metallicman6342 2 ай бұрын

It's awesome now that Star Wars has now basically immortalized Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, main just for their roles as Grand Moff Tarkin and Count Dooku.

@louisegormley7461 4 жыл бұрын

I have such brilliant memories of watching these movies when i was a kid, they used to show the Hammer classics late night on BBC2 back in the 80s. Sir Christopher Lee is a legend of British and World cinema, both these videos are a fantastic tribute to him, thank you DCR......

@AdamqK 4 жыл бұрын

"More blood of Dracula, Gromit?"

@jpstudios-11 2 жыл бұрын

I understood that reference

@ontologicallysteve7765 4 жыл бұрын

I actually quite liked the lines that Christopher Lee refused to speak. I mean, how badass is it to have Dracula referring to himself as "Apolyon"? Maybe it's because I'm rather versed in Greek mythology? At any rate, I think those lines would've fit the character perfectly.

@BarryHart-xo1oy 3 ай бұрын

I agree with you-they strike me as quite powerful.

@ritawing1064 4 жыл бұрын

That scene with Depp in "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" is one of the most moving ever. The brief closing of the eyes, the cautious embrace...masterly acting in a few moments.

@garyturley2435 4 жыл бұрын

Just got all the Dracula films on DVD and blue ray. A mish mash but now got them all. Love these films for yrs . There is only 1 Dracula mr lee will live on forever..wish he was still making them

@DonJuanMarco1994 2 жыл бұрын

"They have destroyed my servant, they will be destroyed" The menace and the authority in which Christopher Lee says that is amazing.

@Derpy1969 7 ай бұрын

I am a “Lee is Sauruman” fan, but Lee is a fantastic actor in everything. I’m glad to have enjoyed his films while he was alive.

@bqkmg2037 4 жыл бұрын

Sir christopher Lee wil ALWAYS be my favorite"Dracula" that I grew watching his films during the hammer era of the 1950s 1960s and 1970s.

@salfordnurse 4 жыл бұрын

I would love to have seen a full film of the opening of AD 1972, one of my favourite scenes in the series

@aliciaheath8891 10 ай бұрын

Christopher Lee will ALWAYS be my Favorite Dracula 🧛🏻‍♂️

@grishkotoe 3 жыл бұрын

Great team of actors, all. Always enjoyed seeing Michael Ripper in the cast time after time - always a fun character role. Have loved Hammer for decades, never gets old.

@115spt2 3 жыл бұрын

R.I.P *Sir* Christopher Lee. I remember being 5 years old when Revenge in the sith came out and I instantly wanted to meet him, it wasnt until his death that I learned about all his other life achievments, his service to the Army, Heavy metal albums, and just his contribution to the horror genre in general. I have yet to see most of the Hammer films starring him but I will one day. I never did get to meet him, but im glad other fans like Dark Corners Reviews have made videos and documentaries about him and all the film preservationist that have saved old interviews of him. I may not have met him but thx to fans I still got to know him, Thank You @Dark Corners Reviews.

@115spt2 3 жыл бұрын

Lol thx for the love!

@taylormanes2269 3 жыл бұрын

i don’t know why i adore dracula a.d. 1972 so much. the campy early 70s energy is just infectious i suppose. it’s probably the one i rewatch the most just bc it’s the sort of movie i can turn on and have on in the background while i do stuff.

@hcu4359 Жыл бұрын

The human characters are underwritten but the actors put so much into them. Except for Alucard, Jessica's posse feels like a fun group of people before things go bad, and the softer, more grandfatherly 1970s Van Helsing-a frail old man who's out of step with his own era, and knows it-makes a nice contrast to the steely action hero from Horror and Brides. And the soundtrack is fun.

@billiondollarman3847 4 жыл бұрын

FANGS for the Memories....ever since I saw Part 1 of your brilliant Dracula video. I was egarly awaiting part 2 and it has lived up to my expectations and more. Wonderfully edited and paced with great narration and a wealth of information on Lee and Hammer. I'm sure the great man himself would be mighty impressed by your excellent presentation and work.

@H3len50 4 жыл бұрын

Outstanding sir. Thank you so much for this. I love Sir Christopher Lee and for me he is the only Dracula.

@mickirving6779 3 жыл бұрын

There was Bella Lugosi!! But Christopher Lee Miles ahead of the rest

@amysands2413 3 жыл бұрын

@@mickirving6779 Bela Lougsi different time. He was the best at that time. And still rememberd. That says it all.

@mickirving6779 3 жыл бұрын

@@amysands2413 no! Bela lugosi's Dracula is to iconic and the music score is hypnotic and Erie! Plus Peter Cushing's Dr Van Helsing is to dominant in this!! But anyway I love the film so much love Cushing and Lee!! Especially love those vampire women

@silvervalleystudios2486 4 жыл бұрын

What a legend Christopher Lee was. As good and versatile actor he was he could never escape Dracula. Lets face it. You hear the name Christopher Lee and you think of Dracula drawing his fangs out. He couldnt even escape it in Star Wars with Count Dooku clearly an homage to Dracula.

@jeromealexandre4162 Жыл бұрын

According to a mutual friend who knew Lee - he referred to Dracula as “ that accursed role “. However I truly believe he was the greatest Dracula that ever graced the screen .

@Carladossantospinto 3 жыл бұрын

The more I know about actors from the 50's,60,s and 70's,I realize how cute they were.Gregory Peck and now Christopher Lee.I was Born in the 80's,so i saw them as grandparents. I whish i were a lady in the 50's.Mr Lee was so sexy as Dracula

@vincentdavis8941 4 жыл бұрын

While I enjoyed Christopher Lee in many , if not all of his Dracula roles, I must admit, I loved him as Lord Summerisle in the Wicker Man. To me, that was his paramount role, and that is how I best remember him.

@Ksmoove0824 4 жыл бұрын

Set my reminders....the classics are always the best and this is the best horror genre of all time...patience is virtue

@willmfrank Жыл бұрын

Mr. Lee's sentiments about Dracula were rather like Leonard Nimoy's about Spock: It wasn't that they didn't want to play the characters, it was that they didn't want to play them unless they were written well.

@MegaMkmiller 4 жыл бұрын

I always really liked Dracula Has Risen From The Grave. My best friend and I loved it when we were 14. We're both 60 now and still in touch. Even Dracula couldn't have imagined Facebook. Thank You for posting. Excellent vids. This and Part I.

@Njbear7453 3 жыл бұрын

Definitely the best one in the series

@josephgalla717 4 жыл бұрын

Hi there l like Christopher Lee as Dracula lve seen all of his Hammer movies and l got lucky l was able to buy Dracula has risen from the grave and l always take it out during Halloween oh it's on DVD so Christopher Lee is so gorgeous and handsome and cute.

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

Funny fact about Dracula Has Risen From The Grave: it's the only one in the series to be given a G (!) rating.

@josephgalla717 4 жыл бұрын

Hey Jonathon thanks for getting back to me l didn't know that l had a fan of Dracula movies from Hammer productions, l went online to Turner classic movies and l checked the schedule for Dracula movies and found there is not going to be any horror movies on Halloween and Dracula Prince of darkness is gonna be on 11-1-19 what is wrong with people don't they ever show good movies so that fans like you and me could enjoy watching them.

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

@@josephgalla717 Well, I haven't watched regular TV in years unless I had family which had it on. DVD is superior in that you can watch anytime. Now if the streaming services just get around to showing Hammer off more often, especially during Halloween...!

@KTChamberlain 4 жыл бұрын

Sam Dee: "What business you in, Salt?" Mr. Salt: "Selling Dracula's powdered blood." Sam Dee: "What?" Mr. Salt: "I-I mean, nuts."

@jpstudios-11 2 жыл бұрын

I understood that reference.

@Mafon2 3 жыл бұрын

Lee has THE voice.

@CashelOConnolly 4 жыл бұрын

I fancied Christopher Lee’s Dracula,I was a strange teenager. This might seem an odd thing 2 say but they were good because they were so sweet,in a naive innocent kinda of way. Thank you for this is was soooooo good

@seanledden4397 4 жыл бұрын

What a wonderful retrospective! I'm so glad to discover the story of Lee's Dracula is more than just a bitter actor taking another schlocky job just for the money. That's quite right, given the power of his performances.

@luis1978slb 5 ай бұрын

Lee it's simply phenomenal 👏

@charlesflorio2891 2 жыл бұрын

I loved all of the Hammer Dracula films. Christopher Lee is the ultimate Dracula. I love those Hammer films. Thank you for doing this great two part videos 😊 .

@colleencrouch4346 4 жыл бұрын

I don't understand why anyone had a problem with the idea of bringing Dracula to the "current" year. The novel was set contemporaneously with its publication, so that English readers could get the chilling feeling that all of this might have been going on just down the road. Gothic tones were provided by the opening scenes set in exotic locals in darkest mittal Europe, but the rest was right up to date, with modern technology & scientific techniques abounding. Even keeping Dracula in the church works for AD72; after all, he's spent the last 100 years as Dracula dust & has a lot of things to catch up on before he can get out and interact with the whirl of humanity. His minions could bring him take-away, teach him current English usage (shades of Harker in the novel) and explain all of the intricacies of this Brave New World so that Dracula would not stand out like a sore thumb if he went for a walk. What lets this film down is the "young people" and the attempt to make them way too trendy, resulting in them being laughably outdated by the time it was released. Christopher Lee's performance was classic and timeless; it is quite believable that this Dracula, having thoroughly acclimated, would be able to amass a fortune & Fu Manchu style horde of minions and hangers-on. What is not believable is that he would want to either conquer the world (what would he do with it?) or destroy it with plague; after all, if he had a death wish, all he had to do was seek out Van Helsing!

@lallancashire2201 4 жыл бұрын

Fantastic conclusion to your DracuLee appreciation. Lee remains the definitive Drac imo even if he never quite made the definitive Drac movie. The first in 1958 was certainly a classic though and probably the best although I like Prince, Risen and Taste a great deal too. The two contemporary set episodes (AD 1972 & Satanic Rites) are a great deal of fun I think, not to mention boosted by the addition of Cushing. Only the cheap looking Scars lets the series down. The Hammer Dracs are actually bloody great! Thanks for these fine documentaries giving them some well deserved love 👍

@DarkCornersReviews 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words.

@rosea2350 3 жыл бұрын

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is my favorite ❤️

@Staggercfc Жыл бұрын

Another half-hour of smashing entertainment, and so informative!

@garynelson5588 2 жыл бұрын

Favorite old memory is the early Hammer Dracula movies.

@Vort317545 9 ай бұрын

I grew up on Hammer Horror. I plopped myself down in front of the television Saturday afternoon for the Hammer Horror double feature loaded around me with snacks of every kind. Ah, the memories of a pre-teen. I even repeat the ritual once a year at 56! Count Dracula was and is in my mind Christopher Lee’s performance. Any other actor trying at the role is subpar. An Reggie Nalder as Kurt Barlow in 1979’s Salem’s Lot is Quiescence Vampire. I’m so glad that Classical Trained Actor Christopher Lee fought back against the humiliation actors feel about typecasting and reprised his character for ten films. Because none other than Christopher Lee could play Count Dracula to such a masterpiece and leave us with such a rich and powerful legacy to enjoy.

@splifftachyon4420 2 жыл бұрын

I love the Hammer Dracula films and Christopher Lee will always be the definitive Dracula to me. Although, unlike most it would seem, I love Dracula A.D. 1972. So much so, that I think it might be my second favourite in the series (after The Horror of Dracula). Dracula's death in the opening scenes is one of the best of the series, the faux hippie milieu is entertaining and both Stephanie Beacham and Caroline Munro are gorgeous, and the resurrection scene, set to the music of White Noise on the portable reel to reel, is electrifying. When Christopher Neame says, "I did it! I summoned you!" and Lee as Dracula says with cold, intense power, "It was my will," it sends shivers up my spine. It's also great to have Lee and Cushing back together in it as well.

@RandomVideos66 4 жыл бұрын

Taste the blood of Dracula was my very first Hammer Horror film.

@davidmouser596 4 жыл бұрын

I always found The Devil Rides Out to be Lee's & Hammer's best work. Lee should have been a leading man especialy in his prime;)

@shadowartist8892 4 жыл бұрын

I think Lee loved wearing that cape! This was great.Thank you! Do you know the Hammer show, Children of the Full Moon with Diana Dors? I love that one.

@nickmesogianes4638 3 жыл бұрын

Your voice is so soothing and peaceful. I love watching this videos and I hope to see a lot more of them in the future

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

I actually have a great deal of affection for Satanic Rites, mostly for the office confrontation between Dracula and Van Helsing. Given his political savvy noted in the novel, the basic premise is plausible even if the execution is ridiculous as hell.

@DarkCornersReviews 4 жыл бұрын

Any time you have Cushing and Lee in a a scene it is going to be gold.

@douglasmontgomery2063 4 жыл бұрын

The scene when Cushing forges the single silver bullet in anticipation of the scene you mentioned always struck me as particularly moving, as well. Something about the resolve in Cushing's demeanor, coupled with the excellent score for that scene, makes it as good as anything Hammer did in their heyday.

@johnathonhaney8291 4 жыл бұрын

@@douglasmontgomery2063 Yeah, that was good too. But hey, it's Peter Cushing in one of his iconic roles. Even with the toll of his beloved wife's death, you can see the quality shine through him.

@Njbear7453 3 жыл бұрын

I just watched satanic rites and it’s definitely tied with taste for the worst of the bunch... maybe even the worst of them all; AD ‘72 was cool as he’ll though.

@spews1973 4 жыл бұрын

Another bloody great video about some films that, for all their faults, were usually bloody good fun and the bloody amazing man and national bloody treasure who was Christopher Lee. I bloody loved it!

@andrewthomas8888 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review!!! I actually like Christopher Lee's Performance on Jess Franco's Count Dracula (1970) because it was a little closer to the book despite some of the terrible pacing.

@jturner2577 4 жыл бұрын

The Film Didn't Have the Budget to be completely faithful to the novel.

@merritt972 10 ай бұрын

First Hammer Film I ever saw was Freddie Francis's Dracula Has Risen From the Grave at a big movie theater in Brooklyn when it was first released. I was hooked and I was sad when Hammer degenerated into shlock. I looked forward to the release of their films and even subscribed to Famous Monsters to keep up on them. Childhood nostalgia.

@douglasmontgomery2063 4 жыл бұрын

Here's a bizarre observation I've made to prove how sadly obsessive I am about Hammer films, and classic horror in general: Actor John Carson ( the "proper" Victorian gentleman with the improper mustache) ALWAYS held wine glasses by the foot, rather than the stem. He does it in Taste the Blood of Dracula, Plague of the Zombies, and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter. I've always wondered if that was something he did in real life, or if it was just an affectation he was in the habit of giving his characters? Anyway, GREAT vid! Keep 'em coming!

@mickirving6779 3 жыл бұрын

Could be!! Bring his own thing to the role

@alexthelizardking 4 жыл бұрын

Christopher Lee was the greatest actor of our time.

@Trilaan 3 жыл бұрын

The resurrection scene in Dracula: Prince of Darkness is my favorite part of the whole series.

@GrandOldMovies 4 жыл бұрын

Just a terrific video essay - really enjoyed this look at Lee in the Dracula role. What a pity that a possible Bram Stoker/Henry Irving film didn't come off; Lee would have been perfection as Irving.

@l.a.gothro3999 2 жыл бұрын

Peter Cushing is the only person I've ever seen that has the same shade of blue eyes that my late father had!

@Layne618 3 жыл бұрын

I want to thank Dark Corners for producing both this series and the one they did on the Hammer Frankenstein series, as I've devoted this October to all things Hammer on a blog I do. Both of these series provided invaluable research and behind-the-scenes information.

@kennylogan3090 4 жыл бұрын

I just loved this series as I'm rewatching all the Hammer Dracula films at the moment. This was such a great insight into the wonderful Mr Lee's performance and a great review of the films themselves. Well done .You've done it again! 👍😎

@MephProduction 3 жыл бұрын

love all these films, hammer knew what the fans wanted even if lee didn't

@garyturley2435 4 жыл бұрын

Just watched Dracula has risen from the grave after 20 yrs only just found it on DVD. Please we need them all on 4k

@MisterGoblin65 4 жыл бұрын

Simply brilliant...I plan on watching both parts back to back again. Thank you for such fine work.

@Bigbadwhitecracker 4 жыл бұрын

This was fangtastic

@Mynsinger 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant synopsis, thanks for putting this montage together. Loved watching the old Hammer movies on BBC late on saturday nights. My 2 favourites were "The Devil Rides out" and "Horror Express". Lee shines in these because of the great scripts.

@samuelglass6805 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! That was a cracking good two-parter, and a wonderful tribute to the memory of Christopher Lee, and a period for British filmmaking the likes of which will never be seen again, (for better or worse!)

@OneColdMonkey 4 жыл бұрын

I feel like the Taste the Blood of Dracula twist would have made more sense if Dracula was after the others to punish them for refusing to drink his blood and aid in his resurrection.

@Al_NERi 4 жыл бұрын

Favorite moments: the razzle dazzle disintegration/resurrection scenes, with all the fog, old fashioned lap disolves and gobs of Kensington Gore.

@RolfHartmann 3 жыл бұрын

An amusing detail about the 3 Musketeers he appeared in, it was only planned as one movie, but the studio realized there was enough plot and footage for two so they made the adjustments. This resulted in most of the cast suing them since they were all only paid for one movie. To this day all Hollywood contracts have to include the number of movies being made even though I don't think this has really happened again.

@DarkCornersReviews 3 жыл бұрын

This really got cemented when Crispin Glover was not paid when they cut him into back to the future 2 and used a look-alike with prosthetics for the future scenes. The case was more about personality rites.

@RolfHartmann 3 жыл бұрын

@@DarkCornersReviews I just realized one of the only other movies ever to be split like the Musketeers as the Hobbit which was planned as 2 movies but released as 3, and by an amazing coincidence featured Christopher Lee.

@KCrouton 4 жыл бұрын

That was a superb Part II. Well researched, written and narrated with superb insights. Bravo! 👏👏👏

@intuitiveeevee 3 жыл бұрын

Love your videos, thank you. Live how Lee wrote "no" and "ridiculous " on his script, I heard that is why he refused to speak in one of the Dracula films, I felt he was far more terrifying when he didn't speak

@spiderlime Жыл бұрын

there's a documentary about hammer studios, in which a scene from an unmade direct sequel to taste the blood of dracula is recreated: his ashes and ring are discovered by vagabonds in the ruined chapel, and blood would presumably fall on them in a scuffle with a piliceman.

@hiddentrailvideo6992 4 жыл бұрын

I think you outdid Part 1 here 👍 I just hope the views reflect that

@bobbytate9907 4 жыл бұрын

The worst mistake Hammer ever made was killing off Christopher Neame's Johnny Alucard in AD1972. He was worth a film series by himself!!

@warrensmith6214 4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely fantastic viewing,a real treat for an old Hammer fan.

@romaneberle 9 ай бұрын

lol, german distributors were quite creative with that kind of stuff around the time - the german release title of "dracula a.d. 1972" was "dracula chases mini-girls" ("dracula jagt mini-maedchen") ("mini" being the short dress of the girls)

@keshiajunuies8966 4 жыл бұрын

Loved part1 and have waited anxiously for part 2. Great job 👍

@geraldkeilman8149 4 жыл бұрын

Flawless. Simply amazing work. Thank you.

@graveyardshowpodcast 4 жыл бұрын

Well done! I always find myself returning to the Christopher Lee Dracula movies, and it just shows you the impact he had on these films with little screen time. Thank you for putting this great 2-part feature together. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

@kylemclean-bailey8605 4 жыл бұрын

Hyped for this one, boys! Hit me with that Hammer goodness

@pandora50 4 жыл бұрын

Hammer going away was the best thing to happen ever

@kevinice2841 2 жыл бұрын

There was no mention of his cameo as "Ship's Vampire" in 'The Magic Christian' (1969) with Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr.

@rogermorris9696 4 жыл бұрын

Another excellent documentary. You can see Lee's skill as an actor even in the bad Dracula Movies. One of my favourite roles his was when he played M.R James and just sat around telling his (M.R James'S) ghost stories.

@robinbailes5236 4 жыл бұрын

Completely agree about his performance as M. R. James, that was a wonderful series.

@SonnyGreenwichJr 4 жыл бұрын

That was fantastic! Thank you so much! Salutations from chilly Kinsale! ☘️💪🏽👀👍🏽☘️

@JosephVice 2 жыл бұрын

Please put a link to this video in the description of part 1. It took me a solid 5 minutes to hunt for part 2. I love your work

@caryblack5985 4 жыл бұрын

Extremely well done documentary. You clearly researched Lee in depth. A Peter Cushing documentary would be very welcome.

@pobbard 2 жыл бұрын

I think you hit the nail on the head when you talk about Lee's "proprietary" feelings towards the character, and why he continued to participate/appear as Dracula long after he had begun expressing dissatisfaction with the various portrayals. And of course, Lee was always working, and Hammer was providing a paycheck, even if a modest one. (Whenever I see/read about Lee complaining about one of the Dracula films, I think about his Fu Manchu films, which are - if anything - just as cheap and slapdash as Hammer's worst, and have of course aged much more badly, even in Lee's own lifetime!)

@glenmcculla6843 4 жыл бұрын

Another great video, guys - thanks for giving us these gems. If i recall correctly, my first Hammer Dracula film was 'Brides', which obviously doesn't have Mr Lee in it. My first Lee Dracula film was Franco's 'Count Dracula', which isn't Hammer.:/ I think my favourite Hammer Drac has to be a joint win between 'Risen From the Grave' and 'Taste the Blood'. I used to have the Warner Bros VHSes and would watch them back to back as one epic movie. Good times.