Dracula 1972 A.D.

Dracula 1972 A.D.

1972

Director- Alan Gibson

Cast- Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Stephanie Beacham, Christopher Neame, Caroline Munro, Michael Coles, Janet Key, Michael Kitchen, William Ellis

            

     Like its predecessor, Scars of Dracula, this film takes place outside of the timeline established at the beginning of the series. Unlike its predecessor there’s no one named Paul! It also features the return of Peter Cushing to the franchise, his first appearance since Brides of Dracula.

            

     The film begins with Dracula and Van Helsing (Lee and Cushing) fighting it out on a runaway carriage. The carriage crashes. Van Helsing is mortally wounded but holds on long enough to see that Dracula has been impaled on a wagon wheel (not the most glamorous death). The lord of the undead soon withers away to dust and Van Helsing keels over dead. Unfortunately, one of Dracula’s acolytes soon swoops down and collects the Counts remains and buries them next to a church yard.

            

     Fast forward a hundred years to modern (for the time) London. Van Helsing’s descendant (played by Cushing) is an anthropologist that specializes in the occult. His niece, Jessica (Stephanie Beachum) hangs with a group of miscreant hippy types. Most of their thrills are limited to crashing house parties and free love. However, a new member of the group, Johnny Alucard (yeah that old gag again) seems to have more sinister interests.

            

     Johnny talks the group into conducting a black mass for kicks (it was the 70s you have to remember).  Like Taste the Blood of Dracula, this film tries to draw a parallel between Dracula and the Devil. The ceremony takes place in a desecrated church (right next to where Drac’s ashes are buried).Johnny is the latest descendant in a line that has always served Dracula and he uses the ceremony to bring the Count back from the grave. The group of kids freak out when things get weird and aren’t aware that the Count has returned. Dracula has his first snack on the beautiful Caroline Munro.

            

     The police investigate the murder and soon tie it to Jessica and her uncle. Van Helsing has a pretty good idea what’s going on and surprisingly the police detective leading the investigation (Michael Coles) believes him.

            

     Dracula bites his way through Jessica’s crew with the help of Johnny (now a vampire himself). The Count really wants Jessica but it seems like if you want something done right you have to do it yourself because Johnny is pretty pathetic as far as vampires go. When fighting Van Helsing, he seems to have absolutely no special vampire powers and pulls a switchblade. And how does Van Helsing kill him? Did he use a stake? Fire? Sunlight? No. Johnny gets killed by a shower. He falls in the shower and the running water kills him. Pathetic.

           

     

     The Count does get his hands on Jessica, leading to a final confrontation between the two sworn enemies. This time the Count meets his end by falling into a hole with sharp sticks. Not a very dramatic end but much more dignified than the way he would die in the next installment of the series.

            

     Compared to the rest of the franchise, Dracula 1972 A.D. is about middle of the road. As a Generation Xer I’m too young to really appreciate the whole free love thing. I kept expecting Austin Powers to show up in some of the films more groovy scenes.  I don’t think the modern setting worked very well compared to the other films, but kudos to Hammer for taking the chance and changing things up.

            

     The best reason to recommend the film is the cast of lovelies. One face that horror fans may recognize is Marsha Hunt, who plays one of the girls in Jessica’s circle of friends.  Marsha would have a much more prominent role as Mariana, the young hot werewolf in Howling 2.  Caroline Munro is the most recognizable starlet in the film having starred in numerous genre films including another Hammer vampire film, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter. The main attraction though is Stephanie Beachum. Hammer wardrobe choices always showed off the ladies tangible assets but Stephanie’s dress at the end of the film seems to be defying physics.

            

     Over all, an enjoyable film despite the annoying hippies. It was good to see Van Helsing vs. Dracula again.