The
last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC
RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves
thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.
Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974,
but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five
years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent
company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film
was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by
several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.
Liberty's
transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying
soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was
super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained
the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original
title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner
owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed
out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of
film.
Thankfully,
the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able
to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released
officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally
in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical
aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy
side in certain spots.
For once, the
source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there,
and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and
do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's
earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.
The film itself
immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D.
1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides
in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious
citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over
the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing),
and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.
It sort of plays
like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's
espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as
Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley
(as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very
offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full
of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking
of Valerie Van Ost.
The most prominent
flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist
D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus
destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between
Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap
as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught
in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.
Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster. (George R. Reis)