Dracula A.D. 1972
Writers: Don Houghton
Stars: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Stephanie Beachum, Christopher Neame, and Caroline Munro
Music: Mike Vickers
Opening Thoughts:
When it comes to horror in film two studios come to mind Universal Pictures and Hammer Film Productions. In fact, Hammer sometimes gets the reputation of only having released horror films. Which is simply just not the case. Hammer went into other genres such as science fiction with Quatermass and the Pit and comedy with On the Buses. The latter film, On the Buses, was the second highest grossing film in the U.K. in 1971.
That being said in 1971, Hammer was still trying to ride off the success of their earlier horror films from the 1950's. Pick up a copy of Horror of Dracula, what you will see is British romanticism mixed in with brilliant set designs, colors, and an almost always fall like in the Victorian period. Absolutely breath taking back then.
As we all know times change and in order to sell well in the 1960's, Hammer started combining their Gothic style films with more violence and nudity. Sure that method sold well to overseas markets, but when you limit yourself to one area for so long then it is time for a change.
What change can you make is the question? You can drop the horror element altogether, but then that means you might lose the talent of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. You might try a reboot to the series very common today by switching actors. Just one last thought how about moving the characters to the modern age and making a film around that.
In 1972, that is what Hammer just did they wanted to modernize their Dracula films by putting him into a present day situation. On the surface, if a friend said they were doing this today I might tell that friend Hammer is just trying to run their property into the ground. What we ended up getting was Dracula A.D. 1972. Was the film a success in change or just a low-point in Hammer history.
One thing is for sure you either love this film or hate this film. Roger Ebert gave this film one star when first released, while both Kim Newman and Tim Burton consider this film among their favorites. Myself in 1992, when I first saw this film I loved it, but has my feelings changed 25 years later.
Plot:
We open up in the year 1872, Lawrence Van Helsing and Dracula are having their final confrontation on top of a stagecoach. The stagecoach crashes and Van Helsing wins at the cost of his own life. At this time a mysterious man (Christopher Neame) walks in and collects some of the ashes of Dracula.
All of a sudden plane flies out of nowhere and we are in the year 1972. With Mike Vickers score playing to the opening credits. After the credits roll, we find ourselves at a birthday party with the band Stoneground playing. The parents are going crazy because the party has been crashed by a group of anti-socials, aka hippies and beatniks.
What becomes clear fast is that this group of anti-socials, seems to get off on testing everything to the limits. The group knows the police are being called, but they do not care. Instead, the group decides to play a betting a game on how soon the police will show up. This group clearly gets their kicks from this type of behavior.
The group meets up the next day, but clearly has no clue to what Alucard has in mind. One thing is for sure, Alucard has a special interest in Jessica Van Helsing, Stephanie Beacham. Alucard wants Jessica to be the special fake sacrifice to call on the dead. Jessica hesistates and her friend Laura Bellows, Caroline Munro, takes her place. Alucard's plan works to call on the dead, but unfortunately for the rest of the group they do not realize they called upon Dracula. Even more unfortunate, Laura is Dracula's first victim.
The rest of the group flee the abandon church and Alucard spends the rest of the film slowly trying everything he can to get Jessica to go out with him so he can trap her for Dracula. It's essentially a game of cat mouse to where one victim after another keeps dying as Alucard keeps failing his mission. After one too many failures Drucala finally gives Alucard the power of the vampires to trap Jessica.
Meanwhile the deaths keep piling up and perplexed by the strangeness of the deaths, inspector Murray, Michael Coles, from Scotland Yard pays Lorrimer Van Helsing, Peter Cushing, a visit. The strangeness and mixed in that Van Helsing's granddaughter is apart of the group Murray hopes that both Van Helsing's can give an answer to clear up what is going on. Lorrimer right away knows he is dealing with a vampire and maybe something much more dangerous than that.
While doing his homework, Lorrimer, quickly discovers he is probably dealing with Dracula. Which leads him to place a rosary around Jessica's neck to protect her.
What happens next is a rollercoaster of events leading Jessica to get captured. Van Helsing racing all throughout the city in a chase trying to find Alucard and save his grandaughter. Battle sequences between Van Helsing and vampires. A preparation scene for the final showdown between Van Helsing and Dracula to try and save his bloodline.
Initial Thoughts after watching the film 25 years later:
A lot of stuff is happening in this film that is not normal for a Hammer Dracula film. One thing is not everyone who dies turns into a vampire. Dracula will choose to kill you in this film or turn you into a vampire if he wants you to have the powers. Which I actually like that idea simply drinking the blood is not enough to turn you into a vampire. Unfortunately for us, that means Caroline Munro gets very little screen time.
Hammer is still using running water as one way to kill a vampire. I get that notion, but find that to be a very anticlimactic way to kill a vampire. Christopher Lee gets very little screen time and feels like he does not even want to be in the role. Lee in fact would only do one more Dracula role for Hammer after this film.
This film may not have been a failure others make it out to be. There are alot of sequences the 1987 film Lost Boys seems to borrow for their ideas. Like antisocial kids, setting up for a final showdown, and a rollercoaster of events. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer, seems to borrow from this film a lot. Maybe the film was just too far ahead of it's time to be liked by alot of people.
I think the issue here is much more complex than that and more has to do with the kids seeming they were like hippies, treatment of certain age groups in stereotypical ways, and continuity errors that plague this film throughout the entire thing. To some people, they couldn't even look past Mike Vicker's, Manfred Mann, musical score of jazz influenced rock sound in the back. While I think that score is one of thing's that make this film special.
Continuity Errors:
In the long run what makes this film suffer more than anything else is just continuity errors. The film takes place in 1972, but opens in 1872. Supposedly that makes Lorrimer at least 99 years old. Certain characters like Bob turn into vampires out of nowhere. Other characters who were supposedly important enough to be in the film just disappear like Inspector Murray. In all honesty this film needed about 20 minutes more to stop the continuity errors.
Final Thoughts:
Despite the huge glaring errors and a lackluster performance from Christopher Lee. Peter Cushing puts on a stellar performance. Christopher Neame also shines through in his role and is believable as one of the villain. Neame could have even possibly replaced Malcolm McDowell in a Clockwork Orange based on his performance in this film.
To be honest despite my love for the Gothic horror Hammer films, even I by this point in the series I was getting tired of watching the Dracula films. I understand to some people breaking from this tradition is sin, but to me it brought the series some fresh needed new blood. Houghton the writer, Inferno for Doctor Who, delivered what could have been the start to a modern day Van Helsing movie series investigating the abnormal with the Scotland Yard. Despite the bad reviews from critics, the concept worked enough for a direct sequel to be made for this film.
In the long run, this film has no business being as good as it is. The concept, mixed with Mike Vickers's score, and superb performances from Cushing and Neame put this film over the top for me as easily the second best Dracula film Christopher Lee is in the Hammer series and feels the least dated out of the bunch.
Solid score of a 7/10 for me
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