Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Dracula: Prince of Darkness Blu-ray Movie Review

The wait sucks.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 21, 2014

Count Dracula is often mentioned as Christopher Lee’s most iconic character, with the actor playing the famous bloodsucker in nine different movies over the course of his career. With such immediate popularity, triggered by the 1958 release of “Dracula” (co-starring Peter Cushing), it seems odd that Hammer Films waited eight years to mount a follow-up with the actor, finally arriving at a point of cinematic resurrection with 1966’s “Dracula: Prince of Darkness,” only to rob the monster of all his lines and delay his introduction to comedic degree. Despite its routine dramatic interests and habitual need to postpone the inevitable, “Prince of Darkness” has enough proper Hammer Horror elements to engage, gifting the viewer the titular ghoul, a creepy castle located in the middle of nowhere, and a cast of innocents who boldly step into the line of fire, completely ignoring repeated pleas for vigilance. It’s almost enough to fuel an effort that practically refuses access to its most interesting screen element.

On a vacation through Eastern Europe, Englishman Alan (Charles Tingwell), his wife Helen (Barbara Shelley), brother Charles (Francis Matthews), and his wife Diana (Suzan Farmer) stop off near the Carpathian Mountains during their journey. Delighting in the local culture, the foursome is warned by militant monk Sandor (Andrew Keir) to remain in town for the night, avoiding a nearby castle that’s tempting for outsiders. Trying to heed the advice, the group finds themselves drawn to the fortress, welcomed by servant Klove (Phillip Latham), who arranges for dinner and accommodations, looking to comfort the visitors. While Helen communicates clear hesitation with the entire offer, Alan and Charles carry on, planning to spend the night. Once the sun goes down, trouble arises when Klove carries out a master plan of resurrection, reviving Count Dracula (Christopher Lee), who targets his guests for feeding purposes and bride duties, forcing Sandor back into battle when his services are requested to destroy the vampire once again.

To help audiences out with history, a brief prologue is provided in “Prince of Darkness,” displaying the climax of the 1958 feature, where the titular menace was hit with daylight and fried into ashes, making a return to his undead form seemingly impossible. Well, never doubt the power of profit, with the production cooking up a way to turn dust into dollars, concocting a gruesome resurrection sequence that employs globs of innocent blood as the catalyst for Dracula’s return. It’s a fantastic moment in a movie that could use a few more of them, with director Terence Fisher employing smart special effects and crafty dissolves to sell the creation of the monster’s human form. While “Prince of Darkness” lacks a great deal of tension, this moment is sensational, generating a gross-out factor to compete with the mystery, bringing Dracula back to life in a most imaginative way.

The rest of “Prince of Darkness” lacks spark, but it has enormous atmosphere. The castle setting is utilized well by Fisher, who works with cinematographer Michael Reed to generate a troubled mood of gothic curiosity, with the four tourists inching around the interiors, trying to decode why they’re being so readily welcomed by Klove and his dutiful creepiness. Lighting plays an important role in the picture, making Dracula’s lair a funhouse of color and shadow, creating discomfort when the script fails to find a riveting pulse of confusion. It’s a visual push that brings “Prince of Darkness” personality and menace, a fact emphasized by Dracula’s lack of dialogue, with Lee handed zero lines to articulate the vampire’s wrath, permitted only close-ups and body language to communicate intent. It’s a bizarre creative choice, but one that’s lucky to have Lee around, who supplies satisfactory hisses and fang-baring looks as he torments his victims. Of course, to praise Lee means hanging around “Prince of Darkness” for nearly 50 minutes before he shows up -- an eternity in horror, especially when the whole production is built on the Count’s presence. Another curious choice, the delay of Dracula is perhaps imagined as a means to summon dread, but it mostly comes across as stalling, reducing the antagonist to a cameo in his own movie.

Additional padding is viewed in the final act of the picture, where the survivors of Dracula’s wrath turn to Sandor for aid, entering his monastery, meeting Ludwig (Thorley Walters), an unstable laborer with a weak mind (the Renfield figure of the work). The aside is pointless outside of allowing Dracula access to the building, stopping the film dead with an undefined character before it’s back up and running with a suitably energized conclusion. Although “Prince of Darkness” is entertaining, it’s also strangely throttled, finding Fisher almost fearful of building excitement or suspense, refusing to allow it play all the way to the end.

Dracula: Prince of Darkness Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Brought to Blu-ray after an advertised restoration, the AVC encoded image (2.36:1 aspect ratio) does showcase a distinct reawakening for the decades-old picture. Colors are the most predominant visual element, delivering bright, deep hues that emerge from intricate lighting and considerable bloodshed, which flows with a pleasing redness -- a ghoulish mood that extends to Dracula's demonic eyes. Costuming also looks true, while skintones register naturally. There is noticeable filtering employed to control the heavy presence of grain, making the image look a tad artificial. Thankfully, fine detail isn't completely diluted, with a textured look at fabrics and make-up, allowing viewers to study Lee's vampiric transformation and gore zone visits. Blacks are largely consistent, enduring a few instances of crush that solidify evening activity.

Dracula: Prince of Darkness Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound mix carries itself with a decent amount of stability, creating the intended mood of suspense without distortion. Scoring takes the lead here, offering adequate instrumentation and sharp swells of intensity, providing a welcome backdrop for the visual elements while taking charge of the moment when called on to do so. Dialogue is crisp and clean, and while verbal interactions aren't a priority for the production, expositional moments engage as intended, with dramatic purpose defined. Castle and exterior atmospherics aren't powerful, but there's enough energy and definition to articulate disparate environments.

Dracula: Prince of Darkness Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with actors Christopher Lee, Suzan Farmer, Francis Matthews, and Barbara Shelley is a crowded chat without a moderator, leaving the talent to fend for themselves. Lee, never short on ego, dominates the conversation, making every anecdote about him and his regret that he couldn't inject more Bram Stoker into the picture. BTS anecdotes are minimal, but the conversation rarely stops dead.

• "World of Hammer: Christopher Lee" (24:58, SD) is a 1990 episode of a syndicated series created to celebrate all things Hammer Horror. Narrated by Oliver Reed, the program explores the iconic characters played by Lee, with emphasis on his stint as Dracula.

• "Back to Black" (30:33, HD) is a documentary focused on "Prince of Darkness," where Hammer sought to boost their fortunes by putting another Dracula picture into production. Interviews with admirers, journalists, and cast members (Shelley and Matthews) fill out the conversation, which carries from the film shoot to scoring highlights to restoration efforts, attempting to shine a much deserved light on this sequel.

• Restoration Comparison (3:56, HD) shares a handful of scenes, exposing their faded history and refreshed future.

• Still Gallery (5:46) details numerous items from the "Prince of Darkness" marketing effort, offering a look at posters, publicity photos, and snaps of on-set camaraderie.

• A Theatrical Trailer (:36, HD) is offered, though it's actually an advertisement for a double bill with "Frankenstein Created Woman," with no footage included.

Dracula: Prince of Darkness Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The macabre tone of "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" is enticing, and while the consistency of the movie is lacking, Lee's movement as the vampire, along with capable performances from the rest of the cast, manage to support the film through plenty of dry stretches and odd storytelling directions. The insidious hallmarks of Hammer Horror are pronounced throughout the feature, allowing for appreciation instead of boredom, arranging a reliable ride for fans of the genre and the studio.