The Satanic Rites of Dracula Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

The Satanic Rites of Dracula Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 13, 2019

Hammer Film Productions made plenty of creative, interesting, and even game-changing horror films between the 1950s and 1970s, but Alan Gibson’s The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) isn’t one of them. It’s routinely ranked at or near the bottom of their back catalog along with its like-minded predecessor Dracula A.D. 1972, and the fact that this film was shelved for two years in its home country -- even longer in the U.S., where it was re-titled Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride -- should tell you that the studio didn’t have high hopes either. While it is notable for containing the last on-screen appearance of Christopher Lee as our title vampire (his seventh), another terrific performance by Peter Cushing, and of course a few effective scares along the way, there’s precious little else that makes The Satanic Rites of Dracula worthy of standing alongside most of Hammer’s previous horror output.

Taking place soon after the events of Dracula A.D. 1972 and initially planned for release less than a year later, this direct sequel continues the questionable trend of keeping Dracula smack in the middle of 1970s London. Not that it matters much, because the good Count is basically a supporting character in his own movie: the bulk of the proceedings involve a mysterious Satanic cult led by Chin Yang (Barbara Yu Ling), from which a Secret Service agent (Maurice O'Connell) escapes with life-threatening injuries. He’s able to spill the beans before succumbing to his wounds and, after learning that several dignitaries are linked to the cult, Inspector Murray (Michael Coles) of Scotland Yard is on the case. Professor Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) joins the team due to his expertise in the occult, and it’s not long before he pays a visit to one of the suspected cult members: top scientist Julian Keeley (Freddie Jones), Van Helsing’s friend and former colleague. It’s all part of a puzzle that also involves mysterious motorcycle drivers, the bubonic plague, and a mysterious property developer known as D. D. Denham. Hint: he's got fangs.

As the humble write-up implies, The Satanic Rites of Dracula is not exactly a tightly-written horror film, regardless of the low budget. It’s a hot mess of plot holes, extraneous supporting characters, poor editing, and too many red herrings that build towards a lukewarm climax. The era-specific original score by John Cacavas sits somewhere in the middle: there are a few highlights along the way, but most of it doesn’t mesh well with the franchise's traditionally Gothic atmosphere. But it’s not a total loss: The Satanic Rites of Dracula features reliably good lead performances by Cushing and Lee, while many of the supporting character make the most of what they’ve been given. Additionally, a handful of driving and action sequences are capably shot, while we also get a few genuinely good scares along the way. Yet this all doesn’t even add up to the sum of Satanic Rites' modest parts, and it’s no wonder why Lee never returned to the role. (Cushing, on the other hand, would portray Van Helsing a year later in Hammer’s surprisingly good martial arts / horror mash-up, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires , a joint venture with Shaw Brothers Studio.)

Despite the film’s notoriously low ranking within the studio’s deep catalog, The Satanic Rites of Dracula has its fans and they’re sure to appreciate Warner Archive Collection’s brand-new Blu-ray edition. It’s been a long time coming since the film’s last mainstream domestic home video release, a DVD produced by Anchor Bay all the way back in 2001. The film looks and sounds great and is fully uncut, so anyone who already purchased WAC’s Blu-ray of Dracula A.D. 1972 should know that it’s of similar quality. The technical merits don't make it a better movie, just a better looking one.

The Satanic Rites of Dracula Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in a slightly modified 1.78:1 aspect ratio (presumably, the original 1.85:1 image has been opened up slightly, a common WB practice), The Satanic Rites of Dracula looks better than ever on Warner Archive Collection's Blu-ray. This film has endured quite a long wait since Anchor Bay released it on DVD back in 2001, but the consistently good 1080p transfer looks to be right on par with many comparable Hammer titles including Dracula A.D. 1972: it's an extremely colorful film at times, and the primaries -- including red, obviously -- really stand out without (figuratively) bleeding. Black levels are also quite good despite a few very slight signs of crush, while shadow detail similarly looks a little chunky; these may very well be source material issues and nothing more. Similarly, fine detail is inconsistent and appears quite soft during certain sequences; other moments, such as Peter Cushing's Lorrimer Van Helsing walking to visit his colleague Julian Keeley (screenshot #2), look so exceptional that I paused to admire the architecture. Small moments like these, paired with the knowledge that past releases were in questionable condition and usually cut, only reinforce the obvious notion that The Satanic Rites of Dracula has never looked better on home video. Advertised as a new restoration, it was likely sourced from a fine-grain master positive and thoroughly cleaned with no obvious use of digital noise reduction or other dubious processing techniques. In short, fans will be enormously pleased.

The Satanic Rites of Dracula Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio tracks does what it can with The Satanic Rites of Dracula's one-channel source material, which sounds about as good as possible given the film's age and format. Dialogue is typically clean and easy to follow, while the era-specific score by John Cacavas (Kojak) sounds crisp and dynamic even if it doesn't mesh well with Dracula's traditionally Gothic roots. No major defects, drop-outs, or major sync issues could be detected along the way, although the latter slightly drifts in and out during a few scenes likely dubbed in ADR. As a whole, it's a solid effort that, like the video presentation, represents the highest-quality version currently available on home video.

Optional English SDH subtitles have been included during the main feature, and are not ALL CAPS like many more recent Warner Archive Collection releases. The sooner they permanently return to this format, the better.

The Satanic Rites of Dracula Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Although Anchor Bay's 2001 DVD also included a bonus episode of the 1994 television series The World of Hammer ("Dracula and the Undead", which originally aired on August 19th of that year) and a pair of theatrical trailers, two of those three extras have not been carried over to Warner Archive Collection's Blu-ray.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:36) - This is the UK version and, though in rough condition, is at least presented in 1080p widescreen. It's also available on Hammer's official YouTube channel if you haven't seen it yet.

The Satanic Rites of Dracula Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Alan Gibson's The Satanic Rites of Dracula is nowhere near the best entry in Hammer Films' back catalog and, along with its predecessor Dracula A.D. 1972, is usually ranked at or near the bottom. I personally feel as if this sequel smooths over a few glaring problems made by the earlier film...but Dracula's placement within the backdrop of 1970s London still doesn't feel like an ideal fit, and Satanic Rites' story is still a mess of plot holes, dead ends, and too many supporting characters. Though it's not without a few great performances and moments, these aren't enough to save the overall film from anything but the haze of nostalgia. Nonetheless, The Satanic Rites of Dracula has its fans and they'll appreciate Warner Archive's new Blu-ray, which offers a much-needed A/V upgrade but almost no extras.