Monday, October 26, 2020

Horrorfest 2020: Hammerfest - Taste the Blood of Dracula


Starring Christopher Lee, Linda Hayden, Geoffrey Keen and Gwen Watford

Written by Anthony Hinds and directed by Peter Sasdy

A Black Mass celebrating hedonistic lord purchases Dracula's remains from a traveling salesman, and embroils three bored and debauched gentleman in a plot to resurrect the oft-killed vampire. One thing leads to another and it's not long before Dracula is resurrected, and hunting down each of the three gentlemen.

I hate to say it but even with Christopher Lee at front and center, this is where the Dracula movies start to sort of run out of steam and blur together. At the very least you can say this is an interesting idea -- there's no real "good" guys, at least not for most of the movie -- no Van Helsing stand in, just three selfish, debauched, hypocritical "gentlemen" who want to party in brothels and instead run afoul of a vampire. So you sort of don't feel bad for them when Dracula does them in.

At this point one of the only reasons to watch these is to see the variety of ways they do away with Dracula and this time, spoiler warning, he's done away by... a church. See, he set up his home base in a de-sanctified church, and then returns to it after it has been re-sanctified. Unable to put up with being surrounded by so many holy things, he turns to dust.

I wonder if he'll be back? Just kidding, of course he will.

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