Horrorfest 2017: Dracula A.D. 1972

What better way to wrap up Horrorfest 2017 than with a Hammer Dracula movie -- DRACULA A.D. 1972 from, you guessed it, 1972. This sequel in the long-running Dracula series was directed by Alan Gibson and has both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee returning as Van Helsing and Dracula, respectively. This was listed as one of Tim Burton's favorites, and if you've ever seen his version of SLEEPY HOLLOW, it's pretty clear Burton's a huge Hammer fan.

The conceit this time is to take Dracula to the (then) modern day of 1972. This way he can bite the necks of swinging Londoners and Hammer can save money on sets and costumes. It's an interesting idea, although it renders most of the middle portion of the film kind of boring. The beginning is awesome, starting in the past as Van Helsing hunts Dracula down yet again and impales him on a broken stage coach wheel. And the ending is also awesome as Van Helsing and Dracula do battle. But the middle is just kind of there.

Christopher Lee's take on Dracula is interesting because although he looks and dresses like the gentleman version of the character that we've come to know, he basically acts like an animal. He just single-mindedly wants blood and wants to continue his eternal life and will do anything to reach those goals. There's not much sneaking around when it comes to Lee's Dracula. It's almost like after centuries of being undead, he's sick of all the pretense and is ready to get on with it.

Cushing as Van Helsing is similarly to the point, portrayed as both smart and badass, and willing to go to great lengths to see that evil is destroyed. In this movie things are a little different, since Cushing is playing one of Van Helsing's present-day ancestors, instead of the doctor himself, but it isn't long before we start to see the familial resemblance.

So there you have it -- another 31 horror movies down, just in time for another happy Halloween.