I think anyone who feels BOD is not  part of Hammer's` Dracula canon is a bit daft...The Count is dead, and I sure wished they left it that way!  That being said, what's left?...Van Helsing to continue his work of course, and THATS the focus here. The problem is all these inferior Dracula revivals. If Dracula 58 was the only one Sir Chrstopher did he would not have to be embarrassed by the sequels, But they made him into a caricature. When I see Dracula teamed up on a Turner DVD with the sequels it makes me shake my head..... BOD is great Hammer (although I was  a bit disapointed by the ending, not the build up to it). It is one of the best continuing stories, and very original for Hammer. Great photography, sets, direction and solid cast...It's great even without James Bernard  music and that's saying something!!!  What I'm really getting at here, sorry, is that BOD is IMHO the only sequel to Dracula (HOD) worthy and neccessary...........