Dracula: Prince of Darkness in Hammer Horror Forum

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Dracula: Prince of Darkness

Author	Comment
Venomous 1974	Dracula: Prince of Darkness	Lead	[-]
Sep 16 06 4:51 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I recently acquired a copy of this through e-bay (Although it is a RW that they passed off to me as factory sealed.) Does anyone know if they will rerelease this, and why is it the only in the series that has been discontinues?
BijouBob8mm	Re: Dracula: Prince of Darkness	#1	[-]
Sep 18 06 10:53 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Anchor Bay released a number of Hammer Films in the late '90s to VHS and, later, to DVD. That early wave of Hammer horror from Anchor is now out of print. (They also offered the best-looking SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, the only one taken from Hammer master material and not the battered old print an endless stream of bargain bin companies used.) It was later reissued as a double feature DVD from them, along with 9 other Hammer double bills using earlier Anchor Bay inventory. (In fact, I think it was paired up with SATANIC RITES.)
Count Crooklock	dead right Bijou	#2	[-]
Sep 18 06 5:09 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	it was a POD/SATANIC RITES double bill these anchor bay hammers are superb i have a few myself
themaskedmarble	Re: dead right Bijou	#3	[-]
Sep 20 06 5:03 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	This is one of my favorite Hammer films and my favorite of the Dracula series. It's really an excercise in mood, but a very accomplished one. Love the tracking shots through the hallways!
telegonus	Re: dead right Bijou	#4	[-]
Sep 23 06 1:38 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It's my favorite Hammer Dracula, too, and near the top of my list of Hammer favorites as well. Andrew Keir really steals the show in this one, but you're right, the mood is splendid, and the way the story moves from Good place to Bad Place is most interesting. I very much like the style of the film, which seems to improve every time I see it.
Monsterpal	Re: dead right Bijou	#5	[-]
Sep 23 06 1:08 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I rank it among the top four, tied with TASTE for third place, after HofD AND BofD.
Alias the Scarecrow	Re: dead right Bijou	#6	[-]
Sep 24 06 9:00 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	And having the beautiful Barbara Shelley as a sexy lady vampire doesn't hurt this film either!
R T C Tim	New UK disc	#7	[-]
Sep 24 06 11:50 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	There is a fresh new UK DVD release of D:PoD due by the end of the year. Hopefully it will be an anamorphic version of the good looking Studio Canal print used in the existing R2 WB release, but no confirmation yet. --- Mondo-Esoterica.net - Cult DVD reviews from Hammer to Spaghetti Westerns.
wellspacedout	Re: New UK disc	#8	[-]
Sep 24 06 3:29 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	THanks Tim thats news i will leat up, chew on & churn arounf in my belly for a few weeks, I v'e been waiting to get ahold of it for ages in the UK but never had luck plus they stopped playing the classic hammer's on Friday nights now too some time ago i believe.
paleoguy	Re: New UK disc	#9	[-]
Sep 24 06 5:10 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I like DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS, but it's probably fourth, or maybe even fifth, on my preferred list of Hammer DRACULA films. Martin
Monsterpal	Re: New UK disc	#10	[-]
Sep 25 06 4:34 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I like PofD a lot. I remember that Dracula's resurrection scene was incredibly shocking back in the sixties, when the picture was first released, both for gore content and excellent special effects. Philip Latham (I think that's his name) was great as Klove. As noted, Barbara Shelley was marvelous. The film looks great in widescreen, and everything's terrific until the rather weak ending. I can even forgive that because it's unique in vampire film history, as far as I know.
Joe Karlosi	Re: New UK disc	#11	[-]
Sep 25 06 5:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I like the ending. Any time they try a different idea, it's cool with me (well, maybe Langella's DRACULA is an exception). ---------------------- "It's MORE ... than a hobby!"
themaskedmarble	Re: Drac	#12	[-]
Sep 29 06 7:56 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Read an interesting article years ago that discussed the parallel between Barbara's staking by the monks and a gang rape. Interesting take, but one that would have given Fisher fits.
Ted Newsom	Re: Drac	#13	[-]
Sep 30 06 7:34 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I doubt it. Remember, he was the one who gave Melissa Stribling the direction, "You've just had the best night of sex of your life," for the scene in which she breezes into the house in DRACULA after being out all night. Look at her smile and expression. He didn't often give "advice" to his performers, and she was very clear on that. I'd expect he knew exactly what he was doing with the staking scene... and Shelley's seductive approach to Suzan Farmer, too.
Joe Karlosi	Re: Drac	#14	[-]
Oct 1 06 5:56 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* Read an interesting article years ago that discussed the parallel between Barbara's staking by the monks and a gang rape. Of course. "Subtext" is everywhere! ---------------------- "It's MORE ... than a hobby!"
Ted Newsom	Re: Dracula: Prince of Darkness	#15	[-]
Oct 1 06 7:24 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	No it isn't! It isn't anywhere!
Monsterpal	Re: Drac	#16	[-]
Oct 1 06 12:42 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* I doubt it. Remember, he was the one who gave Melissa Stribling the direction, "You've just had the best night of sex of your life," for the scene in which she breezes into the house in DRACULA after being out all night. Look at her smile and expression. There's no question in my mind that this is true. My wife and I just watched HORROR OF DRACULA last night. There's no doubt that Melissa Stribling had the look of a very satisfied woman, as she walked in wearing that high fur collar and green coat. I guess Arthur Holmwood just wasn't doing his duty on the home front, at least not compared to that suave continental lover Count Dracula. My wife had never seen the entire picture before. She thought it was great.
grgstv338	Re: Drac	#17	[-]
Oct 1 06 2:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Heh, heh... I was wondering how long maskedmarble's comment would stand unresponded to... *Quote:* Read an interesting article years ago that discussed the parallel between Barbara's staking by the monks and a gang rape. I'd suggest reading (or re-reading) the section in Stoker's novel that deals with the staking of Lucy - a lot's been written about that scene, too. Of course, you could look at it as merely a graphically violent scene in a horror novel and nothing more - but there's no saying you have to. ;)
marygoodwinder	Re: Drac	#18	[-]
Oct 1 06 3:03 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I had read that Terence Fisher was extremely religious and frowned upon such interpretations.
grgstv338	Re: Drac	#19	[-]
Oct 1 06 6:18 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* I had read that Terence Fisher was extremely religious and frowned upon such interpretations. See Ted's earlier comment about his direction to Melissa Stribling. In many of his horror films, Fisher would repeatedly stress the attractiveness or seductiveness of evil - instead of the bad guy being an ugly brute, he (or she) is often very attractive or downright sexy. Just because someone is religious doesn't mean they're oblivious to the temptations (and implications) of sex.
Ted Newsom	Re: Drac	#20	[-]
Oct 1 06 8:43 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I don't think Fisher was overtly religious, nor did he ever particularly say that-- he simply saw good and evil at war in his films (or at least, the films he directed which interested him). Certainly Lee's interpretation of the role and the way Dracula's movements are staged in the first film have, as Michael Carreras said, "... a strong sexual element." And it's impossible to listen to Barbara Shelley's delivery of her dialogue to Suzie Farmer and not get the hint (with advance apologies to Joe Karlosi, who I expect to show up any minute and put a stake through all this subtext nonsense;). Since Drac in DPOD is a far less dimensional character, there isn't a lot of room for any character subtlety, but the implication inherent in the scene between Lee and Farmer in her monestary room is as clear as the scene in Stoker's book from which it stems. ("What implication? He's making her into a vampire! She's thirsty and he's given her a little fluid to drink. What's the big deal?!?!? There's nothing naughty about this! Jeeze. Some people just have wicked imaginations! These people and their subtexts..."

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Dracula: Prince of Darkness

Dracula: Prince of Darkness