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Amazon.co.uk Review
It took a long time for Hammer's 1958 version of Dracula to turn into a franchise, and it was ten years before Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, the third film in the series, continued where Dracula--Prince of Darkness (1965) left off. The vampire count is accidentally resurrected by the blood of a priest when Monsignor Muller (the excellent Rupert Davies replacing Peter Cushing, whose Professor Van Helsing is absent) exorcises Castle Dracula. The Lord of the Undead soon has the priest under his power, and sets about claiming the Monsignor's niece Maria (Veronica Carlson) as his bride. Maria is in love with Paul (Barry Andrews), more a 60's English "angry young man" than a Victorian hero, yet only he can save the day, the film contrasting his atheism against much Catholicism. Working as a taut, Gothic thriller, the intensity is maintained to a large degree by James Barnard's excellent score and, of course, by Christopher Lee's magnetic interpretation of Count Dracula. The eroticism is stronger than in previous Hammer Draculas, the palpably electric blood-lust marking the movie as a high-point before the series' gradual decline, beginning with Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970). --Gary S. Dalkin
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Dracula Has Risen From The Grave", has to be one of the best Dracula movies of all time. The film has a rich gothic feeling to it, and Christopher Lee makes the most of his role. He doesn't have much to say, but his presence as the bloodthirsty count are among the finest on the silver screen. Tall, dark and menacing. You don't have to rely on expensive special effects when you have an actor like Chris Lee around. A rock solid production.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
For the US release of Hammer's fourth Dracula film (only the third to actually feature Christopher Lee, the Count sitting out Brides of Dracula), Warner Bros. used a one-sheet of a woman's neck with a sticking plaster on it, following the title Dracula Has Risen From the Grave with the single word 'Obviously.' The film itself, however, is anything but tongue-in-cheek, and played deadly straight with a conviction the series gradually lost over the years. It's probably the best-looking of all the Hammer Dracula sequels, and also the first where Christopher Lee actually speaks. As usual he's almost a background figure for much of the film, with the bulk of the film carried by Barry Andrews' atheist student romancing Veronica Carlson's niece of Rupert Davies' Monsignor, who inadvertently starts the blood flowing again when his attempt to exorcise Dracula's castle only results in the Count being revived from his icy grave by blood from a convenient cut. Finding himself cast out of his home and aided by Ewan Hooper terrified priest (Renfield presumably being otherwise engaged), Dracula determines to take his revenge on Davies and his kin, stopping off en route for a light snack with Barbara Ewing's busty redheaded barmaid.
With a prologue that takes place before Dracula, Prince of Darkness and the main body of the film taking place a year later, it takes some liberties with the vampire mythology: the revived Dracula's first appearance is as a reflection, he has no problem removing crosses from willing girls' necks while a stake alone is no longer enough to kill him: you have to pray as well, which is a bit of a problem when your hero doesn't believe in God. Yet they're not as jarring as they might be, the latter resulting in one particularly memorably gory sequence. The change in director from Terence Fisher, sadly in decline at that time and unavailable due to a car crash, to Freddie Francis gives the film less of a production-line feel than most of the studio's Dracula series and, despite an awkward filter in some scenes and a distinctly jaundiced look for the Count, the film has a much more expansive look and feel almost unique in the series, with a striking and well-employed rooftop set courtesy of undervalued production designer Bernard Robinson and some relatively unfamiliar Pinewood standing sets rather than the overused backlot at Bray. He gets good performances too, with a particularly nice turn from Michael Ripper as an amiable innkeeper (as opposed to his usual miserable and terrified innkeepers).
Unfortunately while the PAL DVD boasts excellent colour and definition, some shots look oddly distorted, as if stretched, and the sound wanders in and out of synch far too often for comfort. On the plus side it does restore the censor cuts of about half a dozen gallons of blood spurting from Dracula's chest after he gets staked and includes the original trailer.
With a prologue that takes place before Dracula, Prince of Darkness and the main body of the film taking place a year later, it takes some liberties with the vampire mythology: the revived Dracula's first appearance is as a reflection, he has no problem removing crosses from willing girls' necks while a stake alone is no longer enough to kill him: you have to pray as well, which is a bit of a problem when your hero doesn't believe in God. Yet they're not as jarring as they might be, the latter resulting in one particularly memorably gory sequence. The change in director from Terence Fisher, sadly in decline at that time and unavailable due to a car crash, to Freddie Francis gives the film less of a production-line feel than most of the studio's Dracula series and, despite an awkward filter in some scenes and a distinctly jaundiced look for the Count, the film has a much more expansive look and feel almost unique in the series, with a striking and well-employed rooftop set courtesy of undervalued production designer Bernard Robinson and some relatively unfamiliar Pinewood standing sets rather than the overused backlot at Bray. He gets good performances too, with a particularly nice turn from Michael Ripper as an amiable innkeeper (as opposed to his usual miserable and terrified innkeepers).
Unfortunately while the PAL DVD boasts excellent colour and definition, some shots look oddly distorted, as if stretched, and the sound wanders in and out of synch far too often for comfort. On the plus side it does restore the censor cuts of about half a dozen gallons of blood spurting from Dracula's chest after he gets staked and includes the original trailer.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This movie is an entertaining romp, with a better script than usual plus quite a bit of suspense generated from smart direction by Freddie F. Mr Lee gets a very small amount of dialog but seems strangely a bit uneasy with it, perhaps he's distracted by the lovely Veronica Carlson. But it's actually the Saloon Barmaid role, Barbara Ewing? (if not try Marion Mathie), who steals both the actress and Hammer glamour roles. The suporting cast is good. Don't know why the box cover puts Rupert Davies name alongside Lee's, never heard of him. Certainly Miss Carlson's name for one would sell more copies. Well photographed. Grab ya pint, popcorn and watch it instead of James Bond.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
It's All In The Eyes
Ha! This is the first Christopher Lee - Dracula film I ever saw. Dated, corny hammed up and I LOVE IT! Loved Lee ever since and loved the genre too. A film for the nostalgic.
Published 15 days ago by Mr. E. Sierpowski
last of the really great
this movie marks the last of the really great dracula movies by hammer losing their way slightly with later films. Read more
Published 3 months ago by jed
An above average Dracula sequel from Hammer films
I rather like 'Dracula has risen from the grave'. Admittedly it is not as good as Hammer's original 1958 Dracula movie, but it is still, in my opinion, one of the studio's better... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Andrew Banks
Dracula Has Risen From The Grave [DVD] [1968]
An absolute classic horror movie.
I recommend to all the Hammer horror film fans.
I am really satisfaction to this purchase.
I recommend to all the Hammer horror film fans.
I am really satisfaction to this purchase.
Published 5 months ago by Tom65
Probably the best Dracula film ever
Had never seen this in colour till now ! As good as I remember it & the scene with the priest praying at the end is quite spooky !
Published 19 months ago by W. J. Rudge
The Vampire Strikes Back
Dracula is resurrected, ironically, by a priest after the clumsy cleric falls and bangs his bald bonce and the blood from the wound revives The Count. Read more
Published on 8 May 2010 by Jeremy W. Newbould
Stake out!
Not having seen this for a long time, to watch it again now in widescreen on a big TV was a real treat. Read more
Published on 21 April 2009 by S J Buck
Classic 60's Hammer,,
This is probably the last truly great Hammer Dracula offering. The film is quite satisfying from beginning to end, some hammy acting nothwithstanding. Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2009 by Lazydrake
Dracula Has Risen From the Grave
Dracula Has Risen From the Grave.
Still continuing their gothic setting, this film is characteristicly big on atmosphere, & is beautifully shot, containing some of my... Read more
Still continuing their gothic setting, this film is characteristicly big on atmosphere, & is beautifully shot, containing some of my... Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2007 by Wayne Jefferies
Dracula is back!!!
This is the third in the hammer dracula series, and although not quite as atmospheric as the first dracula is still a pretty decent effort. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2005
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