Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) d. Terence Fisher (UK) (90 min)
Following the triumph of Horror of Dracula, Christopher Lee avoided donning the fangs again for fear of typecasting (witness Bela Lugosi). He was eventually lured back into the cowl eight years (and a pile of guilt and cash) later for this rather predictable tale of two vacationing English couples (Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer, Charles Tingwell, Barbara Shelley) who wander into the Count’s almost-but-not-quite deserted castle in search of a good stake dinner.
Andrew Kier’s gruff Father Sandor respectably takes up the vampire hunting duties in place of the absent Cushing, and Shelley’s vivid character arc from priggish prude to prowling predator is a distinct highlight. However, Jimmy Sangster’s dialogue for the Count was reputedly so clumsy that Lee refused to utter a word of it, reducing his performance to a series of hisses, stares, and gestures. (Sangster says that there was never any dialogue written.) Even so, Lee’s substantial screen presence resonated with audiences, the film was another gigantic hit, and he eventually returned to the role four more times under the Hammer banner.
BONUS FEATURES
Both UK and U.S. Versions
NEW 4K Scan of the Interpositive of the US Version from the 20th Century Fox vaults
NEW Audio Commentary with author Troy Howarth
NEW Audio Commentary with filmmaker Constantine Nasr and writer/producer Steve Haberman
Audio Commentary with Cast Members Christopher Lee, Suzan Farmer, Francis Matthews, and Barbara Shelley
World of Hammer Episode “Dracula and the Undead”
"Back To Black – The Making of Dracula: Prince of Darkness"
Super 8mm Behind-The-Scenes Footage
Theatrical Trailers
Still Gallery
Dracula: Prince of Darkness is available now on blu-ray from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/dracula-prince-of-darkness-collector-s-edition?product_id=6916
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