Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writer:

Anthony Hinds (writer)

Release Date:

6 February 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Horror

Tagline:

You just can't keep a good man down!

Plot:

When his castle is exorcised, Dracula plots his revenge against the Monsignor who performed the rites...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Coffin | Dracula | Priest | Pub

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Dracula
Rupert Davies	...	Monsignor Ernest Mueller
Veronica Carlson	...	Maria Mueller
Barbara Ewing	...	Zena
Barry Andrews	...	Paul
Ewan Hooper	...	Priest
Marion Mathie	...	Anna Mueller
Michael Ripper	...	Max
John D. Collins	...	Student
George A. Cooper	...	Landlord
Christopher Cunningham	...	Farmer (as Chris Cunningham)
Norman Bacon	...	Mute Boy

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) (2004) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (video rating) (1993) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Germany:16 (DVD release) | West Germany:16 (VHS rating) | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:G (certificate #21909) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

Christopher Lee loved to recount the following tale: Hammer was given a Queen's Award to Industry while shooting the final scenes of Dracula impaled on the rocks, with a group of British government dignitaries watching as Lee thrashed around screaming and pouring with gore. After the scene wrapped, a minister turned to wife and said, "That man is a member of my club."

Goofs:

Continuity: when the Monsignor and the priest leave the church for the castle (which casts its shadow on the church) its supposed to be dawn, yet it's dark when the Monsignor arrives.

Quotes:

Dracula: There is a girl...
Zena: What girl?
Dracula: The niece of the monsignor.
Zena: [with disgust] Maria?
Dracula: Bring her to me.
Zena: But what do you want her for? You've got me!
Dracula: [slaps her in the face] Bring her to me!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)

A Dissenting View

For me, this sequel to such Hammer greats as Horror of Dracula, Brides of Dracula, and Dracula Prince of Darkness is a weak link in the Hammer Dracula series. The opening is well-done in typical Hammer shock style, but from then on it is a pretty muddled story of the Count reeking revenge on a priest for exorcising his castle. The biggest problem I think with the film is the script. The film has all the elements for a successful Hammer film..great cinematography, gothic castle and settings, good acting with Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, and Michael Ripper, beautiful Hammer Beauties(Veronica Carlson..Va Va VaBoom), lush costuming and so on. The story is the weak link as it is a bit hard to make complete sense of and has little depth and motivation for its characters, as well I think as some rather tame and uninspired direction from Freddie Francis(though on a whole I am a great admirer of his work). Maybe it is me....as all the other reviewers seem to adore it. When I watched it I was just very disappointed. It is not a terrible film, but just a letdown.