Countess
Dracula (1971)
Review by
Jude Felton
Like many
others, I imagine, my first consistent exposure to horror was through the films
of Hammer. Growing up in the UK you could rest assured that these pups would
make frequent appearances on television, especially on a Friday evening. The
seeds were sown, and Christopher Lee was the villain extraordinaire; Hammer
will always hold a spot close to my heart. So, it’s always a thrill to see the
new Blu-ray/DVD combo releases from Synapse drop into the mail box.
Although I
missed the last release, Hands of the Ripper, both Vampire Circus and
especially Twins of Evils were terrific releases. Twins was beautiful and a
thoroughly entertaining movie. Vampire Circus was just downright weird, yet
still a blast. Both, however, were given wonderful treatment by Synapse.
The good
news, with Countess Dracula, is that once again Hammer has been afforded
wonderful treatment on this new Blu-ray/DVD combo. The artwork is a love it or
hate it affair, although the sleeve is reversible, so you’re bound to dig one
of them, and there’s some delightful extras attached, for your increased
viewing pleasure. And then there is the film itself.
Originally
released in 1971, Countess Dracula features the staple isolated European locations,
complete with villagers and the wealthy alike. In the midst of this is Countess
Elizabeth; a ropey old woman, to which age has not been kind to her. Not to
worry though, as she inadvertently discovers that blood will restore her youth,
and much shenanigans will ensue. Mind you, it’s not all as straightforward as
the Countess would like to believe…
As a film,
this has most of, if not all, the Hammer staples. You’ve got plenty of
cleavage, Ingrid Pitt as the Countess is gorgeous, a fair smattering of blood
(although it is quite tame by Hammer’s standards) and even one of the townsfolk
that looks remarkably like Stanley Kubrick. However, for my personal tastes it
is one of Hammer’s less notable movies; it just didn’t work as well as some
others.
This is not
to say it’s not a good film, or that it is not entertaining, I just prefer
other films from the studio. Will you want it in your collection? Hell yes you
will; it is still classic Hammer and there will be many that will lap it up. It
just wasn’t a personal favorite for me; I prefer my Dracula’s to have fangs and
to turn into bats now and again. Countess Dracula owes far more to Countess
Bathory than it does to Sir Christopher Lee’s iconic Count.
As a release
though, which I briefly mentioned earlier, it is a beauty. Aside from the
packaging and extras, that are included, the film also looks beautiful; with a
nice freshness to it that breathes new life into this classic of UK horror.
Whilst it may
not have floated my proverbial boat, as a movie, it is still a wonderful
release that should not be overlooked. Personal tastes differ from person to
person and I may well be in the minority here, as I don’t think it is Hammer’s
best. However, Synapse plus Hammer plus Blu-ray (and Ingrid Pitt) generally
speaking adds up to being a winner, and that’s no exception here in terms of
the quality of the release.
I already
asked if you’ll want this in your collection, now I’ll ask if you should add it
to your collection. The answer to both is definitely yes.
Countess Dracula is released on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack from Synapse Films.
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