Dracula AD 1972 (1972)

Acting:		Partying:		Girls:
Blood:		Language:		Gore:
Violence:		Humor:		Sexuality:
Torture:		Predictability:		Overall:

I reviewed this movie's sequel "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" earlier for this site. Like that film, this movie was an attempt by Hammer to update its decades old Dracula series and bring both the Count and Van Helsing into the swinging 70's. In many ways "Dracula AD 1972" is a remake of an earlier Hammer vampire flick "Taste the Blood of Dracula." In that movie, Victorian gentlemen dabble in devil worship out of boredom, only to bring forth the vampire lord yet again. In this film it's hippies, but the results are the same: Dracula lives - and sucks - in London.

The movie starts off with Van Helsing (his name needlessly changed here from Abraham to Lawrence) and Dracula doing final battle in the 19th Century. But after that brief flashback, it's into the 70's with Van Helsing's granddaughter (Stephanie Beacham) and her hippie friends. Ya' see they're bored with crashing parties and hanging out in coffee bars. They need a new kinda groove. And their suspiciously named pal Johnny Alucard (Christopher Neame) has just the right kind of groove in mind. Black Mass Rituals. As previously mentioned the ritual brings ol' fang face back to life and he's stalking the Van Helsing family for revenge. So of course, Grandpa Van Helsing (also played by Peter Cushing) wants to put the spike ...

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