Satanic Rites of Dracula (1974)

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... Helsing. The two only get a few brief scenes together, but they're more than worth the wait.

Cushing's Van Helsing is flanked by a group of spies and his trusty grand-daughter Jessica(played by a young,vavavoomy Joanna Lumley). This band of heroes is forced to work outside of the government due to Dracula's control over several powerful men in Britain. Again this echos Cold War era concerns, turning the Count into a sort of James Bond style spy master.

While the movie certainly has its moments, I certainly perfer the atmospheric Hammer horrors of the prior two decades. Dracula is a character that can work in a more modern context, but "Satanic Rites" gives us a Count that's nether fish nor fowl. (Or should that be bat nor wolf?)

It's not completely horrible though. There's plenty of grue for the gore hounds. And a basement full of vampire babes for those looking for classic Hammer cheesecake. But I certainly wouldn't suggest it for the casual vampire fan. This is for hard core coffin cases only.

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