It's one happening scene, man. One happening scene. Counterculture and old world superstitions combine about as well as you would figure in this near-final gasp of the Hammer Dracula series. We open up 100 years earlier to witness the supposed final battle between Count Dracula and Van Helsing which has made its way to London. Struggling with each other atop a moving carriage, Dracula manages to toss Van Helsing off but the carriage quickly crashes into a tree. Van Helsing stumbles over to the fiend and finds him impaled by one of the wooden carriage wheels. There's a final scuffle and with his dying action, Helsing successfully kills Dracula... or so he thought. A side-burned weirdo approaches the scene, scoops up Dracula's ring and collects some of the dead monster's ashes. He buries some of these ashes near the final resting place of Van Helsing, smiles sinisterly and goes on his way. The story picks up in modern day London where we join a stuffy party crashed by a group of youthful idiots. The kids boogey to the sweet sounds of Stoneground, who are playing live and really freaking out the stuck up old folks who watch on in terror as go-go gyrations sway to the vibes and make out sessions play out in view of everyone. The gang of morons flee the scene as the fuzz approach and I find myself feeling nothing but sympathy for the old people who had to deal with this annoying intrusion of bored potheads. Looking for another thrill, the newest member of the group (who looks like a certain pork-chopped creep from the film's opening), Johnny (ahem) Alucard, suggests they perform a black mass. The group is hesitant but thanks to an enthusiastic Caroline Munro (can't blame them, I'd do what she wanted) they decide they'll get their thrills by invoking some demons. Guess who Johnny resurrects. Drac is back and he has vengeance on his mind. One of the gaggle of dorks is a descendant of Van Helsing himself and is the prime target for the blood sucker. Luckily for her, her grandpa is well-versed in the family business and willing to fight for his dear granddaughter. Grandpa also has the help of a surprisingly open-minded Scotland Yard detective but they're gonna have to get a move on if they don't want more bodies to pile up. The modern day setting injects some life into the familiar story and the early seventies adds a lovely level of ridiculousness to the whole affair. It's corny as all hell but how often do you get to see Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing going up against each other in modern day London? The women are beautiful in that early seventies UK way and the final battle in an abandoned church set for demolition is brief but awesome. The cheese level is off the charts but you won't hear me complaining.
No comments:
Post a Comment