Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969)

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

This one has all the Ingredients of the Hammer Horror Films. Striking Sets, Gorgeous over modulated Color, A Good Cast, Bombastic Music, Beautiful Women with a Concern on Cleavage, and another Entry in the "Famous Monster" Category.Determining the Best in the Series is an Arbitrary Affair and Opinions Vary wildly but this could be Considered one of the Better Ones. Despite being made in the Late Sixties when the Respected Studio would start to Lose a Bit of that Creative and Artistic Flare, this one Shows No Signs of the Slide that would Follow.The Movie has a definitive Psychedelic Influence starting with the Title Sequence and is forever Present in the Color Scheme and Lush Lighting that Frames the Scenes with the Count. It is Striking and Bathes the Film in a Wash of Wonderful Surreal Imagery.There are a number of Unforgettable Scenes, like the Clergy's Trip to the Castle that is Tense. This Results in one of the Eerie Lines delivered by Dracula..."Who has done this thing? Who has done this thing?". This Sets the Movie in Motion that Includes another Short and Compelling Uttering from Christopher Lee..."Bring her to ME." So Few Lines but so Much Impact. Lee Looks Commanding, Striking various Poses, He is Like some Demi-God about to Wreak Evil Doings and is Proud to Announce His Arrival. The Movie also Concerns itself with Religion (more than usual) and Atheism, in the Script for Contrast and was not so Common.Many consider this one of the Best in the Hammer's Dracula Series and a Case could be made. It's Bloody, Ultra-Stylish, and Commanding Fun.

As far as the Hammer Dracula films go, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is one of the better ones. For me, Horror of Dracula is still the best of the series and one of Hammer's classics.Hammer films are always well-made, and Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is not an exception at all. If anything, the production values are one of the film's biggest strengths, with the beautiful photography, wonderfully moody red colour filtering and lighting and sumptuously evocative Gothic sets(with some jaw-dropping rooftop scenes, an adventurous move for Hammer) Dracula Has Risen from the Grave looks great. It's not just that it looks good, but the production values create a great amount of atmosphere, the use of reds really give off a moody eeriness that was just perfect and a morbid tension and sense of dread is created throughout. Freddie Francis, despite being more successful as a cinematographer, does a more than competent job directing(much better and far more adventurous than in his previous Hammer directing effort The Evil of Frankenstein), he directs with excellent style and while the story is not always as engrossing as it should be he gets the atmosphere of the film down-pat.James Bernard's music score booms thrillingly, without being too obvious or too much, and gives off a really creepy vibe. It does rouse the spirits as well and is beautifully orchestrated, so it is definitely more than just a loud-sounding score. The story is not the most consistently executed, but the atmosphere created is brilliant with an incredibly suspenseful and powerful final third. The film also starts off stirringly, and has a number of shocking moments, like the hanging girl, Dracula's visually striking and quite chilling if a little too easy resurrection, Dracula's reaction to the cross and Dracula's demise. The characters are not the most well-developed but they do maintain interest and enough is done to allow one to empathise with them. There are some great performances here too with not an obvious weak link. Barry Andrews is appealing as the hero and Barbara Ewing and Veronica Carlson are sexy and compassionate in their roles, Ewing especially brings a lot of fire and heart to a role that could easily have barely registered if not executed right. Rupert Davies is very memorable, bringing great authority and demeanour without being hammy and Ewan Hooper manages to bring depth to a purposefully weak-willed character. Christopher Lee dominates however, even with reasonably diminished screen-time and with not a lot of dialogue (more than in Dracula: Prince of Darkness, where he doesn't even speak) he is superbly chilling as Dracula, even the look of Dracula here is enough to induce goose bumps.Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is let down by the script, which is very formulaic and vague with an over-reliance on turgid melodrama in the mid-section, there are some really interesting ideas here but the film doesn't do enough with some of them. The story does get a bit dull and repetitive in some of the middle act of the film. In fact a lot of the first half was in need of more momentum, there are a few sloppy continuity errors(i.e. Dracula's reflection in the water) and the attempted staking was a powerful and striking part but also got a little ludicrous at the same time.All in all, a good entry in the Hammer Dracula series and one of the better sequels, but also could have been a little better. It has likened as 'a minor triumph of style over content'(not sure whether this is intended as praise or not), and while I do agree that the technical aspects fare much better than the writing, the latter while not the best is hardly disastrous either. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Dracula Has Risen From The Grave has always been one of my favourite movies. In so many ways it is the quintessential Hammer horror film. It has all of the elements which have made me a fan of the Studio. The fairy-tale Central European setting , the Gothic Castle Dracula with the quaint little village huddling under it's menacing presence, Christopher Lee as the Count , Veronica Carlson as the flaxen-haired maiden threatened by the powers of darkness, the iconography of the crucifixes, garlic and rituals. But it has much more than that .One of Freddy Francis' best outings , DHRFTG has lashings of atmosphere, greatly enhanced by an exceptional score by James Bernard .The usual Hammer issue with day-for-night photography aside , Arthur Grant's cinematography is excellent, giving the Production that unique Hammer "look" which so often belied the minuscule budgets the company operated within.The performances are several notches above the Hammer average. The young leads acquit themselves admirably . Barry Andrews is much more animated than is usual for the *romantic hero" of British Gothic movies and Veronica Carlson is far from being merely the feeble screaming heroine. While Lee has few lines as Dracula, he doesn't need many words to dominate every scene he graces with his commanding presence. Throw in Rupert Davies reprising his pompous ,but kindly and avuncular priest from Witchfinder General ( 1968) and you have a very superior cast indeed.It is the unusually complex thematic elements and the way in which they are explored that makes "Risen From The Grave " more than just another genre entry for me. The movie digs deeper into spiritual, psychological and sexual layers than is customary in a Hammer film .Importantly it deals with more than just the Manichean struggle between Good and Evil. We see the tortured priest whom Graves' Monsignor has taken under his wing ,struggle with his fears and doubts . Atheism enters the arena in the form of student Paul who must find his faith to prepare himself for the final, epic struggle , by far the most visually and emotionally stunning of climaxes seen in any Dracula movie.Never before has the sensual power of Dracula been so effectively foregrounded . In his first encounter with the virtuous Maria, we see her grip a childhood doll before embracing adult sexuality and pushing the toy from her bed. Similarly, we observe the Count draw the besotted Zena ,like a moth, quite literally , to the flame. On it's release , this, the second Hammer Dracula sequel ,( if one discounts "Brides" ) , was treated with a large measure of contempt by those critics who deigned to review it. I have been deeply gratified to witness the films improving reputation over recent years . A Blu-ray release with all the appropriate extras would seem to have been delayed by copyright issues and is now well over-due.

After the success of "Dracula: Prince of Darkness," Drac was back. Hammer's long-running series had begun in earnest. Whether the quality of the last two entries was kept up throughout the sequels is a manner of opinion. Yet maybe it's clear that the strongest quality control wasn't in place here. "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" begins with two continuity errors. An additional victim of Dracula's is discovered in a bell tower, an effective scene that couldn't possibly happen during the last film. The story is set 12 months after the 1895-set previous film. Yet dates within the film read 1905. Just goes to show that Hammer's Dracula series was full of as many continuity eras as Universal's Dracula series.Once again, Dracula is dead and, once again, a holy man appears to tell the villagers to let go of their superstitions. In order to prove to the locals how dead Dracula is, Monsignor Mueller, along with his unnamed Priest sidekick, head over to Dracula's castle with the intention of blessing it. While Mueller is exorcising the Count's abode, the other priest stumbles down a cliff and bumps his head, allowing blood to drip through the ice into the sleeping vampire's mouth. Finding himself unable to enter his newly blessed castle, Dracula seeks revenge on the Monsignor. Because this is a Hammer film, he does so by seducing the man's attractive, nightgown wearing niece.Terence Fisher was originally supposed to direct "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" but had to drop out suddenly at the last minute. This left long-time cinematographer Freddie Francis to step behind the camera. Francis had made numerously films before, including a few of Hammer's, look very handsome. His contribution makes "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" one of the best looking of the series. Francis employs some psychedelic colors throughout the film. Before arising, Dracula's presence is suggested by yellow lighting at the edge of the frame. When biting one of his victim's, the screen around them glows bright red. As the sun sets on the film's final night, an amazing purple color dominates. The Bava-influenced color is distinctive but Francis still packs in some old Gothic atmosphere. A sequence in the middle of the film takes place on rooftops of the city, a novel approach. The fog-soaked black-and-white buildings might be some of the most memorable moments from the film.As opposed to last time, Christopher Lee actually has dialogue. Though it's still kept to a minimum, he hisses and growls his way through several lines. Though Lee was reportedly disinterested in being in the film, just by standing there, he's still a threatening form. Rupert Davies steps into the role of the knowledgeable vampire hunter. He's more interesting then last time's Father Sandor. He has the same fallible quality that Cushing's Van Helsing had. Dracula roundly kills his butt during their one encounter. Ewan Hooper's unnamed priest fills the Renfield role. What's interesting is that he still feels guilt while under Dracula's control. Veronica Carlson is the film's resident eye-candy, looks incredible, and has decent chemistry with Barry Andrews as her boyfriend. Perhaps more interesting, though, is Barbara Ewing as Zena, the local bad girl that Dracula first turns into a vampire. Amusingly, she's jealous of Dracula pursuing another victim, wondering why she isn't enough."Prince of Darkness" kept its action small-sake and mostly inside Dracula's castle. "Risen from the Grave" returns the thrilling action element that "Horror of Dracula" had to the series. My favorite minor bit is when Drac leaps through a glass window, while there are plenty of carriage chases. The film is noticeably creative with its gore as well. At one point, Dracula is impaled with a fence post. Because a prayer wasn't said over his body – a new rule – he rises back up, pulling the stake from his heart. The Count has an especially spectacular demise this time, falling backwards onto a golden cross, impaled through the heart, and writhing in agony before he finally dies. "Grave" doesn't skimp on the scares either. Dracula cornering his female prey continues to be frightening and intense. Lee pushing Veronica Carlson unto the bed is blatantly a sexual violation. The film nails this home by having the virginal Carlson push her baby doll out of bed. As lovely as Carlson is, I think Ewing is sexier as the scantily clad bar maid.Lee spends much of the film chilling in his coffin in the bar basement, waiting for his victims to come to him. When the Count is off-screen, the film instead focuses on Monsignor Mueller and the relationship with his niece and her boyfriend. Young Paul is an atheist. When he reveals this to the Monsignor, he's scandalized and bans Maria from seeing the boy. However, after Dracula starts feeding on the girl, and fights the older man off, he reveals Maria needs someone who loves her near by. Amusingly, she even sneaks out of her bed at night to be with him. The romantic subplots in these movies were frequently disposable but I actually rather like this one.The combination of a neatly constructed screenplay, an interesting cast, a speedy pacing, colorful direction, and some decent scares, makes "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" one of the best of the Dracula sequels. It's also got one of the best titles and probably my favorite movie poster of all time. "Obviously," as the tagline goes.