Wonderful character development!

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Secret agents are investigating a disturbing case which could have profound implications. VIP's including a government minister are taking part in satanic rituals involving human sacrifice in a country estate, Pelham House, which masquerades as a legitimate psychiatric research group. Colonel Matthews (Richard Vernon) calls in special branch's Inspector Murray (Michael Coles) to assist his agent Torrence (William Franklyn) who in turn calls in Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) since he is an expert on the occult. It so happens that Van Helsing knows one of the VIP's involved, the biochemist and expert in bacterial warfare Professor Keeley (Freddie Jones) whom he discovers is developing a new strain of the black death. But, before he can discover who for and why he is murdered and the test tubes containing the cells stolen. The trail leads to a reclusive tycoon called DD Denham who lives in a skyscraper penthouse who turns about to be none other than Van Helsing's old adversary Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) himself. The Count is plotting to release the plague thus destroying all life on earth and bringing about the end of his own tormented existence. He intends to use the VIP's, whom he conned into believing that the disease would only be used as a means to hold the government to ransom in order to take power, but really he intends them, plus Van Helsing, to be its carriers. In addition, he threatens to make Van Helsing's granddaughter Jessica (Joanna Lumley) his bride...Hammer's most satisfactory attempt to relocate Bram Stoker's character to the present day following the failure - albeit a glorious one that was Dracula AD 1972. It has an ingenious script by Don Houghton (Dr Who) which combines an attractive combination of espionage/political thriller/mystery and straightforward horror in the Hammer tradition. The idea of prominent people involved in satanic rituals for personal gain has great appeal and adds to the intrigue. Unlike its predecessor in which Dracula was stuck milling around in an abandoned church, which meant that he wasn't seen in modern times at all (something that critics commented upon), he has a greater part in the plot here as a fiend attempting to bring about the destruction of the world. The idea of him being a reclusive tycoon Howard Hughes style is also quite imaginative. Christopher Lee was still the cinema's best Dracula and he turns in a performance of an illusive silent evil waiting to pounce upon an unsuspecting world that is really unsettling here. Peter Cushing plays the descendent of the original Van Helsing with his customary authority and there is an excellent supporting cast on hand too. William Franklyn is truly believable as a sophisticated spy as is Richard Vernon as his chief an ex-serviceman with a distinguished record. Michael Coles, here reprising his role from Dracula AD 1972, makes a convincing hero getting plenty of action such as staking a couple of female vampires plus destroying a whole lot of them in a cellar with running water. Joanna Lumley, in an early role as Van Helsing's granddaughter, is particularly noteworthy giving the part played by Stephanie Beacham in the previous film more to do. Whereas in the last film she was solely a teenager out for kicks with her "gang" that dabbled in witchcraft and brought the vampire back to life, here she is more academic and has a working knowledge of her grandfather's lifetime study of the occult and vampirism. Another plus is Alan Gibson's no nonsense direction, which makes the film seem like a fast paced hard hitting thriller. Maligned much for many years, The Satanic Rites Of Dracula is a Hammer horror that deserves wider appreciation.

There is nothing like a Dracula film based on a true story. It seems the British version of the Bilderbergs along with their Proctor & Gamble counter parts are satanic worshipers (something we all suspected because we all got the e-mail). The bad bikers wear animal skin vests. People who are held prisoner at the International House of Satan must have their left sleeve ripped (there are 3, count 'em.) They plan on taking over the world by releasing a deadly yeast infection, worse than the one my wife claimed she had for 10 years. This varmint was exposed to "radioactive neutrons."Only one man is strong enough to combat a Christopher Lee vampire, and that is a Peter Cushing Van Helsing. The film is campy in a modern sense.First off neutrons do not become radioactive. They are radiation. It is like saying "ammo bullets." Secondly, silver bullets made from melting down crosses are for werewolves, not really good vampire stoppers. And thirdly, the P&G thing is a joke. God knows they sued enough people.Parental Guide: No sex or f-bombs. Nudity.

My feeling when watching "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" (1973), is always one of disappointment at a lost opportunity."Satanic Rites " is a near miss. Please don't misunderstand me :it is not a bad movie, in fact, it is a huge step up from it's predecessor, "Dracula A.D.1972 , in every sense. However, with just a little more imagination , it could have been ,not only a great genre entry , but may have taken the Dracula franchise in a whole new exciting direction.The central concept is very promising, instead of simply having the Prince of Darkness nibble maidens necks, TSROD takes the Dracula myth a stage forward to it's logical conclusion. Here we see the Count as the Anti-Christ , ( although this idea is never explicitly stated ), seeking to visit annihilation upon mankind. Even more interesting is his intended method of achieving his goal. He employs a group of corrupted Establishment figures, to act as the "Four Horsemen of his own created Apocalypse", spreading a plague across the Globe. A suggestion is even mooted that a jaded Dracula would welcome his own demise when he ceased to have the blood of the living to feed upon.This intriguing plot is extended by having Dracula pose as a property developer, a metaphorical blood-sucker ; D.D. Denham.Sadly , this is as far as the interesting developments go. The idea of Dracula as Satan Incarnate, is side-lined for well-staged, but conventional, action involving vampires in the cellar of a country house and climactic pyrotechnics . Worse , in order to conform to then-contemporary audience tastes, we get an uncomfortable blend of horror movie and police thriller , with a hint of James Bond and The Avengers.Alan Gibson's direction is much more assured than it was in "Dracula A.D.1972, and the performances are more than adequate. As one would expect, Lee and Cushing play it for all it is worth. Michael Coles Detective Inspector Murray is good enough to suggest he would have merited a gritty TV cop show of his own and Joanna Lumley makes a spirited replacement for Stephanie Beacham as Van Helsing's Granddaughter .Of it's self, "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" is fairly entertaining, and an interesting cinematic artifact of the period. Still , if only Hammer had exercised a larger measure of ambition , they might have initiated the cycle of "Satan Movies " that were to dominate the Horror Genre in the 1970's .

Alan Gibson returned to direct this sequel to "Dracula A.D. 1972" that again sees Peter Cushing returning as professor Van Helsing, who is called upon by old friend Inspector Murray(played by Michael Coles) to investigate cases of reported vampires that lead to a reclusive real estate developer who turns out to be Count Dracula(played by Christopher Lee for the last time) who is developing a plague virus to wipe out the human race...Van Helsing must risk everything to stop him. Equally illogical and preposterous sequel makes little sense, with incredibly sloppy writing(How was Dracula resurrected? He just was, and that's it!) A waste of two legendary actors, who deserved far better.