Customer Reviews

Brides of Dracula

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

j aimerais savoir si je peut avoir ce film en dvd et possibillité de l avoir en francais et voudrait savoir le prix svp. merci

This is one of the best Horror films ever made.Peter Cushing is and will always be Van Helsing.This film proves it.In light of the recent flurry of re-relesed horror flicks on dvd why hasnt this one been released in that format?
How about a new boxed set containing Brides of Dracula, Curse of the werewolf,Phantom of the opera,Gorgon, Skull,Dracula AD 1972 and kiss of the Vampire?
Could there be a better collection.Come on powers that be get to work.

Note: Don't be fooled by the title; this has nothing to do with Hammer's first Dracula outing (or any other for that matter), besides the presense of Van Helsing.

This is one of the most incredibly (and surprisingly) entertaining vampire movies I've ever seen. While not really scary, it does have some pretty exciting sequences, especially the ending! The plot has a young student accidentally releasing a vampire from its imprisonment, despite warnings from the vampire's mother to not go anywhere near it. Now, it's up to Abraham Van Helsing, vampire killer expert, to stop the fiend from turning all of England into the undead!

The center vampire is certainly no Christopher Lee (who is the ultimate screen vampire), but he's good enough. Peter Cushing more than makes up for Lee's absense; he once again totally lights up the screen as the dashing Van Helsing, and once again defines himself as THE vampire hunter. Excellent direction by Terence Fisher (my personal favorite of the Hammer directors), who captures both an eery atmosphere and a rollicking sense of fun. These two things, some awesome sets, and lots of sexy vampire babes make this Hammer flick one helluva good time!

Be sure to check out these other fantastic Terence Fisher films:
- "The Curse of Frankenstein"
- "Horror of Dracula"
- "The Mummy"
- "The Curse of the Werewolf"
- "Dracula-Prince of Darkness"
- "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
- "The Phantom of the Opera"
- "Revenge of Frankenstein"

As well as these other great Hammer flicks:
- "The Abominable Snowman"
- "The Plague of the Zombies"

Transylvania. Land of dark forests and fathomless lakes. Dracula, monarch of the vampires, is dead. Yeah, right. Around Castle Meinster villagers fear that the undead walk among them. In this first sequel to "Horror of Dracula," both Dracula and Christopher Lee are conspicuous by their absence. The action centers on Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) as he battles the effeminate Baron Meinster (David Peel) and his minions. Freda Jackson steals the show as Greta, the insane familiar of the vampire. Picture a female Renfield. She screechingly implores a recently buried victim to rise from the grave. This resurrection scene is a definite high point as the pale hand gropes upward through the dirt. Van Helsing stakes the old Baroness Meinster to a couch after the young Baron corrupts her with the vampire's kiss. Mother love, indeed. Van Helsing is more physical than intellectual in this flick. At one point, he jumps into thin air and catches the handhold of a giant windmill blade. Using his body weight, he drags the great blades into just the right position, and the full moon casts a giant, cross-shaped shadow. In addition, after Meinster bites Van Helsing on the neck, one of the the greatest scenes in vampire cinema ensues. Van Helsing's self-cure is of searing heat and cooling holy water. The viewer can only stay silent before this powerful visual image. The usual Hammer lush color photography, plunging necklines, and diaphanous gowns are present. David Peel lacks Christopher Lee's towering image of unholy lust, but there is enough to like about the movie to make ownership worthwhile. A must for classic horror fans. ;-)

I'm disapointed when a movie that I consider a gem like this one takes a beating about script development. Yes, there are problems with the script. But somehow it all works on the screen, due no doubt to the direction of Terrance Fisher and Peter Cushing's superb performance.

I'm still mesmerized by the sheer fun and beauty of this movie. It is a fast-pasted vampire-hunter film, with the best vampire hunter ever in the top role as Van Helsing. Peter Cushing makes this role his own, giving it the athletic energy and grace, as well as the heroic mania and intelectualism it had needed for years. This is no tired, stodgy bookworm fighting vampires. This is a guy who can think on his feet and act under the most dire circumstances.

Yes, it's a shame that Christopher Lee chose not to partake in this movie, but the story still holds up with David Peel in the lead vampire role. He is not the darkly masculine image that Lee portrayed in "The Horror of Dracula", but a fair-haired insidious "sneak", that sweet talks his female victims until they are caught off guard and devoured.

The photography is breathtaking. This film really deserves a dvd release, for those of us who love it. It is a tribute to Terrance Fisher that he was able to wrangle it all together, bad script or not, into one fun horror film.

A young Parisian girl on her way to a girls' school in Transylvania falls in love at first sight with the Byronic Baron Meinster. Releasing him from his mother's bondage (literally), young Marianne learns too late her newfound Prince Charming is one of Count Dracula's undead apostles. Soon bloody terror reigns in Transylvania, and only Dr. Van Helsing can put an end to the nightmare and free Marianne from the vampire's curse.

After Horror of Dracula, Brides of Dracula is probably Hammer's most renowned vampire opus, and rightly so. Though often justly maligned for an undeniably muddled script, Brides of Dracula maintains just enough of a script to give life to its nightmarish fairy tale. Indeed, Brides of Dracula is in many ways even better than its monumental predecessor. The sets are sumptuous, the cinematography gorgeous, the music eerie, the actors and acresses well-adapted to Hammer's gothic formula. The only thing that keeps Bride of Dracula from being the definitive vampire film is the absence of Christopher Lee, who might as well have signed on for the picture since he ended up being typecast as Dracula later on anyway.

But if David Peel isn't Christopher Lee, he's still a solid master vampire in his own right. Titian-haired Yvonne Monlaur is a typically ravishing Hammer heroine, and Martia Hunt is a gloriously haughty, wicked, yet sympathetic Baroness Meinster. Naturally, Peter Cushing dominates all as the unsurpassed Van Helsing, still the gallant vampire hunter and perhaps even better realized here than in Horror of Dracula.

A captivating movie from beginning to end, Brides of Dracula is a highly original entry in the vampire sub-genre that delivers many of the formula's most memorable moments: the Baron's crazed old nurse calling up one of Meinster's "girlfriends" from her freshly-dug grave; the Baron's Mother, newly vampirized, fighting in vain to disguise her new fangs from the intrepid Van Helsing; and of course Van Helsing's thrilling fight to the finish with the wicked Baron, even more exciting than the climax of Horror of Dracula...and this time Van Helsing can't escape the vampire's bite.

Despite the confused script, Brides of Dracula is a classic horror movie and perhaps the best of Hammer's glorious stable. It might not be the most polished movie, but it is good scary fun.

Fisher's follow-up to his HORROR OF DRACULA(1958) is usually regarded as one of Hammer's, if not Hammer's overrall best. Perhaps this stems from Jack Asher's beautiful color photography, or the wonderful performances from Peter Cushing, Freda Jackson and co., or some of Fisher's most wonderfully staged set-pieces. But theres NO denying that the script Fisher had to work from was, to simply put it- "drivle". Perhaps another word -"convoluted". And just one more - "incoherent"; would be a good description. The script was troubleded from the start. It went through at least 3 r-writes, each time with one of the writers adding plot-lines and motives. Plot-lines and motives that would later not mesh well with the finished product as filmed. Clearly this could be also blamed on the director. In this case it's Terry Fisher, and well it's been known that Mr. Fisher occasionly did rewrites on practically 90% of his films(some times if not in a literally source, but scripts usually gave him a chance to add certian aspects and touches to the material during the filming process) On this film Terry DID do his rewrites, as did Peter Cushing, who had contributed a great deal to the film. Apprently not enough time was given, becasue the finished product reeks of plot holes and the movie's symmetrical structure sports what you might consider to be "uneven". While on a technical stand-point it is clearly very much a severly flawed work. The film probably works best as an acting piece. Because for one thing this films sports some of the finest acting in a Hammer film(The best EVER? Well..maybe not.) But this aspect proves to be the most consistant thing going for the movie. That and Jack Asher's stunning photography. This film alone is a wonderul showcase for Fisher's use of color as well a testament to Fisher's keen eye for camera-placement.
This film also showcases a period when Fisher was just about getting deeply personal with the subject matter(something that he'd go greater lenghts in his later romantic works) As usual Fisher's key and consistant theme shines through -"loneliness" Baron Meinster alone and looking down over the castle wall. Baroness Meinster's tragic lifestyle. . He brought a compelling qauilty to his films in the form of romanticism. His best works weren't really Horror flicks, but something much more. The Brides of Dracula is very much an overrated work, and though it showcases some of Fisher's best work, it also showcases some of his worst. Perhaps becasue of this It should be considered historical. And along with his minor 1959 effort THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH, is probably his weakest effort from Hammer.

Along with KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, this is the archtypal Hammer vamp flick of the 60's. The gorgeous Yvonne Monlaur is reason enough to buy this movie. It's a shame she didn't do many other films (see her in CIRCUS OF HORRORS). So, as you may have heard, there is no Dracula in this movie. But there is Van Helsing, always excellently essayed by Peter Cushing. And there are vampire "brides", a memorable resurrection scene with a cackling Freda Jackson, and very nice production values to recommend BRIDES OF DRACULA. Personally, I find it more exciting than the highly-praised next entry in the series, DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS (not that I dislike that film, mind you). It's certainly one of Terence Fisher's best, one of Hammer's best, and just one of the THE best.

The second chapter of Hammer's very particular view of Dracula myth is really one of the best horror flicks ever made, directed by cult director Terence Fisher. The colorful scenery, full of low quality material but very effective resources, and the hot, bloody mood (a distinctive tone, that made Hammer films so inmensely enjoyable) sparkle the absurdist plot. David Peel is young, decadent Baron Meinster; a vicious vampire and a bisexual epitome of evil, with looks of matinee idol. Yvonne Monlaur is one of her increasingly voluptuous victims. And, of course, that's the unique Peter Cushing as the genuine Dr. Van Helsing. An unforgettable scene: Martita Hunt (who plays the aged Baroness), hiding her enlarged tooths with a veil.

Somewhat convolued plot hampers this second entry in the Hammer/Dracula features as a new count turns young women into vampires. Peter Cushing returns as Dr. Van Hesling in the second act and he pretty much carries the rest of the movie as he uses all the tools and his resources to destroy the vampires.