Dracula A.D. 1972.
In 1872, Professor Lawrence Van Helsing destroyed Dracula, a young disciple collects Dracula's ashes and ring. 100 years later the disciple wants to resurrect his master for revenge on Van Helsing bloodline.
The pre-credits sequence was a great set up, Van Helsing and Dracula having a battle on a carriage, Dracula dies then Lawrence dies knowing he has ended the evil that reigned in the area of London. Christopher Lee is more menacing than before, he does don the red contact lenses briefly, his introduction from being resurrected and how he delivers his lines gave me chills when I first saw this.
Give Peter Cushing respect for coming back to the franchise after the death of his wife and still able to pack a punch and be thrown about, playing a anthropologist isn't quite quick off the ball with this when hos granddaughter played by Stephanie Beacham mentions Johnny Alucard.
This does seem centred around young group of people performing a black mass in a old church which has the same Gothic dark atmosphere as Taste The Blood Of Dracula, nobody seems to over act or outshine anyone. The background score right at the start reminds us this is still a Hammer Horror and played out in parts of the film with a modern day score of 70s music.
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