Dracula

Released - 1958
Genre - Horror, Thriller
Director - Terence Fisher
Starring - Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh

This was the first of Hammer Horror's Dracula films and it stars Christopher Lee as the infamous count with Peter Cushing playing his nemesis Van Helsing. This version doesn't stick too closely to the book with Harker turning up at Count Dracula's castle with a plan to kill him already in place. Harker is however still an idiot and fails miserably leaving it to Van Helsing to deal with the evil fiend. Lee's Dracula is a sexy seducer and he holds women in his thrall behind the backs of dim witted husbands. This is terribly dated and like all Hammer films it is melodramatic with a loud orchestral score and cheap sets and effects. The direction is actually quite good with some clever lighting and Dracula himself is made to look creepy but if it wasn't for Lee as the dashing and diabolical count and Cushing as the determined, steely Van Helsing the film would be awfully dull.

Vampires - Christopher Lee makes a good evil looking Dracula in his dark suit and cape, he doesn't really display any magic powers other than the ability to hold women in his thrall

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