Dracula A.D. 1972

Saturday is traditionally "Take Out the Trash" Day.

Dracula A.D. 1972 (Alan Gibson, 1972) Things were pretty darned weird in Merry Olde England back in the early 70's. There were the copy-cat "Clockwork Orange" crimes—allegedly—going on. And then, there was the thing with "The Highgate Vampire." Click on the link for the details, but it involved kids (probably inebriated or just "larking"), some disruptions of graves at Highgate Cemetary, reports of "spectral figures" and two determined publicity-seekers trying to make some sort of names for themselves. Names besides "nutters," that is.

But, the impetus for an "updated" contemporary Dracula film was the relative success of AIP's Count Yorga, Vampire released in 1970. Yorga was set in modern times, had ornate gothic furnishings pulled out of storage for atmosphere, and...pulchritude, something the M-G-M "Dark Shadows" films limited. There's always been predatory sex in the vampire films—you could say, it's in their blood—but Yorga laid it on a bit thick—it was originally envisioned as a soft porn film, which AIP objected to as most of its business came from drive-in theaters. Even after a toned-down filming, it still had to go through six passes from the MPA to get the desired GP rating.

This did not go unnoticed at rival Warner Brothers studio, which had a contract with London's Hammer Studios, who hadn't put out a Dracula movie since 1970. Plans were made to make a new Dracula film, this time—for the first time—set in contemporary times.

Kids. Jessica (Stephanie Beacham), the granddaughter of Professor Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing, returning after a long absence from the family lineage), is hanging out with the wrong crowd. Her boyfriend, Bob (Pip Miller) is crushing with this weird character named Johnny Alucard (Christopher Neame, and I know, I know, you already know...) who boozes, drinks, smokes dope, goes to parties with bad rock-bands, and holds satanic rituals. Yes, he holds satanic rituals (which makes a little weed now and then sound therapeutic) in derelict churches. Of which there seem to be a lot in modern times. And as he calls out the spirits of the undead, he asks for volunteers for sacrifice. All I can say is that weed is really good because the most appropriately-dressed-in-black Laura Bellows (Caroline Munro) volunteers.

Bad move, Laura, despite getting some exclusive screen-time. Johnny puts Laura on the altar (always a bad sign!) fills a chalice with ashes (guess whose?), opens a vein and drips his blood into it. Now, the chalice fills up with enough blood to reach the brim, and Johnny Alucard should be passing out losing that much blood, but, no, he's alert enough to chew the scenery with his performance and pour the mixture (which looks like it came from Sherwin Williams) all over Laura, understandably freaking her out.

This is, of course, to mark her for the first victim of Dracula (Christopher Lee), who is revived by the ceremony...much to Alucard's surprise (but then, he might be a little woozy)...and sinks his teeth into Laura's neck, then dump the body at a construction site, where the local constabulary find her. Interesting that she hasn't turned into a vampire in the meantime. Most of the other kids will be turned into blood-suckers throughout the course of the movie, so why Laura doesn't is a curiosity.

Not that Dracula A.D. 1972 is a movie of any great consistency especially, or even a movie with any redeeming qualities at all...save for the performances of Lee and Cushing, who have the great professionalism to never take the movie less than seriously. It's more than a little dumb. Dracula's plan in this is to make Jessica--the last descendant of his arch-enemy, Van Helsing--into his living slave. Not that Van Helsing, who we've learned in a prologue was killed in an encounter with the Count a couple of centuries previously, is in any shape to care. But, it's up to her gramps, Professor Lorrimer Van Helsing, who has been asked by the police for help in the rash of recent vampire killings happening in London, to prevent her from suffering a fate was than death.

Really? Van Helsing has to spell it out for himself (or the audience?)

One suspects he wouldn't be too good at Wordle.

There are, of course, complications as Dracula turns Alucard into a vampire, who wastes no time in biting his pals. And Alucard is appointed point-man in dealing with the old man. But, Johnny's something of an idiotic narcissist...why else would he go by that name (not that Van Helsing is too quick in figuring it out).

One senses that the director is less concerned with showing off his star Christopher Lee

than Stephanie Beacham's breasts.

But, story-logic doesn't seem to be director Gibson's main concern. He seems to more concerned with rapid shooting and getting as much footage into the can. Then, you look at some of his shot choices, and his priorities seem to be in wedging in as much of his female co-stars' anatomies as he possibly can, even to the point of ridiculousness. One spends more time suppressing embarrassed giggles than horrified shivers. Prurient is the word for Dracula A.D. 1972. Prurient...and puerile.

Grandfather Van Helsing only thinks to cover her up until the END of the movie.

Caroline Munro, Stephanie Beacham, Marsha Hunt and Janet Key love the publicity.

But Christopher Lee does not look happy...at...all.