Review of Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) by Kevin N — 24 Feb 2014

The third installment in Hammer's Dracula series is the weakest to that point by far, though it still contains its fair share of memorable atmosphere and a few honest chills. There are problems with the script, which is pretty frail.

The story, which would be retreaded over and over again in the eighties, concerns four young travelers who seek refuge in an old mansion in the middle of the woods on their way through the country. Though they begin to experience strange and foreboding signs, they stick around long enough to meet the titular Prince, who is resurrected in one of Hammer's gorier and more shocking scenes of the era.

Christopher Lee infamously despised the screenplay, and what the studio was doing with the franchise, so he stubbornly refused to utter a word of dialogue in the film. The movie hurts because of it, though his presence is still enough to supply some seriously creeps.