Review of Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) by Oliver Z — 16 Mar 2008

Dracula rises again in this excellent sequel to Hammer's original version. Dumb English people decide it would be a good idea to visit Castle Dracula for the night as part of their sightseeing tour of Carpathia. Unfortunately for them, one of their parties' death brings Dracula back to life. It ends up being the local monk and the English tourists who have to do away with Dracula himself.

The great thing about Hammer horrors is they don't rely on massive amounts of blood and gore, preferring to shock the audience with sustained terror through mood, lighting- and genuinely scary atmosphere - something that more modern horrors could learn from.

Christopher Lee's screen time is minimal, but brightens up the film when he does appear - his death scene is certainly the highlight.

Altogether another great Hammer production that doesn't need a great story -but relies on the tense atmosphere of Fisher's direction. Highly reccommended.