Review of Scars of Dracula (1970) by Tero H — 21 Oct 2012

Unlike the two previous Dracula movies, this last one (the later two are not really even worth mentioning) allows Christopher Lee to act and gives him real dialogue. He appears really diabolical, and this is the strongest point in the whole movie. Just see his face when he takes revenge on his servant, preparing to burn his skin with a hot blade taken from the fireplace. Really, this film reminds one after the films with one or two lines by the count, that Lee is a great actor. His count in this film is also very different from the other two in that he is almost humanlike: civilized yet brutal, hiding his demonic nature under the cloak of decency.

This movie has considerably more violence and other elements which make it different from the earlier Dracula movies: there are people stabbed, staked, mauled. The violence is uncensored and graphic. It is not too much, though. But there are two elements which sort of make this movie lose its glimmer. First, the bats. Oh, dear. It looks like the vampire bats are being hung from a rope, bouncing in a silly manner up and down like balls on a tennis court.

Enough changes in plot, the characters develop from start to finish. The story does not stand still, and there is enough tension and action. Unfortunately there is a bit of repetition in storytelling. People have the door shown and shut on their face. Then again. And again. You know the drill after a few takes.

Its pretty much fun thought, and the film has a similarity to the first two Dracula films starring Lee in its style, especially harkening back to the first movie in style when one gets into the castle. The DVD features a commentary track by the director and Christopher Lee.

This time there are no candeliers thrown about, nor bad jokes. This time it would be the real thing. We even see the count climbing the wall of his castle in a spiderlike manner, like decades later in Coppola's epic and in Stoker's book. Its all well done.. except that the filmmakers money apparently ran out and the film ends really silly looking manner. And there comes the second and the worst bad point, the way the film ends.

Count Dracula's death scene is sudden, surprising, and altogether not at all believable when you think about it for a moment..besides, the sound effect and the falling down of a dummy is also badly done. A sound effect of a scream is repeated from a tape device in a sequence but eveyone can hear that the sound is the same one, just repeated over and over, as an unmoving doll or dummy figure is "dying", not moving its limbs or anything. This is just so badly done, that it is in a revolting contrast to the successful style of the movie until the end and the great acting. After seeing Christopher Lee's truly super impressive and menacing performance, one might live with a few crazy bats - but not with a silly dummy of the count and a few odd screams from a tape machine. Did they ever film this movie's ending in another way? Oh dear. Someone should in retrospect create an alternative ending to this movie, because this one deserves such. As it is, without the oddball ending and without the bats and with more story depth, it might have been nearly a five star movie. With the bats and the ending and all the goofyness.. why oh why not use a stunt double or something. There is nothing sillyer than a dummy thrown down off a cliff, accompanied by a few tape recorded screams of a lady. The leading actress is really pretty and that pretty much saves a lot by her feminine grace. So three stars.