Dracula Keeps Rising From The Grave

[Squishy]

Okay, tonight I'm watching "Scars of Dracula," and I've realized how badly I've lost my place amongst all the Hammer Dracs. This one starts off, not with a recap of the prior picture, but with a bat puppet showing up and puking blood up over a dusty cape, causing--somehow (I know this is never addressed, it's just there to get the ball rolling again)--the PoD to reassimilate himself. I just can't recall how he got frapped the last time...

Can a knowledgable fan give us a detailed list of Dracula's assorted demises and subsequent resurrections?

[Ken Begg]

Horror of Dracula (1958):  Dracula begins film extant, disintegrates in beam of sunlight, turns to dust.

Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966):  Manservent gathers remains in casket, guts man over the ashes.  Dracula later plunged into a nearly frozen mountain river, perishes from running water.

Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968):  Priest trips, breaks ice containing Dracula, bleeds on him.  Dracula later falls onto big cross, disintegrates.

Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969):  Dracula revived in black magic rite.  Later dies in a church from accumulated holy influences.

Scars of Dracula (1970):  Bad bat puppet sprinkles blood on Count's ashes.  First film out of series continuity.  Dracula struck by lighting and burns up.

Dracula AD '72 (1972):  Film opens, 1800s Dracula dies impaled on wagon wheel while fighting Van Helsing.   Dracula revived in modern times via black magic rite.  Should have died of embarrasment, instead falls into pit of stakes.

Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973):  Dracula up and running as film starts.  Gets tangled in hawthorne bush (old folklore), dispatched by another Van Helsing.

Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires (1974):  Follow me here:  Late 1800s Dracula (now actor John Forbes-Robertson) already up and running, but trapped by curse from leaving his castle.  Takes over body of visiting evil Chinese priest.  Reappears during last five minutes of film, fights yet another Van Helsing (all Peter Cushings), within about thirty seconds leaps for his foe and impales himself on spear.  Clutz.

Hope that helps.Squishy wrote:

[Squishy]

Oy, many thanks, Ken. I was wondering what the deal with "Scars" was; not only does the beginning not fit (I did see "Taste The Blood Of Dracula" earlier), there's not really a good way for Drac to return after his endless screaming, burning, falling death--although that never stopped Hammer before. (Stop, drop and roll, dummy. YOU WERE JUST DIRECTLY HIT BY LIGHTNING. If that doesn't kill you immediately, fire ain't no big thang. No, don't "drop" like THA--oh, never mind.)

Very nice tribute to Andrew and Nathan at the Cabal, too.

Titles You Never Want To See:
"Dracula, Prince of Tides"
"Dracula Has A Hangover From The Grave"
"Taste The Burps Of Dracula"
"Acne Scars Of Dracula"
"Dracula Is Dead And Well And Living In New Jersey."

[Cullen]

Scars of Dracula nearly killed me.  I knew it was bad, but not THAT bad.   Dracula AD '72 was better.  I spent the film tell Patrick Troughton (the manservant) to get in his TARDIS and go, but he was too much the professional.  He doesn't listen in Sindbad and the Eye of the Tiger either.

That poor, poor man.

[jmc]

I guess BRIDES OF DRACULA doesn't really fit into the chronology, but the demise is memorable..Dracula, or the vampire [guess it isn't REALLY Dracula] is undone by the cross-shaped SHADOW of a windmill!

[Ken Begg]

...does in fact fit into the chronology, in that it stars Abraham Van Helsing, the first Hammer Van Helsing, that Peter Cushing played in Horror of Dracula.  So it is the first sequel in the series, just one without the Count in it.