Classic horror film review: Brides of Dracula

[Steve Miller]

If there's one movie that a Ravenloft DM should see for inspiration, I believe it's "Brides of Dracula."

Brides of Dracula
Starring: Peter Cushing, Yvonne Monlaur, Martia Hunt, and David Peel
Director: Terence Fisher
Five of Five Stars


The second film in Hammer's Dracula series, "Brides of Dracula" opens with a bit of voice-over that informs us that although Dracula is dead, his cult of vampiric corruption lives on. Yes, although he is invoked in the title, Dracula is very much a pile of ash back in his castle.

We are introduced to Marianne (Monlaur), a young French woman on her way to take up a teaching position at a Transylvanian boarding school. She is forced to spent the night at an isolated castle where she concludes Baroness Meinster (Hunt) is a mad woman who is keeping her handsome young son (Peel) prisoner. She helps him escape, but learns to her terror that the madness is the castle wasn't limited to the baroness and that there was a good reason why she was keeping her son locked up-he is a master vampire who has been preying on and torturing peasant girls in the area for many years.

After fleeing the castle, she encounters Dr. Van Helsing who has come to the area following reports of vampire attacks. When the vampire comes to prey on the staff and girls at the boarding school and to ultimately claim Marianne as his bride, Van Helsing takes up his mallet and stake to end his unnatural existence.

Van Helsing has a harder time with this vampire than he did with Dracula. While Dracula beat the tar out of him in “Horror of Dracula,” the Baron Meinster nearly makes Van Helsing himself into one of his vampire minions… and Van Helsing must take extreme measures to stop the vampiric disease from spreading through his blood. His creativity and resourcefulness is also stretched to the limit when he stops Meinster from making good his final escape with the largest improvised cross in the history of vampire hunting.

“Brides of Dracula” is superior to “Horror of Dracula” is several ways, making it among the rarest of sequels.

First, the Baron's castle from the first part of the movie features some spectacular sets (some of which are redressed in “The Gorgon”); the sequence in the castle is also one of the most deeply creepy in any of the Hammer Films, as Marianne comes to realize that she is trapped in a house of madness and evil.

Second, Cushing is at the top of his game here. His performance is full of zeal and it is the best he gave in any of the Hammer Films he was featured in. The mixture of horror and steely determination that he gives Dr. Van Helsing as he confronts the vampires and their twisted human servants is very well acted. He is also served well by a plot that allows the Van Helsing character to shine, fantastic sets, and excellent lighting and camera work that constantly reinforces the film's gothic horror tone.

Finally, the climax is one of the most thrilling of any of Hammer's vampire movies. The improvised cross that Van Helsing creates with which to spell Baron Meinster's doom provides the best death of any vampire in the cycle.

[Shoon VII]

this film is now available as part of the Hammer Horror series. i recently bought it and enjoyed Brides. i vaguely recall seeing this one as a young boy and i remember being impressed with meister's death scene.

[Steve Miller]

this film is now available as part of the Hammer Horror series. i recently bought it and enjoyed Brides. i vaguely recall seeing this one as a young boy and i remember being impressed with meister's death scene.

I think one could make a very good case for "Brides of Dracula" being the best vampire movie Hammer ever released, among the best films directed by Terence Fisher, and featuring one of Peter Cushings best performances.

I also think David Peel's vampire comes across far more evil and sinister than the Christopher Lee Dracula, who, despite all the snarling, always seems distant and aloof.

[Shoon VII]

I also think David Peel's vampire comes across far more evil and sinister than the Christopher Lee Dracula, who, despite all the snarling, always seems distant and aloof.

i think the filmakers definitely devote more time to character development for the antagonist in "Brides". the film first convinces you that the mother is the villian, then once Miester is released the real fun begins. you see him as sympathetic, as a seducer and as a victimizer.

Lee didnt get much to do with the "Horror" script.