The Brides of Dracula

source: The Brides of Dracula

Trailer—The Brides of Dracula

The Brides of Dracula

Terence Fisher returned to direct this sequel to "Horror Of Dracula" that sees Peter Cushing return as Professor Van Helsing, who is now called upon to help a young French schoolteacher named Marianne(played by Yvonne Monlaur) who, while traveling in Transylvania, stayed at the castle of Baroness Meinster(played by Martita Hunt) and unwittingly freed her vampire son(played by David Peel), who had been a disciple of Count Dracula(still deceased) Now free, the vampire sets his sights on Marianne, and the inhabitants of the girl's school she will be teaching at. Van Helsing vows to destroy him, and his brides... Excellent sequel may not have Christopher Lee back(not yet!) but Cushing makes a welcome return, and film is an atmospheric and faithful continuation of the first. Opening in particular is a standout.

Oedipus complex transposed to the vampire myth yielding two unforgettable performances given by David Peel and Martita Hunt. A true pity Peel preferred stage to screen acting (he also interpreted the role of DORIAN GRAY on vinyl), he embodied a Victorian persona yet was handsome, fetching and Wildeian. The classic status of this Hammer Film is yet another of the Cushing/Fisher collaborations though Peel's groundbreaking performance is rarely singled out. His most unusual portrayal of the vampiric disciple Baron Meinster is one of the finest in Hammer's canon. Breathtaking set design, atmosphere and mood place this film the rationale for Hammer's reputation, the equal of HORROR OF DRACULA. The homoerotic cycle of vampirism beginning with DRACULA'S DAUGHTER is made complete here which perhaps influenced Anne Rice and her body of work.

I'm not a big fan of this type of films, but this movie stands out for its good production. Hammer films have made numerous Dracula based films to a point where seeing yet another Dracula themed movie is a torture. But if there's a movie that's worth seeing amongst all of its mediocre Dracula movies, this one is it. Peter Cusing, and Yvonne Monlaur are superb in this movie as are some of the other casts. The atmosphere is stuffy as usual, and there's not a moment to lighten up, but if there's an element that adds color to this movie is that all the women at the girls school are eye candies. A rare situation in a movie of this sorts, and amongst all the ugliness, makes the movie tolerable to watch. No masterpiece by any means, but if you're looking for a classic horror movies, this movie is one worth watching.

Charming though they are, the Hammer horror films usually lack a certain something for me. Not quite enough 'edge', hampered, I guess by censorship at the time, they are often lack the exotic and the 'strange' present in many that followed from Spain say or Mexico or Italy. 'Brides' is perfectly well made with an excellent performance by Marita Hunt as the governess, perhaps she should have had a larger part. The young foreign student was convincingly played by a pretty Yvonne Monlaur but I felt Cushing seemed ill at ease. He didn't have the gravitas he usually brings to the smallest of parts and David Peel seemed most bland in the central role although neither he nor the rest of the cast were helped by such rudimentary 'vampire' teeth. What, I must say, though is just how wonderful the film looks. Fantastic sets and costumes all photographed perfectly and if some of the dialogue fell a little awkwardly or the acting a little flat, the lush and colourful Gothic look still prevailed.

Naive young teacher Marianne is on her way to a new position when she takes pity on a young man she finds manacled to the wall in an old castle.But she doesn't realise that Baron Meinster has been chained up by his mother because he's a vampire.Before long Meinster is on the prowl targeting the nearby girl's school-but vampire hunter Dr Van Helsing is on his trail...Very well-directed and fabulously acted follow-up to Terence Fisher's "Dracula" with fantastic acting and plenty of eerie atmosphere.The exterior shots of the windmill in the film's climax are both iconic and awe-inspiring and Peter Cushing is truly memorable as a quick-witted Van Helsing.The script is truly superb with such lovely nuances as never before seen way of destroying the vampire.There is also a spooky village that appears in every movie of this type,utterly interchangeable with the Klausenburg of "Horror of Dracula" or the Vandorf of "The Gorgon".9 out of 10.

Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) returns to Transylvania to battle evil Baron Meinster (David Peel), a Dracula wannabe freed from captivity by a young schoolteacher (Yvonne Monlaur). Despite the title, Dracula is nowhere to be seen in this one. Still, it works as a sequel of sorts to Hammer's 1958 Dracula because of Van Helsing being in it. Christopher Lee wouldn't return for the sequel so it had to be written with Baron Meinster in place of the Count. David Peel is a poor substitute for Christopher Lee, but thankfully the film had Peter Cushing to pick up the slack. Cushing's performance is wonderful, as are those of Martita Hunt and Freda Jackson. Terence Fisher's expert direction and the great Gothic sets make this a very enjoyable Hammer horror film that fans will love.