The dark horse of the sequels: Taste the Blood of Dracula. I don't know, the title alone is awesome, I also happened to really like this story. Once again Christopher Lee returns as Dracula, you could tell this time he was definitely not happy to reprise the role. Not that he doesn't give great chills, but he doesn't have many lines and what lines he does have usually consist of two words: "The fiiiiiirst
" "The secoooond"
"The Thiiiiiiird" "Lucy
Lucy!" "Alice
Alice", etc. What makes a sequel special is if the story doesn't copy typical formulas and if the characters are likable and relatable. The story while slow paced at times and has certain flaws is still very creepy. Originally due to Christopher's hatred of the sequels, they were going to have his servant take over the role of Dracula, but eventually Christopher did agree and he wants revenge over the men who beat his servant to death while resurrecting him. It's a great idea and the resurrection scene is very well done with chilling atmosphere and very good acting. Then Dracula being the total baddie that he is doesn't want to get his hands dirty, he gets the men's kids to do his revenge for him, I couldn't think of a more evil way to handle things and that makes not only for a darker sequel but one of the stronger in my opinion.
Three English gentlemen - Hargood, Paxton and Secker - have formed a circle ostensibly devoted to charitable work but in reality they indulge themselves in brothels. One night they are intrigued by a young man who bursts into the brothel. The gentlemen are informed that he is Courtley, who was disinherited for celebrating a Black Mass. Hoping for more intense pleasures, Hargood meets Courtley outside the brothel. The younger man takes the three to the Cafe Royal and promises them experiences they will never forget but insists that they come to see Weller and purchase from him Dracula's ring, cloak and dried-up blood. The three meet with Courtley at an abandoned Church for a ceremony during which he puts the dried blood into goblets and mixes it with drops of his own blood, telling the gentlemen to drink. As they refuse, he drinks the blood himself, screams and falls to the ground. As he grabs the gentlemen's legs, they kick and beat him with increasing vigour - not stopping until Courtley dies, at which they flee in disgust at what they have done. While the three return to their respective homes and get on with their lives, Courtley's body, left in the abandoned church, transforms into Dracula, who vows that those who have destroyed his servant will be destroyed.
There are flaws with the film, like why the daughter Alice is never made into a vampire. The count has several opportunities to bite her but never does, you could say that he wanted a servant for the day time but after his revenge is done, there was no reason. But the hero was her boyfriend, so he's gotta get something for going through all that trouble of defeating the count. Plus I do love how for once there is a girl that does stand up to the count, every girl is always thrown down by the count all shocked and wants to be taken back immediately, Alice actually says "you know what? Screw this, you can fight off your own crosses" and throws the cross at the count. There is another flaw where the son Jeremy is made into a vampire but was never staked or shown what happened to him, you could just assume he's wondering around in a circle around his father's house waiting for Dracula's next command. However, flaws set aside, I think this was still a very good sequel. There's nothing majorly wrong with the film that I think given the right chance, people would really enjoy Taste the Blood of Dracula as a film in itself.
7/10
Three English gentlemen - Hargood, Paxton and Secker - have formed a circle ostensibly devoted to charitable work but in reality they indulge themselves in brothels. One night they are intrigued by a young man who bursts into the brothel. The gentlemen are informed that he is Courtley, who was disinherited for celebrating a Black Mass. Hoping for more intense pleasures, Hargood meets Courtley outside the brothel. The younger man takes the three to the Cafe Royal and promises them experiences they will never forget but insists that they come to see Weller and purchase from him Dracula's ring, cloak and dried-up blood. The three meet with Courtley at an abandoned Church for a ceremony during which he puts the dried blood into goblets and mixes it with drops of his own blood, telling the gentlemen to drink. As they refuse, he drinks the blood himself, screams and falls to the ground. As he grabs the gentlemen's legs, they kick and beat him with increasing vigour - not stopping until Courtley dies, at which they flee in disgust at what they have done. While the three return to their respective homes and get on with their lives, Courtley's body, left in the abandoned church, transforms into Dracula, who vows that those who have destroyed his servant will be destroyed.
There are flaws with the film, like why the daughter Alice is never made into a vampire. The count has several opportunities to bite her but never does, you could say that he wanted a servant for the day time but after his revenge is done, there was no reason. But the hero was her boyfriend, so he's gotta get something for going through all that trouble of defeating the count. Plus I do love how for once there is a girl that does stand up to the count, every girl is always thrown down by the count all shocked and wants to be taken back immediately, Alice actually says "you know what? Screw this, you can fight off your own crosses" and throws the cross at the count. There is another flaw where the son Jeremy is made into a vampire but was never staked or shown what happened to him, you could just assume he's wondering around in a circle around his father's house waiting for Dracula's next command. However, flaws set aside, I think this was still a very good sequel. There's nothing majorly wrong with the film that I think given the right chance, people would really enjoy Taste the Blood of Dracula as a film in itself.
7/10