Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
One of the later Hammer Films, this film is definitely dated and a product of its time. At times it drags and has some unnecessary scenes. It's also hard to take it seriously, because it is so focused on the fact that its Dracula in "modern" times... which seem like eons ago in 2018. However, I would be lying if I said it wasn't entertaining, in that so-bad-its-good sort of way. It's super campy and is honestly a fun watch, especially if you're looking for... I hesitate to call it a period piece, but at this point, the 70's seems like such a different era that that's what I'm going to call it.
In 1872, Dracula is killed by Van Helsing. However, a Dracula follower arrives and buries Dracula, in hopes of resurrecting him in the future. Cut to 1972 London, we see a group of hippies who are getting into their hippie nonsense. One of these hippies is the granddaughter of one of Van Helsings descendants. Her grandfather, played by Peter Cushing (obviously because its a Hammer Film) is an occult expert, carrying on his lineage. When the young hippies meet a mysterious young man, he convinces them to take part in a ceremony, where they blindly revive Dracula. It is up to the Van Helsings to stop the timeless vampiric villain before it is too late.
As I said before, this film is a product of its time and company. This was definitely made to be watched on TV, late at night in the early 70's, and enjoyed due to the screen presence of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. It wasn't made to be a perfect work and it definitely has a campy factor that can be fun. My biggest complaint with this film, and honestly with a lot of films in general from the 70's is that they tend to drag. There's unnecessary shots or conversations between characters that aren't adding anything to the story or character development, which as I said, is kind of a product of the times. The acting in the film ranges from forgettable to adept, never really reaching fully terrible or memorable. Most of this film is just generally meh.
I think if you're interested in horror history and are interested in the genre, this film is worth checking out just as a part of the heyday of the Hammer Film. If you're looking for a genuine scare or even something that's really campy and fun, I would say you can probably skip this one. I don't think you'll feel your time was wasted, per say, but I definitely don't think it will be time well spent. However, it's not terrible, so maybe check it out and decide for yourself.
Netflix available: DVD only
Hulu available: No
Xfinity available: For purchase
Amazon available: For purchase
Rating: 2.5/5