"The Brides of Dracula" is considered by many fans of the Hammer studio to be one of their best efforts. To some degree, I can understand why. First of all, the movie looks very nice, with excellent production values and professional photography. As the vampire hunter, Peter Cushing gives another solid performance, coming across as believably skilled and cunning against his foes. And the movie has a pretty good climax that you'll remember for a long time afterwards.But at the same time, I couldn't help but notice some flaws, namely with the script. The first thirty or so minutes are pretty good, fast-paced and with a lot going on. But after the thirty minute mark, there are a number of long and slow bits where little to nothing important is happening. Some actions from the characters are a bit hard to swallow, like how the heroine decides to free the Baron from his being chained up after talking to him for just a minute or two. And it's odd that the vampire Baron actually doesn't appear that much in the movie despite him being the main threat.Don't get me wrong - if you are a fan of Hammer horror movies, you'll probably enjoy this particular production. But if you are unfamiliar with Hammer, I would suggest you first watch some of their other (and better) productions to get an idea if you'll enjoy this somewhat flawed one.

I had already seen the third film from British Hammer (Horror) Studios, Prince of Darkness, before this second film in the series of sequels, but it doesn't really matter, I was just looking forward to watching it, directed by Terence Fisher (The Curse of Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Mummy). Basically it continues where Dracula left off, the count, monarch of all vampires, is dead, but his disciples live on to spread terror to victims of Transylvania. Young French schoolteacher Marianne Danielle (Yvonne Monlaur) is heading to a small village to take a teaching position, but she is abandoned by the coach driver at a village inn, locals there are giving her warnings, which she ignores. Out of the blue, Baroness Meinster (Great Expectations' Martita Hunt) invites Marianne to stay the night at her castle, she accepts, the only other person there is her servant Greta (Freda Jackson). However during the night, Marianne sees a man in a balcony, she learns it is the son of the Baroness, the Baron Meinster (David Peel), who has become insane. Later Marianne sees the Baron standing over the balcony, looking like he will jump, she goes to his room and finds he is chained, he claims his mother has imprisoned him. Convinced he is the victim, Marianne decides to help the Baron escape and steals the key to his chains, but this was a trap, he reveals himself to be a vampire, Marianne runs away from the castle in terror, and collapses in the woods. Marianne is found exhausted by Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), who has been invited to the village by a local priest Father Stepnik, she has no memory of what happened, and is not familiar with vampire terms that Van Helsing tells her, he takes her to the school she is to be employed. Van Helsing visits the young girl he has been called to see, who has died, he recognises she has been bitten by a vampire and requests she is not buried, later Greta visits the coffin and helps her to awaken from the dead as a vampire herself. Meanwhile the Baron turns his mother into a vampire also, biting her neck, Van Helsing realises "vampirism" is spreading in the village, he sees ladies becoming "undead" monsters, with the ability to turn into bats and fly away, so one by one he cures them of this terror, when he gets the opportunity to drive a stake to the heart. Following the deaths of Greta and the Baroness, Van Helsing is left to face Baron Meinster, who has abducted Marianne, a chase ensues and a fire is started at the windmill, where the Baron had been hiding, in the end the Baron is defeated when the windmill sail is positioned to form a gigantic shadow forming a crucifix which goes over the Baron, he dies, Van Helsing comforts Marianne as the mill burns down. Also starring Miles Malleson as Dr. Tobler, Henry Oscar as Herr Lang, Mona Washbourne as Frau Lang, Andree Melly as Gina and Victor Brooks as Hans. Cushing gives a good performance as the man who will thwart all vampires to stop the spread of the "disease", Peel is a dull substitute for Sir Christopher Lee, he did not reprise his role as he worried about being typecast, but he returned for the following film, and many more after, Dracula only appears in the title and is mentioned once. Disciple of Dracula was suggested as an alternative title, this would have made more sense, "brides" don't really come into the story, it has the classic Gothic elements expected, and the atmosphere is fair, I don't know if I fully agree with critics ratings, but it is a good enough horror. Worth watching, in my opinion!

This movie begins with the short explanation that Count Dracula is dead--but his disciples live on. The film then shows a stagecoach being driven extremely fast over a dirt road and eventually coming to a stop at a nearby village where the lone passenger named "Mdm Danielle" is dropped off before the carriage speeds off again. It's at this time that an elderly woman walks into the inn and offers Mdm Danielle a place to stay for the night. She is then driven to a castle on the outskirts of the village. That night she meets a strange man by the name of "Baron Manster" who has been shackled inside a room within the castle and he convinces her to get the key and let him loose. Upon doing that what she doesn't realize is this particular person is no ordinary man--but a vampire who has now been set free to wreck havoc on the nearby countryside. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this particular film managed to continue the fine Hammer tradition of establishing a good, solid Gothic setting necessary for a movie of this type. Yet, even though it had a good story and more than adequate performances for the most part, I didn't particularly care for the ending or the selection of David Peel (as "Baron Meinster") for the role of the vampire. He just didn't seem to have the same sinister quality that actors like Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee manage to convey on screen. But that's just my opinion. In any case, I liked this film in spite of the previously mentioned criticisms and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

The title is a bit of a misnomer in Hammers' first sequel to their hit horror film Dracula. The famed bloodsucker himself never turns up here. But this film is entertaining enough that you realize you don't miss him all that much. An immense part of the appeal is the determined heroism of Peter Cushing as intrepid vampire hunter Van Helsing. He also has a pretty formidable opponent this time. The young ladies are beautiful, and "The Brides of Dracula" has the typically authentic look of any period Hammer genre piece.This time, Van Helsing must battle the young Baron Meinster (David Peel), a vampire and disciple of Count Dracula. The Baron had been chained up by his mother the Baroness (Martita Hunt). Unfortunately, aspiring student teacher Marianne (Yvonne Monlaur), who was staying in their castle for the night, took pity on him and set him free, not knowing the truth about him.Peel is a handsome, charming, and also convincingly sinister bad guy. Monlaur is pleasing to the eye, although her performance is admittedly a weak link here. Miles Malleson supplies a very welcome dose of comedy relief as a doctor who has interesting methods of preventing himself from becoming ill. Hunt is very good as the Baroness, and Henry Oscar, Mona Washbourne, Victor Brooks, Fred Johnson, and Michael Ripper all provide fine support. But the show is stolen by Freda Jackson as Greta, the Meinsters' insane servant, who in one standout scene lies atop a freshly dug grave and implores the person within to rise. Cushing is of course wonderful. At one point we see something unexpected happen to Van Helsing, but his quick thinking is most impressive.Co-written by Jimmy Sangster, the script is questionable at times. And the poor bat effect may generate guffaws among some in the audience. But otherwise, this is a good, solid entry in this franchise, worthy viewing for old school horror fans.Seven out of 10.