After the success of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Hammer Films followed-up with the next logical choice. HORROR OF DRACULA was a lush revamp on the familiar story of evil vampire Count Dracula infecting London, challenged only by the righteous and learned Dr. Van Helsing. As Peter Cushing's Frankenstein was the emblem of subdued evil, his Van Helsing shines forth as one of the great cinematic heroes. He would return to the character in THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, which may stand as my single favorite Hammer vampire movie. Christopher Lee for the first time plays Dracula, a character he would be long associated with. Lee's Dracula is more animal than man, not seducing so much as overpowering. Easily one of Hammer's best horror movies, and one of the studio's best monsters. Lee would return to the role of Dracula numerous times, eventually re-teaming with Peter Cushing (as a descendant of the original Van Helsing) in DRACULA A.D. 1972 and it's sequel. Beginning in '57, Cushing and Lee were to be frequent spooker co-stars, and horror fans were delighted. Even after numerous such episodes, however, HORROR OF DRACULA remains one of the finest examples of the breed. It's the one against which all other Hammer vampire movies (and a great many vampire movies in general) are measured.
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