Dracula Prince of Darkness is a 1966 horror film directed by Terence Fisher and produced by Hammer Film Productions. It is the third entry in Hammer's dracula series and the second to feature Christopher Lee as vampire Count Dracula.
This is my all time favourite horror film and I remember the first time I watched it back in the late 80s. I was staying at my Nan's house at the time in her spare room and the film was broadcast late one evening on BBC. I'd gone to bed and was snug and cosy in my sleeping bag and in total darkness when I watched it on the small portable colour television set.
I recall the suspense of not knowing what was going to happen to the Kents as they settled down for a night at the castle, especially knowing that they'd been advised not to travel there. There was an eerie feeling in the castle too as Klove moved about in the dead of night making preparations to bring his master back to life. You knew something bad was going to happen but you just didn't know when and how!
A thoroughly enjoyable film from start to finish and packed with suspense throughout. It was my first introduction to Christopher Lee as Dracula and one I'll never forget.
FILM PLOT
The film starts by showing the final scenes from the first Dracula film, where Doctor Van Helsing destroys Count Dracula by sunlight and only only the memory of Dracula's evil remains.
The main story then begins with Father Sandor preventing some local authorities from disposing a woman's corpse believing her to be a vampire. He chastises the presiding priest for perpetuating the fear of vampires and reminds him that Dracula was destroyed ten years ago. Sandor is then seen visiting an inn where he warns four English tourists, the Kents (Diana, Charles, Helen and Alan) not to visit Karlsbad. Ignoring his advice, they choose to visit Karlsbad but are left abandoned two kilometres away from their destination when their fear stricken coach driver refuses to go any further.
With the castle in view, the Kents soon end being taken there when a driverless carriage arrives soon after they have been abandoned. Upon arrival at the castle they find a dining table set for four people and their bags unpacked in the bedrooms. They are soon met by a servant by the name Klove who explains that his master, the late Count Dracula, has left instructions that the castle should always be ready to welcome strangers. After the Kents have eaten, they settle in their rooms for the evening.
Later that night Alan leaves his room to investigate a noise and follows Klove to the castle's crypt. Klove kills him and uses his blood by mixing it with Dracula's ashes to revive the Count. Later Klove entices Helen to the crypt where she then becomes Dracula's first victim. The following morning, Charles and Diana look for Alan and Helen but are unable to find them and notice Klove's absence too. Charles and Diana leave the castle and soon arrive at a Woodsman's hut. Charles tells Diana to wait in the hut whilst he returns to the castle to search for Alan and Helen. Whilst Charles is gone Klove arrives at the hut and tricks Diana into returning to the castle.
Back at the castle, Charles finds Alan's dismembered body in a trunk in the crypt and as darkness falls Dracula rises. Diana encounters Helen, who, now a vampire, attacks her. Dracula then appears and warns Helen away from Diana. Charles struggles with Dracula until Diana realises that the crucifix around her neck is an affective weapon against vampires. Charles improvises a larger cross and manages to drive Dracula away and him and Diana escape from the castle in a carriage. As the carriage speeds further and further away from the castle the horses pulling it lose control and it crashes knocking Diana unconscious. Charles has to carry her for several hours through the woods before they are eventually rescued by Father Sandor, who takes them to his abbey.
Whilst they are there, Klove arrives in a wagon carrying two coffins containing Dracula and Helen but he's denied admission to the abbey by the monks. Ludwig, a patient at the abbey, is in awe of Dracula and he invites the Count inside the grounds. Helen pursuades Diana to open the window and let her in, claiming that she's escaped from Dracula. Diana gives in and lets her in but Helen bites her arm. Dracula drags Helen off wanting Diana for himself but Charles bursts into the room in time driving the vampires away.
Sandor quickly sterilizes bite on Diana's arm with the heat from an oil lamp, then buts silver crucifixes in the two coffins to prevent the vampires returning. Sandor captures Helen and drives a stake through her heart killing her. Ludwig lures Diana into Dracula's presence where the Count then hypnotizes her into removing the crucifx from around her neck. Dracula coerces her to drink his blood from his bare chest but Charles returns just in time to prevent it, forcing Dracula to then flee carrying the unconscious Diana.
Charles and Sandor arm themselves and give chase on horseback. A shortcut allows them to get ahead of Dracula's wagon and they stop it. Charles shoots Klove who has apparently removed Sandor's crucifixes from the coffins, but the horses gallop off back to the castle. At the castle, Diana is rescued and Dracula's coffin is thrown onto the frozen moat. Charles ventures onto the ice in an attempt to stake Dracula but the Count springs out his coffin and attacks him. Sandor shoots at the ice and it breaks. Diana quickly rescues Charles and Dracula is left sinking into the freezing water and drowns.
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