I actually liked Brides of Dracula.
Those old Hammer Films were a big part of keeping the “horror movie” going during the 1960 and 1970s. I would describe Hammer Films as “atmospheric,”, featuring beautiful women with a kind of sexual, voluptuous look, and extremely "pretty"men, along with the rather bad acting and garish sets. I can pick out a Hammer Film without seeing the credits.
But again, they kept the genre going. They were kind of like a kid’s fantasy–nothing sophisticated, just lots of atmosphere and the occasional thrill. They remind me of kids (around 5th grade or so) pretending to be vampires, victims, and vampire hunters in their back yard or at Grandma’s old farm house–trying to be scary, but under the surface, just having lots of fun.
And remember, back then, the bat looked cool to all the kids in the audience!
And I do think that Peter Cushing is worth seeing in ANY movie! He is a very good actor, and his understated, calm performance in this film was such a contrast to all the other actors who played stock characters with such verve! I think he brought “realism” to the movie–he didn’t overact, and he played the role with complete seriousness. And he was very handsome in those early days and remained handsome right through Star Wars! (Love those high cheekbones and thin face!)
And of course, as always, Svengoolie is marvelous.
Satanic–naw. These are just scary fun movies made for kiddies. If you actually sit down and watch the movie, you will see the cross constantly used as the foil for the vampires, and at the end, it plays The Main Role in the vampire’s defeat. In other words, this movie made it quite clear that Jesus Christ is IN CHARGE! That’s not a “Satanic movie.” In a Satanic movie, the devil wins, and Jesus is laughed at or ignored utterly.
