''Taste The Blood of Dracula'' (1970)
- Celluloid Terror
- 2 mins
By Crusader1307
The 5th outing for Hammer Studios ‘’Dracula’’ Series, ‘’Taste The Blood of Dracula’’ was released in 1970, and was a direct Sequel to ‘’Dracula Has Risen From The Grave’’ (1968). At the end of that Film, Dracula – impaled on a giant metal Cross, eventually deteriorates in powder (leaving only His Signet Ring). Unbeknownst to Viewers, a Businessman (thrown from His Coach and wandering around the Countryside (aka ‘’Taste The Blood of Dracula’’), sees the Count die. For seeing His Ring (and apparently knowing exactly ‘’who’’ died), The Man gathers up the dried blood and Ring. Hence Our Film ‘’begins’’. Many years pass – and back in good Old London, a Group of wealthy (and quite bored) Men – meet regularly to ‘’indulge’’ in Life’s more ‘’seedier Gifts’’. One suggests they stage a Black Mass. But a suitable offering needs to be made to Tye Devil. One of the Men learn that a Shop nearby deals in Occult articles. They go and see.
The Shop is owned by (you guessed it) – the same Businessman who gathered up the remains of Dracula. Selling the remains to Our wayward Trio, they go to a desecrated Church and conjure up Dracula (when they mix Human blood with Th Count’s powdered remains). Fleeing in fear, Dracula decides to exact revenge on The Men, by killing Them off, even going so far as to try and make one of the Men’s daughters into His Bride. Thankfully, Her Boyfriend realizes ‘’what’’ is happening and track down The Count, back at the Old Church. Re-consecrating it, Dracula – who can’t exist in a ‘’Holy Place’’ (now covered in Crosses), falls to His death (again) onto The Altar. He quickly reverts to that ‘’old red powder’’ which He seems to become at the end of MOST of His Films.
It was die to a Contract that Lee had to fulfill that even got Him to appears in ‘’Taste The Blood’’ (He didn’t want to do it). The Story was not even intending to have Dracula in it (just one of the Men being ‘’possessed by Dracula’s Spirit’’. Half heartedly performed by Lee – it shows. All in all, while not a big Fan favorite, it still garnered enough money Internationally, to produce 3 more Films.
