[6]
Dracula is resurrected by his apprentice and a trio of unwitting thrill-seekers in this direct sequel to Dracula Has Risen from the Grave. Once the ritual is complete, however, the trio kill the apprentice and run away. But that doesn’t stop Dracula (Christopher Lee) from getting revenge on them by turning their children into vampires. As the body count grows, a young fop (Young Sherlock Holmes‘ Anthony Higgins) summons the courage to confront Dracula and rescue his bitten girlfriend (Linda Hayden).
Lee makes the most of limited screen time, but the cast is otherwise strong in Hammer’s fifth Dracula feature. Geoffrey Keen features heavily in the first half of the story, playing a husband and father who keeps his debauched nocturnal activities a secret from his family. He’s part of the trio of hedonists responsible for bringing Dracula back to life. He gets the film’s darkest scene when he gets drunk and threatens to whip his daughter (Hayden) with a horse whip. Higgins (credited as Anthony Corlan) and Hayden make for a charming, doe-eyed couple in love. Isla Blair is fetching as Hayden’s gal pal. The women are both delightful when they become Dracula’s servants.
The back half of the story is clunky, spreading our attention across too many characters when it should be focused on elevating Higgins to hero status. The ending feels a little rushed and far-fetched, with Dracula essentially being defeated by nothing more than the crucifix. Taste the Blood of Dracula still delivers what we want in a Hammer gothic horror movie: moody period sets, competent actors with tongues firmly in cheek, a little sex, and a little viscera. The gore is minimal, but Hammer introduces a little more kink with this entry, especially when Dracula’s apprentice seeks out Geoffrey Keen and his two friends at a local brothel, breaking into room after room, revealing one sordid sexual encounter after another.
Directed by Peter Sasdy, making the jump to feature films after a decade in television. With Gwen Watford, Peter Sallis, John Carson, Ralph Bates, and Michael Ripper. James Bernard delivers one of his most memorable scores, featuring a love theme I’ve been whistling for decades.