The Satanic Rights of Dracula

The Satanic Rights of Dracula (1974)

Synopsis: Dracula has returned to lead a satanic cult in an attempt to destroy the world with a new version of the Bubonic plague. The descendant of his old nemesis Van Helsing is called upon to help the British government to stop the plot.

The Good: To begin with the cast is great with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in the lead roles of Van Helsing and Dracula. I was especially impressed with Cushing playing the role of Van Helsing again. The plot of the movie is unlike anything that I’ve ever seen in a horror film. Bringing Dracula to a modern setting and then making him a terrorist is a pretty damn interesting and creative take on the traditional vampire story. Add to this some gratuitous nudity, evil satanic hippies, and British secret agents and you have a great cheesy horror film.

The Bad: If I have one issue with the movie it is that Dracula doesn’t get much screen time. This is a damn shame since Christopher Lee is again great in his role as Count Dracula.

The Score: 3 out of 4

This is a must see for any fan of Hammer studios!

reviewed by John Shatzer