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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Terence Fisher serves up the High Gothic!, 7 January 2004
Author: ian-433 from Edinburgh, Scotland

Probably Hammer's best horror, even though it doesn't have Christopher Lee. But David Peel is equally formidable as an aristocratic young disciple, and Peter Cushing's Dr Van Helsing is still the scourge of vampirism in Victorian Europe.

It begins with a wonderfully spooky tracking shot over a misty woodland lake (actually Black Park next to Pinewood Studios) and ominous narration (`Transylvania, land of dark forests, dread mountains and black unfathomable lakes. Still a place of magic and devilry as the 19th century comes to a close.'). Hammer gothic depended heavily on photography for mood and Jack Asher lit their early horrors masterfully, but the always budget-conscious studio let him go as his often exquisite set ups took to long.

Pretty Parisian Marianne Daniel (Yvonne Monlaur), en route to her first teaching appointment in a Transylvanian finishing school, is lured into spending a night at the forbidding Chateau Meinster by its haughty Baroness. Explaining away the extra dinner place set by servant Greta, the Baroness says it is for her absent son, `feeble-minded' and locked away in another wing (`We pray for death, both of us. At least, I hope he prays.'). When naïve young Marianne lets Meinster out, Greta cackles in demented glee as a wolf howls into the night (`There's a wolf down there. And an owl. He'll get them all astir, trust him.').

It all comes together in Brides of Dracula. Script, characterisation and acting (Cushing, Peel, Martita Hunt as the Baroness, Freda Jackson as Greta all splendid; even the comic turns - the inimitable Miles Malleson as a sceptical country doctor and Henry Oscar as pompous schoolmaster Herr Lang - are just perfect).

And its horrors, as directed by Terence Fisher, are sudden and violent. Bitten by Meinster, Cushing purges the wound with a red-hot branding iron, doused by holy water. But perhaps the single most macabre moment Hammer has ever devised is the scene where Greta sits astride a new grave like a hellish midwife, urging Meinster's latest victim to rise out of her coffin.

Can Cushing save the village daughters from a fate worse than death? The stakes are high!

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
David Peel - The Most Beautiful Dracula Ever!, 15 February 2001

Author: csdietrich (csdietrich@hotmail.com) from West Hollywood, CA USA

Oedipus complex transposed to the vampire myth yielding two unforgettable performances given by David Peel and Martita Hunt. A true pity Peel preferred stage to screen acting (he also interpreted the role of DORIAN GRAY on vinyl), he embodied a Victorian persona yet was handsome, fetching and Wildeian. The classic status of this Hammer Film is yet another of the Cushing/Fisher collaborations though Peel's groundbreaking performance is rarely singled out. His most unusual portrayal of the vampiric disciple Baron Meinster is one of the finest in Hammer's canon. Breathtaking set design, atmosphere and mood place this film the rationale for Hammer's reputation, the equal of HORROR OF DRACULA. The homoerotic cycle of vampirism beginning with DRACULA'S DAUGHTER is made complete here which perhaps influenced Anne Rice and her body of work.

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10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Terrific Non-Christopher Lee HAMMER Dracula, 8 August 2004

Author: Joe Stemme (gortx) from United States

Certainly, one of the oddest successes for Hammer. Determined to make a sequel to HORROR OF Dracula, but with a lead character turned to dust and an actor refusing to be 'typecast' (Christopher Lee), the film still manages to be one of the best "Dracula" films (as well as one of Hammer's of the era).

Set up with a narrated prologue (sublimely eerie photography) that explains that Dracula has left a 'cult' legacy behind, BRIDES picks up with a gorgeous French woman (Yvonne Monlaur) who is passing thru (does one pass thru Transylvania??). From there she meets a Baroness (Martita Hunt) who takes her in for the night. That night the young woman unwittingly lets loose her son the Baron (David Peel). Peel is, of course, a Vampire. It's at this point that Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) enters the scene and so the story is set up.

BRIDES OF Dracula has two main points of interest. First, the truly creepy Oedipel relationship of the Baron and his Mother (if one thinks about it, the Mother is one of the title 'Brides' - someone call Dr.Freud!). There is also the overly protective Housekeeper (Freda Jackson) who thoroughly abets The Baron and his Brides upon his 'release'. Second, there's Peter Cushing's magnificent performance as Van Helsing. In only his second time out in the role, he thoroughly owns it - and comes to dominate the picture. What's also amazing is Cushing's physicality. While there no doubt are some stunt double shots, the majority of the action scenes are clearly handled by the actor himself. Something that too often is over-looked when commenting on the nearly always reliable character actor.

A couple of quibbles. Since Vampires can change into bats, why can't the Baron escape a human sized shackle? And, since the Housekeeper is so smitten with him, why doesn't she release him herself? One could search and ponder why the script doesn't address these issues, but I believe the simple matter of fact is that they just weren't thought through. The film works quite well, nitpicks aside.

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Hammer's Best!, 8 June 2000
Author: modrock62 from Bayonne, NJ

This is my favorite Hammer Film! Wonderfully written, superbly acted! Peter Cushing is a joy to behold as the "not always playing with a full deck" Van Helsing. His memorable scene in which he exsises the vampires bite from his neck is brilliant! The set pieces and atmosphere are second to none and gives the film an entirely uneasy feeling yet the movie is so brezzy and fun! There are also quite a few chilling scenes which will stick out in your mind for a while after the conclusion. And what a conclusion it is! Fast paced, exciting and quite unique in vampire lore. David Peel is unique to say the least as the king vampire and although Dracula is not to be found in this one, SO WHAT!!! A brilliant film on all counts!

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
One of Hammer's Best!, 27 February 2000

Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC

Dracula is dead, and one of his disciples carries on his wicked ways in Eastern Europe. This time around it is the young Baron Meinster(played with credibility by David Peel). A young woman is invited to the Castle Meinster and unleashes the Baron from his shackles to allow him to slake his thirst through the living. This film lacks the star power of Christopher Lee in Hammer's second vampire outing, yet does not suffer greatly due to the wonderful performance of Peter Cushing reprising his role as Dr. Van Helsing and the incredible direction of Terrence Fisher. Fisher's ability to tell a story through film is not to be overlooked, nor is his use of subtle and bright colours to create wonderfully atmospheric sets and scenic centerpieces. Some of the scenes in this film are some of the best to ever come by way of Hammer, including the scene where a servant taps on a buried coffin to show a fledgling vampire the way, the incident with Van Helsing and his wound, and the windmill finale. The cast is very good with particular honors going to Cushing, Martita Hunt as the vampire's sympathetic mother, and Freda Jackson as the demented, crazed servant-nurse. Cushing is as ever implacable from his crusade to save the world from vampirism. Just a wonderful tale!

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
'God bless you'. 'If only he could'......., 4 October 2009

Author: Killer_Queen666 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Hammer's 'Brides of Dracula' is a film fraught with irony. In the very first scene, we see what is apparently a corpse that tuns out to be a log, then we meet a handsome and debonair man who is in fact a fiendish vampire who clearly had several skeletons in his closet even before becoming a vampire, it is reflected in how the character we are expected to consider the villain at first is in fact the most harmless, it is reflected in how a woman who wishes to be the vampire's bride ends up becoming his bride in the worst way possible. Most ironically of all, it is also reflected in how this is probably the best vampire film Hammer ever made, and despite the title; Dracula is nowhere to be seen, but that doesn't stop this film from becoming a first rate chiller.

While traveling through the Transylvanian countryside to her new job; a young french student-teacher named Marianne(Yvonne Monlaur)'s coach is stolen after a highwayman bribes the driver, and she is stood up by the villagers, but finds temporary refuge in the castle of the mysterious Baroness Meinster(Martita Hunt)and her creepy maid Greta(Freda Jackson). It becomes clear that the Baroness is not quite sane, and apparently madness runs in the family as she keeps her purportedly insane son locked up in another room and chained. Marianne spots him from the balcony across the court yard, and visits him; finding him to be a handsome and sophisticated man; Baron Meinster(David Peel; who looks like he's in his late teens, very similar to Robert Pattinson of 'Twilight', in fact, but was apparently in his mid 40's!)who has been kept prisoner so his mother could inherit the land. In a suspenseful scene, she steals the key that keeps him chained, only to discover after releasing him that she's made the biggest mistake of her life. It's Dr. Van Helsing(Peter Cushing)to the rescue!

The plot is extremely simple, so there's no use going into detail, but what makes the film stand out is it's vividness. The film really captures the feel of the era it's set in, from clothing, beliefs, prejudices and superstitions all feel real enough that it becomes genuinely involving. Great performances by the entire cast helps too. Cushing, it goes without saying, is incredible. You see him as the kind man Van Helsing is, but also brief flashes of a man as ruthless and conniving as any of his enemies. He has an excellent scene where he cures himself of a vampire bite with a branding iron and holy water that looks very convincing(and hence cringe inducing; you actually hear flesh sizzle)and where we feel his jubilation as the wound heals. Yvonne Monlaur is great as Marianne, her character may be very naive, but one feels this is not because of misogyny on the writer's part, but genuine characterization, she manages to come off as a compassionate, if easily deluded woman, but only because of inexperience, everything she does is because she feels it is right. Martita Hunt is sympathetic as the Baroness, torn between guilt and motherly love, yet one can't help but feel, and this is supported by a monologue by both her and Greta, that it is her fault that the Baron turned out the way he did, many years before he became a vampire. It gives an icky, incestuous atmosphere to the proceedings: Hammer, Tennessee Williams-style!(It's like we never left the' Old Dark house With Crazy Families' theme of a few weeks ago!). David Peel is amazing as the Baron; he seems so cultured and dashing with his impeccable manners and rich, James Mason-like voice. It's a shame he did very little work before or after this film. Freda Jackson is genuinely creepy as Greta; her laugh is guaranteed to give you shivers. Victor Brooks & Fred Johnson have moving bit-parts as a grieving father and a befuddled priest. Miles Malleson(as a stupid doctor)& Henry Oscar(as a tyrannical headmaster)provide comedy relief that is genuinely funny('I'm no tenant of yours, you young jackass!").

There are several genuinely disturbing scenes as well, such as a truly nightmarish sequence where Van Helsing finds Greta bidding a vampiress to rise from her grave while cackling madly; seeing the hand emerge and grasp while sinister organ music plays enhances the atmosphere, it frightens even the seasoned vampire hunter. Then there's a scene where Marianne's friend Gina(who had earlier spoken wistfully about how she admired the Baron)rises as a vampire and zeroes in on Marianne, it has a lesbian vibe which would be imitated much more, with much less class. It puts the purported 'lesbian' scenes in 'Dracula's Daughter'(1936) to shame in it's implications. This creepiness makes the film much easier to take seriously than most vampire films, and makes the ending even more amazing; love it or hate it, it's one of the most unique ways to kill a vampire I've ever seen.

The only reason it doesn't deserve a full 10? Gaping, gaping plot holes and continuity issues and a story which can be summed up simply as 'Chick releases vampire, then doctor shows up, saves everyone'. With that in mind, this may just be the best triumph of style over substance I've ever seen. And with it's bizarre sexual subtext and conservative message(Mothers shouldn't let kids get involved with the wrong crowd, they may then corrupt others and seduce decent women); I think this is where director Terrence Fisher found his voice and that this is his first masterpiece, if not that, then of his early films, it's certainly the most re-watchable.~

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best films produced by Hammer, 10 August 2007

Author: funkyfry from Oakland CA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"The Brides of Dracula" is one of the best films produced by the legendary "Hammer House of Horror" during the British studio's heyday in the late 50s/early 60s (IMHO Hammer Films' decline began when they made a distribution deal with Fox's Seven-Arts division). In fact only a small handful of color horror films made by any company would really compare to this Gothic delight. That's not to say that the film actually achieves the kind of cultural or social relevance that some later vampire films (i.e. the mis-leadingly titled "Bram Stoker's Dracula") tried in vain to reach for – on the contrary this film's goals are simple and easily achieved by the excellent craftsmen who designed and created this film. They were simply trying to make a film that was sexier, more violent and grotesque, and more visually arresting than the original "Dracula" film from Hammer – but this time without Christopher Lee and indeed without "Dracula" himself. I'm happy to report that, like the film's intrepid Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), they did not accept failure or compromise. Of course that's not to say that "no expense was spared", but rather to emphasize that in these early days the Hammer artists and technicians were still carefully keeping the camera lens focused on the best aspects of their production – in this case lovely Yvonne Monlaur, some well-dressed Bray Studios interiors, a memorable exterior windmill set-piece, and yet another unforgettable protagonist courtesy of the great Peter Cushing.

Hammer's best films are a model of efficiency and economy, and this film definitely looks a lot better than it should. Great credit should be given to director Terence Fisher (who directed many of Hammer's best films, including "Revenge of Frankenstein", "The Devil Rides Out" and the original "Dracula") but perhaps even moreso to photographer Jack Asher and art designer Bernard Robinson. The departure of Asher and Robinson in later years was yet another cause of Hammer's decline, and the reason why they were so essential is evident in this film's sometimes breathtaking designs. The sets are so intelligently designed and so well-lit that you really don't even notice how cheap they are – not only that but they add a lot to the experience of the film by affecting the audience's mood in overt ways. I love the splashes of deep purple in the background when Van Helsing enters the windmill, for just one example. The film uses a consistent red color scheme to infuse everything with the psychological association of blood and blood-letting. This effectively emphasizes and exploits the fetishism associated with that color and the sensual qualities of the color red.

That's just the first of many fetishes lightly touched upon in this work, though of course it's all done in good taste. Obviously the blood fetish is most pronounced, and the film-makers have done an admirable job of using color film to enhance the appeal in this regard – when we do actually see blood on screen it's in small quantities and very effective. The vampire theme is more explicitly associated with homo-eroticism in this film than in any previous horror film I've seen. This became more and more explicit as the Hammer horror cycle progressed, perhaps reaching its zenith in "Frankenstein Created Woman". Here we have both female and male homo-erotic scenes as well as a strong implication of incest between the vampire (David Peel) and his mother (Martita Hunt). In fact Peel is a far more sensual vampire in general than anything I've seen in previous films, highlighted by his light blonde hair and soft features. This makes him a strong contrast to Christopher Lee's animalistic portrayal of the vampire in the first Hammer Dracula film. It was great near the conclusion when Peel emerged with those chains and the look that Cushing gave him…. Oh boy! Van Helsing was in serious danger of being the victim of some sado-masochistic "fun" and he was definitely NOT into it! In fact I think other than the great photography and visual style of the movie in general Cushing is it's greatest strength. He is very adept at modulating the level of energy in his performance, and in this film he achieves a steady escalation of emotion and intensity. He starts out as the very dry scholarly type and slowly reveals how deep and emotional, indeed spiritual, his feelings about vampirism are. By the end of the film he's in full action-hero mode, and I found myself clapping and cheering out loud as he put all his impressive physicality on display to vanquish the blood-sucker. Peter Cushing appeared in a lot of bad movies, and usually manages to make them worthwhile. So when he appears in a good role in a good film, it's really something that shouldn't be missed, and something that fans can enjoy again and again.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Engaging Hammer flick for Hammer devotees, 16 October 2006

Author: fertilecelluloid from Mountains of Madness

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Entertaining non-Christopher Lee vampire flick from Hammer and genre stalwart Terence Fisher. A beautiful young woman (Yvonne Monlaur) is sucked into the world of the undead by a handsome vampire (the excellent David Peel) who takes advantage of her kindness. This outing focuses on the cursed Meinster family and never mentions the word "Dracula". Peter Cushing crashes the vampire party and is in top form as he races around trying to prevent Mr. Peel from turning every pretty woman within earshot into one of his brides. In one silly scene, Peel proposes to Ms. Monlaur, whom he hardly knows, and seconds later she's accepted his offer. The climax at an old mill is rich in atmosphere and invention (note how Cushing locates a cross big enough to do in the bloodsucker), and the parade of lovely ladies is a fine sight. This is an engaging Hammer production filled with mostly great performances and classic vampire situations.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
S10 Reviews: The Brides of Dracula (1960), 26 September 2005

Author: suspiria10 from The Void

Baron Meinster (David Peel) picks up where Christopher Lee's Dracula last left off. The Baroness Meinster (Martita Hunt) has an interesting little scheme working for her, she plays the evil little spinster while picking up to stray ladies to feed to her vampire son. The Baroness tries to keep him safe at the castle by locking him up but when he puts the moves on a lovely French school teacher passing through to her destination. Only one man can rescue the countryside and that man is Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing}.

Peel is an interesting choice as the lead vampire. Handsome and charming he's basically the complete opposite of Chris Lee's Dracula. He also lacks the intensity but at least Cushing pops in to pick up the slack. The production design is on par with nearly all Hammer productions. You may say that their films are a bit stuffy but I say that is part of their charm. The company made Gothic horror and they did it well.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Underrated effort with some great moments, 10 April 2008

Author: frid2k4 (frid2k4@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles, Ca

"The Brides of Dracula" is one of the better entries in the Hammer saga.

**SPOILERS**

Arriving in Transylvania, Marion Danielle, (Yvonne Monlaur) finds that the locals are less than hospitable towards her, but after becoming stranded in the town, direct her towards the lodgings of Baroness Meister, (David Peel) a local who lives in a castle just outside of town. Meeting with his Mother, (Martita Hunt) who brings guests to the castle, she finds that they're part of a diabolical plot to keep his castle in her name through a false death rumor. When she soon discovers that there's a more sinister motive behind the family, she runs into Prof. Abraham Van Helsing, (Peter Cushing) who tells her that she has been in the company of a horde of vampires, resurrected members of the undead who need human blood to sustain life. Finally finding their hiding spot, he launches a full-scale attack against the group of vampires to wipe them out completely.

The Good News: One of the main things about this one, just the same as most Hammer films of this time, is that there's a spectacular amount of suspense and mood that makes it really in touch with the usual fare. The opening scenes of the horse-drawn carriage plundering through the woods through a heavy-fog is a perfect example, as is a night-time chase through the same woods, with the same result of a standout suspense scene due to the impressive atmosphere. The time spent at the castle is full of these kinds of scenes, due to the high-quality amount of detail spent on making it full of the usual Gothic Castle surroundings. It's design, furnishings and set-up all play a part in this, making it one of the more impressive entries, and for sheer size alone could be the grandest of the ones out there, since it's simply huge and allows for numerous amounts of suspense that comes out from these. The film, though, piles on the action when required, and it is packed with a large amount that are fun to watch. The entire ending is spectacular, with a fairly competent brawl in a farmhouse that passes by nicely, including a rather nice fire spot that gets involved in the end and an encounter in the boardinghouse that packs some punch for the fact that it uses the vampire-mirror gag to absolute perfection and is immensely disturbing for it. The graveyard battles are rather nice and get even more fun along the way, with some plentiful amounts of suspense packed in amongst the creativity. This one also has one of the single most impressive and creative scenes in any vampire film ever, which occurs during the brawl in the barn. When the vampire gets the upper hand, it bites the victim and actually manages to do the transformation bite, and the way that it's handled in here is the biggest factor in the scene, and gets the film a passing mark on it's own right, and combined with the other factors in here, make the film what it is.

The Bad News: This one here doesn't have any real flaws in here that hurt it all that much. The main one is the rather slow-going pace at times. The journey into the town in the middle segment, where they're going through the general introductions and what they're doing there are drug on a little too long, and it makes the plot at that point a little slow-going. The events at the girls school, where they spend a long amount of time with absolutely nothing at all happening but talking about nothing in particular. The fact that the angle with the mother is handled poorly, with it coming across as nothing all that spectacular and is done with a ho-hum feel that doesn't have any real outcome beyond the expected. The last real flaw is that the look of the main vampire is quite goofy-looking, as the pale face and protruding-fangs are more laughable than scary. These here are the film's main flaws.

The Final Verdict: With only a few small flaws but a lot of really great points about it, this one here is one of the better entries in the Hammer cycle. Absolutely recommended for their followers, fans of the Gothic cinema or just plain vampire film fans in general, while those who take the flaws into account should heed caution.

Today's Rating-PG-13: Violence

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