Plainly cheaper than Dracula AD 1972, but better achieved, cropping the missteps of its predecessor. Interesting flashback structure and a strong central mystery - pretty high-concept, actually. Great cast, too. Joanna Lumley takes over as Jessica Van Helsing from Stephanie Beacham, but ends up on an altar again. This is the third Hammer Dracula tied in with Satanic ritual, but the first in which Christopher Lee gets to take off his cape and use a Hungarian accent. Overall, not at all the bathetic finish to the series it’s often said to be.
