Christopher Lee was an icon of horror cinema thanks to his portrayal of Dracula, although not all the films he starred in as the famous bloodsucker were created equal. Long before Christopher Lee’s famous villain roles as Saruman or Count Dooku, the English actor rose to fame as none other than Count Dracula himself. Appearing in person as Dracula in nine different films, Christopher Lee left a vampire legacy matched by few other actors, even if not all of the Dracula films he starred in were his best.
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You are watching: All 9 Christopher Lee Dracula Movies, Ranked
Christopher Lee’s Dracula rose to fame thanks to his role in the beloved Hammer horror films of the 1950s and 1960s. While Dracula was far from Christopher Lee’s only horror character, he was by far the most influential, with crimson red eyes and a fanged laugh that sent chills through audiences in the ’50s. His appearances in Dracula differ greatly in quality thanks to their varied directors, premises and cohesion.
9 Dracula and son
1976
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An egregious outlier in Christopher Lee’s Dracula filmography, Dracula and his son took the now famous images of Lee as Dracula and transformed them into a humorous parody. This mild-mannered, sillier version of Dracula finds himself evicted from his own castle, separated from his son in the move only to become a famous horror movie star in London. When the two finally meet in Paris, they soon find themselves in conflict, competing for the affections of the same woman.
Much of the humor results from Dracula’s frustrations with the modern world and human society in general, a novel joke at the time that has since been much better recreated in films such as Renfield or the Hotel Transylvania cinema. The film has a few laughs, particularly in Lee’s performance as an over-the-top, over-the-top caricature of his iconic role. That said, the film is not a comedy strong enough to compete with the iconic horror films that inspired it. It doesn’t help that much of the plot revolves around Dracula’s boring son, Ferdinand.
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You are watching: All 9 Christopher Lee Dracula Movies, Ranked
8 Count Dracula
1970
Another rare Dracula film that Lee starred in that wasn’t actually a Hammer horror production. Count Dracula represents an interesting twist of judgment for an adaptation of the iconic vampire story. Lee was very frustrated with Hammer’s frequent and exhaustive changes to Bram Stoker’s original book, which eventually led him to undertake a low-budget independent Spanish film that sought to create the most faithful adaptation of Dracula ever put on screen.
To your credit, Count Dracula manages to do just that, with Lee’s Dracula matching Stoker’s original descriptions to a creepy T, with fangs peeking out from under a gray mustache. An interesting novelty, Count Dracula Unfortunately, it inherits some of the pacing problems of the original novel, and at times feels more like a gothic melodrama than a horror film. The low production value doesn’t help the final product either, as Lee tolerates almost insultingly poor makeup and special effects in pursuit of his idealized, book-faithful Dracula.
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7 Dracula AD 1972
1972
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Christopher Lee’s doubts about Hammer’s handling of the source material could probably be summed up as Dracula 1972 AD Seen by many fans as the moment when the original Dracula The series jumped the shark, this project launched Dracula forward in time and into the “modern day” of 1972. As he ventures into the ’70s, Dracula is forced to fight the descendants of his classic nemesis, the Hunter. of Van Helsing vampires.
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Dracula 1972 AD has an infamous reputation among Hammer horror fans for good reason, being almost as comedic as a parody film like Dracula and son. The film attempts to wring a lot of humor from Dracula’s interactions with the groovy subgroups of the decade’s pop culture, traversing the same London that might have forged Austin Powers. While it completely fails as a horror film, Dracula’s confrontation with the Van Helsings is at least fairly entertaining, and there’s a certain amount of ironic enjoyment to be gleaned from the film’s bold new direction.
6 The satanic rites of Dracula
1973
The last of Lee’s appearances in Hammer Films horror films such as Dracula, The satanic rites of Dracula He saw his vampire career end not with a bang, but with a whimper. Here, Dracula is reluctantly forced to split billing as a villain alongside a dangerous Satanic cult, hence the title. Peter Cushing also gave his final performance alongside Lee as Van Helsing here, marking the end of an era.
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In truth, the idea of splitting a horror film’s focus between Dracula and a nearly unrelated supernatural enemy doesn’t bode well for the final product, as Lee’s Dracula feels like an afterthought stapled to the script at the last minute. Still, The satanic rites of Dracula offers some exciting individual sequences that stand out enough to make the finished product worth watching, including a scene in which Lee imitates Bela Lugosi’s famous Dracula accent. One of the less notable Hammer Dracula films, The Satanic Rites of Dracula still at least tops Dracula 1972 AD
5 scars of Dracula
1970
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The first Hammer Dracula film he announced in the 70s, Dracula Scars It represented a victory for Lee in his constant struggle to increase the series’ fidelity to the source material. Dracula Scars examines one of Dracula’s most absurd resurrections yet, when a bat that vomits blood onto the count’s remains somehow manages to restore him to unholy unlife. From there, Dracula is free to carry out another attack on the already devastated Transylvanian countryside.
Dracula Scars It was originally envisioned as a way for the series to continue with a fresh start without Christopher Lee’s presence, a fact that is unfortunately highlighted in the awkward reintroduction of the Count when Lee finally returned. Even if the plot is a bit standard for a Dracula film, the gorgeous production design, rich color grading, and darker tone keep it Dracula Scars just a hair above average. Visually striking if narratively memorized, Dracula Scars It still reminds audiences why Lee is one of the scariest performances in the Dracula movie.
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4 Taste Dracula’s Blood
1970
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Released the same year as Dracula scars, taste Dracula’s blood It was made by Hammer with even more knowledge of Lee’s growing disdain for the series. Once again, the story clearly envisioned a Dracula resurrection that specifically allowed a new actor to take the reins as Dracula, only for Ralph Bates’ Lord Courtley to transform into Lee by drinking Dracula’s cursed blood when Lee reluctantly agreed to return. . From there, Dracula takes revenge on Lord Courtley’s enemies and apparently continues to act on his behalf.
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Despite the confusing setup for Dracula’s return, Taste Dracula’s blood has a lot to offer, with a stellar supporting cast to surround Lee and Hammer’s best attempts and balance seedy visuals with subtle dark humor. Lee’s performance in this entry is a bit uneven, sometimes portraying the character with terrifying poise, but sleepwalking in other scenes. A strong mix of strong images and performances with a weak and confusing story. Taste Dracula’s blood leaves a mixed final impression.
3 Dracula has risen from the grave
1968
After apparently being defeated under a frozen lake in Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Dracula has risen from the grave fulfills the promise of its title, with the blood of a misguided priest bringing Dracula’s body back to life. From there, Dracula vows to take revenge on the exorcist who cleaned out the corruption of a local church by converting his innocent niece. It’s up to the exorcist, his niece, and her burly boyfriend to protect themselves from Dracula’s evil advances.
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You are watching: All 9 Christopher Lee Dracula Movies, Ranked
Barry Andrews and Veronica Carlson provide the greatest chemistry ever seen by a Hammer Films horror couple, making them easy leads to get involved with. Of course, Lee’s Dracula is as menacing as ever in the simplest, lowest version. story at play that turns the character back into a proper folklore villain. Compared to the rest of his appearances in Dracula, Dracula has risen from the grave It’s a welcome change of pace.
2 Dracula: Prince of Darkness
1966
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Interestingly, despite playing the character for the first time in 1958, Lee would not return for a sequel as Dracula until 1966, in which he reprized the role for the first time in Dracula: Prince of Darkness. In his first resurrection in Hammer Films, Dracula returns thanks to the efforts of his evil familiar Klove, who mixes the blood of an innocent with the ashes of his master, raising him from the grave. Curiously, Lee has no spoken lines in Dracula: Prince of Darkness, which works surprisingly well to elicit the gradual terror the character inflicts.
Even without the benefit of words, Lee’s performance here is still quite hungry and ferocious. It continues to pursue a rarely likable circle of protagonists, using one of Hammer’s strongest art directions as an impressive backdrop. With one of the best beats in the series, there are few faults to be found Dracula: Prince of Darkness, even if Lee remained silent about it.
1 Horror of Dracula
1958
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The first film to cast Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, Dracula Horror still easily the best. While it could be said to be an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s original novel, Dracula Horror takes great liberties with narrative and characterization, much to Lee’s own chagrin. That said, the first Hammer Dracula film starring Lee launched a franchise for good reason.
Hammer’s cool art direction is perhaps strongest here, nailing the gothic aesthetic and bright red blood that might come to mind when reading. Dracula. Lee is phenomenal as the unholy vampire, at once seductive, intelligent, charismatic and creepy, and Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing gives him a strong opponent that other films couldn’t overcome. Dracula Horror is one of Christopher Lee’s best films overall, let alone Christopher Lee’s best Dracula film.
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