Les Maîtresses de Dracula

This lush, hypnotic horror extravaganza from Hammer Studios improves steadily with age. The magnificent color design, the sets and the all-out performances of the superb cast makes this a classic right along with "Bride of Frankenstein." Each scene is filmed like a work of art, with purple and azure lighting in the backgrounds, marvelous set pieces and a knockout finale. One cannot say enough about the extraordinary cast. Two Shakespearian pros, Martita Hunt (the wizened Baroness Meinster) and her crazed maid, Freda Jackson (Greta)knock everyone else off the screen. Both also performed in the classic, "Great Expectations" and Martita had a stellar career in films. David Peele is stunning as the vampire. Beautiful, evil, arrogant, it's like watching Dorian Gray (which he performed on radio)at his peak. Yvonne Molnaur as the beautiful heroine is perfect. The vampire girls are all superb. I would put this superb classic at the top of any great horror films. You watch it today and see how modern horror films have degenerated. "Brides" was made by masters at their peak. Now, if we can only get this on DVD, maybe as a double feature with "Horror of Dracula." Bravo Martita, Freda and David Peele! If you never did anything else, you did yourself proud with this glimmering jewel of evil,incest and sex.

Charming though they are, the Hammer horror films usually lack a certain something for me. Not quite enough 'edge', hampered, I guess by censorship at the time, they are often lack the exotic and the 'strange' present in many that followed from Spain say or Mexico or Italy. 'Brides' is perfectly well made with an excellent performance by Marita Hunt as the governess, perhaps she should have had a larger part. The young foreign student was convincingly played by a pretty Yvonne Monlaur but I felt Cushing seemed ill at ease. He didn't have the gravitas he usually brings to the smallest of parts and David Peel seemed most bland in the central role although neither he nor the rest of the cast were helped by such rudimentary 'vampire' teeth. What, I must say, though is just how wonderful the film looks. Fantastic sets and costumes all photographed perfectly and if some of the dialogue fell a little awkwardly or the acting a little flat, the lush and colourful Gothic look still prevailed.

I'm not a big fan of this type of films, but this movie stands out for its good production.

Hammer films have made numerous Dracula based films to a point where seeing yet another Dracula themed movie is a torture. But if there's a movie that's worth seeing amongst all of its mediocre Dracula movies, this one is it. Peter Cusing, and Yvonne Monlaur are superb in this movie as are some of the other casts. The atmosphere is stuffy as usual, and there's not a moment to lighten up, but if there's an element that adds color to this movie is that all the women at the girls school are eye candies. A rare situation in a movie of this sorts, and amongst all the ugliness, makes the movie tolerable to watch.

No masterpiece by any means, but if you're looking for a classic horror movies, this movie is one worth watching.

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!

The Brides of Dracula is not as good as 1958's Dracula(or Horror of Dracula), but it is almost as good and a very good follow-up, a near classic in fact. Yvonne Monlaur is rather wooden in the female lead role, the bat effects are truly laughable and the film drags a tad at the halfway mark but that's it for the flaws personally.

Hammer horrors are always at least visually good, and The Brides of Dracula certainly looks good. In fact it looks fantastic, to me it's one of the best-looking Hammer films. The photography is smooth, rich in colour and enhances the atmosphere rather than detracting and the sets are some of the most sumptuous and atmospheric of any Hammer horror. The music in its most haunting parts positively induces tingles down the spine and while there are a couple of clumsy loose ends the script is one of Hammer's most nuanced. The story is filled with marvellous atmosphere and Gothic ghoulishness and is always compelling and easy to follow, the standout scene is the ending which is like a fairy-tale nightmare come to life.

Terrence Fisher's direction is unflinching and the performances on the whole are very good, especially from a classy and typically impeccable Peter Cushing as one of the best screen Van Helsings and Martita Hunt as a sometimes sympathetic but genuinely scary Baroness, especially in the scene when she's standing behind Monlaur. Freda Jackson is chilling also and chews the scenery with glee(and not in a negative way despite how it sounds) and Miles Malleson brings some amusing comedy that doesn't feel out of place at all. David Peel is nowhere near in the same league as Christopher Lee- then again it's really difficult to follow Lee in any role really- but while a little fey in places he is a worthy and charismatic substitute.

Overall, a near classic if with its weak spots. 8/10 Bethany Cox