THE EVIL OF DRACULA (1974)
So we reach the third and final chapter in The Bloodthirsty Trilogy. At this stage it's foolish to expect Vlad to show up of course, but there are various other new inclusions to discuss. It's a darker and more sombre affair for one thing. Well, beyond some of the silly Amicus style music effects that play every so often. It's an apt title in other ways, as the events of the story are pretty darn evil as things unfold. A lot of things are repeated too of course, whether they're old clichés or simply images from the previous movie. Shin Kishida is the vampire again, which means that the first film in this series is the odd one out. Or maybe it just means the writers were lacking new ideas. Perhaps they just wanted a popular returning actor. But the rest of the tale isn't so much of a carbon copy.
The vampire, or in this case the School Principle, doesn't have gold eyes this time around. Which is an odd motif to cut. He gets to keep the white scarf in some sequences, but there's a sense that the fantasy vibes have been reduced. The story has a cold, funerary atmosphere, with much of it being filled with desaturated winter scenes. The recurring image of white flowers adds to this feeling when psychology teacher Professor Shiraki (Toshio Kurosawa) arrives at his new place of employment. The Principle's wife (Mita Katsuragi) has recently passed away (echoing The Vampire Doll) and he's become ill and wants Shiraki to replace him as headmaster. Of course there are soon strange goings on that suggest he has ulterior motives.
There's another coffin in the basement and another creeping assistant, this time English teacher Professor Yoshii (Katsuhiko Sasaki). In fact the interior of the Principle's home looks weirdly like the house from the last two films. It's not definitive, but some of the rooms from a certain angle look pretty familiar. Shiraki soon has a dream that kicks off the spooky happenings, and there's a great moment involving a broken mirror and some floating undead servants. It's not exactly realistic, but compared to the second instalment it's more washed out and eerie. After asking around it's revealed that the figures in his dream were the dead wife and a missing student. One of several missing girls that vanish every year.
Shiraki, looking like a Japanese Columbo, is soon on the case. Luckily for him the school doctor, and resident folk tale expert, Shimomura (Kunie Tanaka) is on hand to delivery some exposition. It's a chilly affair, but this pairing generates some much needed chemistry as things go awry. It's a shame that he's not the movie for that long, and there are far too many scenes where the professor has to team up with inept students instead. But it's soon obvious that most of the authority figures in the building can't be trusted, and even the local police are no use at all. This running theme extends to the vampire's back story, delivered through a flashback in which a Jesuit missionary is cursed to become a demon.
It's not a particularly flashy affair, but this historical sequence does have some good visual flourishes. Elsewhere eerie white flowers turning red, as well as a vision involving a Rorschach test, add some style to the proceedings. Which is kind of important when the vampires aren't that interesting. Even the main man himself is less threatening than he should be. There's only so many times he can growl and bear his fangs before it starts to feel like a joke. Scenes involving the diary of a madman, and several transitions using candle-light, help to keep the more sinister elements alive. The religious overtones don't really build to anything, and the Principle's scheme doesn't make too much sense, but there's enough compelling ideas to keep things entertaining.
As a horror feature this is much more bleak and violent than the prior films. If the reference is still Hammer than this is more like Twins of Evil or Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell tonally. Although most of the time the influence is still 1958's Dracula, from the blood sucking to the great advance ageing sequence in the finale. The added blood, and occasional nudity, lend this all a far more grimier feel than a lot of the films from Bray Studios. However in some ways the most memorable parts are these third act reveals when things get darker. There's also an unexpected reference to Eyes Without a Face, as well as one more falling stunt and a bizarre drowning scene. It's not original, but it keeps moving at a brisk pace.
Still, in the end it reuses too many ingredients that are hard to overlook. Whether they're from Western cinema, or from the previous movie in this trilogy, it's still one big remix. There are more rushed final scenes, there's more jazzy music, and there are more instances of intended horror causing laughter. It's engaging while it lasts, but once again it's a kind of ethereal experience that doesn't have any lasting impact when the curtains fall. It's all kind of dream-like, never fully formed or becoming indelible. Ideas like religious corruption and undead romance are fleeting, instead of being fully fledged core themes. Still, Hammer and Toho fans can come together and enjoy all of this stuff, it's never dull, even if it's never outstanding.
3/5
