LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (1974)
For a series that eventually became rather long in the tooth the Hammer vampire series is strangely adverse to giving a character like Count Dracula something to do. He's a fascinating villain that has remained popular for a reason after all. As Christopher Lee himself said why not use the source material? And I don't mean in bizarre half measures like the Jess Franco version. But for whatever reason the lure of using new gimmicks and storylines unrelated to Bram Stoker was always more appealing to the studio producers. So let's take a look at their further attempts to freshen up the whole thing... through the magic of traditional Kung Fu and contemporary kitsch.
Evil priest Kah (Chang Shen) travels to Transylvania on a mission to recruit Dracula, who apparently has the power to strengthen his eponymous vampire cult. Some classic James Bernard music lends this all some continuity, and some gravitas, and the castle is spooky enough. The matte painting exterior leaves a lot to be desired, but it's not the worst. However, things immediately start to become questionable when the Count rises from his coffin. How does the vampire understand Cantonese? Why does he suddenly look like Cesar Romero's Joker? I've got nothing against John Forbes-Robertson but he's no replacement for Christopher Lee; the results are funny instead of spooky.
The dialogue, and the dubbing, are not good, which begs the question; why Dracula? He's not part of the narrative in any real sense. These sorts of questions come thick and fast in a story that offers few answers. How exactly can a group of seven vampires be weaker than one? How do this many bloodsuckers survive by persecuting a tiny village in rural China? Surely in a blend of Shaw Scope action and Hammer Glamour it would be best to have a regal villain? It would be fun to see Dracula take over an Eastern style palace that actually uses the regional setting. Instead it's a film in which neither of the two studios are ever firing on all cylinders.
It's still fun to see Peter Cushing's Van Helsing on screen with familiar faces like Lau Kar-Wing, but it's all very underwhelming. The action is very basic thanks to Roy Ward Baker deciding to shoot the whole thing, rather than having a Hong Kong movie veteran do the framing. Things improve as the film gains momentum but it never reaches the kind of genre melding excitement anyone would expect. The golden masks and silver spears all scream classic Shaw Brothers, the lurid primary colours are fun, and the vampire effects are entertaining. There are also some interesting moments showing the villains summoning an army of corpses. Thanks to recycled shots it seems like they re-bury themselves every night, sometimes inside new urns, but its still atmospheric.
The story itself is solid enough, even without Dracula, as Van Helsing lectures a group of academics in Chungking on his specialist subject; the undead. He's hoping that Eastern history will expand his knowledge but after talking about the supernatural his audience scoffs at the whole idea. Only one man is interested in the tale of Seven Vampires because it's the story of his home town. Hsi Ching (David Chiang) is interested in taking an expert back to the region so that he can destroy the evil that threatens it. His family consists of various siblings, all of course adept in fighting with different styles and weapons, setting the stage for several battles and set pieces. However, it's unfortunate that the professor isn't travelling alone.
Along for the ride are his clueless son Leyland (Robin Stewart) and no-nonsense widow Vanessa Buren (Julie Ege). One is obligated to follow his father across the country, one is funding the trip out of a sense of adventure. In theory these supporting characters can lend some fish out of water elements, or some contrasting East meets West ideals. But most of the time they're just dead weight; useless in the fight against the forces of darkness. To make things worse it's obvious that Leyland's love interest Mai Kwei (Shih Szu) will be a damsel in distress despite her martial arts prowess. It should be the ultimate vampire killing force but some of them are utterly wasted.
Of course it's still entertaining to watch as this unlikely band encounter local crime bosses and withered zombies. There are some oddly sleazy moments as Hammer descends into their final years, but the production isn't too bad. Fire stunts and rubber bats are all about as effective as you would expect. Peter Cushing as Van Helsing is always good and his friendship with Hsi
Ching is effective, so it's a shame that his brothers don't have much
characterisation. Dracula being here doesn't ever make sense, and his final scene is even funnier than his first one, with a pathetic demise only marginally better than The Satanic Rites of Dracula. But this is the end of the cycle; a missed opportunity even if it's enjoyable nonsense overall.
3/5
BONUS REVIEW
DRACULA: A.D. 1972 (1972)
Meanwhile in another dimension Dracula arrives in the present day after being killed in a far more exciting fashion. The opening sequence involving Van Helsing (still Peter Cushing) and the Count on a speeding carriage is very good, even if the exact nature of the battle isn't clear. The two rivals kill one another in the fight but of course this isn't the final duel. It is unfortunately the best scene in the film. However, thanks to some shady goings on Dracula will rise a century later in the 1970s, as the title suggests. Why a hundred years later? It's never clear, and despite the villain insisting that this is by 'his will' it's very similar to the other times he was resurrected, just a whole lot slower.
The reason for this is wormy acolyte Johnny Alucard (Christopher Neame) whose last name is of course a familiar acronym. Still, it's never not funny to see Van Helsing (his descendant that is) crack the case and discover what the name spells. Initially Johnny seems like a fairly imposing, or at least well spoken, figure, luring the likes of Caroline Munro to their doom during a 'Black Mass'. The only thing is that the 'bored friends looking for new thrills' plot was already done in Taste the Blood of Dracula, and this isn't much better. Despite the new coat of paint it's another tired Satanism story that leads to characters being picked off one by one.
Apparently dumb teens and dumb Victorian gentlemen are very similar to the writers. But I suppose this was their idea of adding youthful faces to the series, along period drug use and partying. Another problem is that Johnny becomes a snivelling idiot when his master is revived. Even if the police don't believe in the undead the trail leads to his pad since the victims are his friends. Meanwhile Dracula himself never steps into 1970s London, so his inclusion is still a waste. Why not show his reaction? Of course it's not his film, which is the biggest problem of all. Christopher Lee gets in one line of Stoker before the end, but it's a last ditch effort that lacks any context. It's not terrible (unlike the direct sequel) but it's got the same issues that plagued the prior films.
2/5
