Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968)

   

Issue 16 of Diabolique Magazine May/Jume 2013, which I will happily give it away, after this project is done. There are a couple more remembrances of Peter Cushing "Pass the Memories" by David Del Valle, a review of Cushing's Memior, "Peter Cushing: The Complete Memior" reviewed by  James Gracey and finally Christopher Gullo, president of the Peter Cushing Association reminisces about Cushing with his piece "Peter and Me" so if you have a need to really know all about the man, the legend then ask me about getting this Magzine for free! The final article was an interview with actress Veronica Carlson written by Michele Galgana mostly because she was in the Hammer Studios Horrors of Frankenstein but that was not one of the Cushing films I chose to cover for this writing project. Instead the final film I am doing includes Carlson is from the article "Hammering Vitality in Dracula: Hammer Studio's Re-vamping of Bram Stoker's Classic by Colin McCraken. The film is the 1968 Dracula has Risen from the Grave

This is the last review for this issue of Diabolique Magazine Issue 16, so contact me if you want it. Otherwise recycled another way is it's fate.

Dracula has risen from the Grave, starts with another body being found in the bell tower of the Church in a village near Dracula's castle. It raises the the idea Can vampires enter churches? There are several things to think about on that and I don't think there is a clear answer.  Consecrated Ground: Many stories treat the holy nature of a church as a barrier that burns or pushes back the unholy blood-drinker. The Invitation Rule: Some traditional lore suggests that a vampire cannot cross a threshold uninvited—though whether a public house of worship counts as a private residence requiring an explicit invitation varies. Faith: In some mythos, a church is only as strong as the active faith within it; an abandoned or de-sanctified church might lose its protective properties. In quite a few movies the grounds of a church are not a place for vampires can go but this mythology in our current age changes as film makers try to put their unique spin on the subject of vampires.

In this film a monsignor in the church decides that he and the local reverend must go to Dracula's castle and perform an exorcism to cleanse the space and free the village of it the curse. In a ridiculous scene a storm rolls in during the exorcism but the reverend who was to afraid to go all the way to the castle falls on some rocks cutting his head and lands on the entombed in glass Dracula in just the right way to have his blood drip into the vampire's mouth raising him from the grave. 

Dracula is pissed that the cross has ruined his castle and goes after the senior preist who performed the exorcism and his house, his house keeper, and his brother's daughter and friends who are at the house for a gathering. He forces the younger preist to do his bidding and so begins the tale of Dracula's revenge. There is a bit of interpersonal drama between Maria (Carlson), her boyfriend Paul, Maria's Mother Anna and the Monsignor as well as a side story with the local  waitress Zena. We know full well that this is going to be a story where Dracula wants to get with the lovely Maria. He has the faithless younger preist as his servant and Dracula's will over other people is a central part of his powers in this film.

This is not really a good film mostly because you barely see the vampire. Instead the village meladrama rules the day. It really is only on the last thirty minutes where Dracula gets to Maria, feeding on her., but even then it's all about Maria. Not until the last fifteen minutes is there even a confrontation between the forces of good and those of evil. In the end it is up to the Aithiest boyfriend Paul who must fight off the vampire with Christain symbolism and the Preist who is still in Dracula's control. Paul is a strong young man though and we know how things end for Dracula but not before Paul must make a decision about his lack of faith or does he?  In end the final battle is as improbable as the release of the vampire.

So if you are interested in a magazine with this content, read updates here soresportmovies.blogspot.com, or on Letterboxd.com to learn how my magazine giveaway is going but follow me on Letterboxd if you want to read my movie reviews and comment on the films. I still have a mail connected to my blog movies@edhovey.com where you can write me or comment on blog entries.

My Letterboxd.com handle is @Hovey1127, when I am done with the Issue of the magazine I will offer it up and we can work out the details of me getting it to you. I am not really looking for money just someone who also would love to read it. If no one wants it well it will probably end up on a magazine rack at the library or something.

Chatting with me is difficult, I have stopped my social media account years ago because time… it’s ticking at my age and I would rather spend it doing other things like this for example. Or chatting with my friends at the Zombiegrrlz.com podcasts on their discord. I am a fan of the podcasts they publish The More Deadly Podcast and the Zombiegrrlz podcast and as a Patron for very little $ I get access to the discord. So if you want to good horror content and a great horror community check them out.You can also find me on the Here's Johnny Podcast and  Faculty of Horror Podcast discords. Look them up join my online friends for some good conversations.