local bar and preys on the the bar maid Zena. Zena as well as the priest is put under Dracula's spell and is soon asked to preform a task for Dracula. Unfortunately Zena fails her task for Dracula, and Dracula destroyed Zena and orders for the priest to burn her in the fire place. The gore and blood is very unrealistic which makes the movie easy to handle. I loved it and I think you will to.

ominously on a mountain top, is quite impressive. The scene of the Monsignor arriving at the deserted castle, lit with unwholesome greens and yellows, and some creepy low angle shots, augmented by some awesomely threatening music, is one of the best in the whole picture. With booming thunder almost drowning out his Latin incantations, the stalwart Monsignor reads the service of exorcism, and places a large golden cross on the doors. Meanwhile, the fearful priest flees in terror from the fury of the lightning and thunder, and inadvertently causes the very thing that he most dreads to happen: the return of Count Dracula. This is such a powerful beginning, that the rest of the film almost has to be a slight letdown, but there are many well done sequences, ranging from Dracula's evil deeds, to humorous and bawdy scenes of students in a tavern, and sensuous, tender love scenes. The story always holds the viewer's interest and gives Christopher Lee some great scenes. The only real complaint is that Dracula doesn't appear in longer and more vivid scenes. But the movie is so entertaining overall that this is a fairly minor quibble. Highly recommended for vampire movie fans and Hammer enthusiasts. A movie well worth seeing, even if not quite as good as it could have been.

never looks the same? Even better, it always takes like 30 seconds for the sun to go down! I love it when Zena gets bitch slapped by the count when she questions his orders to fetch Maria. Hopefully, someday all of the Hammer films will be available on DVD!

sequels. Not that this was any more serious though. Silly but bloody gorgeous fun, just as it was meant to be.The set design and especially the lighting had some nice touches. In some scenes ,for example in the cellar of the village bar, the green and red light that dances around the characters just oozes decadent wickedness. Mystic and comic at the same time very simply but effectively done. The rooftop-set looks good and fairytale-like. The familiar scenes near the castle and in the forest are beautifully filmed and thick with the right atmosphere.Of all the Hammer Draculas this one has one of the best supporting casts. The one and only thing that I was left to miss was the great Peter Cushing to defeat the count in the end. But the cast seemed to manage alright without him anyway, so let's not moan for that. I'll catch him again in my other beloved Hammers.The resurrection from an icy stream by fresh blood is pretty cool. But having two gorgeous village girls coming to see only you in the basement of the bar warms anybody's blood. "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" is so much fun it makes even the count smile. Enjoy!

Percentages are arrived at via a matter of actualization: the concept to the product, the question is "Is this the best film they could have made with this idea?" Some of the sets are cheap, some acting stiff, some writing clumsy, some pacing awkward or, as typical of the genre, slow . But the darned thing works. Dracula gets staked at one point, and is frighteningly unhappy about it. That one image burns. The period pieces from Hammer all seem to be shown in the USA complete with dropouts and scratches, along with unwelcome cuts mostly to avoid signature brief flashes of nudity and violence . An unexpurgated copy reveals Hammers strengths of use of color, making the most of a minimal set dressing budget, and the stunning charisma of Christopher Lee. This is one where he is not teamed with the late Peter Cushing, but the recurring role of the priest makes for a sharp foil. The denoument is striking, and flows directly into the next in the series. If you enjoy the genre, this is a good one. -M.

village church.The cast includes several members of Hammer's unofficial repertory company. Christopher Lee has relatively little screen time in his role as the eponymous vampire count, but he is still very effective when he does appear. Veronica Carlson does her best with the part of Maria. This is an underwritten role in my view, but Veronica succeeds in making the character sympathetic and believable. Best of all there is Michael Ripper, who is excellent in the role of Max, the genial inn keeper. The script, written by Anthony Hinds using the pen name of John Elder, will not win any prizes for the inventiveness of its plotting, but it is still a serviceable piece of writing.In conclusion this film may not be as good as earlier Hammer triumphs like 'Curse of Frankenstein' 1957 and 'Dracula' 1958 , but it is a lot better than later Hammer films such as 'Scars of Dracula' 1970 .

with wary, hostile, superstitious East-Ender types, the other rollicking with high-spirited youthful inebriates; a pious religious figure and a much less pious one ; a cameo by Michael Ripper; day-for-night location shots; attractive women in low-cut bodices and nightgowns; yet another outlandish method of using trickling blood to revive the antagonist; an eventful screenplay that doesn't measure up to critical evaluation --- whew! I could go on and on.But please understand, I do not necessarily regard all of the above negatively, just realistically. "D.H.R.F.T.G." is a fun watch if you leave your thinking cap off. Several of the most memorable set-pieces in the Hammer canon are here; the discovery of the girl in the belfry, the attempted staking of Dracula, the Count's seduction of Veronica Carlson, and his over-the-top demise I won't reveal it here . These scenes lingered for decades in my mind after I saw the film in the early seventies. I was joyful to find the videotape in the '90's and yes, I now happily own the DVD.One of the harshest critics of this film, incidentally, was it's star. Christopher Lee, who entered the project enduring serious back pain stuntman Eddie Powell handled the more strenuous action , disliked the script intensely, especially the attempted staking of the Count. His performance, however, betrays none of his vexation; this is one of his best outings as Dracula. Director Freddie Francis coaxes serviceable performances from the rest of the cast. Rupert Davies and Barbara Ewing stand out, as a noble cleric and lusty barmaid respectively.At the end of the day, I really like this movie, despite it's shortcomings. Heck, I feel like putting on right now. So should you.

violence is pretty strong for 1968 but seems kind of silly today. At one point Dracula PULLS a stake out of his heart with plenty of blood just pouring out. I mean come on! It doesn't help that the blood looks like ketchup and his shirt is totally dry right after he removes it. There are plenty of continuity errors in this one--the top two have Dracula's reflection being shown and a priest's head wound comes and goes throughout the movie. Also it has the Hammer trademark of some dreadful day for night shooting and a thundering score.Still this is well done with good acting by Lee especially , a strong emphasis on religion and a strange brown border on the screen whenever Dracula is shown. The Warner DVD that came out a few years ago is just great--good picture quality, strong color and great sound. It also carries the G rating this was awarded in 1968! All kidding aside this is NOT a G rated film but I don't think it's that bad. The violence is pretty restrained by todays standards and it would probably get by with a PG. I give this an 8.

was, for many, the quintessential Dracula, and one of only a handful of truly unforgettable actors to make his mark in fright Films. Dracula HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE was one of those Fright Films that my brother and I stayed up late past Midnight to see- and it scared us so bad that we literally jumped into each other's arms when someone walked into the room. Christopher Lee may be gone- but forgotten? Not in my lifetime.