Dracula:The Satanic Rites

so many wonderful performances in this film. whether to start with Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing is the question. As everyone knows but I have only come to the party as of late, Christopher Lee's Count Dracula is as good as it gets. I only need to have you look at his first scene in this movie to rest my case. A heavy wooden door swings open amidst billowing dry ice and the Prince of Darkness enters the dark prison room where a very unfortunate damsel lies helplessly awaiting her fate. As the camera zones in on Lee's face we see his lips part ever so slightly to reveal the tips of the two fangs that confirm his identity. The Count nears the girl and fixes her with a powerful and supernatural gaze that hypnotizes her, so much so that she weakly smiles even as the vampire comes close, sits beside her and eases himself down toward her neck. And Peter Cushing, playing professor Lorimar Van Helsing with a sturdy sense of purpose yet every bit the gentleman. I beckon you to his scene with the always excellent Freddie Jones, playing a corrupt scientist. The professor visits the troubled man in his laboratory where the verbal exchange between these two veteran actors is one of the highlights of the movie. Jones is reduced to a bleating whimper warning the professor he need "feel the threat of disgust" and that "nothing is too vile, nothing is too dreadful". Watching Cushing at first humoring his old college chum and then realizing the extent of his madness is a pleasure to follow. But all through "Satanic Rites" can be found outstanding performances. Joanna Lumley's exploration within the dark sub-basement of Pelham House where several "retched creatures" are chained is nerve racking. Michael Coles, Richard Vernon and William Franklyn give cool under fire characterizations as 3 Scotland Yard police inspectors. My only quibble is with the ending when I thought the Count goes down a little too easily but 5 stars nonetheless.                                                  8/8/07