Countess Dracula

1972 "Here lies the body of…"
5.9| 1h33m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 11 October 1972 Released
Producted By: Hammer Film Productions
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Hungary, XVII century. After being widowed, the old countess Elizabeth Nádasdy, of the Báthory lineage, fortunately discovers a way to become young again; but the price to be paid by those around her will be high and bloody.

Genre

Drama, Horror

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Director

Peter Sasdy

Production Companies

Hammer Film Productions

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Countess Dracula Audience Reviews

GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.
Forumrxes Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.
Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Stevieboy666 Hammer's take on the real life Hungarian Countess Bathory, who tortured and murdered some 600 odd young girls, believing that their blood would retain her beauty. Needless to say we don't get anywhere near that number of deaths here, nor do we get any torture. Made in the early 1970's, when sex had become a big ingredient in vampire films, this stars the beautiful but sadly dubbed Ingrid Pitt in the title role. There's no Cushing, Lee or even a Michael Ripper here but the cast is good, in particular Nigel Green as the Countess's castle steward/lover, and also Maurice Denham as the elder castle historian provides some humour. This is a Hammer movie so production values are good. There is a fair amount of female flesh on show but the blood letting is rather restrained, and it all builds to a great, if predictable finale. I grew up watching Hammer movies and although this is far from their best it is still a good film, combining a love story with a different take on vampirism.
qmtv Pure Crap. Story sucked, the acting is amateur. Garbage all the way. Boring, Slow Crap.Ingrid Pitt sucks like crap in this movie. Her acting is horrible. The worst actor is the Lieutenant, this guy cannot act.The cinematography was OK, just point and shoot. The directing was garbage. It takes more than aiming a camera and being satisfied with the first takes. This guy cannot get any emotions out of the actors, or any atmosphere. The castle was fine, and some of the costumes were good, then again some of the costumes were disgusting.The best Hammer productions had great set designs, colors, cinematography, and music. They never had great stories. And their actors were decent, not great. Christopher Lee was a decent actor, not great. Peter Cushing was much better, but still not great. What we have with this movie is a complete lack of anything that makes an even passable movie.No explanation is given for why virgin women blood gave her youth. A book was found to explain the virgin blood, but that came later and no spell or anything, just virgin blood on old skin and it induces youth. The story itself is crap. The old guy is in love with the even older woman, great. Then after she gains youth she falls in love with the lieutenant. Ingrid Pitt was around 33 at the time. She looks more like in her 40s and acts like a feakin teenager in love. Real nonsense. The horrible acting. The horrible story. We see a few kills, but most off screen. The makeup was garbage. The acting? I've seen some terrible movies, but these movies had no budget, but much better stories, and the actors tried. This movie had a budget, but wasted it. If you're a fan of Ingrid Pitt then see it. If not study it for the elements: Story/Plot/Dialogue, Acting, Music, Set Design, Costumes, Directing – all below par. I suggest intoxication, and laugh tracks would help. Best external review I've read so far is from: British Horror Films (Chris Wood). He sees this (film) for what it is, utter crap. I find more entertainment out of reading real honest and intelligent reviews like this than watching this crap. Here's another honest and intelligent external review: Taliesin Meets the VampiresMy rating is an F, 1 star. No entertainment value what so ever.
AaronCapenBanner Peter Sasdy directed this (loosely) based on fact historical account of the Countess Elizabeth(played by Ingrid Pitt) an aging ruler who discovers the secret of youth by bathing in the blood of innocent young women, which restores her own youthful beauty, and inspires her take on younger men as lovers, much to the consternation of her loyal lover Captain Dobi(played by Nigel Green). The number of missing young women draws the wrath of the village, who begin a revolt, but Elizabeth only cares about herself, which will encourage Captain Dobi to abandon her, and leave her to face the consequences of her murderous actions. Good cast and direction, but film is lurid and unoriginal; ultimately a misfire, though Pitt certainly makes it semi-watchable at least.
crimsonrose71 Countess Dracula may not be Vampire lovers, but again it has cult favorite Ingrid Pitt (both as herself and in old-age make-up and grey wig), sumptuous costumes, lighting and scenery, lovely score and young Lesley-Anne Downs as angelically pretty heroine. "Old women are gross evil monsters" morality stinks like a compost it is; in real life, Countess Bathory's crime career (if real) had nothing to do with becoming old and envying young girls. Anyway, it is yet another Hammer classic, and novelization by Michael Parry seems also very interesting. By the way, Grimm brothers is another sumptuously dressed, silly and enjoyable fairytale about Bathory legend.