Synopsis
"Dracula A.D. 1972" is a Hammer horror film directed by Alan Gibson — watch it online on iFILM. The studio made a calculated bet here: drag Count Dracula out of Victorian England and dump him into early-70s London, complete with rock gigs, Chelsea boutiques and a crowd of young thrill-seekers who have no idea what they're dabbling in. Christopher Lee returned as the Count; Peter Cushing came back as Van Helsing, now a silver-haired professor dealing with a very 20th-century problem.
A group of kids perform a black-magic ritual in a derelict churchyard. Dracula reconstitutes himself from dust. His new disciple, played by Christopher Neame, keeps feeding him victims — including Jessica Van Helsing, the professor's granddaughter, played by Stephanie Beacham. Cushing's quiet, methodical fury when he realises who is on the menu is one of the better moments in the film.
As a period piece it is genuinely enjoyable: the 70s London atmosphere is well-captured, and it was the last time Lee and Cushing faced off in these roles on screen. Stream "Dracula A.D. 1972" online on iFILM.
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