The last of the historical Hammer Dracula movies is presented in a fantastic 4K/Blu-ray edition from STUDIOCANAL.

Resurrected by the regurgitated blood of a bat, Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) once more puts fear into the locals living in the shadow of his castle. Even their attempt to burn his resting place to the ground backfires when all the women are killed by his bats of vengeance. When a disgraced womaniser, Paul Carlson (Christopher Matthews), arrives in the village, he’s forced to take shelter at the castle, becoming a prisoner there. His brother, Simon (Dennis Waterman), and his fiancée, Sarah (Jenny Hanley), come searching for him, leading to more danger.

Time has been kind to Scars of Dracula; pilloried by many over the years, it’s much more entertaining than you might think. Roy Ward Baker’s direction is solid and keeps things moving. While it’s essentially a retread of previous films, the inclusion of elements from Bram Stoker’s novel, such as Dracula climbing a building to reach his room and his command over animals, adds some fresh moments. It’s not the strongest of Christopher Lee’s tenure as Dracula by a long shot, but he’s still a captivating Count. Seeing future TV stars Dennis Waterman and Jenny Hanley in prominent roles (as well as the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton) alongside Hammer stalwarts such as Michael Ripper is a joy, too.

STUDIOCANAL’s new release includes the film presented on a 4K UHD as well as a regular Blu-ray. Both look fantastic. There’s also a nice booklet with new essays and a reprint of the original press book, and two posters. Extras on the disc include a couple of new featurettes (one an interview with Bram’s great-grand-nephew, Dacre Stoker, the other a conversation between two critics offering new perspectives on the film). Several other extras have been ported over from previous releases and are very welcome, making this release the ‘definitive’ version.

SCARS OF DRACULA is out now on 4K UHD. You can buy it here.