Forget the Ice- and Throw Some Rice- at “Brides of Dracula” Tonight!

Things get hot enough to thaw the chill hitting a lot of our nation tonight- between warm blood and horrible hotties- as Peter Cushing stars as vampire hunter Prof. Van Helsing, brought to a small town to divorce the populace from the “Brides of Dracula”!

This 1960 chiller was actually Hammer Studios’ sequel to their original version of “Dracula”-which starred Christopher Lee- but you won't see Sir Christopher OR  Dracula himself in this movie! A beautiful French woman (played by Yvonne Monlaur) is on her way to a teaching job at a girl’s school- when, through some shady means, she ends up stranded at an inn late at night. A strange and haughty elderly baroness stops in, and invites her to her castle for the night. Late that night, she encounters the baroness’ son (whom she was given the  impression  had passed away)- a handsome young man kept chained up in a room, for reasons no one will discuss. He convinces her to help him escape his shackles- but, when she does, and he reveals what he really is-and she is forced to flee from the manor into the night! The next day, she is found, barely conscious, by the good Prof. Van Helsing, recalling nothing of her previous night. Meanwhile, Van Helsing heads to the inn, and attends the funeral of a local young lady. He has his suspicions about the reason for her passing- confirmed before long when she rises from her grave, with fangs bared! Van Helsing realizes that the disciples of his old enemy Count Dracula are at work, and begins his search for whoever is siring new vampires-and the young unshackled Baron becomes his prime suspect.

Our French schoolteacher makes her way to her new job- a school brimming with lovely young women, a veritable smorgasbord for the escaped Baron- and the naive French female ends up in great danger- with Van Helsing facing more blood-thirsty “brides” while trying to save the innocent schoolmarm, fully aware that the supernatural power of the baron could well bring about their destruction!

We always get a lot of requests for this movie-the vampires are frightening,the color of the film is vivid, and the alluring young women (a trademark of the Hammer horror films) make this a bridal party to remember. Cushing is great, as always, and David Peel is the young blond Baron -an interesting change from the dark-haired depiction usually used for movie vampires. We'll tell you about the cast, and explain why there is no Christopher Lee present! Plus,  a hip Sven product the vampire brides can use- and, in keeping with the season- some bonus Sven Christmas music!

"Brides of Dracula" heads down the aisle on MeTV at 10 pm eastern/pacific, 9 central/mountain, or check local listings or metv.com for info about your area. Our Chicago Svenamaniacs get  another look at "Weird Woman" at 11 am on our sister station, WCIU,the U!

God rest ye merry, gentlemen- until you're disturbed by the vampire vixens tonight!