“Scars of Dracula” brings some much-needed energy to the Hammer series. A man, Christopher Matthews, on the run from authorities, finds himself at a foreboding castle and then vanishes. His brother and a friend—Dennis Waterman and Jenny Hanley—travel to this questionable place to locate him, only to confront a powerful fiend, portrayed by Christopher Lee. This 1970 film feels like a fresh start for the Hammer series; it essentially revisits Lee’s initial portrayals of the undead Count in “Horror of Dracula” (1958) and “Dracula, Prince of Darkness” (1966), while incorporating elements from "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" (1968) and notably borrowing the storyline from “Psycho” (1960). Anyone who has concerns about that last point can simply review the plot summary. Some viewers have issues with how this film fits into the series’ timeline, but these perceived problems are easily addressed: Dracula was reduced to ashes at the conclusion of “Taste the Blood of Dracula” (1970), yet instructions were given to Klove to find and retrieve those remains, bringing them back to a castle in Transylvania where one of Dracula's creatures would provide the blood needed to resurrect the Prince of Darkness. Regarding the differing appearance of the castle, Hammer had relocated to another studio, which naturally explains why it looks different than it did thirteen years earlier when “Horror of Dracula” was made. Despite some low-budget bat scenes, "Scars of Dracula" proves to be one of the more enjoyable entries because of Paul’s lively performance, a bit of genuine humor in the beginning, and an overall engaging story—if it worked for “Psycho,” why wouldn't it work here? The female cast members also contribute positively; Jenny Hanley is particularly appealing as Sarah, along with Anouska Hempel (Tania), Delia Lindsay (Alice) and Wendy Hamilton (Julie). For those who are interested, Hammer produced nine films centered around Dracula from 1958 to 1974: “Horror of Dracula” (1958); “The Brides of Dracula” (1960); “Dracula: Prince of Darkness” (1966); “Dracula Has Risen from the Grave” (1968); “Taste the Blood of Dracula” (1970); “Scars of Dracula” (1970); “Dracula AD 1972” (1972); “The Satanic Rites of Dracula” (1973); and “The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires” (1974). Christopher Lee plays Dracula in every film except "Brides" and "7 Golden Vampires," while Peter Cushing appears in five as a Van Helsing. The movie has a running time of 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was filmed at Elstree Studios & nearby Scratchwood, just northwest of London. GRADE: B

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