Horrors Of The Black Museum (1959)

Starring Michael Gough, June Cunningham, Graham Curnow, Shirley Anne Field, Geoffrey Keen
Directed by Arthur Crabtree
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A crime columnist and author provokes the police when stymied by recent slayings, while hiding the secret that he is behind the murders, using instruments from his own personal black museum.

Michael Gough is probably better known today for his late-career films for Tim Burton, and in particular his memorable casting as Alfred the butler in Burton's Batman films, but he was the face of several horror films in the 1960s, playing the most reprehensible of villains in a series of movies for producer Herman Cohen.  This was the first of those, and Gough shows a talent for bringing out hate and vitriol in the way he speaks his dialogue, subtly at first but culminating in explosions of anger when necessary.  It's really a remarkable gift on the part of the actor.  Accompanying Gough in the film are some truly shocking scenes for the time, including a murder by needles hidden in a pair of binoculars.  To be frank, there's a lot that's distasteful about the movie, but the filmmakers were clearly trying to push the envelope, and they do so rather expertly.  A prologue featuring real-life psychologist Emile Franchel trying to hypnotize the audience has absolutely no connection with the film, but it's charming in its own way.

Taste The Blood Of Dracula (1970)

Starring Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Gwen Watford, Linda Hayden, Peter Sallis
Directed by Peter Sasdy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

After boring of pleasures of the flesh, a group of men agree to participate in a black mass for new thrills, but when they bring about the reincarnation of Dracula, their days become numbered. 

Christopher Lee returns for his fourth Dracula film with Hammer, and though it features beautiful photography by Arthur Grant, a fine score by James Bernard, and a distinguished cast, the script is sorely lacking.  Lee plays a smaller role in the film than previously and has little dialogue, recruiting some young maidens to do most of his dirty work in this picture, and while he still has an imposing presence and gives a frightening bestial performance, he doesn't have many meaningful scenes.  The climactic showdown between Lee and Anthony Corlan also disappoints.  I liked the performances by Linda Hayden, and especially Isla Blair, who is very beguiling when turned by Dracula to a vampire, and fans of Hammer should find elements to enjoy, but the studio's done far better.