AllMovie

This historical adventure takes the actual figure of Vlad Tepes (also known as Vlad the Impaler), long believed to be the originator of the Dracula legend, and places him in a sweeping adventure. Vlad Dracula (Rudolph Martin) and his brother, Radu (Michael Sutton), take different paths in life after their father refuses to kowtow to the Turkish sultan that occupies their beloved Romania. With the help of a Hungarian army and a slave named Bruno, Vlad succeeds in regaining control of Romania. Even the love of the Hungarian king's daughter cannot stop Vlad from becoming a power-hungry despot who warns off enemies by impaling a ghastly number of victims on tall spikes that surround the castle. Soon his dictatorship is under threat from an army led by his brother. This film debuted on the USA cable network.