Count Yorga, Vampire

U.S.A. / 1970 Directed by Bob Kelljan Starring Robert Quarry Roger Perry Michael Murphy Color / 93 Minutes / PG-13 Format: DVD (R1 - NTSC) MGM Home Entertainment

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Count Yorga Double Feature

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5     5   10 = Highest Rating

Los Angeles at the dawn of the swinging Seventies is the new home for Bulgarian nobleman and vampire Count Yorga (Robert Quarry - Dr. Phibes Rises Again!, The Deathmaster). Ensconced in a hilltop mansion overlooking the city, the Count has developed a reputation as a psychic, holding seances for people interested in the occult... preferably attractive young women with lots of fresh, warm blood in them.     Yorga's problem is that he insists on preying on ladies whose fiancés don't take kindly to his less-than-honorable attentions. When Erica (Judith Lang) and then Donna (Donna Anders, alias "D.J. Anderson") fall mysteriously ill after participating in one of the Count's seances, their boyfriends Paul (Michael Murphy) and Michael (Michael Macready) are certain that Yorga's somehow to blame. They call in swinging physician Dr. Jim Hayes (The Thing With Two Heads' Roger Perry) to help investigate further. In Erica's case, the initial diagnosis of anemia gives way to other, unthinkable possibilities when Paul discovers her chowing down on a dead kitten — without having even cooked it first. Shortly thereafter Erica mysteriously disappears and Paul storms up to Yorga's house in a rage, alone. (Bad mistake). He doesn't come back. Paul's vanishing act only compounds the worries of his friend Michael, whose girlfriend Donna is acting rather strangely in much the same manner as the missing Erica did. Against his better judgment Hayes begins to believe that the enigmatic Count Yorga is, in fact, a vampire. Donning the undead-slaying mantle of Prof. Van Helsing, Hayes and Michael steel themselves for a trip to Yorga's lair to confront him — or die trying.     A briskly-paced thriller, the flick plays very well even 30+ years on. Still, I could've done without the presence of Bruddah (Edward Walsh), Yorga's hulking, disheveled manservant in an ill-fitting suit, bad "brute" makeup and fake buck teeth. (One would think the Count could get better help!) The film is also limited by its low budget, some hammy narration (spoken by producer/co-star Michael Macready's father, The Human Duplicators' George Macready), and a clunky scene or two. (Watch in amusement as the stake protruding from a supposedly dead vampiress bobs back and forth as she breathes.) And Count, baby... get a longer cape.     Nevertheless, Count Yorga, Vampire is a better film that one would expect considering the meager budget. Kelljan's effective, economical direction aside, this is chiefly due to a charismatic performance by Robert Quarry as the titular bloodsucker. Wisely avoiding overplaying the part (which could've easily degenerated into ham-laden theatrics in another actor's hands), Quarry's villain is urbane, charming — yet utterly ruthless, even sadistic. He taunts the vampire hunters like a cat toying with a helpless mouse; the scene in which Yorga "helps" the trapped doctor call out to Michael is genuinely chilling. Perry lends solid support as blood specialist Hayes, effectively selling to the audience the well-worn vampire movie clichés with earnest conviction. Judith Lang is also quite good as the doomed Erica, destined to lie as an undead concubine to the nefarious Count. (Ever notice that the really sexy vampire babes are always brunettes?)     Followed by an even better sequel, 1971's The Return Of Count Yorga.

Count Yorga, Vampire is yet another entry in MGM's line of budget-priced Midnite Movie DVDs. It's presented in anamorphically-enhanced widescreen format from a very good looking video transfer. (Some of the night-time scenes are a bit on the dark side, though.) The digital mono audio track is quite satisfactory. The only extra, as for most of the series' titles, is the original theatrical trailer. Interestingly, the actual title used on the print is of the film's original (later discarded) shooting title, "The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire". Apparently the character's name was changed prior to theatrical release. 9/03/01

UPDATE Although the DVD reviewed here was discontinued by MGM in 2004, a double feature edition was then issued pairing the two Count Yorga movies together. An excellent deal, y'all! (The cover art/product link to the left is for this double feature disc.)

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