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3
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8 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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More
lesbian undead courtesy of Hammer Films.
Lust
For A Vampire followed quickly on the box-office
success of 1970's The
Vampire Lovers, which upped the ante on the
traditional gothic horror trappings with its Sapphic
eroticism, bare female bodies and bloody beheadings.
More or less a sequel to that film, Lust
forms the second entry in Hammer's "Karnstein
Trilogy" — very loosely based on Sheridan Le Fanu's
Carmilla — which concluded with 1972's
Twins Of Evil. This
is definitely the runt of the litter.
Decades after the events of
the first film, the Austrian province of Styria
is once again plagued by the cancerous evil of
the Karnstein family. A noble house of Satan-worshipping
vampires, the Karnsteins feed off the local populace
in between periods when they vanish for years
at a time. During their latest visitation a virginal
maiden is kidnapped by Count and Countess Karnstein
(Mike Raven, Barbara Jefford), and then sacrificed
in a blood ritual to restore another member of
the family to "life": Mircalla Karnstein,
the beautiful vampiress beheaded at the climax
of Lovers. (Played
by Ingrid Pitt in that film but by the younger
Yutte Stensgaard, a Danish model, here.) Posing
as the niece of the Countess Herritzen, Mircalla
enrolls at an elite girl's academy catering to
the daughters of wealthy Brits and Americans.
Conveniently the school is located just over the
hill from Castle Karnstein. She's not all that
concerned with furthering her education — her
chief interest being the availability of nubile
young females to seduce and exsanguinate. Turns
out Miracalla doesn't even have to make the first
move; her American roommate, Susan (Pippa Steele),
is a lesbian quick to offer the therapeutic ministrations
of a topless back rub.
A traveling English novelist, Richard Lestrange
(the very Timothy Dalton-ish Michael Johnson)
has also wormed his way into the school to get
at the chicks. He arranges to divert the newly-arrived
English instructor to Vienna so that he himself
can graciously take up that duty. It's love at
first sight when Lestrange spies Mircalla. He
pursues her, oblivious of her nightly assignations
with Susan (as well as other girls). Another man
on the premises is not so naive, yet equally obsessed
— Giles Barton (Horror
Of Frankenstein's Ralph Bates), the creepy
art instructor and co-owner of the school. Steeped
in the history of Castle Karnstein, Barton realizes
Mircalla's true identity. One night he watches
her kill Susan in the woods, then hides the body,
saying nothing. He confronts Mircalla, begging
to be turned into a vampire himself. Instead she
drains him and leaves him to die.
The school's dance instructor, Janet Playfair
(Lost Continent's
Suzanna Leigh), starts forming her own suspicions
while at the same time, in a sappy subplot, falling
in love with Lestrange. His attentions remain
firmly fixed on Mircalla, however; the lesbian
vampire decides to swing the other way for once
and grants him a night of earthly love — she gives
up the booty but doesn't bite him. Lestrange is
totally obsessed now, refusing to aid Janet in
getting to the bottom of things. Further complicating
matters for Janet is the headmistress, Miss Simpson
(Helen Christie), who's fallen under the influence
of Countess Herritzen (actually Karnstein) and
is covering up the deaths and disappearances.
But Susan's father comes calling, determined to
get answers, as well as Inspector Heinrich (Harvey
Hall, also in Lovers)
of the Austrian police. The local villagers, too,
are getting restless... Time to light those torches!
Lust For A Vampire
is sub-par Hammer, even with the barebreasted
beauties to keep things lively. It features one
of the worst pop songs ever used in a vampire
flick, the gratingly awful "Strange Love". For
a story this thin we get much too little in the
way of titillation or outright horror. Sluggish
and cheap-looking, it's hamstrung by some rather
slapdash production values. In one scene, when
the Karnstein's coachman attempts to escape the
mob, a camera crew can clearly be seen positioned
by the roadside. A key special effect, in which
a character is impaled by a burning piece of wood,
uses perhaps the phoniest dummy I've ever seen
in a movie — totally ruining the film's fiery
climax. The ending shot of Karnstein Castle in
flames is stock footage lifted straight from the
previous year's Scars
Of Dracula. That's not all that was cribbed
from the vault... During the blood ritual, close-ups
of Count Karnstein's eyes are actually inserts
culled from a Christopher Lee Dracula flick! (Lee's
bloodshot orbs should get a guest-starring credit
in the titles.) And speaking of Count Karnstein,
Mike Raven — whose voice was dubbed over for the
final product — essays a rather unimpressive master
vampire, making periodic appearances throughout
trying vainly to look sinister. He's not as bad
as Zandor Vorkoff in Dracula
Vs. Frankenstein, mind you, but...
Thankfully
the other performers fare better. Bates and Leigh
are always watchable; Johnson is quite good as
the besotted Lestrange. Starlet Yutte Stensgaard
is no thespian — she's often a vacuous presence
here — but her obvious physical attributes serve
her well in the role. (It isn't a particularly
demanding one, anyway.) She does have nice bristols.
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Anchor
Bay continues its policy of quality with this latest
addition to the company's Hammer Collection, which
streeted simultaneously with
Dr. Jekyll And Sister
Hyde (also starring Bates). Lust
For A Vampire's 16x9-enhanced, widescreen
(1.77:1) video transfer looks virtually flawless;
the disc boasts a digital mono audio track that's
crisp, clear and devoid of hiss and "cracklies".
Bonus materials collected
for this edition should please Hammerheads immensely.
The original theatrical trailer is included, along
with a pair of lurid radio spots aimed at the American
exploitation market. In keeping with the last batch
of Anchor Bay Hammers there's a montage of photos
and production stills set to the movie's main theme.
An audio commentary with director Jimmy Sangster
and costar Suzanna Leigh, nicely moderated by film
historian Marcus Hearn, ranges over the production
of the film as well as things Hammer in general.
Leigh contributes much more here than would be indicated
by her relatively minor role in Lust;
the elderly Sangster, by the way, positively loathes
the flick! There's also a nice Easter Egg on the
disc. At the Extras menu screen, arrow over until
a scarlet cross is highlighted on the hilt of Karnstein's
dagger, then select. This gains access to a montage
of Stensgaard glamour shots, including a couple
of topless ones. (But be warned...
This cheesecake gallery is set to the strains of
the truly horrid "Strange Love".)
12/09/01 |
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