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6
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9 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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Under
the auspices of its Midnite Movies line,
MGM has just released a double feature DVD of
two long-awaited Hammer titles, Countess
Dracula and The Vampire
Lovers. Both were filmed in 1970 and star
the voluptuous Polish-born Ingrid Pitt in lead
roles. Rather than cover both movies in a single
review Eccentric Cinema will take a look at each
individually. First up: Side B's The
Vampire Lovers, which is marginally the
superior of the two.
With the advent of H.G. Lewis'
drive-in bloodbaths and Romero's Night
Of The Living Dead, English language horror
films had entered a new era of permissiveness
by the late 1960s. As in the '90s, established
studios stampeded to tailor their product to the
evolving (some would say "devolving") tastes of
audiences, tastes whetted by the more daring,
sensational fare served up by the bargain basement
indies. So it was with Hammer Studios, the venerable
British production company that had successfully
resurrected gothic horror in movie theaters 'round
the world beginning with Curse
Of Frankenstein (1957). Only now, with the
dawn of the swinging '70s, a little extra blood
and a lower-cut bodice were not enough. Hammer
would continue churning out gothic horror films
for a few more years, but its product would be
pumped up with a higher gore quotient and outright
nudity. The Vampire Lovers
— which was successful enough to spawn two sequels,
Lust For A Vampire
and Twins Of Evil
— is a perfect example of this game plan in action.
A pre-titles prologue set in
the 1790s opens the film. In a narrated flashback,
Styrian nobleman Baron Hartog (Douglas Wilmer,
Octopussy) recounts
his destruction of the Karnsteins — an aristocratic
family of vampires who've been preying on the
local populace. His own sister among their victims,
the vengeful Baron lies in wait at Karnstein Castle
to end their reign of terror. One of the undead,
a beautiful blond woman, almost puts the bite
on Hartog but he decapitates her with a sword.
(Hey... did that 18th Century vampire babe have
dental fillings?)
After the opening titles, the
story jumps forward 20 years or so. A grand ball
is being held at the estate of prestigious Hapsburg
army officer Gen. Spielsdorf (Hammer vet Peter
Cushing). A noblewoman of Spielsdorf's acquaintance,
identified only as "the Countess" (Dawn Addams),
appears at the ball with her beautiful daughter
Marcilla. Almost immediately a mysterious horseman
in black arrives with a message for the Countess.
"A dear friend of mine is dying," she explains
to her host. Could the general accommodate Marcilla
as a guest until her return? The gracious officer
accepts — soon to his regret. Within days, Spielsdorf's
pretty blond niece Laura (Pippa Steele) falls
ill with a strange malady, developing anemia and
suffering terrible nightmares. She's also become
obsessively enamored of her newfound friend, enigmatic
house guest Marcilla (Ingrid Pitt). Uncomprehending,
the general can only watch as Laura dies. Marcilla,
in the meantime, mysteriously disappears. A short
time later George Morton, a rich Englishman living
in Styria, chances upon the Countess, whose coach
has thrown a wheel. Due to important business,
the Countess simply must continue her journey...
Could Herr Morton look after her daughter Carmilla
until she returns?
Carmilla is actually Marcilla,
whose real name is Mircalla Karnstein (or is it
the other way 'round? Hard to keep all these aliases
straight!), set to prey upon another fair maiden
from a wealthy family. It's not long before Morton's
young daughter, the waifish Emma (Madeline Smith),
is completely under the alluring vampire's spell.
When Morton leaves on a business trip, Carmilla
takes advantage of his absence to assert control
over the household. In the best of the film's
erotic scenes, she wordlessly seduces Mademoiselle
Paridot (Kate O'Mara), Emma's protective governess
(who's a closet lesbian, apparently). Things don't
go quite as planned for the naughty nosferatu,
however, as Morton's butler Renton (Harvey Hall)
and the local doctor (The
Fearless Vampire Killers' Ferdy Mayne)
grow suspicious. Spielsdorf too seeks answers
to his own recent tragedy, and to this end he
seeks out his old friend Baron Hartog...
The Vampire
Lovers should please most Hammer devotees.
It's got a fog-shrouded castle, moldy crypts and
attractive, nubile young women who spend much
of the time in diaphanous nightgowns — only this
time they actually doff them on screen. Director
Roy Ward Baker (Quatermass
And The Pit) keeps the pace brisker than usual,
employing a more mobile camera than is customary
for Hammer flicks. The few gore effects on display
(decapitations which barely merit a Blood 'n'
Guts icon) are effective. And as always, anything
with Peter Cushing in it is worth a look.
But all is not well in darkest
Styria. Production values look threadbare in spots.
A whirling cyclorama with trees painted on it
to simulate horseback riding during close-ups
of the actors is laughably phony. The musical
score is either completely forgettable or stridently
irritating. A recurring character, the mysterious
"Man in Black" — a Dracula-type figure who
appears numerous times to no real purpose — is
never adequately explained. Pitt, despite her
obvious physical charms, is about 10 years too
old for the part of Carmilla; according to a grave
marker, her character is supposed to have died
at the age of 24. And could someone please tell
me where women got false eyelashes during the
Napoleonic era?
Okay, okay, maybe I'm quibbling
here... Actually, my impression of the film has
improved somewhat with the viewing of this DVD
edition, which finally allows me to see it in
its proper widescreen format. Pitt, O'Mara (Horror
Of Frankenstein) and Smith are sexy and beguiling,
giving good performances. Ingrid Pitt, despite
being in her 30s, is alluring and mysterious enough
to carry the film, ably potraying the evil yet
sympathetic Carmilla character. Baker's direction
and the yeoman cast imbues what is essentially
an exploitation film with a welcome touch of class.
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Countess Dracula/Vampire
Lovers combo disc is an absolutely terrific
value: two Hammer horrors, looking and sounding
better than they ever have on home video, accentuated
with worthwhile bonus features... and all for less
than 14 bucks! (Even cheaper — less than $10 — in
some brick and mortar stores.) Folks, you just can't
beat that with a stake... er, stick. (Note:
EC's DVD rating of 9 factors in the total
value of this double feature package.) Vampire
Lovers is presented totally uncut in 1.85:1
widescreen, anamorphically enhanced for 16x9 TVs.
The unblemished print looks marvelous, while the
disc's mono audio track is clear, crisp, and strong.
As for extras, Side B offers the original theatrical
trailer and a still gallery accompanied by Ingrid
Pitt reading selections from Sheridan Le Fanu's
original Carmilla story in her thickly-accented
voice. An audio commentary (moderated by Jonathan
Sothcott) features Pitt, Roy Ward Baker and screenwriter
Tudor Gates. Their chat gets pretty dry (and lapses
into complete silence for almost five minutes midway
through the film) but may still interest Hammerheads.
8/30/03 |
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