Horrorfest 2012: The Vampire Lovers

Ah, yes, it's nice to see the names "American International" and "Hammer Films" in the opening credits of a horror film. It's not necessarily a quality assurance thing so much as it is a sign that whether or not the following flick is any good, it's going to be entertaining as all hell.

This time it's THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, an adaptation of the gothic story CARMILLA which was one of the original inspirations for DRACULA, about a female vampire feeding on other females. You know what that means -- homoerotic implications. For a flick from 1970, this one is fairly up front with its nudity and sexual situations, making it fairly clear we're dealing in same-sex love territory. So, the movie is kind of ahead of its time while also being just about what you'd expect from its time since it wastes no opportunity to exploit its subject.

Anyway, this one stars Hammer regular Peter Cushing as a 19th century General whose daughter (Pippa Steele) is seduced and eventually killed by a visting beautiful woman who happens to be a vampire (Ingrid Pitt).

Later, the vampire moves on to another household, where she seduces another innocent girl (Madeline Smith) before Cushing comes back with the help of a vampire hunter (Douglas Wilmer) to put an end to everything.

Technically, I guess, the movie isn't much to write home about. However, it is colorful, well acted, features great costumes and set design and is never boring. So, you've got a solid piece of entertainment here, especially if you like pretty girls who fall out of their dresses.

Ingrid Pitt is great as the seductive vampiress in a rather thankless role -- she doesn't get to gloat evilly over her kills, but she does get to slink around suggestively and manipulate just about everyone on screen, and you believe she could get away with it the whole time. The other women are good as well, playing the innocent victims of seduction without too much self-parody, walking the line carefully to remain alluring as virginal waifs while still being somewhat believable as actual characters.

Cushing is the best, here, even though he doesn't have much to work with. He's not a strong personality here like his famous iterations of Van Helsing and Dr. Frankenstein, but he does prove that he can dominate the screen simply by appearing on it. He has that kind of face.