The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Must See Movie...

It is a performances centric movie

Awesome Movie

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

While enjoying her birthday party, a woman finds that two new arrivals cause quite a stir among the guests, yet when a series of dead bodies are found across the countryside they realize the deadly secret they hold and race to stop their deadly plans from coming true.This is one of the best entries from Hammer in a long time. What really works is the rather strong approach to the exploitation elements as this is one of their best attempts at melding their old- Gothic approach with kinkier elements that were becoming famous at the time. This is still very Gothically-influenced, with the eerie opening showing a lone figure gliding effortlessly through a fog- drenched cemetery in a flowing white night-gown, the instances at the Gothic castle featuring them entering and exiting their graves or the frantic chases through the woods which are in the classic mode. The later sequence showing the fate of him digging up the corpses by showing the exhumation of the bodies and the recitation of the family history in the castle while showing the final attempts at seduction back at the house finishes the Gothic atmosphere. The difference is enhanced with the addition of the lesbian hijinks, which is greatly appreciated as the style of film also allows for one of the greatest collection of Hammer women to grace the screen all getting in on it at some point. When it has a chance, it's sexuality is openly explored while never feeling like childish moments just there for titillation and it is mixed nicely with the old Gothic traditions. It's a nice combination of styles that strikes directly against the hinted-at seductiveness of the earlier ones with a vampire on-screen that actually is quite seductive and breath-taking, and her image is one of unbridled beauty and death at once. The additional violence is also nice to see and delivers more than the usual bloody fare as there are decapitations galore, some quite bloody stakings to the heart that are far gorier than what would've been shown before as well as neck bites and bloody corpses spread throughout. This is a more than fine combination of the different styles at the time and shows that they can meld together quite effectively since all these styles converge together into a cohesive manner that truly feels as though they belonged together. Add this together with a fast pace, traditional Hammer excellence in acting and dialog, and it's a minor classic in their catalog. Basically, all that's really wrong here are a couple of unexplained questions. There's a mysterious man-in-black whenever some victim is killed, and it's never told who he is. His backstory is a mystery, his powers are left up in the air as to where they came from, and the fact that all he does is appear on horseback is just another clue to his enigma. As well, she is said to be the last of the Karnstein clan, yet she comes into contact with both families by a mysterious noblewoman who then disappears from the film when she is taken away without answering where she comes from or what her contact with the vampire is. These questions are never explained in the film and are perhaps the only thing wrong with it.Today's Rated R: Full Nudity, Graphic Violence and several mild sex scenes.

I don't know if I will ever get a chance to see Lesbian Vampire Killers, but going back to see the film that probably started the whole lesbian vampire genre popularized by Jean Rollin and Jess Franco.Hammer Studios is to be commended for bringing this Gothic tale with an erotic twist. It is part of the so-called Karnstein Trilogy of films. Subsequent films in the trilogy are Lust for a Vampire (1971) and Twins of Evil (1972).It was a real shame to see the buxom Kirsten Lindholm beheaded in the opening, but there would be more treasures to come.Carmilla (Ingrid Pitt) stays with Roger Morton (George Cole), and his daughter Emma (Madeline Smith). She wastes no time parading around naked and engaging Emma is play. She visits at night as a cat to groom her for the ultimate conquest. Not satisfied with just Emma, she brings the Governess (Kate O'Mara) under her power by seducing her.People soon start dying in the neighborhood. It is only though the intervention of Renton (Harvey Hall) and the doctor (Ferdy Mayne) that Emma is saved. The crafty Carmilla manages to neutralize both, exposing Emma to attack. Who alive could resist her charms? Meanwhile, Morton runs into Baron Joachim von Hartog (Douglas Wilmer) and General von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) on their way to Karnstein castle to find the last vampire's coffin.But, who is the Man in Black (John Forbes-Robertson)?

The vampire Countess Carmilla Karnstein makes her way through the Austrian countryside creeping into the households of aristocrats and taking their daughters as victims. The families begin to catch on when a pattern of deaths in the area takes shape. Vampire hunter Baron Hartog is called upon to put an end to Carmilla's wicked ways and end the legacy of terror the Karnstein family is known for.I would like to first comment that I'm not a fan of this sort of risqué entertainment. I steer clear of movies that delve into racier subject matter like this. As a horror film history junkie and huge fan of everything Hammer, "The Vampire Lovers" intrigues me because of its place in a bygone era. I am stupefied that a movie dealing with the "off-limits" ideas it does was even allowed to be shown in theaters in 1970.My main draw to "The Vampire Lovers" is two-fold. First, I love Peter Cushing with all my heart. I've been fascinated with the man since seeing him in "Star Wars" as a child. He commands every scene of every film he appears in no matter how briefly he's on screen. I can't even begin to imagine what such a "perfect gentleman" as Cushing thought when he saw this movie.Secondly, you can't beat the atmosphere of a period piece Hammer film. The sets are wonderfully dreary and Gothic. I absolutely adore the Victorian design and gloriously green exterior shots."The Vampire Lovers" is an essential piece for any collector of Hammer horror films. Although I don't necessarily condone the themes of the movie, it is a fascinating entry in the vampire genre and a unique part of cinema history. I will say this isn't your usual classic 1970's PG gore fest and shouldn't be viewed by young eyes. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/849014/eric_shirey.html

The Vampire Lovers (1970) *** (out of 4) This Hammer film, the first in a trilogy, is far from a good film but there's still no question that it's the studio's most erotic feature and that alone makes it worth seeing. In the film Ingrid Pitt plays Mircalla Karnstein, a vampire who with the help of her family goes around to various rich people in Germany and take their young daughters. This adaptation of "Carmilla" is without question one of the most popular thanks in large part to the added sexuality from the British studio. There's no question that this here was a landmark film for the company as everything after this started to be aimed at adults with weird bits of graphic violence and stronger sexuality. A lot of the credit here has to go to the performance and look of Pitt. While her acting might be questionable, there's no doubt that she possesses the look to play this part. I thought she was incredibly sexual during the seduction scenes and she was also believable as a cursed woman. It certainly doesn't hurt that her beautiful body is on full display and this too adds to the erotic nature of the film. Peter Cushing is good in his supporting bit and the young women who Karnstein goes after also feature some good performances. Director Roy Ward Baker does a nice job building up a good atmosphere and for the most part I thought he kept the film moving well. The screenplay is good but I must admit that the same thing happening over and over again grew a little tiresome. However, that certainly isn't enough to destroy what makes this film so memorable and that's the sexuality, lesbianism and the more adult natured story.