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Vampyres

Vampyres

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $17.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: the start of a genre
Review: "Vampyres" is a 1974 exploitation movie that I think started the whole 'lesbian vampire' cleche. It is about two girl vampires who lure men to their house, and then feed off them. The two women, Marianne Morris and Anulka, are actually pretty good; although I saw in the interveiw that it was both of their first film. The location is nice, ominous and spooky. The only problem is that a lot of the story dosn't pass the common sense law. Would you pick-up two women who just pop up out of the woods? Would you stay with them if their house looked like something out of "Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe? If you woke up the next morning with a long gash on your arm, would you stay? Shouldn't the cops get very suspicious after the first two car crashes, and then the accidents kept happeneing every day? I know that a movie like this is not really concerned with logic, but I couldn't get these questions out of my mind while I watched it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: zzzzzzz oh the movies over?
Review: ... This movie is dull dull sull from every vantage point. From a horror perspective its confusing and dumb. From a lesbian erotica standpoint its very lame. The sex is more of the implied type rather than shown. Not much kissing just naked bodies. Before you know it the movie is over and you think "what was that?" Its not very good and extremely over rated

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Kind of a mix of Hammer and Jean Rollin
Review: A pair of bisexual women (Marianne Morris and Playboy playmate Anulka) living in a dark, decaying mansion have a craving for blood and sex. Hitchiking in long black cloaks, they lure men home and then take them to bed, slash them with knives, and dump the bodies, making it look like a car wreck. They like one guy so much they keep him around for days and he knows something bad is happening, but he's not sure what. Some people camping nearby also suspect that the women are up to strange things.... The violence is strong even though there's more blood than gore, plenty of sex and nudity, and some very lyrical, beautiful scenes. The ending throws a whole new, darker twist on the proceedings and ties it all together nicely. It has kind of a "Hammer Films" look to it, but the storyline is more along the lines of Jean Rollin. Even though the budget was small, this is a quality-looking film. The DVD looks great and contains a commentary track with producer Brian Smedley-Aston and director Joseph Larraz that's worth listening to - it's informative, and Larraz is hilarious and pulls no punches - ya gotta love the guy, even though he admits he's become a dirty old man (the comment during one of Anulka's nude scenes had me rolling on the floor). :) It's one of the most entertaining commentary tracks I've heard on a DVD, and a quality film besides.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Unsettling!
Review: Although a lot of the reviews have focused on the sex in this movie (and yes, there are plenty of soft-core scenes), this movie was quite unsettling. The violence is truly shocking and disturbing, and by the end, I was more than a little creeped out and quite glad I'd left the lights on. The actresses really go all out and appear quite unhinged and bloodthirsty, and the director makes so much of his cast and locations that you'd hardly know this was shot on a shoe-string budget.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not Fully Restored
Review: Anchor Bay bills its version as fully restored. Viewers of the older, Magnum Entertainment version will find that the scenes of the two tourists being murdered are longer and, in my opinion, more effective.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Too slow
Review: Even allowing for the fact that this film is low budget, and from the 1970s, doesn't make up for its monotony. Its mix of sex and cheap blood effects may have seemed avant-garde to some back then, but it sure doesn't cut any edge now. Except for a few thrills at the end, this film is like a long walk to nowhere (in fact, there are too many scenes in this movie of just that - long walks).

It's too bad really, because in the right hands, the story of two vampire seductresses luring passersby to their castle could have been creepy fun.

Not enough story, and bad direction make this a "passerby". Current interviews with the lovely female stars prove to be the most interesting part of this package.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: stylish, gory and very, very sexy
Review: Ever since I read about this movie in a British horror magazine I wanted to watch it. And finally - it was released by Blue Underground on DVD, for the first time ever uncut (a former DVD release missed about 30 seconds of footage, former videotape releases were even more cut, totalling sometimes up to three minutes) Needless to say I ordered it. And I was not disappointed.
VAMYPRES is undoubtedly the best erotic horror movie ever committed to celluloid. The plot concerns two VERY sexy female vampires, mysterious, ample Fran (Marianne MORRIS) and the blonde, more fragile Miriam (ANULKA). They are unusual vampires: daylight does not harm them and they do not have fangs. At dawn the duo leaves their rundown castle (a really beautiful and very gothic building), ask male motorists for a lift and invite them to their castle for vine and sex. After killing them and feasting on their hapless victims' blood, the bloodsucking duo deposes of the corpses in staged car accidents. (Wouldn't so many traffic accidents within such a small area arouse suspicion? Okay, okay, I admit, I'm nitpicking here.) One of Fran's victims, Ted, awakens in the castle after a night of lovemaking and boozing, to find his arm severely cut. He thinks he hurt himself with a shade of glass the other night due to his inebriation. (Contrary to her usual habit, Fran did not kill Ted immediately.) Ted gets weaker and weaker and though he gets increasingly suspicious, finds himself unable to leave the castle, because he fell for Fran (small wonder!)
All the while, a young couple holidays outside the castle in their caravan, and the wife gets increasingly nervous about the strange duo of women...
Will Ted survive? Will the young couple be able to uncover the dark secret of the castle?
Well, watch for yourself... I won't give it away, but let me assure you that you won't be disappointed.
VAMPYRES will be enjoyed by any fan of horror movies for a large number of reasons. Firstly and most importantly, VAMPYRES is super ultra sexy!!! Rarely did I see an actress with the outstanding good looks and sex appeal of Marianne MORRIS. And there is lots and lots of nudity and (surprisingly graphic) sex in the film! The script provides many opportunities for the vampires to appear in the nude.
Secondly, there is enough bloodshed to appeal to horror fans. However VAMPYRES does not entirely rely on sex and violence to keep you entertained, it is also beautifully shot, exceptionally well written and with the mood and feel of a vampire film of the well-known HAMMER studios. The castle and the autumn season, during which VAMPYRES was shot, add immensely to the gothic feeling.
As is appropriate for an outstanding movie, Blue Underground's DVD presentation is very impressive. The film is presented in the correct widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85 : 1 and offers a lot of extras. There is a 14 minute interview with the lead actresses Marianne MORRIS and ANULKA. Despite being in their early 50ies by now, both (and MORRIS in particular) still look very good today. Both comment on the film shot, provide anectodes about the director, reveal how they felt during the more lascivious scenes and remark on their further live post VAMPYRES. (It is a shame that MORRIS did not pursue her acting career after this film, but opened a refurbishing company instead.) Both are proud of their participation in VAMPYRES.
There are also two trailers, the international one and the US trailer. Both are very good, with the US having the advantage, but unfortunately give away too many highlights.
Another interesting feature is a recreation of a scene, which did not made it in the final cut. The footage is now lost, so some stills give you an impression of the scene.
There are also very extensive picture galleries with interesting behind-the-scenes photoes, promotional material and stills from the film (including many nudity stills). And there is a socalled ANULKA glamour gallery (actress ANULKA was photomodel before and after her lead role in VAMPYRES) There are scores of pictures to watch!
Also included is a rather short biography and filmography of director Jose Ramon LARRAZ.
There is even a small poster of the Italian version of VAMPYRES in the keepcase.
Believe my raving and buy this DVD! I'm sure, you'll like it as much as I do!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: PRETTY GOOD,BUT NOT GREAT
Review: Fairly entertaining movie.Not very scary or suspenseful,but pretty erotic.The 2 women were beautiful.The only thing I had a problem with was that they devoted too much time showing that guy walk around the castle,then walk outside,then walk here,then walk there...he did too much walking around! It really broke the flow of the movie,but besides that it was pretty good.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hooray for Blue Underground
Review: For those already familiar with the film: I decided to trade in my Anchor Bay copy of Vampyres and get the Blue Underground edition, and I'm glad I did. The lost Caravan scene which Anchor Bay's edition does not contain only consists of about 10 photos of lost footage which doesn't look like it would have added anything to the movie. And Blue Underground's copy only less than half a minute of extra footage in the film itself which is not found in the Anchor Bay edition, and this only consists of additional violence (the scene where a couple gets killed in their car). These alone are nice but not really worth the trade. But what makes the Blue Underground version really superior is: 1) a fun new interview with both Vampyres (and they still look great!), 2) tons of poster art and promotional material from around the world, and 3) a book about the film on DVD-Rom. And there are other nice little touches, like a better choice of artwork for the chapter list sheet, which all adds up to make me even happier with this edition.

For those who have never seen this film: This is one of the best vampire films ever made, and is quite superior to any of the Hammer films, but be forewarned that the reason why it isn't as widely recognized as a classic as it should be is because it is a rather shocking film. But what makes this movie particularly disturbing and effective is that the vampyres do not seem supernatural at all (except for their aversion to daylight). These vampyres messily tear people open with their teeth, like animals, when they drink blood instead of just cleanly sucking it out, which is something any psycho could do. But what makes them really effective is that they are not really "evil", but instead seem like two ordinary women who have freed themselves from all restrictions and willingly give in to the primal, animalistic urges which all people suppress to some extent. They are simultaneously greatly attractive and absolutely repulsive in their freedom. And unlike Christopher Lee's or Bela Lugosi's Dracula, they don't seem to act civil only as an act, but seem to actually enjoy the company of their victims. You will hate yourself for liking them so much. The usual one-dimensional Hollywood monster is far less effective, even with all the expensive makeup and visual effects.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The most erotic Vampire movie ever, if you find it uncut
Review: Former Playboy centerfold Anuika Dziubinska and the equally sexy Marianne Morris play a pair of bisexual vampires named Miriam and Fran (go figure), roaming the English countryside looking for unsuspecting men to lure to their castle. First comes the fun in the bedroom and then the blood feast, or, as the tagline for this one put it: "They shared the pleasures of the flesh, and the horrors of the grave!" Certainly "Vampyres" is one of the most sensual vampire movies you are going to come across as director Joseph Larraz constantly turns erotic encounters into blood baths. Those looking for cheap thrills or who have heard about the strongly implicit lesbian relationship between the two main characters, are going to be in for a surprise when the women get down to serious bloodsucking. The DVD extras on "Vampyres" includes a fairly decent audio commentary from the director and producer, both U.S. and international trailers, and a photo still gallery of the production. Also known as "Blood Hunger," "Satan's Daughters," "Vampyres, Daughters of Dracula" and "Vampyres: Daughters of Darkness" when it was released in 1974, this film was reissued as "Daughters of Dracula" in 1980. Be warned that British copies of this film were cut down to 84 minutes; the U.S. version is 87 minutes but there is an Australia version that runs 92.


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