Vampyros Lesbos

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Horrorphile - July 2008

Vampyros Lesbos

July 9th 2008 01:06

The full German title of this “psycho-sexadelic horror freakout” translates as Lesbian Vampires: The Heiress of Dracula. Director Jesus “Jess” Franco, arguably the most prolific European director ever, constantly revisited the genre of vampirism. He also loved lesbianism, so if he could combine the two – as he frequently did - even better (Erotikill – such a great title – was probably his most carnal incarnation of “lesbian vampires”).

Vampyros Lesbos (1971), a West German-Spanish co-production, takes elements of Bram Stoker’s short story Dracula’s Guest and throws them into a heady, funereal brew of dream-states and hypnosis, carnal fever and rampant delusional desire. There’s Linda Westinghouse (Ewa Strömberg), a young “American” lawyer working in a law office in Istanbul. She dreams of an exotic sensual brunette who entices her sexually. An inheritance job takes her to Anatolia, a small island of the coast of Turkey, where she meets Count Nadine Kordy (Soledad Miranda, billed as Susann Korda), who is the sole recipient of the estate of Count Dracula of Hungary.

Ewa Stromberg as Linda

Linda soon realises that Nadine is the same woman who is bewitching her in her dreams, and she can’t get enough of it. It seems neither can Nadine, who has another victim, Agra, who is being treated by Dr. Seward (Dennis Price), and whilst thrashing about on the floor of her sanitarium room cries out for the Queen of the Night.

Linda is seduced and bitten on the neck by Nadine. Later she awakens and finds herself under the care of Dr. Seward. Her boyfriend Omar (Andrés Monales, billed as Victor Feldman) arrives, but Linda remembers virtually nothing of her trip to Anatolia, except the image of Nadine, naked, floating on her back in her huge swimming pool, her long red scarf rippling in the water like a snake.

Soledad Miranda as Countess Nadine

Linda goes missing, so Omar enlists the help of Linda’s shrink in trying to find her. Linda is being held by Memmet (Jesus Franco), who was Agra’s husband before she became bewitched by Nadine. Memmet has fallen for Linda, but Linda only wants to find Nadine.

Vampyros Lesbos Ewa Stromberg and Soledad Miranda

Nadine seduces Linda in her dream

Enough of the plot hysterics, Vampyros Lesbos is more about the sum of its parts. It is deeeeeep trash, the kind that only comes out of the heart of Europe during that gloriously weird period between the late 60s and the late 70s. But the deeper the trash, the more hypnotic it becomes, and Vampyros Lesbos, with all it’s dreadful camera fudging (clumsy crash zooms, focus irregularity, schonky colour grading) and dire dialogue dubbing, is a rough diamond, a true jewel of badness.

Countess Nadine reclining when Linda arrives on the isle

There are two primal, err ... primary reasons why the movie is so memorable; one is the psychedelic Eastern-jazz-rock soundtrack which culminates in the cult favourite piece The Lions and the Cucumber, (which Tarantino featured in homage in Jackie Brown), used during the avant-garde burlesque performance between Nadine and a nude human mannequin (a scene which features twice in the movie).

The Countess performs a sensual act around a live mannequin

Nadine moves in for the kiss

The other reason is Susann Korda aka Soledad Miranda, a stunning-looking svelte Spanish actor who died tragically in a road accident at the tender age of 27 not long after working on the movie. She may only have one expression as Countess Nadine, but boy, it’s an alluring doozy (she also looks fantastic in the nude ... just quietly, I’m a big fan of the bush, ahem)! Okay, there’s another reason too, the interior design of the Countess home, it’s crazy styles indeed, especially the red hanging ceiling, like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

There's never too much of the immortal Soledad Miranda

Vampyros Lesbos's softcore romps are too stylized to be genuinely erotic, but they provide a definite dreamy sensuality. The horror element is kept to an absolute minimum, yet the nightmare madness is quietly evident. The only graphic touch – ocular violence - comes right at the end. Apart from the provocative music, the organ grinding and Moog squelching, and the presence of the Countess, draped in her long silky robes and skimpy sheer underwear, with her long eyelashes and abyss eyes, the movie does have many memorable images of indulgent visual poetry and symbolism (the scorpian and the butterfly)like the kind that re-flash in your mind after a peculiar, arousing dream.

Vampyros Lesbos glints in the pale moonlight, shadows creeping over goosebumped inner thighs, crushed velvet curtains pulled aside to reveal snatches of carnality, lurid sensationalism and cinematic surrealism from an era passed by.

Here's the original German trailer:

Here's an extended montage of Soledad Miranda's scenes (sans nudity):

Vampyros Lesbos DVD is courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment, many thanks!

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

15 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Cibbuano

July 9th 2008 02:39

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

whew!

I saw this released in Australia for $20, but I didn't pick it up. I might have to now. Scorching!

Comment by David O'Connell

July 9th 2008 04:25

Screen Fanatic

I'm pretty sure I saw this on SBS late one night about 5 years ago, and was disappointed with it - the lesbian action just wasn't hardcore enough!!! (;

Comment by Bryn

July 9th 2008 04:58

Horrorphile

Cibby, I knew you'd first or second up!

I'm sure it will tickle you in a few of the right places ...

David, yeah no doubt you did see it on SBS, very much their grab-bag. But remember it was made in 1970. It shows more flesh (read: pubes) than most American movies of the time did, but the sex is strictly on the softcore level. Jess Franco made numerous hardcore flicks after this, but sadly none of them with Ms. Soledad Miranda. May she rest in nude peace.

Comment by Ayda

July 9th 2008 13:28

Phantasmelodia

A vampire story that starts in Istanbul and moves on to an island named Anatolia? Hehe, that's new. The movie is not my cup of tea but vampirism is deeply rooted in the Balkans and flourished in the Slavic nations and Northern Europe.

Middle East is better known for its fantasy or occult elements (like witchcraft for instance). You should check this entry about Ihsan Oktay Anar whose fabulous-beyond-words novel The Atlas of Misty Continents (it has French and German, even Korean translations but not English, I think. Such a shame really) is a superb piece of Ottoman fantasy with a One Thousand and One Nights-ish (aka Arabian Nights) aura. If they could make a meal out of such ingredients, I'm sure that would have been a fresh course for the horror audience. And, I refuse to take the pathetic Wishmaster into consideration.

Comment by Bryn

July 10th 2008 01:27

Horrorphile

Hi Ayda, of course you'd need to add your two cents to this film, considering where's set. LOL ... I'll check out your link when I have time ... cheers! So is it vampirism that's not your cup of tea? Or the stylistics employed in this movie?

Comment by Jason Egan

July 10th 2008 02:53

Quizzical

Soledad Miranda was definitely a beautiful woman, but if it wasn't for her death we may not have had the gorgeous Lina Romay gracing our screens so prolifically, including Erotikill. I don't mean to sound heartless, but i know who i'd prefer. And i'm sure Jess Franco is quite happy too considering they have been together for a long time. It seems she is his muse!! For Vampyros Lesbos itself, i thought there was too much tittilation and not enough fornication. Jess has definitely done better!!

Comment by Bryn

July 10th 2008 04:58

Horrorphile

Hi Jason, cheers for the observation ... I've only seen Lina Romay in Rolls Royce Baby, which I own. So what Jess Franco movies do you rate highly? I'd like to get my grubby hands on a copy of Erotikill (which is the hardcore version) ... I agree Vampyros Lesbos had a lot of titillation going on, but remember that it was made in 1970, and anything truly explicit back then was strictly underground ...

Comment by LipsLament

July 10th 2008 08:50

Hey Bryn, Yes Lina is smokin' in Rolls Royce Baby( i have that too). My favorite Franco's would be Sadomania, Faceless, 99 Women, Barbed Wire Dolls and The Killer Barby's. I have a few both on dvd and vhs including a vhs of Female Vampire (Erotikill). It is the hardcore version but disappointingly they are all inserts and don't really fit into the film eg. lighting and colors are all off, music badly edited etc. Nevertheless, Lina was still looking good. More black bush than at Woodstock!!
I do understand the underground nature of these types of films in the 70's even to the point where i think many are still considered so. Otherwise i'm sure they would be a lot easier to get in Australia. But as long as there are ways and means, Jesus's and many other exploitation directors will not be forgotten(i'm looking at you Joe D'Amato). And I hope Jess keeps popping them out until he's 100!!

Comment by Bryn

July 11th 2008 01:46

Horrorphile

Jason, ahhh, yes Mr D'Amato .... I trust you've seen Emanuelle in America? Pedro?

Comment by LipsLament

July 11th 2008 03:28

Why yes i have a copy in my hot liitle collection. Love it!!
He's definitely one of my faves. How can you go past movies like Porno Holocaust, Bui Omega and Caligula: Th Untold Story. They certainly don't make them like that any more, do they?

Comment by Bryn

July 11th 2008 04:40

Horrorphile

Lips, no, they don't ... check out my review for Beyond the Darkness here ... I love his title Erotic Nights of the Living Dead ...

Comment by LipsLament

July 11th 2008 07:07

Hey, sorry Bryn, but when i click on your link i just get an invalid URL!!

Comment by Bryn

July 11th 2008 16:23

Horrorphile

Sorry, my mistake ... I started writing urls originally one way, then changed they way. try here

Comment by Bethany

July 13th 2008 05:56

Martian Movies

This looks exactly like the kind of deep trash I need to add to my 'to watch' list. Which is, of course, several hundred entries long. I've only REALLY been interested in movies for the last four or five years, so I've got a lot of catching up to do.

I don't think Vampyros Lesbos will be a name I forget easily, though...

And whew boy is that last image a steamy one- you pick them well Bryn.

Comment by Bryn

July 14th 2008 02:09

Horrorphile

Cheers Bethany, enjoy!! Yeah Soledad wore her robes well!!

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