Description

As his beautiful young wife Madeleine dies slowly of some dread ailment, fevered artist Roderick Usher asks his old friend Allan to keep him company in these morbid times. Shortly after Allan arrives, Madeleine dies--or does she? As Roderick himself succumbs to the melancholy, noises from Madeleine's tomb cry out--Death is not the end! Working from several of Edgar Allen Poe's stories, French avant-garde visionary Jean Epstein crafted one of the most highly acclaimed and internationally renowned film adaptations of Poe. Co-directed with surrealist filmmaker Luis Bunuel and starring Abel Gance's wife as the undead Madeleine, this 1928 classic is a true feast for the eyes and proof positive that the German Expressionists did not have a corner on the Gothic horror market. Newly mastered from a 35mm preservation positive, with a soundtrack by acclaimed music historian Rolande de Cande adapted from medieval music. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very nice!
A beautiful film with talented actors. Dreamy. Hypnotic. Highly surrealistic, artistic, and arresting.

I immediately recognised that this must have influenced Dario Argento's surreal Suspiria, and, after some research, found out that in fact, it did (to think that this film inspired Argento is something that I really enjoyed finding out!)

(The soundtrack to this film is also very appropriate, very unearthly, ethereal.)

ALMOST UNWATCHABLE
looked like some people got together after drinking all weekend and decided to 'make a movie'. it just looks [poorly made], and the music just doesn't do anything to conjure any mood other than dry boredom.

Beautiful film; really bad music!
This is an absolutely fantastic spooky film which draws you in. The DVD presentation is very good, with an excellent print and excellent picture quality. The only drawback is that this is a French film and some stupid guy guy has to read all the titles and lines, and you can barely understand what he's saying through his strong French accent. The other thing about the soundtrack is the music. It's a cross between Irish folk music and church music. When I started this DVD I tried to turn off the sound, but then realized that there were no subtitles, so I was forced to listen to the bad music and that old French wretch throughout the film, but it's not TOO distracting. The audio is the only reason I didn't give this DVD 5 stars, and though I do prefer the 1949 version of this title this one has mesmerising cinematography and is really good for a silent film.

Silent, sinister & solid version of Poe's tale
This silent film by French avant-guarde film director Jean Epstein is a unique, and dark take on the classic Poe tale of premature burial and internal decay of the soul. Combining the story "The Oval Portrait" with the Usher story, Epstein and his actors create a solid narrative. The camera work is very powerful, helping to convey the nightmare within the story. If you enjoy silent films and Poe's work, I would highly recommend this one.

"with one look .........
.....this artwork will freeze your heart!

It has a Medusa touch, you're slowly drawn into this grotesque, balletic interpretation of E.A. Poe's study of decay, delusion and eventual death? Well, maybe.

The music by Rolande De Cande aptly punctuates the mood. [Excellent in "surround"].

Jean Debucourt, Marguerite Gance, Charles Lamay and [shudder!] the bespectacled/dome headed doctor Fournez-Gouffard as well as the servant Luc Dartagnan convey volumes with just a look ---- in the right direction. {You don't want to stay too long in their company, there might just be an unfortunate "occurrence"}.

A primer lesson for any film student. This neglected work, lovingly restored to almost pristine youth well deserves to be visited, frequently! An inspiration to later works like "Suspiria"; "The Haunting" [original black and white version]and especially "The Innocents".

Trivia: Poe may or may not have written this work "Under the Influence" - he favored the mix of laudanum {tincture of opium} and alcohol, Enough ! - According to Poe, he drank and partook of drugs to keep himself from going insane! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Fall of the House of Usher's success in 1960 spurred American International Pictures to quickly launch another production based on an Edgar Allan Poe story. While producer-director Roger Corman had hoped to next adapt "The Masque of the Red Death" (which wasn't produced until 1964), Pit and the Pendulum (the onscreen title) became the second in AIP's long-running Poe series. Set in post-Inquisition Spain, the film stars John Kerr as a young Englishman who travels to the seaside castle of his brother-in-law (Vincent Price) to uncover the circumstances behind the death of his sister (a dubbed Barbara Steele). Price is tormented by memories of his mother's premature burial by his inquisitor father (also Price) and fears that this sadistic legacy has contributed to Steele's demise. Furthermore, he believes that Steele was also buried alive--a belief compounded by the mysterious destruction of her room, and the sound of her harpsichord playing in the night...

Structured almost identically to Usher, Richard Matheson's script fleshes out the brief original text with a fast-paced and twist-filled plot that never loses sight of the psychological themes of Poe's work. It also provides Price with the richest of his many AIP/Poe roles, a sympathetic, deeply emotional man who is unhinged by the sins of his father. Corman's direction is equally driven and fluid, and features some impressive quasi-psychedelic visuals in the tense climax. Also noteworthy is art director's Daniel Haller's impressive design of the title set piece. MGM's widescreen DVD features commentary by Corman, which focuses primarily on the film's technical aspects. Also included is the original trailer and a prologue (shot by Norma Rae producer Tamara Asseyev) featuring costar Luana Anders, which was added to fill out the film's 1968 television broadcast. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Vincent's Finest Hour? I Think It Might Be!
"Pit And The Pendulum" is definitely one of those "watch it late at night with the lights out during a thunderstorm" kind of motion pictures. All the elements are present here to elicit the appropriate "scary movie" emotions from the viewer -- Shock, terror, suspense, fright, uneasiness, and fear. (And maybe a few others as well.)

The setting of this 1961 film couldn't have been better presented on screen if they had tried. And Vincent Price, who was 50 years of age when the film was first released, gives a lively performance as "Don Nicholas Medina", a man who is slowly but surely going out of his mind.

The climactic scene in the "Pit" is simply astonishing. One of the best scenes in any horror film ever made!

This MGM DVD contains a Widescreen version of this color film (2.35:1 ratio). And, although not an Anamorphic (enhanced for 16x9 TV sets) disc, this DVD still offers up better-than-average video quality. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono (English and French tracks). Plus: this cover art is exceptional.

A few bonus items are on the disc, including a fun audio commentary by Director Roger Corman. The Original Theatrical Trailer and an "Original Theatrical Prologue" are also included here.

Before his death on October 25, 1993 (at age 82), Vincent Price appeared in 127 feature films (plus hundreds and hundreds of TV shows and radio plays) --- with "Pit And The Pendulum" being one of his very best, in my view.

If you like scary, atmospheric motion pictures, you have no choice but to be entranced when watching this DVD of "Pit And The Pendulum".

THE PENDULUM SWINGS......
The second of the Corman/Price/Poe films is a masterwork of Gothic horror and features one of Vincent Price's most outre' performances. He's Don Nicolas Medina, son of an infamous Spanish inquisitioner going mad in an eerie castle off the coast of Spain after the unusual "death" of his wife Elizabeth (Barbara Steele). Elizabeth's brother Francis comes to the castle seeking information on his sister's death and the terror begins as the ghost of Elizabeth seems to be roaming around causing Nicolas to feel he buried her prematurely. Flashbacks explain Elizabeth's weird "death" and Nicolas's own childhood trauma witnessing his insane father (also Price) torture his mother and wall her up alive in the torture chamber. But Elizabeth is anything but dead and Nicolas goes over the edge becoming his own father in madness and putting the dreaded Pendulum kept in the Pit to use...with Francis as his victim. Elizabeth gets her own just rewards in the torture chamber. Beautiful Gothic mounting, costumes and a tight script by Richard Matheson keep this completely watchable throughout. Good acting from Steele, John Kerr as Francis and Luana Anders ("Dementia 13") as Dona Catherine Medina--Nicolas's worried sister, and Corman regular Antony Carbone as the evil Dr.Leon. But it's Price who keeps things humming---going mad scene by scene until he's full blown insane and working the Pendulum on poor Kerr. Excellent moody music score from Les Baxter, too. I consider this a classic along with "Masque of the Red Death", "House of Usher" and "Tomb of Ligeia". All of them are first-rate films from the Corman/Poe cycle of the 60's. Just enjoy....

After House on Haunted Hill, my favorite Price movie.
After House on Haunted Hill, the Pit and the Pendulum is my favorite Price movie. The best 50's and 60's Horror/Sci-Fi movies are all about atmosphere, and thats what I love about Pit. Great gothic atmosphere, eerie music, and georgously vivid and horrific set pieces. I especially liked Price's and Ander's performances. If you are like me and like best the eerie, moody, 50s and 60s horror pics, which along with great stories, really emphasize the eerie atmosphere, this has to be at the top of your list.

Nowhere near as good as the video version
If you're thinking of buying this widescreen DVD to replace your pan and scan video version, take my advice. Don't bother. The sound is very low and of poor quality; the image, though clear, is very dim and the colors are pale. While in the video version, the colors are rich; the image is bright and the sound level is high and of excellent quality.

In fact, the only reason for buying this DVD is to see the original trailer and the movie in their original CinemaScope format. The disc has commentary by the director, Roger Corman, the sound level of which is twice the level of that on the film and without distortion. However, film afficianados shouldn't take his reminiscences too literally. For instance, he says what a marvellous score Ronald Stein wrote for this movie, when he of all people should know that it was Les Baxter who wrote the score for The Pit and The Pendulum, not Ronald Stein.

Corman's best
A great gothic horror film. Worthy of any Hammer Horror film. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Rip-roaring Gothic melodrama
The first thing you'll notice about the DVD version of John Badham's "Dracula" is the almost total absence of color. In fact, to all intents and purposes, this Technicolor film is now a black and white production! Apparently, the director felt his movie would play better this way on TV. Go figure. Anyway, the film itself is a rip-roaring Gothic melodrama, designed and photographed with a visual flourish that may seem old-fashioned and melodramatic, but it compels attention in a way that almost completely eluded Francis Ford Coppola's take on the legend thirteen years later. The script retains the basic structure of Stoker's novel whilst adding enough fresh ideas of its own to keep boredom (bred of familiarity) firmly at bay. For instance, Dracula's comeuppance during the climax is a million miles from his fate in the book, but it works here on purely cinematic terms. Frank Langella's rather unfortunate pompadour hairdo detracts from the power of his performance as the Count, but his deceptively romantic interpretation is fully in keeping with the film's approach. Lovely score by John Williams, too.

Though the DVD packaging promises the film has been "Formatted for 16x9 TVs", don't be fooled - the disc is simply letterboxed at 2.15:1. It looks OK (except for that irritating lack of color, of course) and Gilbert Taylor's rich Gothic compositions are preserved with crystal clarity. Sound is Dolby Digital Surround. Be advised that Universal/Image STILL haven't sorted out legal wrangles over some of the incidental music in the original film. As a consequence, this is the same "home video version" as all the others, with some music rescored.

I Beg To Differ....
Ignore all the folks vetching and GET the DVD if you can find it...

I've seen every version of this thing from it's incarnation as a Bway play, it's airing as a film in the theatre, on cable, the VHS, and DVD, and there is NO difference in color or quality from the way it was done on screen. Yes, there was some BRIGHT color on screen but it was NOT throughout the whole film.

The b&w thing was done INTENTIONALLY and it was that way in the original cut. The revamped Hamilton-Deane stage play upon which the film is based had Edward Gorey type sets in B&W with touches of brilliant red. The film follows this in a smaller way with a more downplayed coloring scheme. The reason you see the brighter colors only part of the time is because it was the director's way of getting the same effect as the stage sets. Misty B&W period look for most part, then a sudden change to bright color...

IMHO, it WORKS. It's eerie, and it's effective...

As for Langella, I think perhaps of all his fine performances this is the one for which he will be most remembered and justifiably so. His was a unique Dracula, a passionate Dracula, and yes, IMHO,one of the BEST Dracula's I've ever seen, and I've seen them ALL. I like a lot of them, Lugosi, Lee, Jourdan, and Oldman in particular.

For Pre-CGI the effects are excellent and for once they do harken back to the folklore which inspires the vampire legend besides. The horse in the graveyard for instance is straight out of Rumanian myth...

(Mina's being a moldering corpse is intentional I think too. The director is making a distinction between "prey" and "love interest" here. Mina is basically FOOD, whereas Lucy, Dracula wants to make his bride. The inference here is that there is a difference and the blood exchanged between Lucy and Dracula makes her more like him. Mina, poor thing is simply destined to rot until someone stakes her....She's the "tradtional" vampire of folklore, and I was truly creeped out by her makeup job actually...It was unusually horrific for the time period in which this film was made...)

There are some nice touches in this film, and I honestly feel it holds up well some 25 years later. It's still a favorite, and justifiably so...In terms of acting it far surpasses the FFC 92" Dracula, and though it's not as showy it's still every bit as enjoyable to watch now as it was when I first saw it in the theatre.

It's a bit grainy in DVD, and I'd surely like to see a better transfer and maybe a cleaned up and completely restored soundtrack, but otherwise? I wouldn't change a thing, and I certainly would NOT want it colorized to make it all perfectly even.

It just wouldn't be the same "Dracula" at all...

Morrighan

Sensual, quintessential version of the lover Dracula
Yes, the umpteenth Dracula remake/vampire film, and I stumbled upon it one morning on a movie channel, and was taken by the title character...Frank Langella's Dracula is sexy and charming and it's easy to see how the undead keeps winning so many wives.

Pre-computer special effects don't really bother me: the bats are stock. The fog creeping under the door of Mina's room looks like film rewound. I DO think the mirror uses were clever, in scenes without the vampire reflections. The scene where Mina becomes herself a vampire is an ounce campy with some seventies stock film. I'm not sure if it's a volcano erruption, a lava lamp, or what, but the scene feels like the credits of James Bond movies past...aside from this there are so many romantic moments. The lava-love sequence and the vampire's seventies hair date the film a little but so what...it's a pleasure to watch and get taken in.

This movie is amour fou, as Lucy and the people in her life become aware of the danger that is the Count. Lucy is captivated by the vampire until the end, where she grieves for her dying lover (or-does-he-die), and she moans for him like a substance abuse addict in withdrawl. As for her father, fiancee, and friends are wounded and dying to get rid of the vampire Lucy is aware but has already accepted a new life (new lifetime, i suppose, as an undead life) and she doesn't care anymore. Lucy greives as the sun shines down, but her rescuers do not notice what she does, the figure of Dracula as a speck flying off into the horizon. The credits end in the sunny sea air-a new beginning for Mina and Jonathan, although we imagine it woun't be long until the vampire comes back to retrieve his new bride.

I think Frank Langella made his the quintessential Dracula, tall dark handsome stranger. His character is never frail, but tender as the lover. He's handsome still as he sneers and spews bile at Van Helsing and his crucifix. It reminds me of Marlon Brando's Stanley Kowalski: who knows why you find him, a gorilla of a man, sexy? The scenes of an angry monster shine but the love scenes radiate.

This film was made about the time I was born; the films from my vampire phase featured Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise (no wonder I fell into a vampire phase) but this vampire has me. I stumbled onto it and too bad the films's not in print and too bad I wasn't around for the seventies stage version. Maybe Frank Langella would think about reprising the role of Dracula with another stage company...

A fresh interpretation of the classic story of the Nosferatu
I have always believed that at least part of the reason this movie isn't better known is because it is confused just as much now as it was in 1979 with the comedy "Love at First Bite" featuring supertan George Hamilton as Dracula released at the same time. It is a dreadful misconception as "...First Bite" was a cross between horror spoof and Disco exploitation flick...which was and is absolute torture to watch.

This addition to the "Dracula" franchise is my personal favorite of all that have been attempted. I don't rate it as being the most faithful interpretation of Bram Stoker's classic novel (Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" holds that distinction, obviously enough...though Coppola also added more of the real history of "Vlad the Impaler" to his movie for additional background; nice touch), but for the sheer gothic style that the novel used to shock and horrify Victorian England upon its first publication, this movie comes as close to Stoker's original intent without necessarily following his novel on a word-for-word basis.

Frank Langella's performance onstage had to be one for the ages if it at all approached the level of his portrayal as the Count in this movie. Ultimately he has never delivered a performance quite like it...and of course with opposing roles filled by Sir Laurence Olivier and veteran character actor (and overperformer of Shatneresque proportions) Donald Pleasance were definitely sufficent to insure that Langella brought his "A" game to the set for every shoot. All performances are superb.

Additionally, the originality surrounding the climax of the movie alone makes it worth a viewing; the old Hammer films had interesting ways for the Count to meet his ultimate demise, and the manner in which this movie ends is very reminiscent of those latter day classics. You almost wish Christopher Lee could have had a guest appearance in this movie a la Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck in the 1991 remake of "Cape Fear".

Regarding the widescreen DVD's color transfer (or lack thereof), I do think that the washed out tones (which are nearly black and white, as noted in a previous review) actually adds to the movie's atmosphere. This is, basically, the second great gothic love story of all time (with E. Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" being the first); the blacks and the whites SHOULD be more pronounced, the funereal elements of Carfax Abbey should be brought out (the dinner scene with the Count and Mina is one of the most beautifully shot scenes from any movie...romance just isn't done that way anymore), and washing the colors from a movie as easily as blood from a vein leaves the correct pallor for both a vampire's victim and a terrific retelling of the "Dracula" story. You can hold out hope that a remastered DVD will be released (as this version seems to be out-of-print presently) that will feature a better color transfer, but as this movie approaches its 25th year, hope for any such treatment fades.

The King of his kind
Ok, this version doesn't go along with the book, but it is worth while.
First of all Langella, Langella, Langella. He is 6'4" and has a voice to match. He is the only man I have seen that can place his hands on his hips and still make it look sexy! Langella had to tone his version of Dracula down (i.e. the R rating)...I had a teacher tell me how powerfull, sexy, and forcefull he was during the stage version...all I have to say is...WOW!!!

Second, he took Dracula to a new level. Before Dracula was this crude creature, who was loveless, mean, and wanted some blood. When Langella hit the scene, it all changed. Notice how each Dracula or vampire film has a sexy male lead? He broke the mold (thank you Mr. Langella)

Third, Langella didn't need red eyes, blood, fangs, and all the other stuff to make you think he was Dracula...you know by looking at him. One sceen which shows in hunger of blood is when they are at the Steward's house and the butler cuts himself with the knife. Dracula is telling a story, then he looks up and notices the butler sucking his cut finger. He was this look of hunger. His eyes widen with hunger.

The last is the famous sex scene. Just how he enters the room, the colors, and the music brings you closer to realizing he is not just a regular vampire, he is truly the king of his kind. ... Read more

Description

Meet the diabolical Dr. Krast, a sadistic female Nazi scientist who makes ILSA THE SHE WOLF look like DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN!She creates a barbaric, sex-crazed Neanderthal beast that feeds upon the beautiful women tossed into its cage!The demented diva doctor will stop at nothing to further her series of shocking and depraved experiments on human guinea pigs.Can the partisan forces fight the Nazis, liberate the prison camp and put an end to the doctor’s scientific atrocities in time to save the beast’s next human meal? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Totally stupid - not even so bad it's good.
Ok..where to start with this little 'gem'. Like many I bought this movie based on it's reputation and the fact that it had been banned in the UK for years. On viewing it I really don't see what all the fuss was about. It is quite possibly the worst film I've ever seen.

The story centres around the scientific exploits of degenerate Nazi Scientist Dr Ellen Krast (the stunning looking Macha Magall. In fact the ONLY thing this film has going for it is that most of the female characters are attractive. And nude a lot of the time) who believes that she has created the perfect 'human being' who will in turn lead to a master race. In reality the perfect 'human being' is a short, squat, hairy neandrethal (played by Sal Boris)who looks about as scary as Big Bird and as perfect an example of the human being as Homer Simpson. Krast's attempts to 'create' the 'master race' from the loins of her creation are somewhat hampered by the fact that the local peasant women she throws to her creature are raped and killed by it. Instead of being a little peeved at this turn of events, Krast seems to overlook it as of but minor insignificance. Why create it in the first place then, the viewer may ask? Why indeed?

The bulk of the film however revolves around the ludicrous, and ultimately extremely tedious, exploits of a group of Partisans trying to overthrow the Nazi occupation of the village and ultimately storm the villa where Krast and her minions are torturing their kinfolk. The 'action' sequences between the Partisans and their German foes are laughable. The director Batzella has literally culled entire segments from his previous movies AND melded it with stock war footage and edited it into SS Hell Camp. The result? You'll probably laugh at it. Particularly when it becomes so blatantly obvious (terrain and personnel magically change and then change back again). You couldn't make this stuff up.

Brad Harris, who plays the local Priest, has the best line in the whole film when he wishes the Partisans well and comments;

"Trust in the Lord. He's the best!"

No wonder he remains uncredited in this film. Rumour has it that the whole cast wanted their names wiped from this movie and it's not hard to see why.

The infamous torture scenes are neither disgusting nor shocking. I've seen worse in Hammer horror movies. The gratuitous male and female nudity may have some reason to do with it's ban but again Bertolucci's Last Tango has a fair amount. The only reasons I can think for a ban are 1) The genre (Nazi Exploitation) and 2. the Concept (Beast rapes women. Although to echo the sentiments of another reviewer this looks more like a bout of (badly choreographed)wrestling than anything else.). Add to this the laughable faces Sal Boris pulls when doing this and it really DOES look like a WWE Bout!

Btw when it gets to the torture scenes have a look for one clip where it shows a naked woman tied down having 'rats' chow down on her insides. Cool huh? Maybe if the 'Rats' weren't really Guinea Pigs or Gerbils!!!!!!!!

And if that doesn't sum up the state of this movie I don't know what will.

Utter dreck.

By far, the absolute best Nazi Sexploitation movie
Sure the torture scenes are, in a way, grisly, but the overwhelming technical incompetence makes this movie a diamond in the rough.This movie is full of fun.Catchy dubbed dialogue: "The light of goodness shines, shining as it does with so much charity on men of good faith"; "Trust God, he's the best!"; and "As for what Jesus taught, I'm not too bright."SS Hellcamp is second only to Craven's Shocker for cast and equipment shadows; viz., a full ten seconds with the complete shadow of both camera and cameraman on a giant orange swastika.Sal Boris is unforgettable as the Nazi Brute/Superman: what is intended as shocking rape comes off as poorly choreographed nude wrestling; laughter is the natural reaction to the various close-ups of Sal's primate/brute face.Another example of this film's incompetence is the awkward integration of washed-out prints of war stock footage into original "war footage" made for the movie.At one point the camera pans across a postcard to show that the Nazis had amassed their forces on the front line.And don't forget about the bomber plane on a string!This film makes Plan 9 seem professional.

Moreover, this film continues the beloved pants-sex tradition of other Nazi turds such as Love Camp 7.Compare the sheer joy of SS Hellcamp with the abject misery of, say, Last Orgy of the Third Reich.Watching the two side-by-side reveals the hidden joys and virtues of the Hellcamp.I first saw SS Hellcamp with Disco Godfather: the perfect bad movie double feature!

(Another movie that goes great with Hellcamp is K Gordon Murray's notorious Mexican version of Puss 'N Boots.)

REVISIT A LONG LOST GENRE....
ahhh,the good old days when absolutely nothing was safe or sacred to the exploitation movie merchants....
here we have,in my opinion,probably the most tasteless example of the Naziploitation picture,a genre that more or less died shortly after this "movie".most would probably agree that that is a good thing.
anyway,about the movie.for the uninitiated,start with "ilsa - she wolf of ss".if you can "enjoy" that bit of nastiness,then perhaps consider taking on this "unique" take on a forgotten film genre.
just dont watch it with your mom or girlfriend.or aunt.or grandma.etc...

No Hell Camp
Another in the short list of Nazi exploitation pictures, "SS Hell Camp" is a crazy, plotless film. Those expecting to view scene after scene of Nazi atrocities will be bored as the film tries to be something it is not. The vast majority of the running time concerns a small group of partisans who are trying to free their villa from the Nazi invaders. The lesser section of the film is of an Ilsa like Nazi doctor and her apparent love of torture and strange experiments. Her primary scientific research focuses on a large deformed male who she supplies with women to rape and kill. It appears she has some belief that mating the women with this creature will produce an even better master race. For some reason, she becomes involved with an equally sadistic soldier whose duty is to find and kill the partisans. So, basically, the film becomes a low budget war movie with battle scenes and lots of shot up flailing bodies falling to the ground. The ending is also out of place with the rest of the film and makes little sense in the context of everything that has occurred prior. The movie was haphazardly shot as evidenced by one scene where the entire camera crew is clearly visible in the shadows. The dubbing is terrible and the "action" scenes are anything but. I gave "SS Hell Camp" two stars due to two scenes of torture and murder that I was not expecting, one concerning an infant. In all, far too much time is spent on things other than Nazi atrocities and none of that is very good. One last thing, there is no hell camp, its more of a basement, should have called the film "SS Hell Basement". View at your own risk. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Filming on Blood for Dracula began on location in Italy on the same day that filming of Flesh for Frankenstein ended, and knowing this enhances one's appreciation of director Paul Morrissey's delightfully twisted--and defiantly artistic--approach to violent, campy horror. Originally titled Andy Warhol's Frankenstein and Andy Warhol's Dracula, both films are blessed by Morrissey's opulent visual style (he and his Italian cinematographer worked wonders with modest budgets), and both showcase Udo Kier and the languorous hunk Joe Dallesandro in opposing roles. Here we find Udo Kier as Count Dracula, looking even more ashen than usual and desperate for the blood of virgins to restore his waning health. He travels to Italy and stays at the fading estate of a once-wealthy family, and the presence of four lovely, sexually inexperienced daughters turns out to be a recipe for disaster. It so happens that only the youngest daughter is actually a virgin, and by process of elimination Dracula discovers that non-virgin blood makes him violently ill! Dallesandro plays the resident handyman--handy in more ways than one, as the daughters have learned--who dares to protect the remaining virgin from the Count's bloodsucking exploits, and as usual director Morrissey finds ample opportunity to combine sex and gore with outrageous sensibility and logic of plot. As in the case of Flesh for Frankenstein, this Criterion Collection DVD restores the film to its original director's cut, presented in its original aspect ratio with a supplemental commentary by Morrissey, Kier, and critic Maurice Yacowar. Kier is particularly delightful, observing during one gruesome scene that "vomiting looks great when you've got a tuxedo on." --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (5)

WASTE OF TIME
I REALLY FELT I WASTED MY TIME WATCHING THIS MOVIE/THIS MOVIE REALLY DOESNT BECOME A HORROR MOVIE UNTIL SHE GETS RAPES THEN TAKES A VERY BRUTAL AND BLOODY REVENGE/THE BAD PART IS BY THE TIME THAT HAPPENS YOU ARE DEAD TIRED OF IT OR ALREADY ASLEEP/A VERY GOOD ENDING BUT OVERALL TERRIBLE WASTE OF TIME

Good but can be offensive, I guess???
Long story short, this girl goes to get away to some cabin, some hicks run around raping her for like a good 30 minutes of the movie, and the revenge she gets is sweet. Its a cult classic and definitly worth the money.you wont be dissapointed.

Before Bobbett there was I Spit on Your Grave!!!
This film should inspire all who have been victimized in this world.Of course I am joking.At last a film with absolutely no redeeming qualities to it.This is a revenge film. It is graphically violent and is quite sadistic.Don't expect to see any high budget gore.This is a true brutally violent movie.After a woman is gang raped by several men, she decides to take the law into her own hands and deal out her revenge.The rape scene is long and drawn out and is quite brutal.Rarely do movie rape scenes get this brutal.It actually gives a sense of reality in its brutality that is rare in film.Real rape is extremely violent and this film does nothing to cover it up.Not that that's a redeeming quality.There is nothing to like about this film unless your sick but that is why its actually good.There is no feeling sorry when she enacts her revenge on these men.There is absolutely no warmth in this film. No heros.This film is completely cold from beginning to end.The bath tub scene is the highlight of the film.Before Miss Bobbet there was I Spit on Your Grave.Its not one of the most entertaining films.Don't expect to be entertained.Expect to be left with an empty feeling after watching this one.

One of the most shocking films ever!
I have the unrated version of I spit on your Grave which is a really sick film that deals with sodomy and torture. Anyway, this film is about a writer Camille Keaton who escapes to connuticut to work on her first novel. A few local men from town decide to get a women for there mentally retarded friend who is unable to go through with a rape so his buddies do it for him. After, they decide that she is better off dead so the men send there retarded friend to murder the victim but he is unable to go through with this as well. Later, in the film when the victim recovers. The rest of the movie is about Camille Keaton and revenge. Probably one of the most imfamous films in the world that has shocked many people. If you're a horror fan you probably want to check this movie out for it's explicit nature and graphic gore scenes...

One of the most infamous exploitation movies ever made
When movies first came out on video there were two legendary exploitation films I had to track down. One was "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and the other was "I Spit on Your Grave," which is actually the more memorable film of the pair overall (although I do grant the highest place to the "hook" scene in TCM). Director Meir Zarchi's 1978 film has become rather infamous, since critics hated it, audiences were outraged, and the film was banned in Germany and Great Britain. The story, such as it is, finds Jennifer Hill (Camille Keaton, Buster's grand-niece) out in the woods of Connecticut to work on a novel when she crosses the path of some local boys who decide she should be the first sexual partner for their mentally-disabled friend. When he cannot complete the rape, his friends do it for him. Then they decide that they are not done with Jennifer.

At issue are not Jennifer's specific acts of revenge, including the infamous bathroom scene, but rather the series of brutal rapes that precede them. I do not want to meet anyone who is not disturbed by these rape scenes and I think it is fairly obvious that Zarchi intended to make audiences uncomfortable. In retrospect you have to wonder about all those movies with rape scenes that do NOT upset the audience (the current obvious exception that proves the rule would be what happens in "Monster" right before the first murder). But Zarchi certainly pours it on thick, absolutely assuring that things go beyond the tolerance level of anyone who watches this film. So the bottom line is that this film will upset you and it is therefore effective at doing exactly what it wants to do.I have always considered this an "X" rated movie although I would not consider it pornographic in the traditional sense. But it is a very disturbing film and I do not think I would want my kids to see it until after they graduate college (if ever). Anyone renting this film for cheap thrills is in for a shock.

As I now understand it, this 1978 film was originally released as "Day of the Woman," but that rather innocuous title was replaced by the well known "I Spit on Your Grave," although the film was also screened as "I Hate Your Guts" and "The Rape and Revenge of Jennifer Hill." All of this is interesting since it seems the producers were trying to pass off this film with both higher and lover levels of pretention.The cult status here is more for the shock value than any cheap artistic pretentions, that is for sure. ... Read more

Description

Lady Luck comes in many disguises.For ill-fated artist Johan Harkershe took the form of Lorna, a beautiful woman with unearthly desires.Lorna grantsJohan his wish for riches and success beyond his wildest dreams.But happiness lastsonly until Johan's beautiful daughter Lucy reaches the age of her ripening.Now Lornawill come calling for what Johan owes...Lucy's soul.She's no longer Daddy's little girl. She's the spawn of Satan. Uncut movie, behind-the-scenes documentary with producercommentary, bonus short, stills gallery and more! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Franco returns to his own early glory
Jess Franco has been known to make more than a few stinkers in his day and his recent pairing with One Shot Productions has allowed him to more freely explore his own inner monsters. Given a budget and unbridled freedom, you never know what to expect from the Old Maestro. But in INCUBUS Franco has harkened back to his spectacular 1970s heydays with a very close retelling of his LORNA THE EXORCIST film. Carina Palmer is pretty and compelling taking over the old Lina Romay role. Lina Romay herself takes on the role played by the iconic Janine Reynaud in the original -- how time flies! Sure the film has a lot of nudity and some very uncomfortable and creepy scenarios, but Franco has not been better recently and for the over-18 crowd this should be very satisfying. In a nutshell, this is the story of a man consumed by greed who makes a pact with a demoness and thinks he has gotten away with it. But 18 years later, his daughter becomes the devil's playground. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you're in the properly receptive mindset to appreciate the artistryof director Paul Morrissey's Flesh for Frankenstein, you may experience an unexpectedly delightful shift in attitude while watching the film. At first it appears that Morrissey is indulging in an exercise of pure camp (and it's true, he is), but then it hits you: underneath all the wretchedly awful dialogue and seemingly deliberate bad acting, it's clear that Morrissey and his cast are up to something wonderful. Not only is this a seductively beautiful film to watch--even the abundant bloodshed and gory scenes of dismemberment are esthetically striking--but it's been conceived with astute intelligence and a wealth of refined humor, while maintaining connections to the resonant themes of the Frankenstein story. In this case, Baron Frankenstein (marvelously overplayed by Udo Kier) is a rather twisted fellow, married to his sister (Monique van Vooren) and determined to create the perfect man and woman from the assembled remains of selected corpses. He's created a sexy female, but his male specimen's got the brain of a young man who aspired to be a monk, making sexual arousal a bit of a challenge! The dead man's friend (Morrissey discovery Joe Dallesandro) intervenes to disrupt the Baron's mad experiment, and it all leads up to a climactic laboratory scene of gruesome and tragic death, all worthy of Morrissey's splendid operatic staging.

Originally filmed in 3-D with outrageous scenes of in-your-face carnage, the film is enjoyable as camp horror, but it's equally entertaining as an exercise in pop-art symbolism and socio-political satire. This becomes even more evident from the wonderful audio commentary track featuring Morrissey, a very witty Udo Kier, and the stuffy but erudite critic Maurice Yacowar, whose insightful analyses make it clear that this is surely not a typical horror film. It's trashy but exquisite, and quite worthy of inclusion in the Criterion Collection. Once you've seen this, you simply must move on to its companion film, Blood for Dracula. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (25)

One for Joe & One for the Lizard
Also known as ANDY WARHOL'S FRANKENSTEIN or ANDY WARHOL PRESENTS FRANKENSTEIN, this early 1970s film is associated with Warhol only in the sense that the pop artist put up the money for the project and because it featured several actors--particularly Joe Dallesandro--who had appeared in various Warhol "factory" films. The film is a calculated effort to create a cult film, even down to deliberate courting of the X rating it received at the time of its release.

The Baron Frankenstein (Udo Kier) is married to Baroness Katrin (Monique van Vooren); they have two children and reside in the obligatory isolated castle complete with secret laboratory, where Frankenstein and his assistant (Arno Juerging) conduct their work. In this particular case, they seek to create both a male and female "monster" for breeding purposes. Unfortunately, when Frankenstein collects a shepherd's head for his male monster, he runs afoul of the shepherd's friend Nicholas (Joe Dallesandro.) The film gives every character a far-out sexual spin: the Baron and Baroness are actually brother and sister and their children are not only the result of their incestuous relationship, they themselves give every appearance of following in the family tradition; the Baron's sex life consists of unfastening the stitches of his female monster and... ahem... shall we say enjoying the pleasures of her internal organs; sexually abandoned by her husband-brother, the Baroness takes lovers (and they are spied upon by the children)--and then decides she wants to fool around the male monster; the lab assistant wants to imitate the Baron's explorations of the female monster; Nicholas rolls around naked with every woman in the village. And so on.

The film is obviously intended to be a bloody, grotesque, and erotic black comedy--but while it's certainly bloody enough and quite grotesque, it isn't greatly erotic and it's not particularly funny. It is also very sloppily made, and worse still it is as slow as molasses in January. The absolute best thing that can be said for FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN is that Joe Dallesandro, who can only be described as a rough-trade dream, has a scene where a lizard runs across his naked [behind]. One star for Joe and one star for the lizard. Recommendation: rent it before you buy it, because for most people one viewing will be more than enough.

WARNING: Do NOT Eat While Viewing This Film
One would be well-advised to heed my warning. This is one of the most violent, perverse, and laugh-out-loud (intentionally) funny versions of the Frankenstein myth. It's also one of my favorite movies (I like it better than its sister production BLOOD FOR DRACULA, though most tend to rate that one a bit higher) and, as far as I'm concerned, the best film to come out of the Andy Warhol-Paul Morrisey collaborations of the 60s and 70s. Udo Kier is astounding as the mad Baron Frankenstein, Arno Juerging is great as his idiot assistant Otto, and Monique Van Vooren holds her own as Frankenstein's wife-sister, whose insatiable sexual appetite is fed by hunky Joe Dallesandro. Poor Mary Shelley could never have imagined that one day her Gothic horror novel would one day evolve into something as hideous as this. But it's all in good fun, as the Baron and Otto sew up beautiful corpses and talk science in the lab. One of the Baron's hobbies is to make love to his female zombie (Morrisey mercifully spares us the more graphic details in this scene). He and Otto go to a bordello for the perfect male "whose overriding urges are sensual". But - oops! - they pick the wrong stud to behead. Instead of Dallesandro, they pick his friend, an aspiring monk who really didn't want to be at a bordello in the first place. When the Baron and Otto find that their male creature is frigid, the plot thickens. This film is NOT for people who are squeamish. The sex and violence is all of such a perverse nature that it isn't the kind of thing you want to sit down and watch with grandma. It's filled with campy humor and super-gory FX (imagine it as it premiered in 3-D!). But, in spite of the usual Warhol-crowd tomfoolery, there is a very real sense of quality to the proceedings. Gorgeously photographed, with a sumptuous score and fine period detail, this is a little too well-mounted to be written off as simply "a camp comedy". Ironically, the final scene is genuinely tragic! Interesting bit of film-buff trivia: This film (as well as DRACULA) was shot at the same time, in the same place (Italy), and with much of the same crew as Polanski's little-known sex comedy WHAT?. Polanski, who has a brief but hilarious cameo in DRACULA, let Warhol's crowd move into his Italian villa, but their eccentricities eventually drove him off. (As he has it in his autobiography: "They were a nice enough bunch, if a bit camp...")

Ain't got nothing if you ain't got love
Udo Kier, Udo freaking Kier. Perhaps my absolute favorite bad actor bringing new life to the story of Frankenstein, utterly unshackled by any semblance of the book itself. Here, we have the anthropomorphic vision of a petulant, tantrum-throwing Baron Frankenstein and his plan to create not one but TWO wombies, male and female, to procreate and spawn a master race of wombies to answer to the will of Udo Kier alone. This scheme is more or less similiar to the one favored by Bela Legosi in the Ed Wood saga, Bride of the Monster. Playing devil's advocate, I never pictured a male wombie with too many active sperm cells, nor a female wombie with an overly active reproductive system, but, who's splitting hairs.

At the outset of the movie, Udo does in fact have the female wombie fully completed, but he needs the final component to complete her male counterpart. To finish his male wombie, Udo in fact needs the proper "nazzum", and nazzums, evidently, are reasonably difficult to acquire. So, Baron Frankenstein, with his sidekick, Otto (the same guy that played his sidekick in Blood for Dracula) sets out for his nazzum. He needs a vigorous nazzum, the kind that frequents brothels and enjoys fornicating with any and every type of woman. At this stage, we have the same slouching Communist stable boy from Blood for Dracula, and his good buddy who wants to go join a convent or something. In the dark, Udo mistakes the the buddy, rather than the whoremongering Communist, for the nazzum he wants, and ends up, much to his despair, with a homosexual nazzum. Great Scott!!!

So, Frankenstein throws the two wombies together, kiss him, kiss him, kiss him, kiss him, KISS HIM, but unfortunately the male wombie with the insufficient nazzum ignores the female wombie. In desperation, Udo throws the male wombie to his wife, Baroness Frankenstein (who looks a little bit like Skeletor with a blonde wig), but, not only does the wombie fail to become aroused, he kills the baroness as well. Good golly miss molly, what a waste! Simutaneously, Otto, the hackneyed sidekick, learns that he has his own Mortal Kombat Fatality--pull out their guts and let them see them before they die trick--which he promptly launches against the housekeeper and the female wombie when they both dispassionately spurn his groping Torgoesque affections.

Udo, disenchanted, runs into the laboratory, kills Otto, then fails to defend himself against the vengeful male wombie. My favorite line: "My experiments will go on. I will not die in wain..."

Campy and gory telling of the famous story
Apparently "Flesh for Frankenstein" has become some sort of a revisionist masterpiece for the high brow set or those impressed by the Eurotrash excentricities of the Andy Warhol moniker that was once attached to this film. Well, I really love this film, but I refuse to accept all the vapid praise that is now being gushed about the genius of the film and its director: Paul Morrissey.

Flesh for Frankenstein is a retelling of the famous Mary Shelley story. Mary Shelley wrote it as a heavily veiled allegory for the evils of then modern science and the hubris of Man. In the DVD extras, Morrissey and some film historian would have us believe that Morrissey was consciously attempting to throw his own slant on the allegory angle. He would have us believe that he was intentionally going over the top with the gore and the sex as an affront to the liberal hippy movement which was clamboring for more of it. This sounds delightfully poignant until you take a closer look at how this film got made.

Morrissey was given creative control to direct several Andy Warhol financed films in Europe. The money that Warhol provided was certainly not without its strings attached though. In fact, Warhol was the king of creative marketing. He and his Factory were making films for fun not profit. That they made money was due to the fact that he had already engratiated himself with the artsy crowd in New York with his airbrushed art and his advertising art (i.e. the now famous Campbell's Soup can). Warhol never took himself all that seriously. He laughed himself all the way to the bank.

Morrissey was doing the same with these films. He was pushing the envelope in gore and sex, but was it for noble artistic intentions? I seriously doubt it. However, since he narrates that it was all intentional, we have no other factual basis to counter his claim.

However, I think, as with many of the now famous artists and poets, writers and filmmakers - their work is famous not because of its original genius, but rather because somebody who has the ear of those who are in power, yet gullible, promoted them as such at the time of their creation or after the fact.

Allowing the film to stand on its own is no crime. When we take a historical look at how cinema was being presented at the time, Morrissey was actually far ahead of his time. That much is true. Hammer Films in England had long been derided as going too far with the gore in their horror films and since they were still going strong at the time this film was made, they really were still the only company doing such films. Along comes Morrissey and he really blew the established film standards to pieces by making this film. Excessive gore, nudity - both male and female, sex acts only slightly veiled, and foul language - it was all in this single film.

The sets and costuming are really masterpieces. The clothing is dynamite when you think of the budget that Morrissey had to work with. And even moreso, the sets are out of this world. They are authentic locations throughout Europe. The set aspect also has me wondering when this film was "really" made. I ask this because the Dr's laboratory is obviously the inspiration for Lou Adler's Frankenfurter's laboratory in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". TRHPS actually duplicates this set in great detail, down to the glass tank, the tile walls, and the statuary in the room.

What makes this film unable to hold the title of great is the acting, the script, and the editing. I don't buy it that the poor acting is intentional. I think it was all they could get and since the people in charge didn't have any real filmmaking background or lots of money, they simply couldn't get capable actors. Udo Kier, they would like us to believe, is intentionally acting over the top. I've directed lots of regional theatre and I can assure you he's not acting over the top - he's just not a good actor. He has proven that in the 30 years since this film that, while he is better now than before, he is no actor. Dallesandro - he was Warhol's personal pet project. Warhol insisted he be used - and arguably, because of "Flesh", Dallesandro was popular in Europe. Monique Van Voohren - is only one of the worst actresses ever to be filmed. As the both the Dr's wife and sister, she simply cannot do much other than bear her body with belief (the sister/wife aspect is yet another aspect taken for TRHPS). The character of Otto is the only one who can get away with the poor acting in this film - because his over the top style is somewhat expected for the mad scientist's assistant. The "monster" is intended to be more of a stud puppy hunk than a monster (another steal from Richard O'Brien for TRHPS, I think). In fact, the creepiest aspect of the film are the Dr's children. They creep about like little ghouls throughout the film.

The extremely gory climax of the film is, frankly, Morrissey's masterpiece for the flim. With this scene, he obviously takes a page from Shakespeare. The set is simply strewn with bloody corpses in various states. And then there is the anticipation he leaves of with - of what is to come - as the children menacingly begin to come into their own scalpels gleaming.

I won't give it all away, because it is a really fun film. I've bought it for myself and I know I'd previously seen it five times. So my harsh criticism of the high brow aspects of it don't diminish my enjoyment of the film as a whole. It's really a cool film to see, if you know what history is involved in its making.

an interesting and disturbing film
this review is for the Criterion Collection edition of the film.

This film along with "blood for dracula" were filmed back to back in Italy. This one the more controversal of the two originally received an X rating by the MPAA. Is is based very loosely on Mary shelly's novel and follows Dr. Frankenstein creating a male and female zombie and his attempts to get them to breed.

Udo Kier playing the role of Dr. Frankenstein is excelent because the actor is German and has a great German accent.

The Criterion collection has audio commentary and an 18 minute slideshow with photos from the film and its production along woth an audio soundtrack of music from the film. ... Read more

Reviews (112)

THE MOVIE THAT STARTED IT ALL
Director James Whale's classic thriller opened the floodgates for a new genre-horror. In 1931, this film packed quite a wallop. Though it has lost its power to horrify,"Frankenstien" survives as a beatufilly crafted, elegant film that put's most modern horror film's to shame. Boris Karloff's performance as the Monster is among the greatest performances in screen history. Colin Clive is also perfect as the nerve frayed Henry Frankenstien, the monster maker. The direction, sets and photography still hold up after all of these years. The new DVD edition is well worth latching onto; the film has never looked better, and the documentary by David Skal is worth the price of the DVD alone. A great film, and a must have for any serious film collector.

Finally, "it's alive" on DVD !!
I don't know what I could possibly add to all of the previous glowing reviews other than my patience for this release has paid off! I can only hope Universal home video goes forward in releasing the other classic monsters with such a definitive respectful treatment.

Whale and Karloff: Perfect Together!
Nowhere close to Shelley's novel but it makes no difference! Eerie, eccentric and atmospheric, this classic offers nothing but top drawer! Whale's vision is impeccable; sets are moody and gripping, but it is Karloff who mesmerizes with a performance that is a work of art in a role that allows no dialogue but punishing make-up and costuming. Even the distinguished DeNiro didn't come close to the pathos, confusion, sadness and panic of Boris Karloff's elegant and ageless performance. It gets better and better with each viewing.

More than I expected.
Surprisingly enough, I had never seen this movie to its entirety. I remember one time watching it on network tv and it was ugly and the sound was blotchy. So imagine my suprise when I found the DVD clear and beautiful. I was very pleased with the DVD! They did a good job at cleaning up the video and audio. I especially loved the "Special Features" that are the hallmark of DVDs. I would suggest this DVD to any audiophile!

Classic Film, but commentary is disappointing
5 stars just because it's worth having this classic on disc. But this great film deserves a better treatment than this DVD release. The accompanying audio comentary is pointless...it dwells more on cast biographies, literary history and trite observations, rather than discussing the movie we're watching, and the fine little touches that make it a classic. From Whale's comic touches like the pathetic Fritz with his foot-high walking stick pausing on the steps to pull up his socks, to the "Caligari"-inspired sets and the poorly-painted sky backdrop, there is plenty of interesting material on the screen on which to comment. ... Read more

Description

International screen icon Delphine Seyrig (of LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD fame) stars as Elizabeth Bathory, an ageless Countess with a beautiful young ‘companion’ (Goth goddess Andrea Rau) and a legendary legacy of perversion. But when the two women seduce a troubled newlywed couple (French beauty Danielle Ouimet and John Karlen of DARK SHADOWS and CAGNEY & LACEY), they unleash a frenzy of sudden violence and depraved desire that shocked both art house audiences and grindhouse crowds worldwide.

Co-written and directed by Harry Kümel, DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS remains one of the most exquisitely mesmerizing adult horror films ever made. Blue Underground is now proud to present the Director’s Cut of this classic psychosexual shocker in stunning widescreen and featuring new Extras produced exclusively for this definitive edition. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A mesmerizing and atypical vampire film
"Daughters of Darkness" (originally titled "La rouge aux lèvres") is a 1971 Belgian-French-West German production directed by Harry Kümel that stars Delphine Seyrig as the Countess Elizabeth (Erzsebet) Bathory (a real historical figure who murdered hundreds of young women in her quest for immortality). In the film, Bathory and her young female companion (Andrea Rau) cross pathes with a young couple, Valerie and Stefan (played by Danielle Ouimet and John Karlen - Willie Loomis from TV's "Dark Shadows") who are honeymooning during the off-season in Europe. At first the couple seem fairly normal, but things quickly sour, as the woman is shown to be emotionally unstable and the man is very violent and turned on by death. Their relationship is also undermined by homosexuality on both sides. There are intimations that Stefan is in thrall to an older man back in England, and Valerie - of course - soon falls under the spell of the ageless and beautiful Countess Bathory. This mesmerizing and hypnotic film makes brilliant use of sound, mood, and color to paint an understatedly savage tableau, and it has a well-deserved cult following. It's probably too slow-moving for the average horror movie fan, however. "Daughters of Darkness" is very self-consciously an "art" film. The carefully constructed images, the nonsensical dialogue, the use of vivid reds and blues, and the extremely deliberate pacing all serve to create a film that - despite a few shockingly strange death scenes - is much closer in spirit to "Last Year at Marienbad" than it is to "The Lost Boys."

Classic
I'm delighted this will be available on DVD. I watched it on VHS a long, long time ago. I'd heard about it in various books on vampire films and haunted every video store I could find to locate a viewing copy. When I finally found it, I watched it with the enthrallment of the very young with the object of an obsession. Based loosely on the story of Elisabet Bathory, this "contempory" tale is of a young newly wed couple who are seduced by a mysterious woman whose interest in them is predatory.

Compared to current movie fare, this is extremely tame with it's allusions to S&M and chic debauchery, but the european elegance of the film will satisfy the die hard vampire film fan who enjoys the older movies that defined the genre in the late 60s and into the 70s. Not as openly sexual as the lush offerings of a Hammer film, it has it's own more subtle erotic charm.

A Bewitching Vampire Tale...
Stefan, a British aristocrat with sadistic tendencies, and the beautiful Valerie, a simple girl, have eloped and are on their way home to break the news to Stefan's mother. However, Stefan is hesitant to bring his wife to see his mother as he delays the trip back to England on purpose by making up stories. The newlyweds decide to stay in an extravagant hotel on the seaside while Stefan attempts to buy some time. Stefan and Valerie are the only guests at the hotel besides the flamboyant Countess Bathory and her seductive secretary since it is off-season. During the stay the Countess Bathory has taken a liking to the couple and begins to seduce them both as she begins setting her wicked plan into action.

Daughters of Darkness is a vampire tale with a malevolently chilly and sexually tense atmosphere that haunts the mind with its subtle approach as Kümel avoids the popular approach of vampires. The vampires do not sleep in coffins nor attack the necks of their victims with sharpened elongated teeth. Instead Kümel disguises the threat of evil behind courteous behavior, alluring charm, and vivid gesticulations that become passionately seductive for the characters in the film. In addition, the mise-en-scene is strongly suggestive and vibrant colors are used in order to enhance the bewitching atmosphere that is viewed by the audience. This leaves the viewer with an uneasy, but artistic cinematic experience that selective audiences will appreciate.

The Pinnacle of Lesbian Vampire Movies
There must be some subliminal message in this movie that I respond to. I have watched it over and over. The Countess is so beautifully evil; she made me fall under her spell. I have heard her described as a "Satanic Auntie Mame". She makes evil so seductive and fun. Even though I have a dark obessesion fop this movie, freinds I have shown it to describe it as boring and slow. (Hang on, talking about it made me get up and put it in the DVD player again). It's not for everyone, at least give it a try.

Ehh, it's okay... 2.5 actually
This film is about a newlywed couple who "honeymoon?" at a fancy palace like hotel in Europe somewhere, alone, and are seduced by a Countess and her sidekick who show up not too long after the married couple arrive. I normally adore art house flicks, but this one has the pacing of a snail. There are only a few "shocking" scenes, and it came long after this viewer had any interest left. I will say this though, over the last 25 minutes of the film the pace quickens and may be considered a "payoff", but like I said, I basically lost interest. Don't believe the hype. If you want an interesting "exploitation" vampire film from the 70's, check out Warhol's Blood For Dracula. Nuff said. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hellraiser
Having made his reputation as one of the most prolific and gifted horror writers of his generation (prompting Stephen King to call him "the future of horror"), Clive Barker made a natural transition to movies with this audacious directorial debut from 1987. Not only did Barker serve up a chilling tale of devilish originality, he also introduced new icons of horror that since have become as popular among genre connoisseurs as Frankenstein's monster and the Wolfman. Foremost among these frightful visions is the sadomasochistic demon affectionately named Pinhead (so named because his pale, bald head is a geometric pincushion and a symbol of eternal pain). Pinhead is the leader of the Cenobites, agents of evil who appear only when someone successfully "solves" the exotic puzzle box called the Lamont Configuration--a mysterious device that opens the door to Hell. The puzzle's latest victim is Frank (Sean Chapman), who now lives in a gelatinous skeletal state in an upstairs room of the British home just purchased by his newlywed half-brother (Andrew Robinson, best known as the villain from Dirty Harry), who has married one of Frank's former lovers (Claire Higgins). The latter is recruited to supply the cannibalistic Frank with fresh victims, enabling him to reconstitute his own flesh--but will Frank succeed in restoring himself completely? Will Pinhead continue to demonstrate the flesh-ripping pleasures of absolute agony? Your reaction to this description should tell you if you've got the stomach for Barker's film, which has since spawned a number of interesting but inferior sequels. It's definitely not for everyone, but there's no denying that it's become a semiclassic of modern horror. --Jeff Shannon

Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Definitely not one for the weak of stomach, Hellbound: Hellraiser IItakes up where the first Hellraiser left off, piling on the gore to nearcamp levels. Luckily, the 1988 sequel retains enough of British horror-meisterClive Barker's macabre wit--like the original, it's based on a Barker story--tosave it from the schlock-heap. Hospitalized following her last misadventure,Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) implores authorities to destroy a bloody bed at the carnage scene, but the enigmatic Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham) brings an addled patient there and unleashes a dread Cenobite instead. As if that's notbad enough, Kirsty's getting distress calls from her father, who begs her to rescue him from Hell. When she journeys through Hell's dark labyrinths with a mute puzzle solver, however, Kirsty only finds the evil Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and other bizarro creatures, plus her nasty former stepmother and lascivious Uncle Frank. Much maniacal laughter and skin shedding later, the newfound compadres unlock the puzzle box again to safety. Hellbound isn't genius, but it does have flair, which goes a long way toward offsetting Laurence's leaden acting and occasionally over the top gore. --Diane Garrett ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Two great horror movies get a well deserved DVD treatment
HELLRAISER: A typical, naive husband and his sexual unsatisfied wife move into a lonely old house that has the misfortune of containing the shredded remains of his soon-to-be-resurrected evil brother. Clever, well plotted and genuinely disturbing. Directing debut for horror novelist Clive Barker, and still remains to be his undisputed masterpiece. HELLRAISER II: Takes off hours later where the original finished. The sole survivor of the family massacre Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) finds herself in a mental hospital run by an occult-obsessed psychiatrist with a determination to open the gates to hell and the whole nightmare starts all over again. Not too bad a film as far as sequels go. Definatelly a work of art compared to the following chapters. Only this film was butchered by the MPAA on its theatrical release and lost a lot of its well deserved respect. THE DVD: Both films are THX certified which delivers clear enough picture and a beautifully haunting 5.1 Dolby track, and are presented in their original 1.85:1 widescreen format and a 4:3 fullscreen presentation. Both DVDs feature the original theatrical trailer, a picture gallery, a commentary track and a doco on each film. Both documentaries are entertaining and informative, but the one for Hellraier, "Resurrection", is much longer and more enjoyable than the one for Hellraiser II, "Lost in the Labryinth". The only letdown of this wonderful treatment is the absence of a Deleted Scenes section, especially for Hellraiser II. The two infamous scenes of Pinhead and the Female cenobite dressed as doctors, and chatterer going through the process of his face undergoing disgusting changes are scenes that every fan is howling to see which is a real let down. Both discs come packaged in a limited edition tin which is a definate must for any cult horror collector. This edition also contains a 48 page booklet with rare, behind the scenes pictures from Hellraiser which is always delightfully ugly to look at. The only downside of the packaging is the way the discs were packaged. They are both in a standard 2-CD case which is terriblly unsatisfactory. But apart from one or two issues, its a fair enough edition which will be a well treasured collector's item in the near-future.

It's different kinds of horror movies
In 1987 and '88, "Hellraiser" 1 and 2 were released, and these are certainly the best of the series. You can watch the two back to back and it seemlessly flows as one story. The over all story line is one family's fight against the Centobites, S and M demons from hell (it's not as corny as it sounds, trust me), and their nominal leader being Pinhead. There are a lot of issues floating around these movies; betrayal, lies, secrets, murder, audultry, the cheif among them the pleasure of pain (YIKES!). These movies have a lot of torture scenes, hooked chains clawing away flesh (those still make my skin crawl just thinking about them), the blood flows like a river, skinned corpes are walking around, and sex is taken to a whole new low. Clive Barker has some kind of warped mind, God bless him. Hell itelf is a vast maze where you must re-live your past misdeeds over and over, an interesting concept. The emotional center of the movie is Ashley, and her nemisis step-mother, Julia. The two are so different, yet they end up doing the exact same thing, the both end up betraying someone to achieve their own means. These films are very, very gory (I recomend finding the unrated versions), and so those with weak stomachs may want to find something else. But there is also a very interesting moral; curiosity kills the cat, if the cat is lucky.

Hellraiser 1 & 2 tin boxset
I've had this limited tin-set of the first 2 Hellraiser movies for about 6 months now. I've watched both DVD's several times and am very impressed with the quality. The widescreen transfer is excellent, the sound is phenomenal in THX. The extras are well done also, i liked the bonus full-length audio commentary tracks for both movies. The only thing that could have been added were the extra "Bonus Interviews" that were on the Collector's Edition VHS editions that came out a few years ago. I'm keeping those VHS copies just for that, and although it would have been nice to have them on DVD as well this is still a very solid, professional boxset. Any Hellraiser fan would be pleased and it is well worth the money to get this great boxset.

Great movies but are we seeing all of them?
This beautifully presented box set is a treat. Visually stunning the movies themselves do a great job of recreating the atmoshere of isolated dread that Clive Barker is so good at. My only issue with this edition is one of censorship. I have a strong feeling that there have been cuts made to the very end if the first movie. There was an "uncut" version of hellraiser on VHS floating around a few years back and that differed to the standard video edition. This DVD seems more like the trimmed version. I may be wrong but I have a strong suspicion about this one. Seeing as how this is not available in region 4 yet, this is as good as it gets so I've got no complaints and as I said, the presentation is sensational.

Hmmm
The first movie is awesome. The second recycles the first and is average. The third movie is slightly better than no 2 mostly because it goes and invents a new background. My advice? Watch the first one, ignore the others. ... Read more

Description

Countess Irina of Karlstein resides quietly in a hotel on the island of Madeira, where she sustains her immortality by feeding on the life essence of men and women. When new victims are found fatally drained of potency, forensic scientist Dr. Roberts consults his colleague, Dr. Orloff, who confirms that a vampire is responsible. Meanwhile, Irina is confronted by a poet who believes he is destined to become her lover and join her among the immortals! Jess Franco's influential erotic horror film is presented here in its full-strength version, and for the first time in a widescreen format. The uninhibited Lina Romay makes her starring debut as Countess Irina in a role that established her as a sex and horror film icon. Submit yourself to the life-consuming thirsts of EuroHorror's most famous Female Vampire! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Famale Vampire (1969) d: Franco, Jess
Linda Romay bares her considerable assets as Irina, a blood hungry bisexual vampire who sucks more than just necks. Directed by exploitation master Jesus Franco under the alias of J.P. Johnson, this French-Belgium production exists in many different versions. A European porn version entitled The Loves of Irina, with hard-core deep-throat sex scenes, and no vampires. A softer version called The Bare Breasted Countess, which this version of Female Vampire most closely resembles, and the censored North American horror only version which goes under the title Erotikill, and has almost 30 minutes cut from it. (As an added bonus this disc contains horror scenes from Erotikill not included in The Bare Breasted Countess [aka: Female Vampire]). Other versions said to exist in Europe are Sicarius - The Midnight Party; Jacula, and The Last Thrill. The so many different versions of this and many of Jess Franco's other films, make them very fun to collect. Some sources credit him with an amazing 150 films, while others claim his body of work goes as high as 200 movies. Many have attacked him for using the zoom lens too much, however this was a common cost-cutting measure during the 1970's. Jess Franco himself appears as Dr. Roberts, a forensic surgeon. Linda Romay [who later became the directors wife] stars as Countess Irina Karlstein, a mute descendant of a vampire family who, while vacationing in Portuagl and satisfying her thirsts for various bodilly fluids, falls in love with metaphysical poet Jack Taylor.

Wow
That Jess Franco sure was wacky. This ultra-sexy 70's vamp flick probably arouses me more than any modern softcore film, but it's still not as good as Vampire Femmes or Vampyres. The woman here isn't really a vampire in the monster sense of the word. She's more of an energy sucker, kills by sucking sexual energy from her victims. The bad acting will get on some's nerves, and the plot is ludicrous, but if you buy this film to begin with, you can't expect Citizen Kane. A good b-movie sexfest.

love at 1st bite
why i actually like this film so much or chose to rate it so highly may be a great mystery to everyone including myself. female vampire isn't a great film by any means but does manage to keep my attention & make me want to revisit the world of countess irina over & over again. i've never seen any of the other versions of this film that exist or have existed such as the american version erotikill or the most similiar one to this release entitled loves of irina so i couldn't say if this is the best version or not but i think it'd be interesting to see the variations. from what i can tell so far just by watching the dvd version of female vampire, erotikill was much more bloody & this one tends to be more of a softcore film which aims to tease or provoke it's audience more often than to actually shock viewers. the film opens up with beautiful irina walking through the woods skyclad except for a black cape & a black belt around her waste. as she walks towards the screen, our director has seen fit to zoom in on her womanhood. there are several scenes in the film like this which obviously suggest director jesus franco adored this woman or perhaps even worshipped her. having said that, we see plenty of the seductive actress lina romay throughout the course of the film. there are a few scenes in the film which are actually quite beautiful & then there are a few montages which could be construed as disturbing or maybe unpleasant is the word i'm looking for here. while the atmosphere here isn't quite as good as a hammer film perhaps, i'm not disappointed. i wish we could have been told more about the past of irina through flashbacks perhaps & learned a little bit about her mysterious bloodline of vampires. or perhaps why she is mute? if this is a complaint, i don't intend it to be. the layers of mystery perhaps only add to the quality of the film & i won't hold that against mr. franco. la