Next to "The Whip and the Body", this has got to be Lee's weirdest movie.
Lee plays Count Regula which is a very fitting name since he "regularly" frequents the local village & steals away young girls to his castle. He tortures them & uses their blood for his "life elixir". His final victim manages to escape to inform the local authorities and he is executed for his crimes (check out how its done). He manages to come back years later to exact his revenge on the descendants of his last victim & the judge/magistrate that sentenced him to death.
Among the actors you've got to check out is the guy who portrays the Count's butler/servant. He's really wild. In some scenes, he actually steals the scenes from Lee!This guy takes the phrase "loyal servant" to a whole new level! If the average household of today had a madman like him in service, we'd all be in trouble!
Lex Barker is the Count's adversary/good guy here. Sometimes Lex acts as if he's sleep-walking through his scenes. His voice also never seems to change its tone. The other performers are good.
The locales are incredible. I believe this film was shot in Germany.Very beautiful & peaceful but don't be alarmed horror fans. You will love the scenery around the Count's castle. Can you picture a countryside littered with dead bodies everywhere? You will once you've seen this movie.
For those of you that love a little ham in your horror, this one's for you! Its very hard to find in mainstream video stores so you may want to check the ones that cater to specialized genres. It will be worth the search.