This is the second horror film I’ve watched from Argentine director Vieyra – the other being the better-known but overrated THE CURIOUS DR. HUMPP (1967/71); I had long considered purchasing Mondo Macabro’s SE DVD but was doubtful about its quality – besides, I recall being bored by HUMPP (even if that one had extraneous footage added to it for export versions). Now that I’ve caught up with this one (acquired from ulterior sources), it’s hardly any more engaging (in fact, the film doesn’t even have a plot to speak of!) – but, at least, the dream-like/lethargic atmosphere throughout is reasonably effective.
That said, the striking pre-credits sequence (including the animation accompanying the titles themselves, curiously presented here in Italian!) is immediately stymied by a lengthy modern-day sequence which, amid numerous psychedelic trappings (such as gaudy fashions and go-go dancing), allows one no chance to get to know the characters – resorting to some rather embarrassing stream-of-consciousness editing instead! Incidentally, the suave head vampire is given little of substance to do here: though he gets to bite a couple of girls, his conflicted lover (who actually regrets her undead existence) – a beautiful blonde whose natural attributes are frequently and gratuitously exploited by the director – is at least as much to the fore and does some enslaving (albeit of a sexual kind) of her own! For what it’s worth, the couple have a manservant roaming about the apparently uninhabited castle looking sinister and generally mysterious and who’s involved in the film’s concluding twist.
Though clearly no more than a footnote in vampire movie lore, as I said, this is a watchable enough effort (and, thankfully, a compact 75 minutes) marked by flashes of eroticism, gore (the film was even banned on its home-turf when originally released!) and weirdness (a particularly nice effect is created by the recurring red-tinted shot of flying seagulls).
