Like most Italian directors active in the seventies, Lucio Fulci tried his hand in most the popular film genres at the time, and this film is one of his attempts at making a sex comedy; not a horror film that most fans will be used to (and probably expect, considering the title). It's actually his second attempt after The Eroticist in 1972 which I am yet to see. Fulci is obviously best known as a horror director, and he's actually brought that into the sex comedy genre as this film is sort of a 'horror sex comedy', although the focus is more on the sex and the comedy than the horror. I've seen a number of Fulci's non-horror films and while some of them are decent, most remind me why the great director usually stuck to horror; but this film is actually quite good. The plot focuses on a man named Constantino Nicosia; the snobby owner of a toothpaste factory. He seems to enjoy treating his employees badly, and his wife doesn't get treat much better either. This changes when Constantino has a run-in with an elderly aunt who curses him. He then goes on a business trip to Romania and has an encounter with a vampire...
I'm quite a big fan of this type of film. Unfortunately, we don't get treated to sex comedy favourite Edwige Fenech here - but even so, Dracula in the Provinces is a thoroughly enjoyable and actually quite imaginative sex comedy. In some ways, it's a shame that this film is a sex comedy rather than a serious horror film as Fulci's film does include a number of good ideas and twists on the classic vampire tale. The way that the central character is confused at first and initially thinks he might be gay is amusing and well played out, and while the comedy is always rampant; his change into vampirism is well done. This type of film largely relies on set pieces and this one features a number of those too; a scene towards the end with a dominatrix being one of the most memorable. The strangest twist in the film is the fact that there is a social commentary included too. Considering the type of film, it is naturally out of place; but it adds another element to an already bizarre cult film. I would not particularly recommend this to gorehounds that love Fulci for the likes of The Beyond and Zombie Flesh-Eaters; but any fan of Italian movies or Fulci completist will no doubt find lots to like here.
