Deathmaster

What a truly tripy movie. An obscure and mostly overlooked cult classic. Not certain if the original Yorga film was to ever see a sequel, and having been paid peanuts compared to what the film had grossed at the box office, Quarry was determined to make a quick buck by exploiting "The Deathmaster" name (which had been used profusely in the iconic promo posters of the original Count Yorga Vampire film) and the whole concept of him as a chic and charismatic vampire. A true exploitation film through and through, the movie obviously tries to make Quarry appear like Charles Manson. It also ties into the whole "evil cult" aspect of the Charles Manson case and the infamous and brutal murders, which had, at the time, shocked the nation to its very core. In the end it's a descent film, but not nearly as entertaining as the original Count Yorga Vampire movie or the riveting sequel, The Return of Count Yorga. In any case, it's nothing less than a true gem of a film for any hardcore horror fan.

A pipe playing reject from the cast of "I Walked With a Zombie" and an ancient vampire who bears more than a passing resemblance to Jason Isaacs take over some prime oceanside property (isn't that just like a bloodsucker?) and seduce a bunch of young and groovy hippies, forcing them to participate in all-night dance parties. A pretty girl who looks like Jane Asher falls under the spell of the Vampires, and it's up to her inept boyfriend and an old geeky man to save her. When the police fail to believe their story, they attempt to make a rescue on their own. Can they save her in time? Who cares, really?

A biker-momma and her old man are the first to become food. A young man displays his Kung Fu talents at films beginning, and when attacked by a group of vampires, apparently forgets all of his martial arts training and starts kicking and screaming like a two year old having a tantrum. The Vampire dresses like Liberace...it's all pretty goofy, but it's harmless. I can think of worse ways to waste an hour or so.

A hippie vampire! There's really not much more to be said, save for an excellent performance by the underrated Quarry as the lead. This was a Saturday afternoon staple during the 70's on NYC local stations. I recommend it, if you can find it, but don't take it too seriously though.

Great early 70's clothing, a philosophizing folk song (wow, man is like a river, that's like, so deep), not so subtle drug references, and the undead! What more could you possibly ask for? Deathmaster really is Quarry's movie with his Mansonesque portrayal of Khorda infiltrating and taking over a commune of lost hippies. The movie's effectiveness really lies in the context that people can be so easily controlled and fall victim to cults, rather than the fact that Khorda possesses their minds because he is a vampire. That Quarry is made up to look like Charles Manson is a not-so-subtle hint to the movie's theme, the resemblance being especially relevant at the time the movie was made.Look for character actor and voice-over artist John Fiedler as the owner of a hippie bead shop!

The movie slows down and becomes a little dull about 2/3 of the way through, and yes, it's terribly dated, but this obscure little gem is an 8/10 for 60's and 70's horror movie freaks like myself. It's certainly a guilty pleasure. I found it at a convention, and watching it brought back a lot fond memories of the Saturday afternoon Chiller Theater flicks like Deathmaster, Lemora, Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, as well as a ton of bizarre British horror movies, and even some old giallo that independent stations like Channels 5, 9, and 11 out of NYC used to run constantly in the late 70's through the mid 80's. If you're a fan of such things, you'll want to own this movie.

Good horror flick. No movie can be overlooked that has wimpy John Fielder as a fearless vampire stalker. Seems a hippie clan up LA's Topanga Canyon is enticed by ethereal stranger (Quarry) into coming to his canyon mansion. Of course, he has dire motives for enticing them. But he's a smooth talker, with what sounds like a profound message about life and eternity. I couldn't help thinking Charles Manson given the general context of hippies following a charismatic leader. But the mansion turns out to be something of a labyrinth of horror, as the care-free kids soon find out.

I like the way Pico (Ewing) is shown early on as possessing what was then an unusual knowledge of Asian martial arts. That way, we know he's more than his rather slight appearance. He'll need that when he defies the imperious Khorda. Then too, the exotic looking Barbado (Hilton) makes a scary zombie-like enforcer. That opening scene with him at the beach amounts to a real grabber. Also, there're a couple of good twists that break with genre clichés.

Anyway, pitting hippies against a vampire is an imaginative premise that plays out in pretty effective fashion. So ignore establishment critic Roger Ebert who hated the movie (IMDB), probably because the title smacked of lowly drive-in fare. And kudos to leading-man actor Ray Danton who shows talent in his first directorial outing. Meanwhile, as an LA resident, I guess I won't be going up Topanga Canyon any time soon.