Evil of Dracula

In the secluded halls of "Chi o suu bara" (a.k.a. "Evil of Dracula"), director Michio Yamamoto conjures a uniquely Japanese vampire tale. While Dracula himself remains elusive, the film's cyanotic bloodsuckers and eerie atmosphere cast a hypnotic spell.

Professor Shiraki (Toshio Kurosawa) arrives at the Seimei School for girls, where tragedy lingers like a shadow. The principal's wife lies in the basement, her coffin awaiting the customary seven days. As students vanish, Shiraki grapples with nightmares and inexplicable encounters. The scent of roses-white, then crimson-haunts the bitten.

Toshio Kurosawa's portrayal of Shiraki balances skepticism and dread. His encounter with a vampire-dismissed as a dream-sets the stage for chaos.

Kunie Tanaka's Doctor Shimimura unravels the mystery of tiny needle marks on a fainting student. The symbolism of the white rose turning red adds an intriguing layer.

Omoe Mari's Keiko Nonomiya, the missing student, embodies vulnerability and allure. Her transformation is both tragic and seductive.

Shin Kishida commands the screen as the main bloodsucker. His savage hunger and physical power evoke primal fear.

"Evil of Dracula" dances on the edge of folklore and fever dream. Its flaws-awkward dialogue and shallow emotions-fade against the crimson backdrop. A cult gem for vampire aficionados.

🌑🌹 Sink your teeth into this Japanese nocturne-a haunting symphony of blood and longing. 🌑🌹

The 1974 Japanese horror film "Chi o suu bara," or "The Evil of Dracula" in the West, is an intriguing entry into the vampire genre. With a unique blend of influences and a distinct style, this film is an oddball yet entertaining addition to the vampire canon.

"Chi o suu bara" is the final installment of Toho's 'Bloodthirsty Trilogy,' directed by Michio Yamamoto, and it certainly has a flavor all its own. The film draws heavily on the Hammer Horror vibe, with a touch of Italian flair and even a hint of Godzilla-esque monster movie thrown in for good measure. This eclectic mix of influences gives the film a unique tone and style that sets it apart from its contemporaries.

The story follows the classic battle between good and evil, with Shiraki and Kumi facing off against Dracula and his undead minions. While the plot is somewhat predictable, the film has a certain charm and offers some fun, gruesome special effects. The ending, in particular, is abrupt yet satisfying, delivering on the vampire action that audiences crave.

One of the most memorable aspects of the film is its aesthetic. With a mix of wide-screen presentation and Eastern trimmings, the film has a retro 70s cheese factor that is hard to resist. The lead villain, Dracula, sports an unusual Ralph Bates-inspired bouffant hairstyle, adding a touch of humor to the horror.

The cast, including Toshio Kurosawa, Kunie Tanaka, and Katshuhiko Sasaki, deliver solid performances, though it is the unique blend of genres and the film's overall strangeness that truly shine. This film will appeal to those who enjoy weird and wonderful genre pieces that embrace their oddities.

While it may not be the scariest entry into the horror genre, "Chi o suu bara" is an enjoyable watch and a refreshing take on vampire lore. It embraces its B-movie status with gusto and provides a unique cultural twist on a familiar tale.

For fans of vampires and retro horror, this film is worth a watch, if only to experience a different take on a familiar legend. While it may not be a masterpiece, "Chi o suu bara" is an entertaining and memorable addition to the world of Dracula.

So after subscribing to Arrow Video service on Prime (initially started to watch the move Spanish movie REC) I was looking through their Asian movie catalogue. This is where I was introduced to Michio Yamamoto. The concept is great and the acting and pacing is good too. It reminded me of Hammer horror films. There is a lot conveyed in the short runtime of the movie.

While I did enjoy the film, there was a lot of back and forth in the scenes which I personally thought wasn't necessary. I think I would've enjoyed more focus on the back story of the occult, rather than a quick glance over it.

But this has started my exploration into the Yamamoto universe.

Evil of Dracula is the third and last entry in the Bloodthirsty Trilogy centered around American-styled horror movies in a Japanese context. Released a whopping three years after the previous output Lake of Dracula and four years after The Vampire Doll, this story is centered around a psychology teacher who assumes a job at an isolated private school. Upon arrival, he learns that the principal's wife died in a tragic car accident two days earlier. When the teacher respectfully asks if he could visit her grave, he is told by the principal that her body hasn't been buried or cremated yet and is instead kept in a coffin in the basement for a whole week according to an ancient local tradition. The surprises don't stop there for the young teacher when he is told that the principal would like him to be his successor. At night, the young teacher has a haunting nightmare of the principal's wife and an unknown girl attacking him. He is stunned when he learns that the girl in his nightmare is in fact a student who mysteriously disappeared and that several students indeed run away from the old school every single year. The teacher realizes that something is afoul and starts investigating.

Horror movies that are set in high schools don't seem to be original anymore but Evil of Dracula was released two years before Carrie, three years before Suspiria and even decades before the Whispering Corridors series. Setting a gothic horror movie at an old private school for girls was a clever idea back then and the movie's familiar yet unsettling settings still work perfectly four and a half decades later. The isolated railway station, the bumpy country road with the carwreck, the elegant principal's mansion, the gloomy forest and lake next to the school, the big classrooms and the modest dorms make for diversified locations.

The movie also convinces with a gloomy atmosphere. Right from the start, viewers might sense that something is wrong. The teacher arrives at a completely isolated railroad station. The staff is very rude. The person who was supposed to pick him up arrives late. The first thing he sees on his way to the school is the horribly burned carwreck. The tension intensifies from there on and will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Even though Evil of Dracula is a good horror movie that has aged surprisingly well, it isn't as great as The Vampire Doll with its outstanding acting performances and Lake of Dracula with its mysterious and surreal vibes. The acting performances in Evil of Dracula are solid but not outstanding. The principal's characteristics are a little bit too similar to those of the main villain in Lake of Dracula. Lead actor Kurosawa Toshio looks stylish but his acting performance lacks depth and emotions. The characters of the three students who decide to stay at the school during summer break are promising but not fully developed. If the movie had been a little bit more detailed, it could have been much more intense.

The final showdown is also less convincing than in the two predecessors. There are a lot of things going on but the action looks unintentionally humorous at times and feels completely exaggerated by the end. This rather recalls The Rocky Horror Picture Show than an actual horror movie, even though said was also released one year after Evil of Dracula.

In the end, Evil of Dracula is an atmospheric and intense horror movie that gets even closer to American-styled horror cinema than the two predecessors. However, the acting performances are only slightly above average and the film is at times lacking depth. If you have watched the first two entries, you will also like this film. If that isn't your case, watch the Bloodthirsty Trilogy chronologically.

"Professor Shiraki" (played by Toshio Kurosawa) arrives from Tokyo to a new school for teenage girls in a small Japanese village. Upon checking in he learns that the principle's wife died a couple of days earlier and that a student named "Keiko Nonomiya" (Tomoe Mari) went missing about the same time. That night he has an encounter with a vampire that matches Keiko's description but dismisses the incident as nothing more than a dream. Not long afterward another student named "Kyoko Hayashi" (Keiko Aramaki) faints in his classroom and is taken to the school's doctor, "Doctor Shimimura" (Kunie Tanaka). During Kyoko's examination two small "needle pricks" are discovered but neither Professor Shiraki nor Doctor Shimimura are able to figure out their significance. Since she appears to be tired, they send her back to her dorm room to recover with her two roommates, "Yukiko Mitamura" (Mio Ohta) and "Kumi" (Mariko Mochizuki) promising to take care of her. All hell breaks loose after that. Anyway, having outlined the first part of the story, I'll stop here so I won't spoil everything for any viewers who wish to see the rest. Now, although this is a "standard" vampire story, the fact that it is entirely Japanese results in a few curious details. For example, a white rose is seen by the bedside of each of the females who have been bitten. Once they drink blood the rose turns red. I thought that was an interesting touch. Having said that though, I thought there were a couple of faults as well. First, the dialogue was awful. But the movie I saw was originally in Japanese and dubbed in English and it is quite possible that much had been simplified or even lost in translation. Likewise, the acting was also quite bad. Even so, this film had a different flavor than most other vampire movies and I thought some of it was actually quite good. Obviously, there will be people who might not like this film. Like I said, it has its flaws. But I think fans of this genre might be pleasantly surprised.