Vampyros Lesbos (1971)
By: Drexl on November 18, 2004.
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| Umbrella Entertainment (Australia). All Regions, PAL. 1.78:1 (16:9 enhanced). German DD 2.0. English Subtitles. 85 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Jess Franco
Starring:Ewa Strömberg,
Soledad Miranda, Andrés Monales, Dennis
Price
Screenplay: Jess Franco
and Jaime Chavarri
Music:Manfred Huebler
and Siegfried Schwab
Tagline: "A Psycho-Sexadelic
Horror Freakout!"
Country: Spain/ West
Germany
AKA: Die Erben des Dracula,
Lesbian Vampires, Los Vampiras |
Firstly I must 'fess up to not being
the world's biggest Franco fan. In all honesty,
far from it. Sure, a film called Vampyros
Lesbos and with a woman that good looking
on the cover should have been added to my collection
as soon as it hit the stands but, nope, the two
feared words - 'Franco' and 'Jess'
(though not in that order) put this one pretty
low down on my 'to purchase' list.
Now, as Umbrella Entertainment brings this early
slice of Franco weirdness to Australian video
stores and a review copy to the TerrorOz mailbox,
I'm required to check it out. Forced to.
The gun's at my head...
After watching a performance by stunning striptease
artist Nadine (Miranda), Linda (Stroemberg) finds
herself joining Nadine, (who turns out to be Countess
Nadine - clue number one), at her island retreat
to tie up some property deal or similar. She is
warned not to go as 'madness and death rule(s)
the island' but finds herself drawn by the
mysterious Countess. Her first few moments on
the island with the Countess consist of a quick
chat, followed by a brief bit of skinny-dipping
and nude sunbathing. Linda soon discovers, over
a glass or two of something passing as 'red
wine', that Nadine's family tree contains
one Count Dracula. (Unsubtle clues number two
and number three.) The drink goes straight to
Linda's head and she passes out at the table.
Since a) this is a Jess Franco flick and b) it's
entitled 'Lesbian Vampires', I figure
that you can guess what comes next…
I never expected to use the words 'entertaining'
or 'visually impressive' in the same
sentence as 'Jess' and 'Franco'
(see above) but, heck, Vampyros Lesbos is both. While it's fair to say that the
film is, well - slightly lacking, in the plot
department it does boast some great shots and
some memorable set-pieces - the viewer should
simply forget the film's shortcomings, plot-wise,
and enjoy the eye-candy provided by Franco. The
film's dream-like atmosphere is also helped
by the gentle pace and some nicely lit scenes
with strong reds being the order of the day (very
Argento), all helped along by the insane but extremely
enjoyable and appropriate music score.
It has to be said that the visual appeal of the
film is not only in the set design and lighting
but in the cast also. Both leading ladies are
nothing short of stunning but the undoubted star
of the show is Miranda - she really is one of
the most gorgeous actresses to grace the Euro-Horror
genre. (Miranda would make one more film with
Franco before her death in a road accident, leaving
Lina Romay to take up her post as Franco's
leading lady.) Both actresses are happy to perform
the film's almost constant nude scenes which,
happily, remain softcore, avoiding the lame hardcore
that Franco introduced into a few of his latter
movies. Again, Miranda steals the show with two
stunning striptease scenes that are without a
doubt the most memorable sequences in the movie.
Yep, I loved this movie - it's mad, great
too look at, carries an irresistible score and
thoroughly entertains for the whole of its screen
time. Blimey, a Franco flick I enjoyed! I'm
almost sounding like a fan. Whatever next? |
| Video |
| Umbrella's 16/9 enhanced transfer looks
terrific; the transfer is free of print damage and
carries good detail and the vivid colours are, thankfully,
beautifully reproduced. Grain is only minor and,
when the age of the film is considered, Umbrella
can be applauded for a job very well done. |
| Audio |
| The German language track is nicely done with
no noticeable distortion present. The funky soundtrack
(you'll grow to love it!) is also well reproduced.
The English subtitles are accurate and very easy
to read but non-removable. |
| Extra Features |
| A little light in the extras department, I'm
sorry to say. A theatrical trailer for the main
feature is included - incorrectly framed, no-subs
and over-dark, running around two and a half minutes.
A few trailers for other Umbrella goodies are also
included, including a dire promo for Argento's Deep Red, but that's your
lot as far as extras go. Oh yeah, there is a scene
selection menu - betcha all feel real spoiled! |
| The Verdict |
| I approached this movie from a position of doubt,
reluctant to subject myself to more Franco nonsense
but I have to report that I thoroughly enjoyed every
minute of this film. Franco has served up a dreamlike
slice of sleaze that is visually appealing (for
a variety of reasons) and hugely entertaining -
plus there is that music score to serve as the 'icing
on the cake.' Great stuff. |
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