 | |
List Price: $14.98 | | Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Salesrank: 16545
Released: August 26, 2003 |
| Our Price: $4.31 |
| Used Price: $4.22 |
|
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
COUNTESS DRACULA VAMPIRE LOVERS
Description of Countess Dracula / The Vampire Lovers:
Polish-born actress Ingrid Pitt's erotically supercharged presence is the highlight of this double bill of vampire chills from Hammer Films. In Countess Dracula, Pitt stars as an aging noblewoman (inspired by the real-life Erzebeth Bathory) who discovers the secret to eternal youth in the veins of young virgins, while in The Vampire Lovers (based on J. Sheridan LeFanu's "Carmilla"), Pitt's sensuous bloodsucker seduces Hammer starlets Madeleine Smith and Kate O'Mara and incurs the vengeful wrath of Peter Cushing. Countess is the more sober of the two films, with Jeremy Paul's script and Peter Sadsy's direction playing out more like an Old Dark House mystery than Hammer horror, while Lovers' aims for comic-book thrills with plenty of nudity and violence (much of which was trimmed from the American version, but reinstated here); in both cases, Pitt's sexy/scary performances make this DVD a memorably viewing experience for vintage and new-school horror fans alike. --Paul Gaita
Countess Dracula / The Vampire Lovers Reviews:
have to concur with the other one star reviewer 
2009-11-05 - so bad they're bad . the other one star author here nails it . i'm a very big HAMMER fan and love their gothic output and the MUMMY films and CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF and so on . T and A does not redeem these warm discharges . ECCENTRIC CINEMA led me to anticipate adequate mediocrity with the beautiful MS. PITT . ONLY for complete HAMMERHEADS . smoldering scat . from two quite good directors too ? less so MR. SADSY .
Ingrid Pitt shines in these two horror features 
2009-10-07 - Watched Ingrid Pitt in "The House that Dripped Blood" recently, and then saw that she was featured in this 2 DVD set, and thought I'd give it a try. I have to say that though my expectations weren't very high, I was pleasantly entertained. In "Countess Dracula", Pitt portrays an aging widow who discovers a rather gruesome youth serum, i.e. the blood of young virgins. This story is modeled on the real life historical figure of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a 17th century noblewoman who literally took baths in virgins' blood to stay young. Ingrid Pitt does credibly well in both the role of the ruthless old widow as well as the luscious 'young' Countess (assuming the identity of the old countess' daughter, whilst the real daughter, portrayed by a very young and comely Lesley Anne-Down is imprisoned in an old hut in the woods guarded by a mute). The 'young" countess as portrayed by Ingrid Pitt needs a steady supply of virgins' blood to keep her youthful appearance, all in a bid to gain and keep the affections of a dashing young soldier. The acting is credible enough, and the plot isn't exactly unique (in fact it dragged in some parts), but what I love about these old movies are the sets and the creepy sense of menace that permeates the atmosphere.
In the other feature (the more atmospheric and engaging of the two) "The Vampire Lovers", Pitt is once again in the main role, and the story this time is inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu's classic tale of "Carmilla", though I have to say that Pitt's portrayal of the predatory female vampire is much more feisty than the understated Carmilla of the original tale. With her um, considerable assets, Pitt portrays a lush, sexy, and utterly ruthless predator, preying upon all and sundry, regardless of gender. The lesbian theme is quite evident and I was happy to see my favorite classic horror actor Peter Cushing (as Gen Von Spielsdorf) in this as well.
The picture and sound quality in both features are above average, and I actually liked the score. Overall, I wouldn't exactly rate these as stellar examples of horror classics, but they are definitely watchable( and a nice break from the tedium of academia), and I'm happy to add them to my library.
Ingrid Pitt Sux In This Bloody Duo from MGM Midnite Movies!
2009-09-13 - MGM Midnite Movies series presents two latter-day Hammer films, but let's not get carried away and call them classics! Both star Ingrid Pitt, the sexy, bloody and ruthless vampire lover.
This package has a flip DVD, a new movie on each side.
The first is Vampire Lovers. A baron has been on the hunt for a vampire family that killed his sister. Thinking his revenge is complete, he retires. Unfortunately he missed one. Carmilla travels with this guy on a horse (who is never explained) and wants (apparently) to build up the clan.
Thin plot is helped by the stoic General, seriously played by Peter Cushing. The softcore breast-flashing, the beheadings and blood dripping from fangs completes this later Hammer film. One could summarize and call it a lesbian vampire film -- the scenery, the haunting, scary music and some of the photographic shots are top notch.
Can't say it's as good as their earlier works, but for the completist, a must-buy. (3 stars)
Second on the list is Countess Dracula. Actually, no relation to Bela Lugosi's character (must be another family branch), she is fearful of getting old. So she uses blood sacrifices to keep her youth with a very large sponge dipped in the blood of virgins and rubs it all over herself. No, really!
The Countess awaits her daughter but when the Countess discovers youth through the blood of dead virgins, she has Capt. Dobi give her away to a dumb (in voice) gypsy. No wait, it gets better. Any nude girls you see are usually dead or buried in a closet. It seems the victims are randomly scattered either in the forest, in a wine cellar or closet. No rhyme or reason.
The Capt. Dobi is a sinister guy who knows of the virgin blood and he and the nurse hunt down virgins for the Countess. A young soldier is caught in the middle of a love triangle and all hell breaks loose.
The photography, with tilted camera angles and authentic costumes and landscape really helps a very thin yet convoluted plot. And the acting is a bit overdone. When Ingrid Pitt's character discovers she's turned old, she yells and grieves for several hours, a bit overdone. Unsatisfactory ending.
Extras include on The "Vampire Lovers" side a 12-minute reading by Ingrid Pitt of the movie's source novel, "Carmilla," accompanied by stills from the film, as well as trailers and audio commentaries by Ingrid Pitt and crew.
Other Ingrid Pitt films include:
The House That Dripped Blood
Count Yorga, Vampire/The Return of Count Yorga
Carmilla on the screen; a close adaptation of LeFanu's classic vampire story 
2009-08-12 - J. Sheridan LeFanu's novella CARMILLA was published before Bram Stoker's DRACULA, and many readers have found it to be superior in writing style and in the fact that LeFanu doesn't reveal all of the apples in his vampire legends cart until close to the end. I have taught both stories, in America as well as China, in gothic British literature classes, and when I showed THE VAMPIRE LOVERS to graduate students in China, I was surprised when they seemed to be more blase about the nudity and Lesbian overtones than were my usually-more-worldly undergraduate students in the small Atlanta college. I show this film because it follows the LeFanu story rather closely -- more accurately than most cinematic versions of this pre-Dracula vampire.
The scene before the titles where veteran vampire hunter Douglas Wilmer (as the nobleman Baron Hartog), out to revenge the death of his sister at the hand of vampires, severs the head from the body of a beautiful blonde vampire huntress, is a shocking image to some viewers not anticipating such graphic violence. Originally, this image of his bloody sword and the severed bloody head -- as seen behind the main title --was shown in reverse colors to dampen the shock, at least for American audiences, but this is not the case for this DVD release. Also not censored are nude shots of the lovely and talented Ingrid Pitt as she emerges from her bath in front of her naive next victim. The frontal attributes of both female characters are shown on-screen prior to, and during, their brief romp on the sheets. Clearly, this film is not for the squeamish or prudish.
It is unfortunate that Douglas Wilmer as a Van Helsing type does not reappear until near the end, because his distinctive presence and Orson Welles voice are assets to any film in which he appears. Peter Cushing does not portray the vampire expert in this film, as he does in the Dracula films with Christopher Lee; here he is a general and father of the first on-screen victim of Marcilla, later to be known as Carmilla. George Cole is the father of the second intended victim, and he is as believable here as he is as the head servant Poole in the Jekyll and Hyde film MARY REILLY. The hero of the piece is portrayed by the young Jon FInch, who played MacBeth at about this time in the Roman Polanski version of that Shakespeare play. Finch is the young estate stewart who was the boy friend of the first victim, and he arrives in the nick of time to prevent Carmilla from taking away her second major intended victim to sleep with her in her coffin.
Other victims in the film are Kate O'Mara, who is employed as Carmilla's helper by bestowing sexual favors on her, the at-first capable male servant played by Harvey Hall, and a couple of hapless female victims who are either wondering alone in the forest or asleep in a humble cottage. Why female victims insist on wondering alone in the dark with amble cleavage being exposed is something that defies logic in these films, but perhaps most viewers are not seeking logic when they watch these dark fantasies. Another victim is the family doctor played by Ferdie Mane, who is thrown from his horse even though the horse does not rear and buck him off. The sequences where he and Jon Finch, shown riding through the forest at night, are obviously studio-photographed close shots that in no way appear realistic.
Why the pale horseman in black, showing himself to be a vampire, is almost always on the scene, but safely in the distance, is never explained. He delivers a set-up message to Dawn Addams in the beginning, but he is never identified as being Dracula or a member of the Karnstein family. Until the end when the vampire hunters are searching for Carmilla's resting place, he is usually laughing. If he is supposed to be a patriarch of the Karnstein clan, would it have hurt to be told this? Is it meant to be a mystery that we are expected to solve on our own? Perhaps.
At any rate, the color used in this film, as well as the music, which is enhanced by a harpsichord intended to reflect the music of the eighteenth century (1700s), are excellent. We can forgive the low-budget appearance of the production because we now know that a bigger budget, such as in BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA and the Frank Langella version based more on the Hamilton Deane play rather than on Stoker's novel, is no guarantee of a superior production.
COUNTESS DRACULA is, in my view, the lesser of the two films offered in the duo. Even though this story is based on the real-life exploits of the Countess Bathory from Hungary, it is not a vampire film and should probably not be sold as such. Even though it is given authenticity by the Hungarian participants (director, writer, actor, etc.) and even includes Nigel Green in its cast, well-known for his roles in THE IPCRESS FILE and ZULU, these touches are not enough to rescue this film from mediocrity.
If you are lover of vampire films, as I am, buy this combo for THE VAMPIRE LOVERS. Unless you are particularly prudish or object to the women getting the upper hand over the men until the very end, you will not be disappointed.
Only Two Things in Common
2009-07-25 - These pictures have only two things in common, vampires and Ingrid Pitt. Albeit a cult favorite, "Countess Dracula" is a botched film marred by weak production values and the downright stupidity of dubbing Ingrid's voice, which destroyed her performance. But in "The Vampire Lovers," Pitt, undubbed, gives a wonderfully crafted, complex and intelligent standout performance. "The Vampire Lovers" shows her emotive range and ability to convey non-verbals in a genre that lends itself to chewing scenery, which Pitt never does. It is too bad that the film industry never made fuller use of her talents, but "The Vampire Lovers" will be her legacy, not "Countess Dracula."
