Dull vampire pix were once as ubiquitous as zombie pix are now, but when a good one came along we’d certainly take notice. The predatory Fran and Miriam are a wholly new twist on the ‘Wicked Lady’ highwayman theme — the picture transcends the softcore horror genre with class and style. Fringe director José Ramón Larraz found himself filming in England, and his output outclassed what were passing for Eurotrash horror epics across the channel. How did he do it? The answers become clear in Arrow’s special edition. Although only available in a boxed set, it’s reviewed here separately.
Vampyres
Blu-ray
Arrow Video USA
1974 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date March 26, 2019 / Available in the collection Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz, from Arrow Video / $72.89
Starring: Marianne Morris, Anulka (Dziubinska), Murray Brown, Brian Deacon, Sally Faulkner, Michael Byrne, Karl Lanchbury, Bessie Love.
Cinematography: Harry Waxman
Film Editor: Geoff R. Brown...
Vampyres
Blu-ray
Arrow Video USA
1974 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date March 26, 2019 / Available in the collection Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz, from Arrow Video / $72.89
Starring: Marianne Morris, Anulka (Dziubinska), Murray Brown, Brian Deacon, Sally Faulkner, Michael Byrne, Karl Lanchbury, Bessie Love.
Cinematography: Harry Waxman
Film Editor: Geoff R. Brown...
- 4/2/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
1974′s Vampyres marks another entry into the lesbian vampire sub-genre. At the time, the film was a controversial hit, in part due to it being censored in many countries where it was released. It’s not the sleaziest nor the most high brow take on the exploitation of lesbian vampires, and its methodic pacing does it no favors. However, the film does have two leading actresses who bring a lot to the film, and a director who is able to set a strange and eerie mood, helping things along when they need it most.
The plot to Vampyres is very similar to the urban legend of the female hitchhiker who leads male drivers to their deaths. Two beautiful women, Fran and Miriam (Marianne Morris and Anulka Dziubinska, billed as ‘Anulka’), catch rides with lonely men back to their deserted estate only to keep them captive and drain them of their blood.
The plot to Vampyres is very similar to the urban legend of the female hitchhiker who leads male drivers to their deaths. Two beautiful women, Fran and Miriam (Marianne Morris and Anulka Dziubinska, billed as ‘Anulka’), catch rides with lonely men back to their deserted estate only to keep them captive and drain them of their blood.
- 9/25/2012
- by Derek Botelho
- DailyDead
All this talk about Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows makes me think about the original Dark Shadows, and when considering show creator Dan Curtis’ ovure, I am reminded of his great, and often unfairly overlooked, 1973 take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The film, shot in England in 1973, hit the airwaves on February 8, 1974, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The telepic starred Jack Palance, in retrospect, a natural nod as the fanged fiend. As audiences would see a decade later in the Palance-hosted television hit Ripley’S Believe It Or Not, he has always been the perfect sinister gentleman, a quality played to the hilt in Dracula.
Also starring Simon Ward, Nigel Davenport, Pamela Brown, Penelope Horner, Murray Brown, and the stunning Fiona Lewis, Dracula was shot at famed Pinewood Studios in England, and could easily pass as a Hammer production. Curtis handles the tale like a bigger budget episode of Dark Shadows,...
Also starring Simon Ward, Nigel Davenport, Pamela Brown, Penelope Horner, Murray Brown, and the stunning Fiona Lewis, Dracula was shot at famed Pinewood Studios in England, and could easily pass as a Hammer production. Curtis handles the tale like a bigger budget episode of Dark Shadows,...
- 2/28/2012
- by Justin
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Chicago – José Ramón Larraz’s 1974 cult classic “Vampyres” isn’t about vampires any more than “Troll 2” is about trolls. It’s a flat-out porn flick with fangs, or at least very unnatural teeth. The filmmakers harbor no artistic aspirations apart from terrifying and titillating their audience. Perhaps I’m merely jaded by the plethora of sex and violence in our modern media, but I found the film to be a complete snooze, even in its much-ballyhooed uncensored version.
Three minutes of the picture have been routinely cut by censors, primarily because of its lesbian content, and this Blu-Ray release restores the missing footage. This will mean quite a lot to fans of the film, and not much to anyone else. Though the film is competently made, and holds a certain campy charm, its repetitive plot grows quickly tiresome. It mainly consists of characters wandering around in the darkness, inching...
Three minutes of the picture have been routinely cut by censors, primarily because of its lesbian content, and this Blu-Ray release restores the missing footage. This will mean quite a lot to fans of the film, and not much to anyone else. Though the film is competently made, and holds a certain campy charm, its repetitive plot grows quickly tiresome. It mainly consists of characters wandering around in the darkness, inching...
- 4/9/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
This week sees the release of several new movies and TV shows, some for the first time ever on Blu-ray. Of the ones coming out this week, we’re excited for not as many as last week. But still, the release of An Education, Collateral and Sherlock Holmes (pictured above with Robert Downey, Jr and Jude Law) is reason enough to be excited. Plus, there’s always next week. . . and the week after that.
Check them out:
Film
Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition) ~ Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn (DVD)
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel ~ Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, Justin Long (Blu-ray and DVD)
An Education ~ Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard (Blu-ray and DVD)
Collateral ~ Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx (Blu-ray)
I Sell the Dead ~ Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman (Blu-ray and DVD)
Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: Set 2 ~ Derek Jacobi, Judy Geeson, Jean Marsh (DVD)
Sherlock Holmes ~ Robert Downey Jr.,...
Check them out:
Film
Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition) ~ Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn (DVD)
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel ~ Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, Justin Long (Blu-ray and DVD)
An Education ~ Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard (Blu-ray and DVD)
Collateral ~ Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx (Blu-ray)
I Sell the Dead ~ Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman (Blu-ray and DVD)
Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: Set 2 ~ Derek Jacobi, Judy Geeson, Jean Marsh (DVD)
Sherlock Holmes ~ Robert Downey Jr.,...
- 3/31/2010
- by Joe Gillis
- The Flickcast
During our brief downtime this past week a slew of new release dates and DVDetails have emerged for some upcoming genre fare set to invade the home market. Fangoria has details and updates on the upcoming releases of Paranormal Activity, Surrogates, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, District 9, Blood Creek, She-wolf Of London, and more.
Paramount has announced that Oren Peli's runaway hit Paranormal Activity is slated for a DVD & Blu-ray release on December 29th, 2009.
The Paranormal Activity DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround (theatrical version only) and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The two-disc Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital (theatrical version only) and English, English Sdh, French and Spanish subtitles. Special features include:
Unrated version with alternate ending not seen in theaters...
Paramount has announced that Oren Peli's runaway hit Paranormal Activity is slated for a DVD & Blu-ray release on December 29th, 2009.
The Paranormal Activity DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround (theatrical version only) and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The two-disc Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital (theatrical version only) and English, English Sdh, French and Spanish subtitles. Special features include:
Unrated version with alternate ending not seen in theaters...
- 11/27/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
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