Review of Vampyres

Vampyres (1974)
A 1970s erotic vampire classic. If you enjoy Jess Franco and Jean Rollin you will LOVE it!
9 November 2003
If you like 1970s erotic vampire movies then you will LOVE Jose Larraz's 'Vampyres'! It's as good as the best Jess Franco or Jean Rollin movies in this genre. It's very low budget (on the DVD commentary track producer Brian Smedley-Aston claims it was only around 80,000 pounds, and he should know, he mortgaged his house to pay for it when the financing fell through!), but looks great, especially the new print on the disc I watched. Like Franco and Rollin Larraz isn't all that interested in plot as such, more atmosphere and eroticism, and this movie has it in spades. The gorgeous Marianne Morris (brunette) and Anulka (blonde) play a couple of very hot vampires who between seducing men and draining their blood, share a passionate relationship. There's plenty of nudity, especially from the stunning Morris, and some very erotic scenes, though Larraz was constrained by the British censorship of the day. There's also quite a lot of blood, and the sex/violence combo makes it quite special. The DVD commentary is highly recommended, even if you're familiar with the movie. Larraz's English is shaky but he is absolutely hilarious! After commenting that the version of the movie he owns is heavily cut ("the Vatican version" he jokingly calls it) he gasps with glee at some of the racier scenes, and gets particularly animated when Anulka's pubes are briefly seen on screen. I'm very glad he enjoys his own movie as much as I did. 'The Vampire Lovers', 'Fascination', 'Vampyros Lesbos' are all outstanding examples of 1970s vampire sexploitation. Add 'Vampyres' to that list!
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