I know it's nowhere near Halloween, but for me, it's always a good time for vampires.
Let me be honest: I'm not overly fond of modern vampire films, books, games, etc. which depict the undead as whiny brats. I started out as a "fangster" with vampires that symbolized one major theme: power. Physical power, power over others and even power over death and life. And that's what my focus will be on. So, I'm going to review some of my personal favorites.
And our first is Count Yorga, Vampire from 1970. It's no secret that the 1970's were a banner decade for vampire movies, especially the first half of it. Studios in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and even Japan were cranking out all manner of bloodsuckers, from classical to modern. This film, released by American International Productions, began life as an intended porno film, the idea being that the classic "vampire harem" would be a natural fit. But when Robert Quarry came on to the set, the producers knew they had something.
Quarry plays Count Yorga, the Deathmaster, with that same magnetic ambiance that Christopher Lee had: an almost animal ferocity mixed with sophistication and chilling malice. Yorga is a creature with centuries of knowledge and experience. He has wealth, power and a sly sense of humor. But underneath his suave exterior is a predator, in all the horrifying senses of that word. Yorga's seduction of the women closest to the film's heroes parallels not only that of Dracula in the Bram Stoker novel, but also brings to mind the Manson Family, which would have been fresh in the minds of the filmmakers and the audience members.
My version is the recent Blu-ray release by Twilight Time, seen here.
For a slightly obscure title, Twilight Time put in tremendous effort to present the film in its uncut version. The picture quality is amazing. Any flaws are due to age and the film's low budget. The sound is also very good, with some minor blips.
But the special features are to be marveled at. An informative, funny and at times sentimental commentary track by Tim Sullivan and David del Valle is included, along with a tribute to Robert Quarry and a liner booklet.
Available here:
Count Yorga, Vampire
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