Classic Vampire Movies, Part 2.

Hey, what's up?

Continuing from last time, I'm reviewing some of my all-time favorite vampire movies, from classics to cult favorites. And one of the more important ones is The Vampire Lovers. We're going to jump across to pond to Merry Old England (or should I say, scary old England?) for this one.

Hammer Films, the British film studio that reinvented the Gothic horror genre in the late 1950's was still going strong. In 1970 alone, they released two Dracula films starring Christopher Lee, along with this one.

The Vampire Lovers is, so far, the most faithful film adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 vampire story, Carmilla. There have been many that used the character's name or had some connection, but this one tells sticks mostly to the original story.

Ingrid Pitt, vampire sex symbol extraordinaire, plays Carmilla Karnstein, a lesbian vampire. Her family were once a force of bloodsuckers, but she seems to be the only one left. While sweet, charming and at times vulnerable to her chosen female victims, she is a dangerous predator. The scenes where she attempts to corrupt and seduce her intended victims were daring for the time, due to a loosening of film censorship in the Western world. While perhaps tame and even quaint by modern standards, they retain much of their eroticism today.

Peter Cushing, in a supporting role, plays a twist on his established vampire-hunter character in this film. Having lost a loved one to the vampire, he's out to get her before she victimizes anyone else. Where his Van Helsing merely fought the forces of evil out of a sense of duty, this time, it's personal.

Scream!Factory, the horror subset of Shout!Factory, has released a special edition Blu-ray that gives us the most complete version of this cornerstone film. Despite some age, the picture plays very well. And the sound is even better. An audio commentary track with director Roy Ward Baker, scriptwriter Tudor Gates and Ms. Pitt herself is included, along with a featurette titled Femme Fantastique: Resurrecting The Vampire Lovers, an except of Ingrid Pitt reading the novel Carmilla, and an interview with the film's second female lead, Madeleine Smith.

Get it now if you dare!

Best Vampire Films

Hello.

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

The 2 Week Diet

Hi, everybody.

I didn't want to shout about this until I was sure. I am now. I've been using a new weight-loss program, and I want to share it with everyone. It's called the 2 Week Diet.

At first, I figured, "Ah, even if it doesn't work, at least it's cheap!" I mean, 15 lbs in 2 weeks? I was skeptical too. Especially when I was told that it didn't involve a lot of pills, supplements or boring exercise routines. But "quality over quantity" turned out to be good advice.

Simply put, it's not a weight-loss program. It's a fat-loss program. But losing fat is only the first part. Keeping it off is the long-term problem. I have high hopes, though.

My advice? Give it a try right here:

Click Here!