With the success of Count Yorga, Vampire, a sequel was inevitable. And in this case, immediate. Released in 1971, Return of Count Yorga finds Robert Quarry donning the cape again.
As I mentioned in my review of the original, Count Yorga symbolizes the vampire's power. He is also a good example of the main flaw of power: arrogance. We see that in the first film and in this one.
Return of Count Yorga is not a true sequel. It does not pick up where the first left off. Rather, it revisits the themes of the first movie with a few twists. In the first go-round, Yorga lured potential victims to his own mansion. Here, he actively seeks his prey. I mentioned before that Count Yorga, Vampire combined Dracula with the real-life Manson Family murders, but only so far as the image of a monstrous patriarch controlling murderous "children." In Return of Count Yorga, what was hinted at in Film One is now made disturbingly explicit, with Yorga leading his harem of vampire brides on a deadly spree of home-invasions. Along the way, Yorga finds the lady he hopes will be the love of his unlife, played by the wonderful Mariette Hartley. (If you see parallels with Bram Stoker's Dracula, it's not an accident.)
Look for Craig T. Nelson, TV's Coach and Mr. Incredible himself, in his film debut. Everyone starts someplace.
Scream!Factory has given us a restored Blu-ray edition with commentary by Steve Haberman and Rudy de Luca, one of the film's players.
Don't wait for Halloween!
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