While watching this film I kept thinking how familiar it
seemed. The further into it I got I finally realized that I had seen this movie
years ago in a terrible format from a video vendor of public domain titles I
won’t name. That’s because it wasn’t their fault, they were offering the best
they could with the quality of the film they had on hand. Needless to say the
quality of that film didn’t help my enjoyment of it. So while watching it this
time I’m pleased to say the quality of this blu-ray release from Vinegar
Syndrome made it a much better time.
The story follows 5 companions, one man and four women,
traveling through the Carpathian Mountains when their carriage breaks down and
loses a wheel. Imre (the man) and Marlene are secretly lovers and while they go
in search of the wheel, the driver is killed by the horse. The group walks
along in hopes of reaching a nearby castle now owned by Wendell Marlow (Paul
Naschy) who in reality is Count Dracula. He makes the travelers welcome, feeds
them and offers them shelter until someone can come and take them on their way.
Legend has it that Dracula can return to human form when a
virgin offers her love to him willingly, an offering that will include making a
blood sacrifice to bring back his deceased daughter as well. Of course this
means that at least one of these women must be the love of his life and willing
to do so. Unfortunately there are other vampires among the household and they
begin picking off the guests who in turn set out to transform their friends as
well. Along the way plenty of flesh is exposed, the typical Euro-horror
inclusion of lesbian attraction between the female vampires, gore enough to
satisfy those seeking it as long as they keep in mind the film was made in
Spain and in 1973 and a lack of concern from the characters over the
disappearance of their friends. And yet…it works.
Part and parcel of the reason it works is the performances
on display. Each of the actors here presents their character with enough
conviction that they are believable as opposed to caricatures we’ve seen in
other films. They do seem like friends, they do seem to care for one another
(even if they don’t question each other’s disappearances) and they offer
performances that don’t come across as low budget at all. I’ve only come across
Naschy in recent years (I know, forgive me) but each time I watch one of his
films I see a passion for the genre that many tend to want to deviate from.
Instead he embraces it. His performance here is one of the most subtle from him
I’ve seen.
All of this being said the true test of this release is how
it looks. With all previous efforts to present this film have been severely
lacking, offering washed out prints, visible scratches and a version from
Elvira that included her performance as that character, I wondered what this
version would look like. It was the first thing I’ve seen from Vinegar Syndrome
so I had no idea what to expect.
What I found was that this is a company that gets what fans
want. Unlike those previous incarnations of this film this one was given star
treatment with a transfer that is stunning to view. Gone are the washed out
colors and scratches replaced by a crisp and clean print that fans will clamor
for. Without those distractions the cinematography can now be appreciated and
for the most part the film is well shot. If that wasn’t enough, the disc comes
with the inclusion of several extras including a commentary track with director
Javier Aguirre and actor Paul Naschy, a video interview with actress Mirta
Miller, both an English dub and Spanish language soundtracks, a still gallery,
an 8 page booklet and reversible cover artwork.
Horror fans and Naschy fans will want to toss aside any of
those previous releases of this film and add this one to their collection
immediately. With any luck Vinegar Syndrome will find access to more films
Naschy has done and release them in the quality format that they have here.
Click here to order.
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