Vampire Lovers (The Vampire Lovers) is a vampire movie directed by Roy Ward Baker (Barbara - The Monster of London) and which had two sequels: Mircalla, the immortal lover and Dracula's Daughters. Based on the novel Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, Vampire Lovers (Great Britain - 1970) is a title whose beauty remains unchanged over time. This remarkable Gothic is the first installment in a Hammer-branded series and beautifully blends lesbianism, horror and sensuality. All immortalized in languid atmospheres with a melancholy touch and fine cinematography (by Moray Grant) that, together with expert direction, make it one of the best vampire movies ever.
In Vampire Lovers, General Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) is celebrating the birthday of his daughter Laura (Pippa Steel). A countess shows up at the party to entrust him with her daughter Marcilla (Ingrid Pitt). The girl establishes a strong bond of friendship with Laura, who, however, then becomes seriously ill. When her stay with the general is over, the beautiful Marcilla stops by other families.
Well realized thanks to Baker's splendid direction, the beauty of Vampire Lovers also resides in the extraordinary costumes and stunning sets. The hints of very moderate lesbianism that run through (and very boldly for the year in which the film was made) almost the entire work, are never vulgarly shown to the viewer, and this only adds to the film's merit and sophistication.
Extraordinary performance by Ingrid Pitt, an actress who embodies sensuality and death, becoming here not only the undisputed star of Vampire Lovers but also a romantic and cursed icon, a symbol of both vampirism and love.
The film, undoubtedly one of the best Hammer-branded titles, also boasts the presence of veteran Peter Cushing, here in an important and obviously well-acted role. In addition to him, the cast also includes Ingrid Pitt, Pippa Steel, Madeline Smith, George Cole, Dawn Addams, Kate O'Mara, Douglas Wilmer, Jon Finch, and Ferdy Mayne.
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As of June 6, 2017, a new DVD edition of Vampire Lovers. Targeted Pulp Video and distributed by CG Entertainment, the DVD presents decent audio and video. In the special contents, however, there is only an audio commentary on the film.
DVD EDITION.
VIDEO: 16/9 1.85:1
LENGTH: 87′
AUDIO: Dolby Digital 2.0 Italian, Dolby Digital 5.1 Italian, Dolby Digital 2.0 English
N. DISKS: 1
SUBTITLES: Italian
EXTRA: Audio commentary of the film
