Blood for Dracula (1974)

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

From my favorite movies..

An absolute waste of money

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

There is usually a sexual element in vampire movies, but in this one, Count Dracula must have the blood of a virgin. Although set in the early twentieth century, times have changed so much that there just aren't many virgins anymore, and the Count is dying of malnutrition. He and his henchman leave Romania and go to Italy, where they think the strong religious traditions of that country will provide him with plenty of virgins to pick from. Boy, has he got a lot to learn.One family in particular is aristocratic but hard up for money, and they are more than willing to let Dracula, who is quite wealthy, have his pick from their four daughters. Unfortunately for him, Mario, the budding proletarian communist who works for the family has already has his way with a couple of the sisters, who are quite slutty. They present themselves to Dracula as virgins, and he believes them. Oh well, even men who are not vampires have fallen for that line. But in each case, when he plunges his fangs into their necks and drinks their blood, he becomes violently ill and starts throwing it all up.When Mario realizes what is going on, he nobly saves the fourteen-year-old sister, who is still a virgin, by busting her hymen, thereby spoiling her for the Count as well. And in a really gross scene, Dracula licks the blood from the floor where the deflowering took place. Unfortunately, the remaining sister, who was also a virgin, gets fanged by Dracula and becomes a vampire herself, and so she tries to save him from being hacked to pieces by an ax-wielding Mario. When the ax breaks, he drives the handle/stake into Dracula's heart, and then the newly minted vampire sister impales herself on the stake as well. Mario has been dreaming of the coming revolution when all the aristocrats will be wiped out and the workers will take over, and thus he gets to act that out in his own small way.Original, funny, and entertaining, this is one of the better vampire movies.

Funny, gory, campy, sad and beautiful - all in the appropriate doses. People go see "Blood for Dracula" expecting a more serious work, and, as it turns out right from the amazing opening scene, it is not. It is a (very) dark parody of Stoker's tale, with an unusual sense of humor. That being said, it is not without it's own intellectual overtones. The story itself is basically a metaphor for socialism in 1920's Europe, as basically what Joe Dalessandro's character's motivations are that of destroying the "dying" capitalist society, represented by a shockingly weak and pitiable Dracula. This film has probably the most fresh and unique take on the classical vampire character, which makes it throughly more interesting. The role is played by German legend Udo Kier who plays it to perfection, delivering as many hysterical and memorable lines as he did in "Flesh for Frankenstein". Morissey's stylish direction and Claudio Gizzi's melancholic score give the film a sense of class and something of a twisted beauty, amidst it's strong sleaze element. Some have complained the story doesn't make any sense, and non-English speaking actors rather humorous attempt at the language. For me, these elements only enhance the film's intentional weirdness, and make it even more enjoyable. 10/10

"Blood For Dracula" (aka. "Dracula Cerca Sangue Di Vergine... E Morì Di Sete!!!") of 1974 is, after "Flesh For Frankenstein" (1973) the second bizarre take on a classic Horror tale by the team Paul Morrisey (director), Udo Kier and Joe Dallessandro (stars) and famed artist Andy Warhol (co-producer and prominent name). While this film is, in my opinion, not quite as great as the insanely brilliant "Flesh for Frankenstein" it is yet another beautifully bizarre, atmospheric, amusing and highly unusual vision of a Horror classic."Blood for Dracula" introduces the most pathetic version of fiction's most famous vampire. The great Udo Kier plays a sickly, sniveling Count Dracula, who thirsts only for the blood of virgins, as any other blood makes him fatally ill. Aided by his servant (Arno Juerging, who also played Frankenstein's demented assistant in "Flesh for Frankenstein"), Dracula goes to Italy, where people are supposed to be religious and unmarried women are supposed to be virgins. Claiming to be looking for a bride, the Count approaches the aristocratic Countess Di Fiore, who has four beautiful teenage daughters - unmarried daughters which are supposed to be virgins. However, virginity does not last long when the super-potent handyman (Joe Dallessandro) is around... As its predecessor "Flesh For Frankenstein", "Blood For Dracula" has a delightfully absurd storyline, which is very well brought to screen. Udo Kier is once again great in the villainous role, the sickliest vampire ever seen in cinema, as is Arno Juerging as his exaggeratedly weird assistant. Joe Dallessandro once again plays the hero who has sex with every female that crosses his path. The daughters are very beautiful (except for one), the youngest being played by the ravishing Silvia Dionisio (who plays a 14-year-old although she clearly is in her 20s). As "Flesh for Frankenstein", the film is beautifully shot and director Paul Morrisey delivers a great visual style and thick atmosphere. As its predecessor, the film is sleazy and quite gory (though not nearly as outrageously gory as "Flesh for Frankenstein". The film's greatest quality is its outrageously funny and very dark sense of black humor. Overall, this is another great film by the Morrisey/Kier team, though "Flesh for Frankenstein" is even more essential in my opinion. My rating of "Blood For Dracula": 9/10

This film was made immediately after "Flesh for Frankenstein" with some of the same cast and much of the same crew. Dracula, the last of his family, can't find any more "werrgens" (as Udo Kier memorably puts it) in Romania so his servant has the idea of going to Catholic Italy, where they must be growing on trees. In Italy he gets himself invited to visit a poor noble family and their four unmarried daughters. The parents are delighted that the supposedly rich Count may marry one of their daughters and boost the family coffers. However the Count is only after virgin blood! Unfortunately thanks to Dallesandro's character who works on the estate, the middle 2 daughters no longer qualify as virginal.However the Count has to find that out the hard way, leading to much vomiting and blood regurgitation. Not surprisingly after this he is found out and the films heads towards it's OTT climax. I preferred it to "Flesh for Frankenstein" for a few reasons. The story is better, there isn't as much "horror" and the characters are (slightly) more realistic. It is interesting to see the Dracula story taken out of Transylvania and to see the Count portrayed as unwell. There aren't as many funny one liners as in Frankenstein but the behaviour of the characters is quite amusing. Director Paul Morrissey still includes some striking scenes e.g. the opening credits where the sickly Count dyes his white hair black and reddens his pale lips. The four daughters are also interesting characters in different ways. Their parents are a bit mad, especially the father, and provide some comic relief.The acting is pretty good. Udo Kier is more low key than in Frankenstein as the ill and melancholy vampire, though he certainly gives it his all in the blood vomiting scenes! Arno Juergens again plays his servant, a much stronger character than in Frankenstein. Here the Count relies on him completely to arrange his life and most importantly provide food and drink. The daughters are all played well. Milena Vukotic as the eldest, resigned to being a spinster. Dominique Darel and Stefania Casini work very well together as the more liberated middle daughters. Silvia Dionisio plays the youngest daughter and though she doesn't look 14 as the character is supposed to be she has the right air of innocence. Maxime McKendry plays the Marchesa di Fiori. Her very English accent is a bit offputting at times but her practical attitude to the families situation contrasts with her husband,the Marchese, played by famous Italian director, Vittorio Di Sica. The director's commentary tells us that Di Sica wrote his own lines and this is easy to believe as he comically rambles on about the suitability of "Dracula" as a name for his daughter's potential suitor, even before he has met him. The revelation that he is responsible for the family's poverty isn't surprising. You get the impression Dallesandro is playing himself as the last estate worker and he does a good job of looking brooding and serious, spouting Communist theory while rolling in the hay with a daughter or two. The director's commentary on the DVD is quite interesting. Morrissey reveals that there was all of an hour between the end of Frankenstein and the beginning of Dracula, enough time for Kier and Dallesandro to change hairstyles. He also says that he loves using actors with varying accents together. He certainly hit the jackpot in this regard with Dracula. Another revelation is that Morrissey went to Italy to make Frankenstein only, but he asked producer Carlo Ponti for so little money to make it Ponti suggested he make two films for a little more money. When pressed for another story Dracula was the first thing that came into his head. Most surprising of all is that Udo Kier was not first choice to play the Count but only came in at the last minute when Srdjan Zelenovic, who played the male creation in Frankenstein, wasn't able to stay in Italy. Morrissey says Zelenovic had the aloofness and distance he wanted for Dracula, though, having seen him in Frankenstein, I'd describe his acting style as wooden. The film isn't meant to be taken too seriously but I certainly enjoyed it. Harmless fun!