Lust for a Vampire (1971)

Wonderfully offbeat film!

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

A quick sequel to THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, this was the second in the infamous Hammer Karnstein trilogy (the third being TWINS OF EVIL). As a result it contains all of the ingredients we are now used to seeing in Hammer's '70s films, such as extra gore, gratuitous female nudity, and a heavy dose of sex. Unfortunately, production of the film suffered when Peter Cushing - the original choice for teacher Barton - dropped out due to his wife's severe illness, and Terence Fisher also dropped out from directing due to an accident. As a result, the film is perhaps not as effective as it might have once been. However, I think a lot of the criticism of this film is unfair. It has everything you would expect from a vampire film - lots of blood, biting, and even torch-wielding villagers.The acting, however, can best be described as 'average'. The film lacks a central pivotal character such as Cushing or Lee to carry it. Ralph Bates is always value for money, although he despised the film, appearing in it as a favour; but he dies too soon. I would have preferred to see him as the male lead instead. Michael Johnson, the film's lead, was never heard of again. Mike Raven, a former DJ, looks sinister but tries too hard to be Chris Lee (incidentally, I'm sure I saw Lee's eyes appear in a close-up). Christopher Neame (Johnny Alucard in Dracula A.D. 1972) even has a small role as the peasant Hans. Yutte Stensgaard is certainly beautiful and makes for an effective, strangely hypnotic vampire, although her acting skills are limited to say the least.Although made on a low budget, I was impressed by the costumes (although clothes are hardly ever kept on) and the scenery, especially the castle and adjoining graveyard. Even some comedy aspects creep into the film (Mike Raven's catchphrase, "Heart attack" is one). The film is also atmospheric, although sadly this atmosphere is somewhat ruined by the inclusion of a pop song, 'Strange Love', which has to be a low point in the entire Hammer filmography. The film does its best to include a tragic love story, which is at least partially successful. Strangely, most of Mircalla's female victims scream when attacked, but her male victims - Ralph Bates in particular - seem to enjoy the experience. Must be something to do with hormones. One great scene has the vampire coach driver attack the angry villagers with a whip and - well, I won't spoil it for you. Let's just say it's a vintage Hammer moment. I also liked the final scene where a burning timber stakes one of the vampires in the blazing castle. LUST FOR A VAMPIRE is an average film with lots of different ingredients to keep it going; and a worthy addition to Hammer's vampire series, whatever the critics may say.

The second movie of the Karnstein Trilogy. I did like the opening of the film - the resurrection of Mircalla / Carmilla Karnstein - that was pretty well done. I liked the costuming, some of the sets and the music - but that it about it. So the film started out really good then quickly dropped to a weak and quite boring vampire film once the main characters entered into the girls school.Mircalla / Carmilla Karnstein is resurrected 40 years after the first film. A girls school was built near by the Karnstein castle and Mircalla / Carmilla enters there to drink the blood of her victims: men and women a like.I did not like the girls school idea nor was I crazy about the some of the acting. Yutte Stensgaard is Mircalla / Carmilla Karnstein and is quite boring to watch as a vampress - very stiff acting. And I did not like the ancient Greek/roman dancing - I love dancing but it ruined this film.The movie might be OK to watch once if you like vampires but otherwise I would skip this film.4/10

For it to succeed as a sensual erotic horror, Lust For A Vampire requires a far more nuanced approach than an inexperienced director like Jimmy Sangster is able to give (his only previous directorial effort being the less-than-subtle semi-comedic The Horror of Frankenstein). Sangster's approach is basic to say the least, ladling on the Gothic silliness in the opening scenes, relying on the frequent female nudity to distract viewers from the script's sillier aspects, and cribbing his visual flair from the continental horror directors of the day.But although, as a work of art, the film is seriously lacking, as a silly, fun vampiric romp with plenty of quality T&A, it certainly delivers the goods. Set in a finishing school exclusively for attractive, pillow-chested babes, the film offers viewers non-stop titillation, with delicious Yutte Stensgaard as buxom Carmilla Karnstein frequently stripping off and getting raunchy with both her sapphic plaything Susan (Pippa Steel) and womanising author Richard Lestrange (Michael Johnson).Furthermore, Ralph Bates puts in a memorable turn as creepy professor Giles Barton, unintentional laughs are provided by Radio 1 DJ Mike Raven as Count Karnstein, who sports a wicked widow's peak and smartly clipped goatee, and is strangely dubbed to sound like Christopher Lee, and the film also features a hilariously inappropriate love song (Strange Love by Tracy) during a sex scene between Johnson and Stensgaard.In a suitably clichéd finalé, a rampaging mob of angry villagers, complete with flaming torches and pitchforks, set fire to Castle Karnstein, causing a beam to collapse and pierce the heart of the lovely Mircalla/Carmilla/Marcilla/Clamlair/Lilacram/whatever-the-hell-her name-is (which results in her turning into a flaming rubber dummy!).

The title sounds like a sleazy porn film, but Lust for a vampire is actually a (flawed) Hammer classic. It is 1830 in Styria, and Mircalla Karnstein is biting men and women in a classy girl-school. The well-lit colour photography looks more natural than the jewel-like Gone with the wind colours of 1950s Jack Asher period, but it is still beautiful, and the Gothic sets and suitably melodramatic score are wonderful. So is Miss Mircalla, who has truly striking, sensuous presence, and the breast-baring and heavy-breathing lipstick lesbianism is actually very tame. What comes to Mircalla's walking in the sunlight - well, you poor illiterates, Dracula and Carmilla and all the vampires before the silent Nosferatu could happily do that, thank you. The only problem in this enjoyable, if silly film is some truly horrible acting from Ralph Bates and the gay caricature in the tavern.