Vampyros Lesbos

Vampyros Lesbos (1970)

*** (out of 4)

Jess Franco's cult classic has a real estate worker (Ewa Stromberg) going to visit a mysterious woman (Soledad Miranda) who just happens to be a vampire. Soon the two enter a deadly mix of sex and violence. This is my third viewing of the film and I enjoyed it more this time than ever before. I watched the newer print of this film and the colors are downright beautiful and quite striking to look at. The film works on many levels but the biggest one is the terrific surreal nature that Franco creates. If you need action or a quick moving film then this certainly isn't for you. If you prefer something that takes its time to deliver then this is a wonderful selection. The jazz score adds a lot to the atmosphere and the locations are easy to look out. The best thing about this movie is the performance by Miranda who sadly was killed shortly after finishing this film. Her quite and calm performance makes her character one of the most memorable of all Euro horror. The way she quietly glides through the film also helps the atmosphere. Supporting players Dennis Price, Paul Muller and Franco himself do nice jobs as well. This is a perfect little gem that manages to be very dreamlike and haunting at the same time. The biggest downfall are all the zoom shots, which normally don't bother me but they're very distracting here.

In Istanbul, the lawyer of Simpson & Simpson Linda Westinghouse (Ewa Stromberg) has erotic dreams with a strange woman every night and her analyst Dr. Alwin Seward (Denis Price) suggests her to find another lover. Linda is assigned to resolve an inheritance issue with the Hungarian Countess Nadine Oskudar (Soledad Miranda) that has inherited a real estate from Count Dracula. Linda leaves her boyfriend Omar (Victor Feliman) in the Istanbul Hilton and travels to the Kadidados Island. While waiting for transportation in the continent, Linda is advised by a local that the island would be a place of death and insanity and she should not travel to there. However, she does not pay attention to the man and meets Countess Oskudar that is a lesbian vampire fascinated by Linda. The Countess drinks the blood of Linda and she has amnesia and is sent to a mental institution where Dr, Steiner (Paul Muller) who is also a vampire expert, treats her and puts an advertisement in the newspapers. Omar finds Linda and Dr. Steiner teaches her how to kill a vampire. Linda has to be very powerful to resist the spell of Countess Oskudar that has a crush on her and destroy the vampire.

"Vampiros Lesbos" is an erotic and cult version of Bram Stoker's Dracula by Jesus Franco. The story is very similar to the classic novel of 1897, but instead of Count Dracula, the vampire is a sexy female that was raped by Dracula centuries ago and does not like man. The lead actresses Ewa Stromberg and Soledad Miranda are very beautiful and undress practically in every scene. The film is very entertaining and funny. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Vampiras Lésbicas" ("Lesbian Vampires")

'Vampyros Lesbos' is one of the high points of 1970s exploitation movies. This movie has something for everybody! Vampires, gratuitous nudity (especially memorable from the stunningly beautiful and ill fated Soledad Miranda), violence, pretentious symbolism, some aesthetically pleasing scenery and camera work, all bound together by one of the most unique genre-busting rock scores ever, chock full of fuzz guitars and electric sitar.

The legendary Jess Franco has made more cult movies than the mind can conceive of, but this must surely stand out as one of the most artistically successful of his career. 'Vampyros Lesbos' manages to juggle sex, art, trash and horror, and impresses on every level. A truly wondrous movie! Don't miss this one (uncut, natch) if you get the chance!

This eurohorror classic by Jess Franco stars Soledad Miranda as Countess Nadine Carody, a wealthy recluse who strips at a club in Istanbul. Ewa Strömberg plays a woman who is strangely drawn to the Countess. Nadine appears in Linda's dreams, beckoning her. Linda is then sent to the Nadine's island on a business assignment. The film follows the course of the strange romance between Linda and Nadine. Linda falls under Nadine's spell and a living nightmare soon begins. This film mixes dream and reality in a terrific way. Franco appears as Memmet, a sadistic killer. Soledad is absolutely fantastic in this movie. She's very low-key, yet totally captivating all the same. You'll wish you could be possessed by her! Franco's direction involves crazy zoom shots, interspersed footage of insects (with a scorpion that perhaps is meant to mirror the Countess), and a funky pop-art style. The psychedelic music used throughout the movie was written by Manfred Hübler and Siegfried Schwab. Despite its European success, Vampyros Lesbos never received distribution in the United States. It was long considered the Holy Grail of the European lesbian vampire genre. It was a renaissance in interest in Jess Franco, as well as the chart-topping success of the soundtrack in the '90s, that brought the film back into attention. A must-see for anyone into Soledad Miranda, Jess Franco, or vampire movies!

Not much happens in this movie. Like most Franco films, it features scenes that are slow and extended, with cliché situations. Its saving grace is that it reflects the dreams and hallucinations of the woman/victim, so the elongated scenes have a dreamlike quality which is effective and sometimes seductive. The violence is restrained, some blood here and there. Although I dislike gore, I did wish the horror element was played up more.

I enjoyed the musical score, uniquely psychedelic. It had some success as a dance reissue in the mid 90s. Soledad Miranda is incredibly beautiful. To me, watching her is reason enough to go through this film. Her strip tease scene is very unique, and fortunately gets repeated in the film. Her looks are beguiling in every one of her seduction scenes. Otherwise the movie is an average mixed bag.