Vampyros Lesbos
Vampires and lesbians. For anyone who is into their horror erotica, that’s a match-made in heaven as I have yet to meet anyone of a liberal mind who doesn’t enjoy lesbians…and vampires. Mixing them together should be seamless and exciting, many would approve of the antics of fanged supple creatures who adore to suckle at something other than necks. If you’re one of those people who have watched Lesbian Vampire Hunters then you know exactly why and how this easy premise can go wrong.
Vampryos Lesbos is the arty, slicker version of this yet still bogged down by generic writing and a dull atmosphere.
On a remote island, Countess Nadie Carody lures sexy ladies in her nighclub act. She then seduces them into the darkness and taking shots of blood like a thirsty frat boy. One night, she sets her sights on Linda, sending the beautiful woman into a frenzy. As she is warned not to go to the island that Nadine inhabits, Linda simply cannot help herself and is lured into Nadine’s world, opening her up into a world of boobs, blood, and babes (which incidentally didn’t make the tagline. They took none of my suggestions.) Can Linda escape her terror? More importantly, does she even want to?
Yes, this is erotic horror and therefore standing up against this political correct society, eager to showcase woman in a more positive light, it’s hard to see this as anything more than soft porn for those who were nervous about reaching the top shelve (it was harder to access sexual things back in the day, kids. None of this two clicks and you are there antics.) It’s clear that the film is going to be a wavering portrayal of sexy ladies and give them any excuse to have it off or bite things in bloodshed. Therefore the acting is subpar although Soledad Miranda and Ewa Stromberg try whislt the story underwhelming at best. Really. At times it’s a strain to simply get through the movie because the minute it gets interesting it’s like…”Oh wait, they are having sex again” making, oddly, lesbian porn banal."
What works for the film is that, alongside an evocative score by Siegfried Schwab, the movie is heavily atmospheric and that pulls you along for the entirety of it. For a horror porno, it is remarkably good at setting a chilling and ravishing tone that allures you in like a hapless Linda. This dreamlike state of wonder is palpable throughout the whole of the movie and there are moments where chills trickle down your spine. Delectable when it isn’t being dull, Vampyros Lesbos has its brilliant moments that you'll simply devour upon watching.
Directed by a man named Jesus Franco (who may need to find the other one), Vampyros Lesbos should be watched by the elite of horror fans who pile into subpar antics because red stuff gushes out necks. Its seductive tones and atmospheric ways save the movie from being pure exploitation crap but that’s roughly about it.