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A Passion For Horror
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Trailer available at the bottom of this page
The Vampire Lovers (1970) 11" x 17" Masterprint Poster - Style A |
The Vampire Lovers (1970)Directed by Roy Ward Baker
The Vampire Lovers is a Hammer horror film made in 1970 and based on the short story, Carmilla, written in 1872 by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. The story is set in 19th Century Styria and the opening sequences of the film have plenty of spooky-looking, drifting fog and show vampire hunter Baron Hartog beheading a beautiful female vampire who is part of the evil Karnstein family who were responsible for the death of his sister. Although the Baron does his best to destroy the entire family there is one grave that he cannot find. That of a young woman named Mircalla. Mircalla (Ingrid Pitt) is not opposed to taking male victims but her tastes run more towards members of her own sex and the first time that the viewer sees her is when she arrives at a party being held at the home of General von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing). She arrives with a Countess who introduces her to the General as her daughter, Marcilla. Marcilla is an attractive girl and as soon as she arrives a young man whisks her onto the dance floor, while all the other men in the room look on in envy and await their turn. Only one man seems to show no interest in her: Carl. He has eyes only for the General's daughter, Laura. Carl isn't the only one who is interseted in Laura though, Marcilla can't keep her eyes off her either.
While Marcilla is dancing the General is busy waltzing with the Countess and they have just finished their first dance when a rather anaemic-looking man arrives and informs the Countess that a dear friend of hers has just died. The Countess apologises to the General and says that she must leave. It is a long journey, she will have to ride all through the night, and she asks the General if he will take care of Marcilla in her absence. The perfect gentleman and perfect host von Spielsdorf tell her that it would be his pleasure; Marcilla will be good company for Laura. No good deed goes unpunished, though, and the General's kindly gesture costs him the life of his daughter.
The Vampire Lovers is quite a good film and I do like it, but there are a couple of loose ends to the story. For instance, I couldn't make up my mind whether the woman who kept leaving her daughter in the care of strangers was also a vampire, and if she was not, what exactly was her relationship to Carmilla? More to the point, what ever happened to her because she is never seen again after she leaves Carmilla with Mr Morton. Admittedly though, Le Fanu's original story also leaves the same questions unanswered.
The Vampire Lovers was the first film in Hammer's Karnstein Trilogy. The other two films in the trilogy are Lust for a Vampire (1971) and Twins of Evil (1972). All three films share a lesbian theme and were considered quite daring in their time, by modern standards, though; they are pretty tame and so should not offend too many viewers.
CAST Ingrid
Pitt ... Marcilla / Carmilla / Mircalla Karnstein
DVD Information:
Run Time 91 mins Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Language English Watch The Trailer
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After
Lucy's death Marcilla disappears, only to appear again a few miles
away, now calling herself Carmilla. A friend of the General, Mr Morton
(George Cole), is out riding with his daughter, Emma, when they see a
horse-driven carriage nearly overturn. Morton stops to see if he can be
of assistance and helps a lady out of the carriage. The lady,
who bears a suspicious resemlence to the Countess, claims that
her brother is dying. She is rushing to be with him
and so must sadly decline Morton's offer of hospitality. Her
niece, Carmilla, however, has been badly shocked by the
incident, and so when Morton suggests that Carmilla should
stay with him -- his daughter would be grateful for the
company -- the lady accepts his offer, Carmilla stays behind, and it is
not long before Emma Morton begins to develop similar symptoms
to those suffered by Laura von Spielsdorf. 
The
man who first turned up at the Generals party, bringing bad news to the
Countess, turns up several times throughout the film and he is
definitely a vampire. He is one scary-looking dude. What his
relationship is to Carmilla, again, remains a mystery, but his presence
does add a certain chill factor to the film.