Director: Javier Aquirre
Year: 1973
Country: Spain
Alternate Titles: El gran amor del conde Drácula; Dracula's Virgin Lovers; Cemetery Girls; Cemetery Tramps; The Great Love of Count Dracula
Genre: Vampire
Plot:
Following an accident with their carriage, a man and his female companions are forced to seek shelter at a supposedly abandoned house from an encroaching storm, but when they realize something is wrong with their mysterious host finds themselves in a plot to raise a vampire queen and must try to get away alive.
Review:
This is a fantastic and highly enjoyable Gothichorror effort. That becomes quite apparent from the beginning where the fateful victims arrive at the gorgeous, expansive castle where the film takes place and fulfills all the requirements of the genre. Seeing all the expansive hallways, abandoned corridors, and secret passageways built into stone and wood offer a charming old-school atmosphere perfectly accented by the raging thunderstorms and the need for candelabras lighting the way. This makes for the appropriately creepy and chilling atmosphere throughout this early section of the film.
On top of that, there’s plenty of cheesy fun with the gradual reveal of what’s going on around the castle. Knowing of the hospitality he provides for them to get out of their predicament, the strangeness that should clue them in yet doesn’t serve to warn them about the dangers ahead instead make for a fun build-up here. From the build-up of the stories about the history there, his strange habits of disappearing in the day or the nonchalance of informing them bout other visitors, the inability to recognize the danger around them is a great aspect to build the tension in the situation.
As well, there’s a lot to like once it capitalizes on the tension with all-out vampire fun. The turning of nearly everyone is incredibly fun, done in a vastly unexpected and impressive order which only adds nicely to the cheesy gore on display with the messy wounds and bodies shown after the fact. Even getting in some rather fun brawling with other victims for some action setpieces and stuntwork or the marvelously Gothic and ethereal scenes of the brides engaging in lesbian blood orgies or conducting blood rituals in slow-motion for an added sense of the unnatural.
Lastly, the finale brings it all together by showing what’s going on and how the plan is coming to fruition. Featuring the fun hunting scenes of the brides kidnapping the local and then preparing the ceremony at the heart of everything, there’s quite a lot to like even though it does feature the long true flaw in the film. By revealing everything so early and then going around trying to get onto his side willingly, these scenes provide a weak and whiny vampire who’s not in the slightest bit threatening or scary which is only furthered by the utterly underwhelming final confrontation that’s a by-product of this device. It’s all that holds this one down.
Overview: ****.5/5
A glorious slice of Gothic goodness punctuated with a great build-up, lots of action and atmosphere as well as sleaze for those that like that, there’s not much to dislike here which mainly comes in the finale anyway. Give this an immediate watch if you’re a fan of Eurohorror in general, the creative crew, or this style of film while those who aren’t into these should heed caution.
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