In addition to the outstanding efforts of cast and crew, the tight, well-written script is refreshingly new--even from this vantage point of some thirty years hence. Avoiding the usual vampire cliches, these VAMPYRES are really more like ghosts who have some inexplicable but insatiable desire to feed on the blood of the living. They don't have fangs, they can tolerate moderate sunlight, and instead of resting in musty old caskets, they sleep in a wine cellar during the brightest of the daylight hours. They also can eat, drink liquids other than blood, and seem to genuinely enjoy sex. And they even sometimes have sympathy for their victims, a characteristic that may lead to their ultimate downfall.

The myth of the vampire has always been regarded as sexual in nature, especially the intimacy of the flesh-penetrating bite on the neck. VAMPYRES carries this metaphor to the extreme, with heterosexual vampiric coitus portrayed as an intensely passionate, rigorous event that includes feasting on the blood of the non-vampiric partner. And the eponymous characters in VAMPYRES don't gently suck from two pricks in the neck; in the midst of sexual passion, they tear open their victims and lap up the crimson liquid with ferocious, writhing pleasure.

In short, VAMPYRES is an excellent British erotic horror flick that is superior to most others from its era of origin, and it can even stand up against many straightforward, non-sexploitation horror films. It is well written, well acted, and has high production values throughout--and all this in spite of a low, low budget. Director Larraz and his co-scripters have take an idea that they could play for camp or sheer sexploitation and, instead, deliver a thought-provoking look at indiscriminate and promiscuous sex, physical obsession, and guilt. And on top of that, they still throw in lots of delicious T&A.

The DVD from Blue Underground is a great buy. Not only does it present a widescreen restored director's version of this excellent film--transferred primarily from the original negatives--but it also has lots of cool extras. It offers a feature-commentary track with director Jose Ramon Larraz and producer Brian Smedley-Aston that is both hilarious--due to Larraz's frank use of English colloquialisms--and informative. And there are also recent interviews with Marianne Morris and Anulka Dziubinska, the film's beautiful stars; a lost scene recreated via production stills; U.S. and European trailers; and more. This is a piece of erotic artistic cinematic history that any serious horror fans will want to add to their collections.


Kind of a mix of Hammer and Jean Rollin   June 2, 2000
 22 out of 23 found this review helpful

A pair of bisexual women (Marianne Morris and Playboy playmate Anulka) living in a dark, decaying mansion have a craving for blood and sex. Hitchiking in long black cloaks, they lure men home and then take them to bed, slash them with knives, and dump the bodies, making it look like a car wreck. They like one guy so much they keep him around for days and he knows something bad is happening, but he's not sure what. Some people camping nearby also suspect that the women are up to strange things.... The violence is strong even though there's more blood than gore, plenty of sex and nudity, and some very lyrical, beautiful scenes. The ending throws a whole new, darker twist on the proceedings and ties it all together nicely. It has kind of a "Hammer Films" look to it, but the storyline is more along the lines of Jean Rollin. Even though the budget was small, this is a quality-looking film. The DVD looks great and contains a commentary track with producer Brian Smedley-Aston and director Joseph Larraz that's worth listening to - it's informative, and Larraz is hilarious and pulls no punches - ya gotta love the guy, even though he admits he's become a dirty old man (the comment during one of Anulka's nude scenes had me rolling on the floor). :) It's one of the most entertaining commentary tracks I've heard on a DVD, and a quality film besides.


An unusual turn for British horror...   December 31, 2003
 16 out of 19 found this review helpful

In an unusual turn for the British horror film, Spanish-born director Jose Larraz helmed a trio of interesting, sometimes overlooked U.K. genre efforts: SCREAM AND DIE (aka THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED), VAMPYRES, and SYMPTOMS. Of the three, VAMPYRES is the one that garnished a considerable cult following to this day, as it's an outstanding slice of erotic goth that compares favorably to similar bloodsuckers from Jean Rollin and Jess Franco, and is far bolder than the classic sexy Hammer vamps of the period.

A pre-credit sequence shows two beautiful nude young ladies making love, and then being shot by an unseen assailant. We later see these ladies alive and well and black-garbed. Fran (Marianne Morris) and Miriam (Anulka Dziubinska) have a habit of flagging down cars on the countryside highway, and getting strange men to pick them up for insidious reasons.

VAMPYRES is one of the finest British horror films of the 70s, utilizing the lesbian vampire to full effect, and brimming with atmosphere and crimson-soaked grisliness. Although very inexperienced at the time and post-dubbed by other actresses, Marianne Morris and Anulka Dziubinska are mesmerizing as the female savages, easily alluring men and quickly caught up in a frenzy of animalistic blood drinking that becomes a carnal ordeal for them. Larraz keeps the duo very ambiguous, as the word "vampire" is never mentioned, they don't possess fangs, and their onscreen presence is often ghost-like. Although plotted in modern day and bathed in sex and violence, the film is furnished in a traditional gothic style, with the famous Oakley Court--the manor house of numerous Hammer films and THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW--providing haunting exteriors, and some decaying interiors as well.

VAMPYRES was previously available on DVD from Anchor Bay, and fans who own that disc will not want to hesitate to upgrade to Blue Underground's definitive release. Letterboxed in its theatrical ratio of 1.85:1 with Anamorphic enhancement, the excessive grain present in the older disc is not to be found here. The image also appears sharper and the palette of mostly warm colors is stable. Audio is a Dolby Digital mono mix, and does the film justice. Blue Underground's disc is also completely uncut, restoring approximately 30 seconds of climatic bloodshed not present in the Anchor Bay release.

An audio commentary with director Larraz and producer Brian Smedley-Aston is carried over from the Anchor Bay release. The heavily accented Larraz and the British editor- turned- producer Smedley-Aston provide a nice talk, reflecting a friendly working relationship and rather contrasting personalities. Smedley-Aston provides a lot of info about the production, while Larraz gives comments and recollections with a wry sense of humor (his pronunciation of the "F word" is a hoot).

A really nice treat is a new video interview (14 minutes) with Marianne and Anulka, who still look as beautiful as ever. You'll be charmed as you get to hear their true voices, as they discuss their involvement in VAMPYRES to great detail, unveil how proud they are to be associated with it all these years later, and tell us what they are up to today. Also included is a photo reconstruction of the "lost caravan scene" not in the completed film; both the international and U.S. trailer, which added "Very Unusual Ladies" to the title; an extensive poster & still gallery with lots of press ads, poster art, PR photos, and numerous behind-the-scenes shots; a glamour photo gallery of lovely Anulka; a bio of Larraz, and lastly; a DVD-ROM option for "VAMPYRES: A Tribute to the Ultimate in Erotic Horror Cinema," an expanded version of an excellent publication by Tim Greaves.


Watch for the sex not the story!   July 11, 2000
 15 out of 17 found this review helpful

If you watch this movie for anything other than the sexual content you are most likely to be disappointed. The plot is paper thin (hell, I could have written it!) and poses numerous questions without bothering to answer any of them. Even the film's title is a bit of a misnomer. But, let's face it...the whole point of the film is to set up situations that allow the two female "vampyres" to disrobe and display their bodies (no complaints here!). Getting to view the two stunning ladies repeatedly in nude scenes is enough to earn this film four stars in my book! Seriously though, this film does have a Hammeresque quality to it and the setting is very atmospheric (nice blend of mid-70's style with a touch of gothic). The acting is pretty good, too. But, the film loses a star due to it's lack of storyline and departure from classic vampire lore. Classic horror? No. Classic erotica? Yes.


Fine gothic lesbian vampire film done wonders by Anchor Bay   October 21, 2000
 13 out of 16 found this review helpful

Though I'd seen it once before in Magnum's now out of print pan-and-scan version, I just rewatched this 1974 lesbian vampire film in Anchor Bay's recent uncut reissue. I must say, they really do wonders at Anchor Bay with the films they release. Seeing it with such an improved picture and in widescreen for the first time, I was really able to appreciate as I hadn't before just how beautifully composed and photographed this film is.

Yes, as director Joseph Larraz himself has said, the film does deliver on the "blood and naked women". But Vampyres really is so much more than *just* an exploitaion film.

The film really, I think, brings a fresh approach to the whole vampire theme, jettisoning nearly all the typical conventions and cliches of vampire films that Hammer and Universal had built up in thier films, in exchange for approaches that I think are pretty unique to the film.

The gothic atmosphere is very well done, and I liked that Larraz accomplished this without the usual reliance on fake dry ice fog and fake lightning and thunder and the like. Rather, everything was accomplished through superb use of the late autumn English woods and country location settings, as well as the great choice of location shooting sites for the Vampyres' mansion and its interiors (no studio sets in this one). And great shots of the actual sky and clouds. Vampyres is probably one of the most naturalistic of gothic horror movies.

Marianne Morris and Anulka are really superb in thier roles. It's not just thier looks, but an amazing on-screen presence and intensity, and a willingness to throw themselves into every scene with total commitment and relish. The scenes with them stalking the woods are just as stunning as any of the more "active" scenes in the film.

And finally, as for the "exploitation" elements, the sexuality, while venturing into soft core territory, is imaginative and done with genuine style, while the violence is unusually realistic and genuinely horrifying for a vampire film.

Anyway, this is a film that I'm really glad I purchased and gave a second look to, and I can't say enough good things about what Anchor Bay has done for the film.

Just a final note regarding the reviewer who said he thought a particular scene was cut short--I could detect no cuts in Anchor Bay's version compared to the out of print uncut Magnum release. As far as I can tell, Anchor Bay's version is totally intact and uncut, and the digital remastering and widescreen presentation make this the best version ever offered.