We here at Screen Relish love a good horror movie. So much so, we’ve decided every Saturday to bring you a retrospective look back at perhaps some of those genre entries that have been underrated, unfairly forgotten, missed and abandoned or just so damn good that we needed to scream it from the rooftops. Today’s title is…
Oh, sure, seduction, homoeroticism, drowsy lustfulness – this one has it all. But it does it all so well you can’t help but be OK with it.
Newlyweds Stefan (John Karlen) and Valerie (Danielle Ouimet) stop off in an all-but-abandoned seaside European honeymooning spot. They’re so happy, European, and attractive – and yet, something feels amiss. It’s as if they barely know each other. And why won’t Stefan tell his mother about the wedding? (Note: Pay close attention to the actual phone call home. Who saw that piece of nuttiness coming? Awesome!)
They almost have the palatial hotel to themselves, and then a beautiful, bejeweled woman and her young girlfriend arrive. Mysterious and glamorous, Countess Bathory (Delphine Seyrig) and her lover, Ilona (Andrea Rau), immediately intrigue the newlyweds.
Effortlessly aristocratic, Seyrig brings a tender coyness, a sadness to the infamous role of Bathory. Like Dracula himself – based on the historical figure of Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia of the house of Draculesti – the core female vampire in cinematic lore is based on an actual human being. Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian Countess and alleged serial killer in the 14th century, rumored to have bathed in the blood of virgins. In fact, the Countess, upon the death of her husband, came to manage an enormous estate, was owed money by many in power at the time, and was a Protestant to boot, which means – like those poor, widowed, property owning witches of Salem – she was probably innocent. But what fun is that?!
In DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS and countless other (lesser) genre films, she’s a vampire in need of virgin blood to remain young and beautiful. In this particular work, she’s also a lusty woman seeking a lover, now that Iloni is so tired of being alive.
Seyrig’s performance lends the villain a tragic loveliness that makes her the most endearing figure in the film. Everybody else feels mildly unpleasant, a sinister bunch who seem to be hiding things. The husband, in particular, is a suspicious figure, and a bit peculiar. Kind of a dick, really – and Bathory, for one, has no time for dicks.
Caring less for the victims than for the predator – not because she’s innocent or good, but because her weary elegance makes her seem vulnerable – gives the film a nice added dimension.
The accents are absurd. The outfits are glorious. The performances are compellingly, perversely good, and the shots are gorgeous. Indulge yourself.
Read more from Hope at MADDWOLF and listen to her weekly Horror Movie podcast, FRIGHT CLUB.
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