Blood for Dracula (1974)

A terrific terrible

When I saw Warhols Frankenstein in the origianl 3-D (Still have the glasses) at the age of 15, snuck in. I was blown away. And now Blood For Dracula. This one is great too but in a suttle way. I was struck at how such an inexpensive film($340,000)could look and sound so good. The first thing I noticed was the great musical score, just loved it. And of course the photography was rich and handsome too. I knew this was a super cheesey film and boy was it great. If you know what you are getting into for 100 or so minutes then you will be delighted. But it is the accents that rule in this movie. Man I love this film. As a companion piece to Frankenstein it is grand. Great gore, soft core sex scenes and lots of butchered english dialogue make this one a keeper. April 21, 2008

Dracula in a wheelchair?

Ever see Dracula in a wheelchair. How pathetic this variation is. This guy could have done better in Laurel and Hardy . . . or better yet, a fourth stooge. April 5, 2008

Wonderful, comedic version of the Dracula films.

Andy Warhol produced this film. It stars Joe Dallesandro and Udo Kier, as Dracula ("Blade," "Private Idaho" and "Flesh for Frankenstein). It has been restored to a pristine print. It was originally filmed in 3-D and you will see things coming towards the front of the screen. In the theatres they looked like they were coming into the audience. Made to be scary and gory, it is often true camp and a film all movie goers should enjoy. March 28, 2008

Campy Horror Film Falls Flat

Even though originally titled, "Andy Warhol's Dracula", this film had very little to do with Andy Warhol. Udo Kier plays a count visitng Italy to satisfy his "special diet", i.e. "virgin blood." Though the royal family's daughters seem promising, Joe Dellesandro (who uses the Andy Warhol style of "non acting")is busy making them ineligible for the Count's requirements. The count's reaction to non virgin blood (in repeat scenes) has to be among the grossest scenes in film, next to the end of Pink Flamingos. Other than that, the movie wanders, the dialogue is dull, the political conflicts unnecesary (remember this was the 70's) and parts of it are closer to soft core porn or badly acted costume drama than horror. Though not as amazingly awful as "Sins of the Fleshapoids" or Ed Wood (who has a certain charm) Blood for Dracula will leave you scratching your head one moment and then turning it away from the screen the next. July 2, 2006

Campy, Melodramatic and Completely Likeable!

I have absolutely fallen in love with this movie!! But I suspect that it's going to be one of those films that people either love or hate.

Udo Kier plays a Count Dracula, so corpse-pale and grey-haired that he has to apply makeup and dye his hair to appear human. Forget the usual representations of Dracula: there's absolutely nothing iconic about this pale, sickly, whiney fiend. He's not romantic, he's not scary, heck, he's not even proud. What he is, is delightfully campy. Can we say melodramatic overacting? It's a wonderful performance! I howled with laughter.

On the other side we have Joe Dallesandro playing servant Mario Balato (excuse me, worker, Mario is no one's servant). This character is certainly no hero. He spends the majority of his time rolling around in bed with Saphiria and Perla, two daughters of the house and ranting about the aristocracy and their eminent downfall. At the end of the movie, in order to "save" the youngest daughter from Dracula's bite, he releases her from her virginity by raping her. (something he states earlier in the movie, he has always wanted to do). For all the reasons you should absolutely hate this character, you can find another two reasons for loving him. The New York accent in the middle of the Italian villa, the constant sneer that seems perpetually plastered to his face, the way he tosses his hair around, and the muscles - good Lord, don't forget the muscles!! Let's face it, Mario is hot. (and doesn't he know it)

This movie is wonderful campy fun. It is not to be taken seriously. So if you want a serious vampire movie - go elsewhere. If you want a really fun, crazy romp with bad accents, over-acting and enough cheese to kill a rat, this is the movie for you.

Disclaimer: some soft-core porn scenes make this unsuitable for young viewers
March 10, 2006

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