Director Jess Franco is one of my favorite all time directors. He's also the most prolific having made close to 200 films so far. This is one of his better known flicks and deals with lesbian vampires, which was a topic(obsession?) he would revisit many, many times. I think the majority of viewers see Franco's work as inept due to the fact that to him plot wasn't always the most important factor. There is a plot to this one but it's the visuals and awesome fuzzy psychedelic soundtrack that are the stand out features(Tarantino borrowed one groovy song for JACKIE BROWN). With lots of nudity, blood, vampire hi-jinks and Franco's trademark zoom shots, this one seems to be almost a perfect blend of trashy horror and art-house asthetic rolled up into one. Star Soledad Miranda(who Franco used in a bunch of his early films) looks amazing here as a victim of Count Dracula that hates men. She does keep one around as a henchman named Morpho, a character from Jess' great AWFUL DR. ORLOFF and a bunch of other stuff, so men are not seen as completely useless, just mostly, which brings up an interesting stereotypical lesbian viewpoint filtered through the lens of a male director who loved to ogle women. It's too bad Miranda would go on to die in a car crash the same year this was filmed. Her look fits so perfectly in the sleazy universe of Mr. Jess. Franco himself plays a great role as a demented servant who likes to keep women in a basement to torture for his amusement and pleasure and he does make an excellent creepy Renfield-like character. Check it out for a strange sexadelic trip made by a leering madman.
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