Sheesh, this is slow and drawn out. Count Yorga is about as sexy as Dick Chaney, and varies between slow pompous movement and dialogue, and occasional "Hold out my arms, glare, and charge towards my victims in full vampire mode" fervor. Unfortunately, the former far outnumber the latter, which makes Yorga look less goofy but makes the whole movie slow down to a crawl.
There are some good moments in this movie. Yorga's occasional sparring with the townsfolk is kind of amusing, and there are a few scenes (such as the boy in the graveyard in the opening sequence, or the fem vampires' assault on a house) that aren't too bad. But generally it's a bunch of badly dressed 70's people acting stupid and running. All the "vampire hunters" (I use the term loosely) forget to use their crosses (two sticks, mostly), and don't even seem to carry wooden stakes. One guy, in all apparent seriousness, actually tries to drive off a vampire by crossing his fingers - something I never thought I'd see in a "serious" vampire movie! Perhaps fortunately, we don't find out if this tactic works since the guy he tries it on is a human manservant.
Roger Perry is remarkably useless as the protagonist, and Mariette Hartley looks like she's waiting for James Garner to show up for a Kodak moment. She seems as confused as we are as to exactly what Yorga has in mind for her: is he going to turn her into a vampire, hopes to sway her to his side through true love, or what? There are a few interesting turns from minor cast members like the boy playing Tommy and the deaf-mute. Generally not a very horrifying or interesting vampire movie, though.
There are some good moments in this movie. Yorga's occasional sparring with the townsfolk is kind of amusing, and there are a few scenes (such as the boy in the graveyard in the opening sequence, or the fem vampires' assault on a house) that aren't too bad. But generally it's a bunch of badly dressed 70's people acting stupid and running. All the "vampire hunters" (I use the term loosely) forget to use their crosses (two sticks, mostly), and don't even seem to carry wooden stakes. One guy, in all apparent seriousness, actually tries to drive off a vampire by crossing his fingers - something I never thought I'd see in a "serious" vampire movie! Perhaps fortunately, we don't find out if this tactic works since the guy he tries it on is a human manservant.
Roger Perry is remarkably useless as the protagonist, and Mariette Hartley looks like she's waiting for James Garner to show up for a Kodak moment. She seems as confused as we are as to exactly what Yorga has in mind for her: is he going to turn her into a vampire, hopes to sway her to his side through true love, or what? There are a few interesting turns from minor cast members like the boy playing Tommy and the deaf-mute. Generally not a very horrifying or interesting vampire movie, though.