Andy Warhol's Dracula (1974) Blood for Dracula (original title)

Director:

Paul Morrissey

Writer:

Paul Morrissey
(more)

Release Date:

27 November 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

He couldn't live without a virgin's blood..... ...So a virgin had to die! [UK]

Plot:

Udo Kier is without a doubt the sickliest of vampires in any director's interpretation of the Bram Stoker tale...

Plot Keywords:

Count | Virgin | Coffin | Dracula | Wooden Stake

Cast

Joe Dallesandro	...	Mario Balato, the Servant
Udo Kier	...	Count Dracula
Vittorio De Sica	...	Il Marchese Di Fiore
Maxime McKendry	...	La Marchesa Di Fiore
Arno Juerging	...	Anton, the Count's Servant
Milena Vukotic	...	Esmeralda
Dominique Darel	...	Saphiria
Stefania Casini	...	Rubinia
Silvia Dionisio	...	Perla
Inna Alexeievna
Gil Cagne	...	Townsman (as Gil Cagnie)
Emi Califri
Eleonora Zani
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Giorgio Dolfin	...	(uncredited)
Stefano Oppedisano	...	(uncredited)
Roman Polanski	...	Man in Tavern (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Morrissey

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pat Hackett		uncredited
Paul Morrissey
Bram Stoker		character (uncredited)

Produced by
Andrew Braunsberg	....	producer
Andy Warhol	....	producer
Jean Yanne	....	producer

Original Music by
Claudio Gizzi

Cinematography by
Luigi Kuveiller

Film Editing by
Jed Johnson		(credited in US print)
Franca Silvi

Production Design by
Enrico Job

Art Direction by
Gianni Giovagnoni

Makeup Department
Mario Di Salvio	....	makeup artist
Paolo Franceschi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mara Blasetti	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paolo Pietrangeli	....	assistant director
Antonio Margheriti	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Antonio Margheriti	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Fausto Ancillai	....	dubbing mixer
Roberto Arcangeli	....	special sound effects
Piero Fondi	....	boom operator
Carlo Palmieri	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Carlo Rambaldi	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Paolo Pettini	....	still photographer
Ubaldo Terzano	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Benito Persico	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Loretta Mattioli	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Luca di Silverio	....	soundtrack album producer

Other crew
Maurizio Anticoli	....	accountant
Vasco Mafera	....	production assistant
Silvia Petroni	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Compagnia Cinematografica Champion
• Yanne et Rassam (co-production)
• Andy Warhol Presentation (associate production)

Distributors

• Bryanston Distributing (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Euro International Film (EIA) (1975) (Italy) (theatrical)
• First Independent Films (1995) (UK) (VHS) (as First Independent Video)
• Criterion Collection, The (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Triboro Entertainment Group (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• CMV Laservision (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Net5 (2001) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Astro Distribution (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• marketing-film (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Force Video (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Raro Video/Nocturno (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• ACME Video (West Germany) (VHS)
• Ariel International Releasing (AIR) Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Art House (Greece) (VHS)
• Astro Video (19??) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Atlas (West Germany) (VHS)
• Best Entertainment (Germany) (DVD)
• House of Horror (Sweden) (VHS)
• JVC (West Germany) (VHS)
• Polyband (West Germany) (VHS) (as Toppic)
• VMP (West Germany) (VHS)
• Video Gems (UK) (VHS)
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) (UK) (VHS)
• Video Invest AB (Sweden) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Digitmovies Alternative Entertainment  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Blood for Dracula" - Italy (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence and sensuality (cut version) (1975, 1992)

Runtime:

103 min | Argentina:108 min | USA:106 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 | Norway:18 (heavily cut) | UK:18 | USA:R (cut version) (1975, 1992) | USA:X (original rating) | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | New Zealand:R16 | Italy:VM18 | USA:X | Canada:18+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Vojvodina, Serbia

Company:

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion

Trivia:

Unlike the controversy over Andy Warhol's Frankenstein (1973) the film suffered very minor cuts for its initial UK cinema release and was never listed as a video nasty. It was passed fully uncut for video in 1995 on the First Independent label.

Quotes:

Mario Balato, the Servant:I don't see why someone like me couldn't marry you, or one of your sisters.
Rubinia:Are you crazy?
Mario Balato, the Servant:Yeah... your mother'd never hear of such a thing. Had a good look at him in that wheelchair, almost about to die. That's the way it is with all that rich trash. They're all sick and rotten. The only future's in socialism.
Rubinia:Don't start talking about that again! You know how it bores me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fear in the Dark (1991) (TV)

Great, beautiful and artistic ...TRASH!

This very free and rather deranged interpretation of Bram Stoker's legendary Dracula tale by Paul Morrissey is one of the best independent vampire stories I've seen so far. The sheer brilliance of this film completely lies in the characterization of the bloodsucking count. Dracula no longer is a vile and overruling monster here, but a sickly and almost pathetic weakling. He and his assistant (Renfield with brains!) flee from the Romanian castle to settle in rural Italy where families are believed to be particularly religious. This is essential to the count because he can only feed on virgins' blood. The count and his assistant are homed by a family with 4 four marriageable daughters, pretending to be wealthy. However, the girls aren't as 'pure' as they're supposed to be (these cuties like to screw around with the revolutionary servant boy) and the impure blood of the girls only causes to the count to get weaker. Despite of its filthy reputation, this film isn't that gory or nauseating. The finale is pretty blood-soaked but the film is overall more absurd and eccentric than it is gore. Blood for Dracula is an outstanding trash-film! The humor is black as the night itself and the substance is essential viewing for every cult cinema admirer. Udo Kier is terrific as the needy count while pretty boy and Morrissey regular Joe Dallesandro has the time of his life portraying the manly skirt-chaser. The budget of Blood for Dracula was low (almost non-existing), yet the set pieces and atmosphere-creating elements are great! The musical score in particular is beautiful and contains a few gripping piano compositions.

In conclusion, Blood for Dracula is outrageous fun and a must-see for everyone whose tired of the same old unsatisfying horror films. It might not fit for all audiences but I'm sure the more developed genre lovers will love seeing Udo Kier licking a virgin's blood of the floor. Equally recommended is the Morrissey variant on that other classic tale, Frankenstein. That film is even more extravagant and a whole lot nastier. You can either take that as a recommendation or a warning.