The original UK cinema version was heavily cut by around 3 minutes by the BBFC and the 1989 video was pre-cut but lost a further 26 secs with edits to a lesbian shower scene, sexual thrusting during the sex scene between Fran & John, the stabbing of Rupert, blood being licked from John's arm wound, closeups of Fran & Miriam's naked bloody bodies in the pre-credit scene, and the stripping and stabbing of Harriet in the cellar. The cuts were fully waived for the 2003 UK Anchor Bay DVD.
Although the recent Anchor Bay release claims to be "uncut and uncensored", it is actually missing about 29 seconds of gore and violent footage during the murders of the two campers. There are a total of 5 separate cuts during this sequence which make up the missing 29 seconds. All the nudity and sex scenes in the film, however, remain intact.
The DVD release from Blue Underground is the completely uncut version, containing the gore that was missing from the Anchor Bay DVD.
The following are the 5 shots which were cut from the Anchor Bay release:
- A shot of John's hands covered in blood as Fran and Miriam attack him in his car, and Fran pulling his head back and biting his neck.
- A close-up of Fran, her mouth dripping with blood, as they continue to hold John down, then a view from the front of car as John's head is rocked from side to side, his neck now covered in blood. The camera then pans around to the side window of car and zooms in as the vampires feed.
- A shot of Miriam holding Harriet's hands behind her back, lifting her head up as Fran approaches with a knife.
- A further shot of Harriet screaming hysterically as she is held crouched on the ground.
- A shot where the camera zooms in on Harriet's face, her mouth dripping with blood, before Fran swings the knife at her.
The old Magnum Entertainment release contains the above cuts which were removed from the Anchor Bay version. However, the Magnum version is still about a minute shorter than the Anchor Bay release due to some editing during the following sequences:
- The opening title sequence is different on the Magnum version. The original piano music has been replaced by an electronic synthesizer score, and the title sequence consists only of "Lee Hessel presents" and "Vampyres" in red lettering with a stylized 'V' in the shape of two demons. The Anchor Bay version uses the original credits, with plain blue lettering for "Vampyres (c) Essay Films Ltd MCMLXXIV" followed by all the cast and technical credits.
- During the ending sequence, all shots of Ted being discovered in his car and driving off have been removed (approx 55 seconds). The dialogue between the estate agent and the elderly couple has been moved to cover up these cuts.
- Several lines of dialogue between the estate agent and the elderly couple have been removed altogether (from the agent saying "the ghosts of the those two poor women..." onwards).
- After the end cast credits have scrolled up the screen, the Magnum version inserts the technical credit sequence which was removed from the start, with the original music again replaced by a synthesised score. The final credit for the director seems to have been re-done in different lettering and a darker blue.
- Finally, the Magnum version finishes with "(c) MCMLXXIV Essay Films Ltd. All rights reserved" in white lettering on a black background. The Anchor Bay version finishes with "The End. Made by Essay Films Ltd. 185 Great Portland St., London W1, England" over the final shot with the house in the background.
