Incense for the Damned (1971)

A group of friends search for a young English Oxford student who has disappeared whilst researching in Greece. They are shocked to find that, wherever he has been, certain unsolved murders ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Hartford-Davis (as Michael Burrowes)

Writers:

Julian More (screenplay), Simon Raven (novel)

Stars:

Patrick Macnee, Peter Cushing, Alexander Davion

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Macnee	...	Derek Longbow
Peter Cushing	...	Dr. Walter Goodrich
Alexander Davion	...	Tony Seymore (as Alex Davion)
Johnny Sekka	...	Bob Kirby
Madeleine Hinde	...	Penelope (as Madeline Hinde)
Edward Woodward	...	Dr. Holstrom
William Mervyn	...	Marc Honeydew
Patrick Mower	...	Richard Fountain
David Lodge	...	Colonel
Imogen Hassall	...	Chriseis
John Barron	...	Diplomat
Valerie Van Ost	...	Don's wife
Theo Moreos	...	Mayor
Nick Pandelides	...	Monk Superior
Andreas Potamitis	...	Police Chief

Storyline

A group of friends search for a young English Oxford student who has disappeared whilst researching in Greece. They are shocked to find that, wherever he has been, certain unsolved murders have taken place. Not believing that their friend could be the perpetrator of such acts, they press on with their search, finding him under the spell of a beautiful Vampire, whose blood-sucking methods include the use of sado-masochism. Believing they have killed her, the group return home, unaware that their friend is now a Vampire.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | topless female nudity | female nudity | based on novel | independent film | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

Blood Suckers

Filming Locations:

Hydra, Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lucinda Films, Titan International Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Robert Hartford-Davis refused to have anything to do with the film, stating that he did not believe it to be finished. The film was credited to Michael Burrowes.

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Quotes

Tony Seymore: Are you trying to tell me that a girl sucking blood from a man's neck can induce an orgasm?

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Alternate Versions

The film had been extensively re-edited during post-production and the initial UK cinema version was cut further by the BBFC with the orgy scene being extensively shortened and a shot of a man kissing a woman's breasts completely removed. The film then reverted to the title of "Bloodsuckers" in the UK and the 1986 video release featured the same cut cinema print. The 2003 DVD release featured a re-edited print (including previously excised shots of the body of a stabbed topless woman) but the orgy scene was only included as an extra on the disc. BBC TV show the uncut version (with the orgy scene included in the movie) as "Incense For The Damned".

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Connections

Featured in Trailer Trauma 2: Drive-In Monsterama (2016)

User Reviews

"An oddity in the British horror genre."

Whilst in Greece researching a book on Greek mythology, a young Oxford Don (Mower), falls under the spell of Chriseis (Hassal), a beautiful but sexually perverted vampire who murders her victims for their blood.

An oddity in the history of the British horror genre. Director Robert Hartford Davies disowned the picture due to never fully explained production problems, although it has been suggested that the low budget ran out and that scheduled re-shoots never happened. As a result the film was pasted together quickly and it's disgruntled director was credited under the pseudonym Michael Burrowes. The film got a trade show in 1972 but it wasn't given a London showing until 1976.

The picture does show a few scars of it's troubled production like when a studio rock is quite clearly seen bouncing off an actor's head without doing him any injury, but it's interpretation of vampirism as a sexual perversion is interesting although there quite clearly wasn't enough time to develop it properly. The location shooting in Greece of Desmond Dickenson is first class and the best performances come from Patrick Macnee (who had just finished The Avengers) as Major Longbarrow, Patrick Mower as the ill-fated scholar and Peter Cushing as Dr Goodrich who put the pressure on Mower academically to such a degree that it made him tempted to join the perverted vampire for excitement.

The film has been reissued on DVD under it's alternative title, "Bloodsuckers", featuring a deleted scene which attempted to add drug addiction to the mixture of sex and vampirism.