The Vampire Lovers (Collector's Edition)

[Excerpt From Our 2013 Review]

“Within the more often remembered, even cherished, Hammer Films horror cannon, the inherent, seductive sexuality of the vampire had always been an indirect and coded fact. We knew there was something sensual of the way attractive older gentlemen sought after young, voluptuous women with a lustful, predatory determination. But by the end of the 1960s, especially after Polanski's Rosemary's Baby and Romero's Night of the Living Dead changed the genre, the production company decided to upgrade their signature approach of vampire lore. While their familiar design, mood and gothic atmosphere mostly remained the same, the Hammer films of the 1970s were an attempt to better reflect the contemporary attitudes and concerns of the new counter-culture.

Loosely based on the 1872 novella Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, The Vampire Lovers was one of the company's first experiments. The movie is particularly noteworthy for its explicit depiction of nudity and blatant scenes of lesbianism. Whereas the vampire's sensual attraction was only alluded to in previous films, director Roy Ward Baker (A Night to Remember, Quatermass and the Pit) here makes it overt and puts it in plain sight. It's a rather valiant endeavor to make the once-great Hammer hip, current, and edgy, an effort that would actually manage to keep the company afloat for the rest of the decade. Whilst Baker's direction and Moray Grant's photography show some visible creativity and style, the story, itself, falls a bit short and can feel a little stale in some areas.”

For my part, ever since I was a kid I’ve loved Hammer’s brand of horror. I haven’t seen everything from their catalog - but I'm do my best to find those missing pieces. In this ongoing quest, one title that always stood out to me was The Vampire Lovers. After so many Dracula, Mummy, and Frankenstein films here was something that didn’t feel like it was trying to cash in on a known name. Not many people know the Carmilla story - I only accidentally discovered it myself - so this was a fresh take on a familiar theme. It offers a familiar blood-lusting creature while exploring frank sexual themes but in an honest earnest way. Hammer would later become far more bawdy and overt with their films and lean heavier into the T&A qualities in between bouts of gnarly bloodletting. 

2021 Collector's Edition 

2013 Blu-ray

If there is a criticism I have, it’s for a film that barely runs 90 minutes it takes a long time to get to where it's going. While this is great for character setup and world-building material, it also doesn’t pick up the pace when it needs to. When things should be coming to a dramatic climax, it all plays out rather rudimentary without a lot of fanfare. The saving grace is the great cast topped by Ingrid Pitt as the sultry Marcilla. Pippa Steele and Madeline Smith are great in their respective roles with Peter Cushing again rising to the occasion as the wounded father General von Spielsdorf. The Vampire Lovers certainly isn’t the best of Hammer’s catalog, but it’s far from the worst and certainly delivers some high entertainment value. Beautiful photography and solid performances keep this film from rotting in its grave. 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
After an already decent release in 2013, Scream Factory upgrades The Vampire Lovers to full Collector’s Edition status. Pressed on a single BD-50 disc, the disc is housed in a standard keepcase with identical slipcover and reversible insert art. The disc loads to a standard main menu with traditional navigation options.