Irishchatter I'm a vampire fan but like Twlight, this was a lot more rubbisher. There was no excitement that vampires are meant to rule the world and attack humans. This oldie movie was pure effortless, cheap, dumb and just had no proper emotions involved to get you hyped so you can continue watching the movie. Sorry but I don't know why anyone would like this? Regardless if it was made in the 70s or not, it just didn't satisfy me enough...It needs a 0 rating seriously....

GL84 While enjoying her birthday party, a woman finds that two new arrivals cause quite a stir among the guests, yet when a series of dead bodies are found across the countryside they realize the deadly secret they hold and race to stop their deadly plans from coming true.This is one of the best entries from Hammer in a long time. What really works is the rather strong approach to the exploitation elements as this is one of their best attempts at melding their old- Gothic approach with kinkier elements that were becoming famous at the time. This is still very Gothically-influenced, with the eerie opening showing a lone figure gliding effortlessly through a fog- drenched cemetery in a flowing white night-gown, the instances at the Gothic castle featuring them entering and exiting their graves or the frantic chases through the woods which are in the classic mode. The later sequence showing the fate of him digging up the corpses by showing the exhumation of the bodies and the recitation of the family history in the castle while showing the final attempts at seduction back at the house finishes the Gothic atmosphere. The difference is enhanced with the addition of the lesbian hijinks, which is greatly appreciated as the style of film also allows for one of the greatest collection of Hammer women to grace the screen all getting in on it at some point. When it has a chance, it's sexuality is openly explored while never feeling like childish moments just there for titillation and it is mixed nicely with the old Gothic traditions. It's a nice combination of styles that strikes directly against the hinted-at seductiveness of the earlier ones with a vampire on-screen that actually is quite seductive and breath-taking, and her image is one of unbridled beauty and death at once. The additional violence is also nice to see and delivers more than the usual bloody fare as there are decapitations galore, some quite bloody stakings to the heart that are far gorier than what would've been shown before as well as neck bites and bloody corpses spread throughout. This is a more than fine combination of the different styles at the time and shows that they can meld together quite effectively since all these styles converge together into a cohesive manner that truly feels as though they belonged together. Add this together with a fast pace, traditional Hammer excellence in acting and dialog, and it's a minor classic in their catalog. Basically, all that's really wrong here are a couple of unexplained questions. There's a mysterious man-in-black whenever some victim is killed, and it's never told who he is. His backstory is a mystery, his powers are left up in the air as to where they came from, and the fact that all he does is appear on horseback is just another clue to his enigma. As well, she is said to be the last of the Karnstein clan, yet she comes into contact with both families by a mysterious noblewoman who then disappears from the film when she is taken away without answering where she comes from or what her contact with the vampire is. These questions are never explained in the film and are perhaps the only thing wrong with it.Today's Rated R: Full Nudity, Graphic Violence and several mild sex scenes.

lemon_magic "Vampire Lovers" obviously broke some new territory in terms of eroticism and lesbian story elements, and I would say that it was very well acted (especially by Pittman), quite steamy in spots...and that the director and screenwriter deserved a lot of credit for trying something new. But, and this is a big but, after the gruesome and compelling opening scene, the movie slowed to a crawl.The screenplay just sat there, for long, long minutes, building atmosphere but not having anything overly interesting actually happen. And then there was a flurry of activity, and then...the same situation and setup repeated, almost note for note, for ANOTHER 20 minutes. Only this time Peter Cushing was out of the story. Even going through the motions in a character he's played many times, Cushing managed to light up a scene whenever he was on camera. With him gone the remaining cast, although filled with hardworking journeyman actors, simply couldn't keep things focused. Well, there was the whole lesbian vampire/"viper in the bosom" thing unfolding, but I'm way past the point in my life where boobs get me excited.And then in the last 15 minutes, every thing happened at once; Cushing and the rest of the "men heroes" charged to the rescue, and all was set right with the world. The payoff was...ALMOST...worth the wait. It sounds as if I thought the movie sucked. I don't. There are lots of things right with the movie. Pittman's character seemed to be capable of some complex, bittersweet emotions and wasn't just a simple predator, and I liked that. A vampire movie that didn't overuse the Dracula character was a nice change of pace - it's as if this was actually a Dracula "side story" that fleshed out part of the Hammer canon, and I liked that, too. But for me, the movie dragged in too many spots for too long to really be considered one the first rank of Hammer films. Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

ersinkdotcom The vampire Countess Carmilla Karnstein makes her way through the Austrian countryside creeping into the households of aristocrats and taking their daughters as victims. The families begin to catch on when a pattern of deaths in the area takes shape. Vampire hunter Baron Hartog is called upon to put an end to Carmilla's wicked ways and end the legacy of terror the Karnstein family is known for.I would like to first comment that I'm not a fan of this sort of risqué entertainment. I steer clear of movies that delve into racier subject matter like this. As a horror film history junkie and huge fan of everything Hammer, "The Vampire Lovers" intrigues me because of its place in a bygone era. I am stupefied that a movie dealing with the "off-limits" ideas it does was even allowed to be shown in theaters in 1970.My main draw to "The Vampire Lovers" is two-fold. First, I love Peter Cushing with all my heart. I've been fascinated with the man since seeing him in "Star Wars" as a child. He commands every scene of every film he appears in no matter how briefly he's on screen. I can't even begin to imagine what such a "perfect gentleman" as Cushing thought when he saw this movie.Secondly, you can't beat the atmosphere of a period piece Hammer film. The sets are wonderfully dreary and Gothic. I absolutely adore the Victorian design and gloriously green exterior shots."The Vampire Lovers" is an essential piece for any collector of Hammer horror films. Although I don't necessarily condone the themes of the movie, it is a fascinating entry in the vampire genre and a unique part of cinema history. I will say this isn't your usual classic 1970's PG gore fest and shouldn't be viewed by young eyes. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/849014/eric_shirey.html