Misteraser Critics,are you kidding us

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Roy Hart If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Cineanalyst I've been seeking out a bunch of Dracula movies since reading Bram Stoker's novel. After viewing this Spanish B-picture, "The Great Love of Count Dracula," it's clear to me that I've looked too far. I've seen other vampire movies that aren't Dracula movies, per se, but still rework similar themes from Stoker, from the unauthorized adaptation of "Nosferatu" (1922), to the WW2-era "The Return of the Vampire" (1943), to the blaxploitation "Blacula" (1972). "The Great Love of Count Dracula" has a character named Dracula, but nothing else to do with Stoker, and it doesn't do anything interesting beyond blood and nude breasts--and blood on nude breasts. Besides the lesbian licking scene, there's not even that much more nudity than can be found in the mainstream 1992 "Dracula," either, for instance. And, blood splatter hasn't been uncommon in vampire films since the Hammer series began in 1958.I watched the terribly-dubbed English-language version. It includes a lot of voiceover narration in the later part, to try to explain the nonsense on screen, which includes whipping, using blood as a kind of ready-mix solution for a vampire skeleton (which is similar to Dracula's resurrection in Hammer's "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" (1966)), chained female vampires screaming under sweltering sunlight and other outrageous spectacles. Between this schlock are pathetic artsy attempts with scenes involving black-and-white photography, negative-looking images, slow-motion and reverse-motion photography. At least all of this is preferable to the exposition-heavy opening scenes, where characters tell much of the story rather than showing it. We learn, for instance, that it takes place after Van Helsing and company allegedly killed the Count, and that they're going to a Seward-like sanitarium since abandoned. I'm still not sure why there are four women with one man comprising the travelers... well, OK, I do know why, but I don't recall them explaining it within the story. Anyways, their carriage breaks down, and the film turns into an old-dark-house type of horror movie before the weird voiceover-narrated stuff starts happening.Dracula is portrayed by a short and stocky man--an oddity that's even pointed out by one of the ladies, who says she prefers her men tall and slender. Apparently, he's weak now, and he needs the voluntary love of a virgin--or something--to regain his powers. Dracula sets animal traps for some reason. Vampires have laughably white-painted faces. Dracula kills all of them, including some drawn-out fist fights with the other male vamps. Then, when the virgin rejects him, he performs hara-kiri on himself with a wooden stake. An exasperatingly-extended crosscutting sequence between sunrises and Dracula's decomposing face/skull, which is essentially a rip-off of Hammer's type of effects, plays us out.The Van Helsing-authored book in Dracula's library is probably the closest thing to something intelligent in this film, although other vampire films have had a vampire book, authored by Van Helsing or not, within their narratives.(Mirror Note: Dracula's lack of a reflection is revealed through a mirror shot in one of the film's numerous make-out scenes.)

Scott LeBrun Paul Naschy authored the story and co-wrote the screenplay for this decent vehicle for himself. He plays Dr. Wendell Marlow, who offers sanctuary to five travelers on their way through the Carpathian mountains. They consist of four gorgeous babes and the studly male Imre (Victor Alcazar); Imre is certainly in enviable company. Of course, there are no prizes for guessing who Marlow REALLY is. He falls in love with one of the woman, and she will ultimately have to make a decision: "live" forever as his bride, or turn him down and live as a mortal.Only the amusing ending lifts this above average for this genre. It does have a fair bit to offer Euro horror lovers, like the expected sex (some of the ladies bare their breasts), the violence (the camera really loves zooming in on the red stuff), and the sadism (virgin girls are whipped so their torturers can lick up their blood). And, of course, it's a Naschy film, so you can't really go wrong. The thing is, the film just doesn't have that great a story. Other than that ending, there's nothing nuanced or particularly interesting about it.At least viewers can soak up that atmosphere common to so much Euro horror. Naschy, as usual, has a compelling presence, and it's nice that he was an actor who embraced being a genre star. The other performances aren't as effective, but it's doubtful that people are going to care too much, since it's such an attractive cast.The opening credits are priceless, though. They play over a scene of a murder victim tumbling down some stairs. This sequence is reversed and then played again numerous times.Not prime Naschy, but if you're a completist of his works, you'll still want to see it.Six out of 10.

Mark Turner This review is of the Vinegar Syndrome edition just released on blu-ray.While watching this film I kept thinking how familiar it seemed. The further into it I got I finally realized that I had seen this movie years ago in a terrible format from a video vendor of public domain titles I won't name. That's because it wasn't their fault, they were offering the best they could with the quality of the film they had on hand. Needless to say the quality of that film didn't help my enjoyment of it. So while watching it this time I'm pleased to say the quality of this blu-ray release from Vinegar Syndrome made it a much better time.The story follows 5 companions, one man and four women, traveling through the Carpathian Mountains when their carriage breaks down and loses a wheel. Imre (the man) and Marlene are secretly lovers and while they go in search of the wheel, the driver is killed by the horse. The group walks along in hopes of reaching a nearby castle now owned by Wendell Marlow (Paul Naschy) who in reality is Count Dracula. He makes the travelers welcome, feeds them and offers them shelter until someone can come and take them on their way.Legend has it that Dracula can return to human form when a virgin offers her love to him willingly, an offering that will include making a blood sacrifice to bring back his deceased daughter as well. Of course this means that at least one of these women must be the love of his life and willing to do so. Unfortunately there are other vampires among the household and they begin picking off the guests who in turn set out to transform their friends as well. Along the way plenty of flesh is exposed, the typical Euro-horror inclusion of lesbian attraction between the female vampires, gore enough to satisfy those seeking it as long as they keep in mind the film was made in Spain and in 1973 and a lack of concern from the characters over the disappearance of their friends. And yet…it works.Part and parcel of the reason it works is the performances on display. Each of the actors here presents their character with enough conviction that they are believable as opposed to caricatures we've seen in other films. They do seem like friends, they do seem to care for one another (even if they don't question each other's disappearances) and they offer performances that don't come across as low budget at all. I've only come across Naschy in recent years (I know, forgive me) but each time I watch one of his films I see a passion for the genre that many tend to want to deviate from. Instead he embraces it. His performance here is one of the most subtle from him I've seen.All of this being said the true test of this release is how it looks. With all previous efforts to present this film have been severely lacking, offering washed out prints, visible scratches and a version from Elvira that included her performance as that character, I wondered what this version would look like. It was the first thing I've seen from Vinegar Syndrome so I had no idea what to expect.What I found was that this is a company that gets what fans want. Unlike those previous incarnations of this film this one was given star treatment with a transfer that is stunning to view. Gone are the washed out colors and scratches replaced by a crisp and clean print that fans will clamor for. Without those distractions the cinematography can now be appreciated and for the most part the film is well shot. If that wasn't enough, the disc comes with the inclusion of several extras including a commentary track with director Javier Aguirre and actor Paul Naschy, a video interview with actress Mirta Miller, both an English dub and Spanish language soundtracks, a still gallery, an 8 page booklet and reversible cover artwork.Horror fans and Naschy fans will want to toss aside any of those previous releases of this film and add this one to their collection immediately. With any luck Vinegar Syndrome will find access to more films Naschy has done and release them in the quality format that they have here.

MARIO GAUCI Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy's take on another traditional monster (making for the blood-sucking Count's beefiest incarnation since Lon Chaney Jr.'s turn in SON OF Dracula [1943]) results in one of his more enjoyable efforts, albeit given the "Euro-Cult" style's trademark languid approach and with a few weird touches all its own. This begins with the shot illustrating a man falling down the cellar steps of Dracula's castle after having his head split open with an axe being repeated ad nauseam all through the credit sequence! As the film opens, Dracula is hiding under the guise of a Dr. Kargos (presumably a play on the meshing of Karloff and Lugosi a' la our very own Joe Karlosi ) at an abandoned nearby sanatorium while also assuming the duties of butler at his own castle! Soon, his quest for peace and solitude is interrupted with a vengeance by the arrival of no less than five strangers – one man and four(!) women; the latter ostensibly serve the function of duplicating the count's three brides featured in Bram Stoker's original novel (and a handful of its myriad screen incarnations), with the remaining girl filling in the requirements of the title. Anyway, following some bed-hopping antics (the nudity being crudely inserted since the Spanish censor's repressive hand would only allow such fare to be released in "clothed" versions!), the cast of characters rapidly starts joining the ranks of the undead – leaving only the heroine (gorgeous, doe-eyed Haydee' Politoff whom I was recently impressed by in the obscure but fairly good erotic giallo INTERRABANG [1969]). Also in the cast are Rosanna Yanni (from Jess Franco's two "Red Lips" films from 1967) and others bearing such dubious names as Vic Winner and Ingrid Garbo (her character is named Marlene to boot)!; on a personal note, it was nice to see character actor Jose' Manuel Martin (who had been one of the beggars in Luis Bunuel's VIRIDIANA [1961]) as Dracula' first victim – subsequently 'residing' in his house, he notches up victims of his own and is even killed by the master (oddly enough, all vampires here contrive to dispose of one another) for daring to attack his beloved! Other unusual ideas, then, include: the fact that Dracula's prowlings occur on full-moon nights (as if he expects to turn into a werewolf?!); his having a dead daughter, which he intends to revive by mixing the blood of a virgin (Politoff, who rather than being vampirized has a knife driven through her throat in the manner of a conjuror's act) and an innocent (a village girl his brides abduct and present before him to be whipped)!; and, perhaps most baffling of all, Politoff's rejection of Dracula's offer to live eternally by his side throws him into such a dejected state (apparently, he has fallen hard for her) that not only is he willing to give up on his daughter's revitalization but actually commits suicide by piercing his own heart with a wooden stake! As I said, the film is certainly among the better of the star's vehicles that I have come across (though still not adding up to a completely successful work) and, in fact, this viewing inspired me to acquire another Spanish variant on the theme i.e. THE Dracula SAGA (1972), directed by frequent Naschy collaborator Leon Klimovsky but not involving the redoubtable Jacinto Molina himself