I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) *** (out of 4)A seance is being held as Donna (Donna Anders) is trying to communicate with her mother who recently passed away. The ceremony is being hosted by Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) and soon he is taking a part in Donna and her boyfriend Michael's (Michael Macready) lives. It turns out that Count Yorga is actually a vampire and he has set his eyes on Donna.COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE was originally going to be a softcore picture but apparently a decision was made to cut out most of the sex and go for a straight horror film instead. Obviously that was the right thing to do as the film proved to be a giant success at the box office and it even had a sequel made to it. There's no question that there were too many vampire films made throughout the 1970s but this here is one of the better ones.A lot of the credit has to go to Quarry who is simply wonderful in the role. Yes, Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee will always be known as playing the Dracula character the best but there's no doubt that Quarry belongs on the Mount Rushmore of vampires. I really loved his performance here and especially since he's such a gentleman and he has such a laid back approach to everything. Not to mention he looks terrific when he is the vampire and goes for the attack.The support cast are also good in their roles and for the most part the supporting characters are all interesting and likeable. There are some very effective shots scattered throughout the picture including one where a woman goes to lay her head down and by doing so she reveals that the vampire is right there. If I had to say anything bad about the picture it's the fact that the story itself isn't the most original thing out there.COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE is certainly an entertaining horror film and one that didn't have to rely on a bunch of blood or nudity.

Bulgarian vampire Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) arrives via ship in Los Angeles harbor in a coffin-shaped crate, moves into a quaint country mansion, finds himself a facially-scarred, back-snapping henchman named Brudah (Edward Walsh) and immediately gets to work collecting brides for his cellar harem of bloodsucking babes. Getting caught up in all of this are two couples; Paul (Michael Murphy) and Erica (Judith Lang) & Mike (producer Michael Macready) and Donna (Donna Anders), who first make the Count's acquaintance during a séance meant to call up with the spirit of Donna's recently-deceased mother (Marsha Jordan), who mysteriously died after a three-week courtship with Yorga. Little does anyone realize, but ma didn't quite die; she was just transformed into a vamp who now resides in the vampire's home, and the Count has similar designs on both Donna and her female friend. The Count starts out by putting the bite to the flirtatious Erica, who suddenly takes a turn for the weird. After she grows ill, distant and listless, starts looking a little pale and is finally caught feasting on a dead kitten, Paul and Mike consult blood specialist Dr. James Hayes (Roger Perry) for help. Blood tests reveal she's low a few pints and is in desperate need of a transfusion. That, combined with the fact she now has two small puncture wounds on her neck, means the diagnosis is pretty obvious. After both Erica and Donna vanish, and the police prove to be of no help, the guys are forced to confront Yorga all on their own. Though this plot sounds rather simplistic, there aren't many surprises along the way and parts are a bit awkward, the film itself is fairly well done using the most modest of resources. A clever scene where the heroes attempt to keep the vampire up until sunrise utilizing casual conversation as a form of entrapment highlights just why this film manages to be successful despite budgetary limitations. This scene relies only on the dialogue and the actors to carry it and manages to be both humorous and suspenseful.The best thing this film has going it though is certainly Quarry. He's extremely charismatic and magnetic as the count, brings an air of class and sophistication to the film and holds his own with many more famous actors who've played vampires over the years. After years of toiling away in Hollywood, often playing bit roles and parts on TV, this part finally elevated him to star status in the horror genre. Alas, it would be short-lived as the days of the marquee 'horror star' were on their way out. Quarry's career also suffered several setbacks due to an accident where he was hit and seriously injured by a drunk a driver, and another where he was beaten and mugged. It wouldn't be until the late 80s that he staged a comeback by appearing in films for director Fred Olen Ray, which seldom made full use of his talents though he was always a welcome presence in whatever film he appeared in.Originally conceived as a soft porn vampire film to be titled "The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire" (a title some prints still retain), this production underwent numerous changes along the way. Quarry stated in later interviews that he only agreed to play the vampire if the sex scenes were removed and it was made as a straight horror film, which is exactly what ended up happening. Distributor AIP went even further by pushing for a GP rating (which was the only alternative to an R or X back then), so numerous scenes had to be trimmed to secure that. I'm not quite sure what exactly WAS filmed, but what remains are some bloody moments (the one involving the cat being the most graphic) and major cleavage from most of the females in the cast. The film was later re- rated PG-13, which is appropriate.All of the alterations to the original concept (plus the fact this was one of the first films to transplant a vampire into a modern day, non- Gothic setting) turned out to be wise from a lucrative standpoint as the film became a huge and unexpected hit and was immediately followed by the higher-budgeted sequel THE RETURN OF THE COUNT YORGA (1971), which brought back Quarry, Perry, Walsh and familiar character actor George Macready (who is the father of co-star / producer Michael and narrates this beginning and ending of this original).

Robert Quarry stars as Count Yorga, a ruthless vampire who meets two couples at a séance where he is trying to contact his old love, who is the mother of one of the women. After one of the couples takes the Count home, the woman is attacked, and becomes a vampire herself. The other two men later decide to confront Yorga in his castle, and if necessary, destroy him, though they seem unprepared for his many brides...Mean-spirited and excessively violent film generates some suspense, but has a nasty air of nihilism about it, leading to a downbeat(and dead end) conclusion that makes this a futile & joyless viewing experience.

Lesson to be learned: If your girlfriend or fiancée happens to develop sudden listlessness after attending a seance conducted by a smooth-talking count from Bulgaria, or perhaps develops a yen for consuming dead house cats, you may want to heed the advice of your doctor friend when he tells you that the count in question may be nothing less than...a vampire! Anyway, that's the setup in Bob Kelljan's surprisingly shocking, intelligent and believable horror film from 1970, "Count Yorga, Vampire." Several ingredients really help to lift this modern-day tale above the raft of similar competitors. It is extremely well acted by every cast member; Robert Quarry makes for an exceptionally sinister neck nosher indeed, and he is well matched by Roger Perry as Dr. Hayes. The film contains some truly startling moments (such as the count's toothy grimace as seen through a van's window), restrained but effective use of gore, a deliciously downbeat ending, and even a nice little shocker as a final capper. Perhaps best of all is the wholly credible reaction of the guys (Michael Murphy and Michael Macready, the latter also serving as producer, and whose father, hissable character actor George Macready, provides the wonderfully dreary intro narration to the film) to the horror that has entered their lives. First they are dismissive, then skeptical, and finally stunned and frightened when faced with the realization of what they must do to rescue their women. As I said, an entirely realistic series of responses that really aids the viewer in buying in to the story. Oh...how could I forget to mention the count's brides; possibly the scariest-looking, fastest-moving bunch you've ever seen! Yes, this little horror flick, despite an underlit fight scene with the count's lupine manservant Brudah, is a pretty perfect outing. And from what I hear, the 1971 sequel, "The Return of Count Yorga," is even better....