Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Overrated

i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

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

Britain's Hammer Films, needing new blood for their continuing series of vampire outings, went some years back for inspiration--1871, to be exact, and Joseph Sheridan Le Fanuthic's short story "Carmilla", believed to be one of the earliest works of vampire fiction (26 years before the appearance of Bram Stoker's "Dracula"). In a small Austrian town in the 18th century, a 240-year-old female vampire (Ingrid Pitt) charms her way into the homes of a general (Peter Cushing) and later a nobleman (George Cole), seducing both their comely daughters and leaving her mark above their breasts. Her conquests are overseen by a man on horseback, who acts as her guardian. For genre buffs, a decent bloodsucker; there are a few marvelous scenes (decapitations and lesbian clinches, with much female nudity), but the handling is flat and the acting fairly colorless. Worse, the editing leaves confusion in the narrative, while Harry Robinson's obtrusive, derivative music underlines every other scene with heightened emphasis. Producers Michael Style and Harry Fine quickly followed this "Vampire" with two more: "Lust for a Vampire" in 1971 (without Cushing) and "Twins of Evil" in 1972 (with Cushing). *1/2 from ****

"General von Spielsdorf" is hosting a party when an attractive "Countess" (played by Dawn Addams) shows up and happens to bring another attractive woman named, "Marcilla" (Ingrid Pitt) with her. Not long afterward the Countess receives news that a relative is dying and she asks the General if he can accommodate Marcilla until she returns about a week or two later. Being chivalrous he agrees to the delight of his young niece "Laura" (Pippa Steele). In no time Marcilla and Laura become good friends. Unfortunately, during this same time Laura becomes extremely tired and anemic. She also experiences nightmares of a large gray cat attacking her in her bed. Within a week or so Laura is dead and Marcilla cannot be found. When the doctor examines her he notices two bite marks on her breast. A day or two later a gentleman named "Roger Morton" is riding his horse with his daughter, "Emma" (Madeline Smith) when they come across a coach with two women inside. The first woman explains that her companion is sick and asks Roger if perhaps she can stay a night or two with them. Roger agrees to take in "Carmilla" who happens to be "Marcilla". Soon Emma and Carmilla become good friends. Likewise, Emma begins to have nightmares and becomes both tired and anemic. Anyway, rather than detail the entire movie I will just say that this was a pretty good vampire film. It does, however, deviate a bit from the standard vampire traditions. For example, in this film vampires don't like the sun but apparently they are able to function during the day. Likwise, they are apparently able to disappear in a vapor and have a new vulnerability in which they need to retain their death shrouds. Quite frankly, I didn't care for these nuances. Additionally, it features a ghoulish person on a horse but never quite explains his purpose or significance. On the plus side is the fact that there are several lovely women (most notably Ingrid Pitt) and they are used in a highly erotic fashion. Along with that there is good suspense and the acting was also pretty good all around. All things considered then, I rate this movie as slightly above average.

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

With the exception of Interview With the Vampire, it seems like the best vampire movies come out of Europe- Nosferatu and Vampyr from Germany, Let the Right One In from Sweden and the Hammer films from Britain. The Vampire Lovers is a Hammer horror film with a great deal of bite. It deals with the legendary lesbian vampire Carmilla, played in this version by Ingrid Pitt.From the female vampire who is quickly beheaded in the movie's prologue, The Vampire Lovers is filled with beautiful women. Chief among them is Pitt, whose eyes look both seductive and deadly. Carmilla feasts on nubile young virgins Laura and Emma. There's some great nudity, including in the scene where Carmilla is in the bath and Emma tries on a dress. Carmilla puts on a towel, but only around her hips, leaving her breasts still exposed. Gratuitous nudity? Well, the scene with the two half-naked women playfully chasing each other around the bedroom has a point: the lesbian eroticism is unmistakable.Beyond the erotic aspects of the film, The Vampire Lovers has what every vampire movie needs: good atmosphere with good sets and costumes, as well as mostly smooth dialogue and acting. At the same time, they had the good sense not to actually show the giant cat Carmilla morphs into; it probably would have made a terrible special effect. There are still questions, like if Carmilla's family was wiped out, where did the man in black and her "mother" come from? Probably just victims she made into vampires after the opening scene. My main regret is Carmilla dies at the end (gruesomely). Beyond that, I don't understand the problem people have with this film.Happy Halloween.