BLOODY VAMPIRE (1963)
Directed by Miguel Morayta
Beverly Wilshire Filmworks DVD
Reviewed 08.04.05
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba

THE FILM
Since K. Gordon Murray (KGM) failed to tack a disclaimer onto this imported Mexi-ghoulash, let me help you out. You’ll be more likely to stare at the wall instead of the screen throughout the 110 minute runtime of this film. Try to be strong! Those with monk-like patience MIGHT be rewarded.

I’m not going to kid you; sitting around while Bloody Vampire “developed” was an absolute chore. With all the excess talk on display, the script must have been a foot thick. That said, certain elements are so staggeringly queer that by the end, you might forget all about those moaning gaps of tedium. Before receiving a touch of the 'ol Murray razmatazz (check out The Wonder World Of K. Gordon Murray for the big picture), this film saw a Mexican release as El Vampiro Sangriento in 1962. It gained noterity from numerous TV showings in the 60s and what a sight that must have been. I'm not sure how many kids were ready for scary, avant garde audio splicing back in 1964. Mommy, where's Ringo?!

Pay attention! There are two Counts to keep track of. The first, Count Cagliostro, is a slightly shady Van Helsing-type scientist, stealing corpses and performing experiments with "Vampirina," which is some kind of anti-bloodsucker solvent. The second, Count Frankenhausen (looks like Burt Reynolds), is a torturous fiend of the highest order, sucking blood and beating servants like there's no tomorrow. Cagliostro (dubbed by Bill Rogers, of Taste Of Blood fame) and his band of serfs are out to stop Frankenhausen and his female companion, Frau Hildegarde. From there, we kick into family anxieties (shades of Blood Of The Vampires), an extended sequence of coffee discussion, and a near perfect final reel, which retains a brilliant snapshot of everything these B&W Mexi-horrors represent; thick atmosphere, weird visuals, and off-the-cuff cheapness.

Unlike a KGM project like The Swamp Of The Lost Monster, which spreads the balance over tedium and excitement, Bloody Vampire comes up short. While it contains a soundtrack that was easily five years ahead of its time (backwards tape splices, random noises, etheral sci-fi chanting) and poetic imagery to match (slow motion landscapes, Frankenhausen's headlight eyes), the twenty minute gaps in action are a major detrator. Especially for a vampire film. There's a time and a place for arthouse introspection, but it's not on the set of this movie, that's for sure. It's like a 110 minute episode of Dark Shadows with a giant, grotesque rubber bat and trunks instead of coffins. Sounds great on paper, but...

By the time "The End" froze on the screen for a few minutes, I almost forgot about the middle 80 minutes of the movie. Just my luck.

AUDIO AND VIDEO
Like all of the fourteen KGM budget discs released by Beverly Wilshire in 2000, this one was obviously sourced from a 16mm TV print. The print looks good. Not great, but definitely better than you'd expect. The overall picture is a bit grey and damage is apparent, but not saturated. There was a hilarious bout of screen static at 59 minutes; it was all UHF interference for about two seconds. Bev Wilshire quality control: on top of it!

EXTRAS
Just some of the worst cover art and menu design I've ever seen.

FINAL THOUGHTS
You can find the Beverly Wilshire KGM discs for around three dollars each on eBay. At that price, it's pretty much worth picking them up, as they're becoming increasingly rare as time goes by. As for Bloody Vampire? The good moments were perfect, but the bad moments were large and in charge. Almost had it.

Carriage reaps


The fiend


That be Frankenhausen


Grue-grue