Reviews

Just finished watching IT HAPPENED AT NIGHTMARE INN, and though I'm thinking I saw one of the heavily cut versions--this distributed by Cheezy Video--I still thoroughly enjoyed this film. Judy Geeson's character was smarter than usual for these sorts of films, the sisters were truly frightening, and the small town hypocrisy added dimensions to the narrative that I was not expecting.

I'm not sure where or when I'll find a near-definitive version of this film, but I'll certainly be on the look out for one. Good to see Geeson in this film, too. She was believable and sympathetic. And now I'm just blathering on to meet the idiotic, arbitrary IMDb 10 line review requirement, but I do recommend this film. Great for Saturday night viewing.

I'm mad about this film...might just be my favorite vampire film of all. It's not straight LeFanu, but it has an elegiac air that is. Doing LeFanu 'straight'--as in VAMPIRE LOVERS-- does not necessarily make for a better film as Hammer proved.

When I first saw B&R 15 years ago, I was disappointed because I wanted it to be a direct telling of the source material. Later, I saw the film, again, and it seared in to my consciousness. For no explicable reason, it suddenly "made sense" and "glammed" me; and, in particular, Annette Stroyberg's performance suddenly "clicked in." The combination of her detachment, passivity, out bursts of passion, child-like felicity, and, of course, beauty recall her literary namesake. Her profound sorrow and knowledge of being pushed aside from all that she loves--not just Leopoldo but her whole life, really--is heart-rending.

Vadim's Carmilla is always described as "jealous" or "bitter," though I don't see that. I do see deep disappointment and despair. It's refreshing, too, to see two women, rivals for one man's affection, treat each other so civilly, so kindly. Worse, Carmilla is slowly ostracized from people that she has grown up with and loved all because of her love of Leopoldo and, then, Georgia. Top that off with being possessed by a vampire, and I think dismissing her as "jealous" or "bitter" is a bit heavy-handed and easy.

I'm not quite sure why this film is considered "exploitive"--was Vadim "exploiting" Annette and his divorce from BB? Was LeFanu's "Carmilla" exploitive? It actually had far more explicit descriptions of Carmilla's breast-centric vampirism of young woman, but I don't recall the novella ever being described as "exploitive."

There are a couple of jarring moments in the film that don't sit right with me, for instance, Carmilla and Leopold doing the comic piano duet about fishing, and some parts of the celebrated "dream sequence"--just too "art house," even Bergman-esquire, and certainly screaming Cocteau.

But, in the end, the film is enchanting, ravishing, and harrowing. As others have noted, the score is exquisite and sets just the right tone, and makes me think of "pavane" and "dead princess" at the same time. Definitely in my top 10.

Just hoping that the delay in releasing BLOOD AND ROSES on DVD has to do with a pains- taking restoration and accumulation of extras on Paramount's part--this film is long overdue on DVD.

One of the low points 1970s kids Saturday morning television. Terrible on every count, but the so-called "acting" takes the prize. Of the "so bad it's bad" category, and that's about it, though I can understand how soft headed 20 and 30 year olds might "love" it thinking it's camp or due to some childhood "crushes" on the actors that they can't seem to get over. Hard to believe that some think that the last season went "downhill" and was "hokey"--it never went uphill and was hokey from the start! But then there's no accounting for taste and especially stupid taste.

Have been watching bits of the Sci-Fi network's LotL marathon, but I can't watch more than 2-3 minutes at a time without crinching at something. Holly and Cha-ka are especially grating. They act like those kids on BARNEY--phoney and just too much all around.

Hard to believe a Hollywood movie is being made from this show. Oh, wait, that's right: I mentioned 'Hollywood,' so it makes sense. In the land of No Ideas, why not go back to 70s kiddie trash and bloat it in to a big-budget summer flick! That's certainly a formula for success these days.

Very glad to see this after so many years just reading about it. Was still operating under the impression that it was only available without subtitles, but seeing that Netflix was offering it, I added it to my queue and was very happy to find that it arrived with English subtitles.

It's beautiful, evocative, violent, and puzzling with Steele cutting quite the figure of death and destruction as Harriet fresh out of England to claim her inheritance somewhere on the Continent. For a film that I thought was going to be wearisome and talky considering its first 15 minutes or so of weary talk, it definitely found its stride and delivered on its promise once Steele's machinations--or Belinda's or...?--unfolded.

A great end of the week, Friday night flick and now one of my top three favorite Steele films.