Vampire lovers

In 18th century Styria, Austria, a series of mysterious deaths causes superstitious villagers to suspect vampires abound. Meanwhile General Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) is hosting a ball when a mysterious young woman Marcilla (Ingrid Pitt) arrives and subsequently becomes a guest at his home. Marcilla seduces the general’s beautiful young daughter, who dies after being beset by nightmares. Shortly after Marcilla turns up in several other estates (under various names) seeking out nubile young women to satiate her thirst for blood. The General and Baron Hartog gather a posse of men, to ferret out and exterminate the vampire. This version of J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s story “Carmilla” plays out as a mildly terrifying erotic thriller, produced by Hammer, the classic British production house, at a time when they were tapping into the zeitgeist of the times by presenting excessive nudity within the auspices of the horror genre. At times the film is genuinely spooky, but much of the film is lavishly devoted to displaying milky white bosoms heaving out of trussed up dresses. This film is part of a trilogy of Hammer lesbian/vampire films that incudes “Lust for a vampire” (1971) and “Twins of evil” (1972).