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Vampyros
Lesbos review by Shade Rupe
The cult of Soledad Miranda, created by Peter Blumenstock and Tim Lucas, and unknowingly began by Spanish director Jess Franco should continue to grow after more copies of Vampyros Lesbos get out. Filled with all the images that Franco fans have come to expect from this late-'60s period of his filmmaking, Vampyros Lesbos succeeds as another high-fetish, sleazy psychedelic groovefest. Franco's film rewrites Stoker's story as a female-enriched nightmare sexual pop art odyssey, complete with that swingin' psychedelic dance score so popular with underground hipsters of today, even finding commercial placement on the soundtrack for the film Jackie Brown. And with the fantastic gyrations of the ghostly Soledad Miranda, viewers will be treated with enough eye candy to overlook what little story has been presented. Ms. Miranda plays the Countess Nadina, a vampiress who lures visitors to her island resort by stripping nightly in a club in Istanbul. The film begins with that sitar/electronic soundtrack blaring while Soledad rolls across a stage with only a mirror, candelabra, and stoic nude blonde accomplice as set dressing. Ewa Stromberg is Linda Westinghouse, one such victim; having dreamed of Nadina before seeing her onstage. Linda is sent to the Countess' compound to investigate the will of Count Dracula, leaving everything to the Countess. Linda becomes enraptured by the Countess, recognizing her as the same woman from the club and her dreams, and quickly falls prey to her. When Ewa awakens, she find Nadina lying face up in her swimming pool, blood dripping from the sides of her mouth, and faints from consciousness. She awakens in Dr. Seward's asylum, having forgotten all that has transpired, even forgetting her name. Complete with mad doctors, nighttime nightmare visits, screaming blondes and bloody faces, Franco's twist on the vampire tale, made with low-budget pop art aplomb, would work equally well as background video wallpaper for your own gothic groove parties. Hubler and Mannfred's music is omnipresent in the film, making even random shots of water, scorpions, and scarves exciting. The film is actually fairly linear with its simple storyline, peppered with sex-o-delic shots of Soledad in various states of repose. Synapse presents the film at its 1:66 ratio and in the original German uncut version. They've also included removable English subtitles, so as not to obscure various anatomies of the blood-seeking women in the film. A theatrical trailer is included, and a fold-out liner-notes sleeve with words from Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas. Somewhere on an island far away, Soledad Miranda lives on. Her arms, and legs, are open and she's ready to receive new members to her cult. Just break out the bloody marys and you're set for a wild night. OFFICIAL WEB
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You've heard the soundtrack. You've seen the numerous stills of
the late and lovely Soledad Miranda, but how many people have actually
seen the film? Thanks to this two-years-in-the-making release from
Synapse Films, that number shall grow.
