Robert Quarry makes your blood run cold as the modern day Count Dracula, and Roger Perry is driven and pretty funny as Dr. Hayes, the modern day Dr. Van Helsing. The film contains some truly startling moments (such as the count's toothy grimace as seen through a van's window), restrained but effective use of gore, a deliciously downbeat ending, and even a nice little shocker as a final capper. Cynthia's mother, father and sister, Ellen, are fed upon by the undead horde. This was really the first vampire film that treated them as swift and animalistic. Robert Quarry is the man as Count Yorga, and what's up with the coffin movers? Paul decides to go to Yorga's house and disappears and Donna's mate Michael 'Mike' Thompson (Michael Macready), Jim and Donna decide to pay a visit to Count Yorga late night. I said why dont you just make a regular horror film out of it? The Return of Count Yorga 1971 Directed by Bob Kelljan Synopsis The DEATHMASTER is Back from the Grave Count Yorga continues to prey on the local community while living by a nearby orphanage. The Count Yorga Collection Arrow Video 2022 Limited Edition Blu-ray Discuss Compare Release Date: October 25 2022 Country of Release: USA MSRP: $69.95 Buy Physical Copy At: Details by Film Count Yorga, Vampire Year: 1970 Time: 93 Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Audio English 1.0 PCM Mono Streaming Options Powered by JustWatch The Return of Count Yorga Youll receive instant access to exclusive insider movie content, member only deals, first dibs at limited editions, and more. He lives in a large house somewhere in California and terrorizes young women and their boyfriends. Meanwhile, in-house director Roy Ward Baker directed Ingrid Pitt in THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, which featured explicit lesbian eroticism. This isnt the tragic, romantic vamp featured in so many gothic tales; Quarrys take on the Count displayed both a dry sense of humor, a proto-Studio 54 sleaziness, and a mouth full of fangs. The film would pave the way for AIPs other popular modern-day bloodsucker, BLACULA (which repurposes footage of Yorgas coffin making its way stateside) as well as 1973s SCREAM BLACULA, SCREAM. Count Yorga is one of those films that came from the 70's, in my opinion, a very sexy vampire film, sort of soft core in some ways. Again, nobody gets a happy ending. The Return of Count Yorga ups the ante and sees the sardonic Count on the streets of San Francisco, his sights set on an orphanage as a potential source of sustenance. After Thomas learns of Jennifer's death, David is sure he is correct about the Count's true nature and manages to convince Reverend Thomas and investigating police detectives Lt. Madden and Sgt. That evening, Reverend Thomas phones Jennifer, but it is revealed she lies dead on her bed with a large knife sticking out of her chest. Quarry asked the horror icon, Ill bet you didnt know I could sing, did you?, to which Price retorted, well I knew you werent a fucking actor.. Madden tries to find a way to him, but he gets lured in by a voice from the shadows (thinking it is Baldwin) and then killed by Tommy who stabs him in the same way he murdered Jennifer. In Los Angeles, a group of friends of Donna (Donna Anders) reunites for a sance conducted by Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) to make contact with Donna's mother, who has recently died and was having a love affair with the Yorga. That's preferable compared to Franco's pitiful attempt to remain faithful to the source despite a lack of funds. Transposing the vampire legend into modern-day Los Angeles was not without its hurdles for the writers. These include the comely Donna Anders, Judy Lang, Mariette Hartley and Yvonne Wilder. | Another Dracula film in all but name, "Count Yorga, Vampire" was one of quite a few early-1970s reworkings of Bram Stoker's novel. Quarry would don the cape again one year later for the studios THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA, as well as the foil to Vincent Prices Dr. Anton Phibes in 1972s DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (its rumored that early in the production of the PHIBES sequel, Phibes was to take on Count Yorga himself). He has made very few genre films but he can also be seen in 'Strange Behavior' and Wes Craven's 'Shocker'. By the end of the 1960s the boom in Old World gothic horror had begun to wane in the face of present day terrors like the Vietnam war. The film was originally to have been a soft core porn film called The Loves of Count Iorga, and some prints of the film display this as the on-screen title. Yorga's Brides are a collection of unnamed vampire bries seen in The Return of Count Yorga, the sequel to Count Yorga, Vampire. Meanwhile, Erica and Paul drop off Yorga at his home. One reason for that is that in some significant ways the movie isn't very good. The two split up, and Yorga confronts Hayes. Bob Kelljan's 'Count Yorga, Vampire' is often unfairly overlooked in an era dominated by English and European vampire movies. The Return of Count Yorga(originally titled Yorga Returns) is a 1971 American vampirehorror filmdirected by Bob Kelljan and starring Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Yvonne Wilder, George Macready, Rudy De Luca, Edward Walsh, and Craig T. Nelsonin his feature film debut. Marx composed quite a few exploitation scores throughout the 70s, returning for the following years sequel RETURN OF COUNT YORGA, its pseudo-sequel THE DEATHMASTER, as well as Kelljans SCREAM BLACULA, SCREAM, ACT OF VENGEANCE (aka RAPE SQUAD), and the sci-fi cheapie, THE ASTRAL FACTOR. This movie is about what most vampire movies are about cool confrontations with the undead, spiced with some lightweight eroticism. Both drop the pretense that Yorga is anything but a vampire, and Yorga leads Hayes into his basement where his vampire brides lie dormant. It was even more surprising since it was originally supposed to be a pornographic vampire film called THE LOVES OF COUNT IORGA. While enlisted, he started a theatrical troupe and upon making his way into filmmaking, he took a contract with RKO and subsequently MGM. Ohhow could I forget to mention the count's brides; possibly the scariest-looking, fastest-moving bunch you've ever seen! The concerned men drive to her home where they find the place in disarray, and a hysterical Erica eating her kitten. Good subdued erotica, as the bat-toothed girls slink around in filmy gowns. While only a nut would compare this to the greatness of Dracula or NOSFERATU, it still is a decent example of the franchise. The Count appears to have no reason to be at the boarding school's halloween bash, but he is there, uninvited, clashing with the other guests. Alterations to the movie's soundtrack were also required to lessen the impact of violent scenes that remained in the film. "[5] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Those who saw 'Count Yorga' will be disappointed. We soon find out that Count Yorga is one of the most blood-thirsty and ruthless vampires we've seen on screen in years. She strikes Yorga in the chest with Baldwin's battle-axe. But the decade also unleashed cinematic oddities galore, most of which were . American International Pictures had planned at one stage to revive Count Yorga as an adversary for Dr. Anton Phibes in Dr. Phibes Rises Again. He bites one of the pretty guests, Mitzi, outside the event room before going inside and introducing himself to those present. After the sequel The Return of Count Yorga, a third Yorga film was planned, which would have featured a broken Count living in Los Angeles's sewers and creating an army of undead street people, but it never materialised. In these scenes, director Robert Kelljan tries to play the dreamy horror thing a la the same year's Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971), but it proves rather vague and none of it coheses into a solid script. Quarry would appear in another independent production, THE DEATHMASTER in 1973 which featured the actor as a vampire hippie guru modeled after Charles Manson. Yorga quickly kills him by choking him to death, then having his servant Brudah (who has seemingly supernatural strength himself) break his back. The rest of the cast is adequate, and I think Roger Perry does a wonderful job as a blood specialist who goads Count Yorga one evening into talking about the supernatural. Murphy, who would grow into a prolific character actor, isn't bad either, but most of the rest of the cast is weak. This genuinely frightening movie contains scenes that you won't forget easily. She begs Paul to forgive her and to kill her. In the midst of their escape, they encounter Brudda and managed to shoot him to death. What follows is a vampire film with the women predictably the victims/aggressors and the men predictably running around trying to solve things. this one is played quite seriously. Meanwhile, the pastor falls for Yorga's charms and reveals the others' suspicions that he is a vampire, alerting Yorga of danger. At those points, Perry especially shines as a fitting nemesis. A pickup truck snags a boxed-up coffin and head into the city. They are preparing the orphanage for a fundraising costume party. Robert Quarry is the main reason to watch this early 70s, California-set vampire favorite. Count Yorga, Vampire (also known as The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire) is a 1970 American vampire horror film written and directed by Bob Kelljan and starring Robert Quarry, Roger Perry and Michael Murphy. YORGA presents this notion up front, and with a meta-comic element. The Count comes to California and starts up a harem of sexy vampires. Yet COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE has found itself a B-movie oddity, relegated to late, late showings on UHF stations throughout the '80s and '90s and all but forgotten if ever seen by a generation that reveled in the modern horror era of slashers and special makeup effects. Tommy dismisses it, but vampire women rise from their graves. The low budget is revealed occasionally such as when two men carry on a conversation done entirely in voiceovers as they are shown walking, in long shots, through L.A. (these scenes afford priceless glimpses at the city at that time, however) and in the Volkswagon minibus scenes in which the actors are clearly emoting during daylight hours for a scene that takes place late at night! Hayes, Michael, and Donna go to the mansion themselves to inquire about Paul's whereabouts and keep Yorga active until sunrise. One of which is Erica, a friend of his that went missing earlier from her home after a blood transfusion. Its easy to pick out where the money shots would have occurred, had YORGA been shot as a skin flick: A love scene in a van on Yorgas estate, the girl-on-girl action in his dungeon, and what was probably intended as a masturbation scene when Erica is visited by the Count by night, a more explicitly erotic sequence inspired by a similar, more transgressive sequence in 1931s DRACULA. Oct 20, 2015. The sight of this rotting mass dragging a girl under a tree may be the movie's most frightful as audience imagination takes over. Your Daily Dracula - Robert Quarry as Count Yorga, The Return of Count Yorga (1971) 'No playing hero - the first one to find a vampire screams his ass off.' . Some friends gather at the mansion of Robert Quarry (Count Yorga) so that they can hold a sance and Donna Anders (Donna) can contact her recently deceased mother Marsha Jordan. Really, the film is an update of the classic Dracula story, only with more of a seventies horror swing to it. In my book, this little indie effort more than holds its own against the better known Hammer neck-biters of the same era, and is not to be missed. Count Yorga (Robert Quarry), a vampire, comes from Bulgaria to 1970 Los Angeles and starts making a coven of beautiful female vampires. Did the mother of the Nelson family turn into a vampire. He is about to take her when he hears Baldwin scream his name, who seemingly has escaped the brides. New blood needed to be injected into the genre. What makes this picture a better than average vampire film is that it has a very tense and atmospheric plot structure. The picture opened on 10 Jun 1970 in Los Angeles, and took in $160,000 in box-office receipts in the first week of release, according to the 12 Apr 1971 DV. Their van gets stuck in the mud outside of Yorga's mansion, although Paul insists the road was dry a minute ago. Jennifer, suspicious about Tommy's involvement with the Nelsons' disappearance and his visits to Yorga's mansion, loses her patience and slaps Tommy who stares at her in a vengeful manner. 2016 Daily Grindhouse - All Rights Reserved | Design by, COUNT YORGA AT FIFTY: HOW A SKIN FLICK BECAME THE INFLUENTIAL VAMPIRE MOVIE OF THE 70s. | Paul (Michael Murphy) and Erica Landers (Judith Lang) drive Count Yorga home in an isolated manor and in the return, their Kombi gets mysteriously stuck in the mud. Yeah, it sucks that you're dead, but still, what a way to go, right? The film opens with a narration by character actor George Macready, whose son, Michael Macready, produced the film and also played "Michael". The popularity, primarily at drive-ins and other theaters of that ilk, led to a sequel ("The Return of Count Yorga") one year later. That score kicks off the film with dissonant strings punctuated by a wolfs howl as an ominous narration from George Macready (writer and star Michael Macreadys dad) pontificates on the existence of vampires as Count Yorgas coffin is transported from the old country to his California mansion by his Renfield-inspired assistant, the hulking Bruddah (Edward Walsh). They resign themselves to spending the night in their van. Despite being held back by the cross, Yorga taunts Hayes while positioning him in front of his brides, then silently commanding them to awake and attack the unaware Hayes from behind. It is the sequel to the 1970 film Count Yorga, Vampire. Soon some of them are disappearing, the females falling under the spell of this stranger. Total 70's action her folks. Reverend Thomas is sent to distract Yorga while Baldwin, Madden and O'Connor sneak in to search the manor, armed with sticks they can cross and hold up to ward off the vampires. The family is quickly overrun. The sequence resembles a Bob Newhart/Benny Hill Halloween special. In April 1991, the film was packaged as a Laserdisc double feature (Catalog Number ID7661HB), paired with the Vincent Price horror film, Cry of the Banshee; both films were not letterboxed, but employed a full screen, pan-and-scan process. Quarry suggested that producer/actor Michael Macready and writer/director Bob Kelljan ditch the softcore element and make a more typical horror picture that could play to teenage audiences in suburban movie houses. Variety wrote that Robert Quarry had an "aristocratically handsome look and plays the part with a certain sinister intelligence (and) even a sly humor that befits a guy who has been around for several hundred years," adding that "The dialogue has a believable sound to it, and the playing of the principals is low-key and convincingly realistic. Video Review. Anderson plays a young lady who holds a sance with her boyfriend and two other couples along with Quarry who leads the event. Lang is attractive and reasonably good (soap fans will be interested to know that her daughter Katherine Kelly Lang has played Brooke on "The Bold and the Beautiful" for many years!) The seance doesn't go as planned, but Yorga is able to implant some post-hypnotic control on poor Donna, and soon enough bodies are piling up as Donna and her friends try to figure out what's what. But the two despite working together once again in 1974s MADHOUSE had a contentious relationship, supposedly incited by Price discovering AIPs plan to replace him. Cast Crew Details Genres Cast Lest one believes that the quest for the PG-13 rated horror film (read: more teenagers in the seats, and more money in studios pockets) is a new development, the filmmakers had to submit YORGA to the MPAA six times in order to receive a GP rating (equivalent to todays PG). Donna screams, which brings it to a halt. It's at least the equal of a Christopher Lee. Even Van Helsing had a hard time convincing his peers and the authorities of supernatural goings-on in the 1800s, and that became increasingly difficult in the 70s and 80s. Its revealed that Yorga insisted that Donnas mother not be cremated so that he could add her to the undead harem that he keeps in the old-world dungeon of his thoroughly modern home. Leave your expectations of lavish special effects, intricate plotting, and deep character development at the door. We first meet Count Yorga at a seance he holds for a group of friends, one of which has just lost her mother. "[6] Kenneth Turan of The Washington Post called it "as good a horror film as we have had for some time" and "90 minutes of supremely diverting entertainment. The film was given a second VHS release by MGM Home Entertainment in September 2000. However, despite my fear that this would be another stale film, this one turned out to be better than average and well worth a look. Will they succeed in their intent? Together with his harem of vampire mistresses, they wreak havoc upon the friends and family of Cynthia Nelson (Mariette Hartley), who Yorga intends to take as his vampire bride. He praised the acting as being "of a generally high standard" and the castle set as "skilfully utilised to give the impression of a labyrinth of Borgesian proportions," though he criticized "a totally unnecessary and feeble attempt to make the Count into a sympathetic figure through such lines as, 'The most fragile emotion ever known has entered my breast.'"[7]. Baldwin splits from the detectives to expand the room-by-room search, and upon opening one door discovers Jason's corpse, covered in bloody bite marks with an IV draining remaining blood from his neck into a glass-bottle on the floor beneath him. Arkoff retitled the film COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE, explaining that nobody would know how to pronounce Iorga and that horror fans would be turned off by the loves of, particularly with the absence of any sex sequences. As played by Robert Quarry, he is quite creditable and effectively gave Christopher Lee (Hammer Film's Dracula incarnate) a run for his money. Most of the clichs of the vampire sub-genre are here, and it's only really the setting that has been changed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up for our 100% Free Daily Grindhouse Newsletter. However, nothing was spared as far as creativity and skill. The film is very talky at the start, which can be a little bit annoying as the pace is very slow - but what Yorga is saying is interesting, and it really isn't long before the film starts properly. At the party are several of her friends, including Donna's boyfriend, Michael Thompson, Paul, Paul's girlfriend Erica Landers, and close friend and doctor, Jim Hayes. Some of the older brides wear dirty gowns most likely because they were drained and buried with them on all at once. In 2004, MGM's Midnite Movies DVD line (which redistributed much of the American International Pictures horror catalog previously owned by Orion Pictures Home Video) released Count Yorga, Vampire and its sequel, The Return of Count Yorga as a DVD double feature. A must see for the classic horror fan. The film begins by showing us a coffin being removed from a ship, then trucked out to an estate in modern day (circa 1970) Los Angeles. Robert Quarry is second only to Bela Lugosi in my book as far as vampire lords go, even beating out bonafide legend Christopher Lee whose Dracula performances are legendary. the detectives attempt to shoot them point blank, but their bullets prove ineffective as the undead women continue to give chase. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. To her horror, she sees that Baldwin's skin has turned pale and bite marks are on his face, revealing that he has transformed into a vampire (having apparently not escaped from the brides unscathed). As Yorga reunites Donna with her mother, Michael finds Paul's mutilated body while navigating the crypt. A drive-in favourite from the moment it was released, a sequel soon followed. At the time, AIP was reportedly grooming Quarry to carry Prices torch as their new in-house horror star. Copping the ending of Dance of the Vampires, Count Yorga climaxes with a flurry of vampire-fighting action and an apparent escape only for the heroine to reveal her newly-sprouted fangs and pounce in a much-imitated shock punchline. Yorga takes Cynthia and flees to the upper balcony of the estate as Baldwin (who grabs an iron battle-axe from a wall) chases the two. She was played by Judy Lang. YORGA was a surprise hit for AIP in the summer of 1970, appealing to both audiences and critics. They asked me to read the script, Quarry explained to New Hollywood Gothique. Count Yorga, Vampire was shot on location in Los Angeles, CA, where the story is set. But it's worth remembering that Count Yorga was released back in 1970 at the tail end of a decade-long dominance of the genre by Hammer, whose vampire output had consisted exclusively of period-set tales, and it was to be another two years before they brought their house vampire into modern times with Dracula AD 1972. Quarry told actor/producer Michael Macready he would play the vampire role if they turned the story into a straight horror film.[2]. The actor clearly relishes the chance to perform this type of role and brings a gravity to it, despite some of the lighter and campier aspects of the movie. In England Hammer released some classics like 'The Vampire Lovers' and 'Vampire Circus', while Europe gave us some gems by Rollin, Franco and Larraz. The brides wear a variety of night robes. Lesson to be learned: If your girlfriend or fiance happens to develop sudden listlessness after attending a seance conducted by a smooth-talking count from Bulgaria, or perhaps develops a yen for consuming dead house cats, you may want to heed the advice of your doctor friend when he tells you that the count in question may be nothing less thana vampire! and even when the bodies start piling up, the police don't seem to be interested. They dated a few weeks shortly before her death. Starting as an actor in the 1960s, he turned to writing and directing. Macready, who produced and directed the film (and enlisted his more famous father to provide a ripe, flavorful voice-over), while nice enough looking, is almost laughably expressionless and wooden during most of his screen time. Dr. James 'Jim' Hayes (Roger Perry), who is a family friend, sees Erica drinking the blood of a cat and he believes that Count Yorga is a vampire. Erica gets bite marks on her neck, but she can't remember what happened. The films climax features our heroes storming Yorgas home at dusk, having overslept despite their plan to attack during daylight hours. COUNT YORGA brought the vampire to modern-day America in full bloody color as culture and fashion were shifting: the free love era of the late 60s was giving way to the cocaine and disco fueled 70s, and the popularity of pornographic films was inspiring a new era for libertines. 1969 : 4 . One of the orphans, Tommy, wanders into the nearby cemetery where he faintly hears a voice ordering, "Rise, rise, it is time." We basically know what fate will befall our innocent(just) protagonists, but we become riveted to their actions and those of the Count. [2] The disc was a double-feature release, pairing the film with Count Yorga, Vampire. They plan to attack later that afternoon in the hopes of killing Yorga in the daytime. He then attacks Yorga with a cross and stake, while yelling out for Michael (who hears Hayes and begins to run in the direction of his call). Yorga distracts Hayes and strengthens his hypnotic control over Donna. So stop trying to call your lawyers, Bram Stoker's estate. Though Yorga is dead, his evil lives on as those who know of him are either dead or turned into vampires and will carry out his curse. Too bad that Quarry never got the acclaim his magisterial performance deserved. As such, The Return of Count Yorga is a film with a good beginning and ending - alas the bits in between are often a drag. When we think of great vampire portrayals, normally the names of Lugosi and Christopher Lee immediately pop into our heads. Meanwhile, memories of the attack on her family slowly start to resurface in Cynthia's mind as she stays within Yorga's manor. Excellent too are Roger Perry and the entire cast, except for Perry's bed partner who gets more lines than she can handle. Yorga goes to the orphanage during the costume party. "[5] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "writer-director Bob Kelljan has freshened up the formula pretty well he and his attractive cast of unknowns do succeed in persuading us to go along with the hokum for the duration of the film's fast-moving 90 minutes. Donna cannot recall seeing Yorga at her mother's funeral. Director Bob Kelljan Writers Bob Kelljan Yvonne Wilder Stars Robert Quarry Mariette Hartley Roger Perry See production, box office & company info Search on Amazon Quarry is a striking presence as Count Yorga (actually meant to be Iorga, and pronounced that way in the film, but changed by the distributing company in order to be more easily pronounced by the movie-going public!) The films climax features our heroes storming Yorgas home at dusk, having overslept despite their plan to attack during daylight hours. It's up to those that are left, including Michael (Michael Macready, who also produced the film), and doctor / blood specialist Jim Hayes (Roger Perry), to wage war with the fiend. The Brute: Pretty much Yorga's strongman. Count Yorga, Vampire (1970): Near the end of the film, two of Yorga's female vampire try to ambush Micheal. Made on a decidedly low budget, this contemporary vampire story is noted for placing a Dracula-like figure in a modern setting for perhaps the first time and for the captivating performance of Quarry in the title role. FAQ As she mocks him for "not loving her anymore" and soon starts laughing cruelly at him when he sense something wrong, her fellow brides attack Jason from behind. Director-writer Bob Kelljan called in his wife Yvonne Wilder to co-write and she gave herself a plum role as a mute woman unable to get anyone . Furthermore, Yorga had insisted that her mother be buried rather than cremated per the deceased's wishes. User Ratings It is the sequel to the 1970 film Count Yorga, Vampire. It was followed by a sequel, The Return of Count Yorga . "Film Reviews: The Return Of Count Yorga". Kelljan had acted in a couple of Richard Rush movies in the 60s including 'Psych-Out', before making a few exploitation movies of his own in the early- to mid-70s. Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) finds himself with a bit of a quandary on his hands. The result is a pretty silly show. Cynthia herself is subdued, but unharmed and carried by the brides to Yorga's residence where she awakens. Perry gives a skilled, knowing performance as well, obviously aware that a blend of seriousness mixed with levity was called for in the production. They also wear no shoes . Like most of the films that I saw when I was younger I watched it on a small black and white T.V. The early 70s were a great period for vampire movies. At the beginning of the film, not long after the seance. Robert Quarry ('Dr Phibes Rises Again') is excellent as Yorga. Falling into a suit of armor, Baldwin grabs a metal mace and knocks Brudda out with a violent blow to the face. These films opened with a horse-drawn carriage making its way through the countryside, and ended with the honorable Van Helsing doing away with eviluntil next time that is. While I wouldn't call this a classic vampire movie, it does have enough offbeat touches to make it worth a look for B horror fans. The sance turns slightly chaotic, and Donna's friends begin to suspect that there's something odd about the Count, especially when they learn that he had been dating Donna's mother, requested that she not be cremated, as her earlier wishes had it, but didn't turn up at the funeral. Kelljan died quite young at 52 from cancer. The ending, which I won't spoil, is also a bit confusing as to what actually takes place. That night, he returns to his manor and a makeshift throne room overlooking several coffins, greeted by Brudda, Yorga's hulking, disfigured valet, and the female vampires from the cemetery. Hayes notices she has lost a lot of blood but is unable to diagnose the cause. By the time the police arrive, all of the evidence has been cleared away. Yorga attacks them, knocking out Paul and biting Erica. In contrast to her exuberant personality on the night before, Erica now seems despondent and listless. The film was released theatrically in the US by American International Pictures in 1971. Metacritic Reviews. Baldwin and Cynthia are the only ones left alive, with Yorga supernaturally mocking Baldwin throughout the estate. Seeing Dracula in seventies Los Angeles makes for a rather different atmosphere surrounding the tale, but it's definitely a welcome one and one that has influenced many films since the release of this one. One of them is Donna's mother, whom he made into an undead servant. 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