Blood Hunger: The Films of Jose Larraz

Spanish-born director José Larraz is best known for his British horror film Vampyres (1974), one of the more interesting slices of 1970s vampire Eurotica, which is included in this three-film set. Larraz rewrites Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 novella Carmilla to make his bloodsucking lovelies the restless ghosts of lesbian lovers (played by Marianne Morris and Anulka) who are murdered while making love in their shadowy castle. Larraz adds a few poetic flourishes—blood dripping down pale faces, clouds crawling past a castle—but more importantly he gives the living-dead girls a genuinely passionate relationship and a zest for nightlife even while piling on the exploitative nude scenes. Vampyres is a minor classic with a dreamy sense of horror and a delicious conclusion and is easily the most famous of the films compiled here. The other two entries are both centered on artists and models and erotic triangles. Whirlpool (1970) is a plodding sexploitation movie that takes frequent breaks for nude photo shoots and seduction scenes but fails to make anything of its central mystery and lacks the style of Vampyres. The Coming of Sin (1978) is more hallucinatory—starring non-actors who were apparently cast more for their looks—and is filled with dreams, premonitions, and mind games, and it also features more softcore porn. Cult movie fans may appreciate the loving attention given to these erotic thrillers but they are hardly landmarks of foreign cinema. The extensive extras include audio commentaries, new and archival cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a bonus short film, image galleries, and a booklet. Not a necessary purchase. (S. Axmaker)