Mircalla, l'amante immortale

In many ways this movie is little different from other Hammer horror films produced at the time . It has an inn that doesn`t take too kindly to strangers especially ones that don`t believe in vampires , it`s obvious that the " night " scenes were filmed during the day by sticking a blue filter over the camera lens and there`s some really dodgy effects and make up like the very obvious dummy at the film`s climax

What sets LUST FOR A VAMPIRE apart from other British horror movies at the time is some really superb ( For its day ) T&A on display complete with some lesbian kissing . It`s also good to see some old fashioned buxom women who have never heard of the phrase silicone implants . That`s something you don`t see in horror movies nowadays I can tell you

In 1830 a renowned occult novelist called Richard Le' Strange (Johnson)is taken on to teach English at an exclusive finishing school for young girls in Styria. He falls in love with one of his pupils, the beautiful Mircalla (Stensgaard), but gradually discovers that she may well be the reincarnation of the evil vampire Carmilla Karnstein. Meanwhile in the village that neighbors the school, the locals are living in the grip of fear because it is forty years to the day since the vampiric Karnstein family reincarnated themselves in search of blood and village girls have been going missing.

Hammer's adaptation of Sheridan Le' Fanu's THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970) had been successful enough to warrant a sequel, therefore Tudor Gates who had scripted the former was duly approached to script the next one. The result was a rather unsavoury brew of vampirism and lesbianism and veteran Hammer producer-writer Jimmy Sangster who was responsible for such Hammer classics as THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Dracula and THE NANNY was brought in to direct. It was his second outing behind the camera having made his directorial debut in 1970 with Hammer's spoof THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN. This went out on a double bill with Roy Ward Baker's SCARS OF Dracula and only did average business. Whereas Sangster had enjoyed the experience of directing the Frankenstein spoof, he apparently hated LUST FOR A VAMPIRE along with his star Ralph Bates. He and Bates were apparently horrified at the preview screening when they discovered a cheesy pop song had been inserted called STRANGE LOVE sung by an unknown Tracy over the love scene between Johnson and Stensgaard.

Viewed today, LUST FOR A VAMPIRE certainly has it's flaws, for a start there is the inept casting of BBC Radio One disc-jockey Mike Raven as Count Karnstein. His voice was dubbed to make him sound like Christopher Lee and in the reincarnation sequence, a close up of Lee's bloodshot eyes from Dracula HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE was used instead of making Raven wear the red tinted contacts and doing a close up on him. Raven also appeared in Amicus's Jekyll and Hyde film I MONSTER (1971). The film also lacks a convincing hero, Johnson's Richard Le' Strange is little more than a boozy womaniser who is content to chase after a schoolgirl and the basic premise is somewhat crude. The film also shares sets with SCARS OF Dracula, Hammer fanatics will no doubt recognise the somewhat impoverished looking castle set from that picture. Yet there is still some fun to be had here, Bates gives a strong performance as the schoolmaster who lusts after Carmilla and wishes to sell his soul to the devil and Sangster stages the shock scenes with some style, especially the scene in the ruined castle where Carmilla is brought back to life.

LUST FOR A VAMPIRE wasn't all that successful, but Hammer managed to squeeze in a third outing for the Karnstein's, TWINS OF EVIL, which is in it's own right a better film by far.

The absolutely stunning Danish actress Yutte Stensgaard stars as the vampire seductress Mircalla in Hammer films part two of the "Carmilla Karnstein" trilogy. Not a great film but a worthy one for all Hammer/British horror film fans. Originally to be directed by the ace of gothic horror, Terence Fisher, he was injured in a car accident just days before filming started. A good/decent film from Jimmy Sangster, but one thinks of what it could have been in Fisher's hands. MUST viewing for all Yutte fans and fans to be.

"Lust for a Vampire" is the second film in Hammer Studios' "Carmilla" trilogy, also including "The Vampire Lovers" and "Twins of Evil". It's indicative of the direction in which the studio was heading during this time, playing up the sex appeal just as much as the horror content. It also has the added attraction of a tragic, different sort of love story. It's not prime Hammer, but it's certainly watchable, thanks to its blood letting, period atmosphere, and bevy of beautiful women.

The nefarious Karnstein family resurrect the legendary Carmilla - or "Mircalla", in this instance - and she takes up residence at a girls' finishing school in 1830 Austria. Shortly thereafter, a successful author named Richard Lestrange (Michael Johnson) comes to the country, and contrives himself into a teaching position at the school. There he makes the acquaintance of a weak willed instructor, Giles Barton (Ralph Bates), and falls in love with Ms. Mircalla (ravishing blonde Yutte Stensgaard), while some of the local girls go missing.

The title is very apt for this sort of story. The script by Tudor Gates is weak, and not all that interesting, while the direction of frequent Hammer screenwriter Jimmy Sangster is okay if not inspired. One major highlight is the Richard / Carmilla lovemaking scene, but many viewers will be just as happy with the topless shots of some of the actresses. Overall, this all feels pretty familiar, including the finale.

The cast is good. Bates is amusing in a change of pace mousy part, complete with glasses and bad wig. Johnson is likable as the romantic lead. Suzanna Leigh has the right amount of spirit as school employee Janet Playfair. Barbara Jefford is commanding as the conniving Countess. Mike Raven, as the Count, was presumably hired due to a resemblance to Hammer regular Sir Christopher Lee, and he's just sort of there (he's even dubbed, by the distinctively voiced Valentine Dyall). Helen Christie, as ineffective headmistress Miss Simpson, and Harvey Hall, as the understandably angry Inspector Heinrich, are very fine in support.

Viewers who've seen the other films in this trilogy will likely also enjoy this one.

Seven out of 10.

'Lust for a vampire' is the second film in the Karnstein Trilogy based on the novels by Sheridan le Fanu. The sequel to 'Vampire lovers' starring Ingrid Pitt, and prequel to 'Twins of Evil' starring playboy playmate twins Mary & Madeline smith, 'Lust for a vampire' was hindered in its production from the off set. Legendary Hammer director Terrence Fisher was forced to pull out and Peter Cushing was replaced by Ralph Bates in the lead role. Yutte Stensgaard plays the truly beautiful Mircalla, a lesbian vampire who is torn between her love for her teacher and her lust for blood. This film has a very cosy atmosphere very traditional of hammers work around the late sixties early seventies. The sets are reasonable and although highly criticised for her performance, Yutte does her job well.

I could go on for pages but as an overview I would HIGHLY recommend this film even if it does dabble in as much romance as horror.