Countess Dracula

[The Burgomaster]

My DVD double feature of COUNTESS DRACULA and THE VAMPIRE LOVERS arrived a few days ago and I watched the first feature, COUNTESS DRACULA, over the weekend.

This is a great throwback to the days when "PG" movies were more like todays' "R" movies. There are several breast shots, a shot of a naked corpse in a closet, a shot of a pile of naked corpses, and scenes of the Countess smearing blood all over herself. The movie is not really gory, and the nudity is brief and pretty tame, but I'm sure this movie would not pass the "PG" or "PG-13" tests these days. It would definitely get an "R."

As for the movie itself, the old-age make-up is not very good (it looks like the Countess has rubber on her face that is covered with powder), and there really aren't any big scares or memorable scenes. But the atmosphere is good and Ingrid Pitt is attractive when she isn't covered in old age make-up. Overall, this is an average, 70s, European horror movie (and there were MANY of them back in the 70s). It's very "middle of the road." Not too boring, not too exciting, with a perfect running time of 93 minutes. I'd say that if you're a 1970s European horror movie fan, then this is a decent addition to your collection. Otherwise, forget it.

I saw the 2nd feature, THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, about 15 years ago. I seem to remember that it was pretty good. I'll try to watch it this week.



Post Edited (09-02-03 09:51)

[Scott]

There should be a channel that shows only old Sci-Fi/Horror 24 hours a day. It's near imposible to see them all. Sounds like a good DVD Burgo.

[raj]

how about an infommercial channel that shows b-movies late at night (the best time to watch them)

[Scott]

Thats a great idea raj. To bad money is the issue here. Then again if it wasn't for money some of these people may not of made films.

[kriegerg69]

The Burgomaster wrote:

> My DVD double feature of COUNTESS DRACULA and THE VAMPIRE
> LOVERS arrived a few days ago and I watched the first feature,
> COUNTESS DRACULA, over the weekend.
>
> This is a great throwback to the days when "PG" movies were
> more like todays' "R" movies. There are several breast shots, a
> shot of a naked corpse in a closet, a shot of a pile of naked
> corpses, and scenes of the Countess smearing blood all over
> herself. The movie is not really gory, and the nudity is brief
> and pretty tame, but I'm sure this movie would not pass the
> "PG" or "PG-13" tests these days. It would definitely get an
> "R."

MGM released the UNCUT British version of the movie.....not the American release. What we got on DVD....including the famous shot of Ingrid nude in the bath of blood....was NEVER shown in America. You're mistaken here.....All that additional nudity was NOT seen in the American PG-rated release. MGM made a mistake in the rating indicated on the back of the DVD packaging.....same thing with VAMPIRE LOVERS. That was indeed rated R in the U.S., but that frontal shot of Ingrid rising from her bath was NEVER seen in the U.S. release print.

TECHNICALLY.....both films should have said NOT RATED on the DVD case, because the dvd contains the unrated British versions of each film,

I'm waiting for some kid's mother to complain after seeing the PG rating for COUNTESS DRACULA, and freaking over the nudity and gore in the film, similar to what happened with SWAMP THING, when.....although it was rated PG.....MGM inadvertently used the unrated International Version of the film on that now-infamous DVD, and some mothers freaked when their kids suddenly were watching Adrienne Barbeau's bare breasts.

[The Burgomaster]

Kriegerg69 wrote:

"MGM released the UNCUT British version of the movie.....not the American release. What we got on DVD....including the famous shot of Ingrid nude in the bath of blood....was NEVER shown in America. You're mistaken here.....All that additional nudity was NOT seen in the American PG-rated release. MGM made a mistake in the rating indicated on the back of the DVD packaging.....same thing with VAMPIRE LOVERS. That was indeed rated R in the U.S., but that frontal shot of Ingrid rising from her bath was NEVER seen in the U.S. release print."

I stand corrected . . . I based my comments on the back of the DVD case, which said the movie was rated PG. Actually, I'm glad the DVD contains the uncut versions of both films.

[kriegerg69]

The Burgomaster wrote:

> I stand corrected . . . I based my comments on the back of the
> DVD case, which said the movie was rated PG. Actually, I'm glad
> the DVD contains the uncut versions of both films.

No prob, Burgo! Actually, I'm still curious as to whether anyone's mother....seeing the PG rating and thinking the film is ok for kids....suddenly freaks and goes screaming to MGM about the nudity in COUNTESS DRACULA..

Technically....any film that MGM releases in an UNCUT version doesn't have a rating, since such a version would obviously NOT have been rated by the MPAA....and yet MGM has periodically released such uncut editions with the dvd casing containing the film's original rating.

I just doublechecked my SQUIRM and RAW MEAT dvds, and both those films do have the UNRATED statement on them, since MGM released the unrated versions of both. I'm still thinking how the heck COUNTESS DRACULA could have gotten by MGM with the incorrect rating on the case, and if it's going to cause any problems eventually.

Like I said....Remember the SWAMP THING scandal a couple of years ago? Seems to me that the folks at MGM should have learned from that big mistake.

[Chadzilla]

kriegerg69 wrote:

>
> I'm waiting for some kid's mother to complain after seeing the
> PG rating for COUNTESS DRACULA, and freaking over the nudity
> and gore in the film, similar to what happened with SWAMP
> THING, when.....although it was rated PG.....MGM inadvertently
> used the unrated International Version of the film on that
> now-infamous DVD, and some mothers freaked when their kids
> suddenly were watching Adrienne Barbeau's bare breasts.[/b]
>

Great, remind me how I missed out on the Swamp Thing.  Just twist the knife a little harder.  Scrape the bone a bit, yeah, like that.

Sounds like I had better be getting this DVD asap.  Gotta protect the youngin's from the soul destroying effects of bared boobies and bush (and I ain't talkin' about Dubya!).

[The Burgomaster]

One of the best unrated, European versions of a horror movie that I have seen on DVD is THE DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE, which was released by Redemption a few years ago. It has some pretty good lesbian scenes . . . not extremely graphic, but very well-done . . . and the women are pretty hot. I highly recommend it if you can get your hands on a copy.

[BoyScoutKevin]

"Countess Dracula" has played on television, though I don't remember the cable channel on which I saw it. A very typical Hammer horror with its lush cinematography, costumes, and sets, and the references to Dracula a the end of the film. Ingrid Pitt, one of my favorite horror actresses, and Nigel Green turns in another one of his great performances, and makes one realize why he is so highly regarded as an actor.