YORGA presents this notion up front, and with a meta-comic element. More than a low-budget footnote, COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE is a highly influential take on the vampire mythos, eschewing spooky Victorian castles by bringing the bloodsuckers to contemporary Los Angeles. AIP insisted that they needed an unrestricted GP rating for the film in order to get the film released into the largest possible number of theaters, most importantly drive-in theaters. When not hard at work slinging margaritas, he tries to squeeze in as much adventure, excitement and romance as he can. Howard Thompson of The New York Times panned the film as "a dull, amateurish vampire brew. Time capsule material. She is dressed in a . That made this film surprisingly effective. Count Yorga, Vampire Director: Bob Kelljan Starring: Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Michael Murphy, Michael Macready, Donna Anders Country: United States Running Time: 93 Min Year: 1970 BBFC Certificate: 15 The Count Yorga movies have been lurking at the seedier end of the video shelf since the seventies, and many have wondered what horrors they hold. "Count Yorga" doesn't distinguish itself in any interesting ways from this pack. He becomes infatuated with Cynthia. A low-budget production, it updates its bare-bones reworking of Stoker's story to the then-present of about 1970 and resets the action in Southern California. She strikes Yorga in the chest with Baldwin's battle-axe. Perhaps the big-haired living dead women crawl their way out of the dirt with too much ease, but style is more important than being realistic. Yorga returns to the manor, awakens his brides and unleashes them through the household as he psychically calls Cynthia to him. In the dark, this is still a pretty intense film. Another Dracula film in all but name, "Count Yorga, Vampire" was one of quite a few early-1970s reworkings of Bram Stoker's novel. Bob Kelljan's 'Count Yorga, Vampire' is often unfairly overlooked in an era dominated by English and European vampire movies. But Quarry didnt find success until taking on the role of the dashing, dark, and deadly Count Yorga for AIP. He bites one of the pretty guests, Mitzi, outside the event room before going inside and introducing himself to those present. When a weakened Mitzi stumbles into the room, Yorga leaves as the others attend to her. Thomas Yvonne Wilder as Jennifer Produced by Michael Macready Music by Bill Marx Directed by Bob Kellian Photographed by Bill Butler One of which is Erica, a friend of his that went missing earlier from her home after a blood transfusion. 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. When CBS ran the movie in the 1970s on its Friday Night Late Movie, the on-screen title was Yorga Returns. Stephen Farber's 1972 book, The Movie Rating Game, details the problems that the film's distributor American International Pictures had in securing a GP rating (formerly known as M, later renamed to PG) from the Motion Picture Association of America, which initially was divided as to whether to give the film an R or X rating. Cynthia's mother, father and sister, Ellen, are fed upon by the undead horde. 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. 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. He has made very few genre films but he can also be seen in 'Strange Behavior' and Wes Craven's 'Shocker'. Meanwhile, in-house director Roy Ward Baker directed Ingrid Pitt in THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, which featured explicit lesbian eroticism. Donna cannot recall seeing Yorga at her mother's funeral. Though Count Yorga is referred to as "the Deathmaster" in publicity for this film, a later film called The Deathmaster, also starring Robert Quarry as a vampire, has no relation to the Count Yorga series. Erica is a character in the movie, Count Yorga, Vampire. Just as he does, Erica, now a vampire and completely under Yorga's control, and a fellow redheaded vampire charge into the room to kill him. At the time, AIP was reportedly grooming Quarry to carry Prices torch as their new in-house horror star. 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. 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]. 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. Hayes notices she has lost a lot of blood but is unable to diagnose the cause. Their angry boyfriends decide to team up together to try and put an end to the Count's midnight snacks. Count Yorga, Vampire Special Effects . Like most of the films that I saw when I was younger I watched it on a small black and white T.V. 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! Soon after, we meet Count Yorga (Robert Quarry), as he conducts a sance to try to contact Donna's (Donna Anders) deceased mother. 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. Prepare to meet Count Yorga. "[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. From her window, Tommy can be seen walking away from the house. He awakens them and commands them to have sex. The ending, which I won't spoil, is also a bit confusing as to what actually takes place. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up for our 100% Free Daily Grindhouse Newsletter. A coffin is loaded to a truck at the Port of Los Angeles. In the first film comedy gave way to terror; in this self-conscious sequel the two elements tend to cancel each other out. What follows is a vampire film with the women predictably the victims/aggressors and the men predictably running around trying to solve things. One would think a movie called the best horror film of the year by Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune would end up on countless greatest horror films lists. Donna mentions in conversation with her friends that Yorga was her mother's boyfriend. Actually, my favorite parts are those between Quarry and Perry where they play cat and mouse. 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. Due to Yorga's hypnotic suggestions, she has no memory of the attack. Their van gets stuck in the mud outside of Yorga's mansion, although Paul insists the road was dry a minute ago. It's at least the equal of a Christopher Lee. 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). The rock bottom budget is really evident in a number of scenes, from the lighting to the sloppy camera work. 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. The newer members have cleaner silker gowns which can be tied around the waist. Add your email here for great cult movie content: A writer, filmmaker, musician, and amateur bon vivant, Mike Vanderbilt spends his days and nights on either end of the bar. I said why dont you just make a regular horror film out of it? Oct 20, 2015. ; Made of Iron: Barring a gunshot and a fatal stab, the man can take a lot of punishment. As I said, an entirely realistic series of responses that really aids the viewer in buying in to the story. The end result is Count Yorga, Vampire, a wonderfully fast-moving, edge of your seat scare ride that keeps you taunt until the shocking end. Initially conceived as a sort of T & A horror flick, it eventually morphed into a standard horror outing, though some sexually prominent elements remain. Yorga has all of. Upon finding Erica missing, Paul rashly goes to Yorga's mansion to rescue her. We basically know what fate will befall our innocent(just) protagonists, but we become riveted to their actions and those of the Count. The Count comes to California and starts up a harem of sexy vampires. After sex they settle in to sleep. Will they succeed in their intent? New blood needed to be injected into the genre. After leaving the manor, Hayes convinces Michael that killing Yorga will not be easy: vampires have greater strength and the wisdom that comes from living much longer than a "mere mortal". Some good surprises, too. American International Pictures had planned at one stage to revive Count Yorga as an adversary for Dr. Anton Phibes in Dr. Phibes Rises Again. Michael and Hayes switch places to keep Yorga off his guard, but Yorga becomes increasingly insistent that it is late and his guests must leave. The times were a-changing, and audiences found themselves growing bored with the boilerplate vampire tales that low-budget studios had been cranking out through the 60s. They dated a few weeks shortly before her death. [2] The disc was a double-feature release, pairing the film with Count Yorga, Vampire. Count Yorga, Vampire doesn't distinguish itself by being particularly innovative, stylish or even excessively gory, but it is a lot of fun, Kelljan employing the genre's most recognised tropes to create a consistently entertaining flick - often witty, sometimes scary, occasionally camp, frequently sexy (the film was originally intended to be a soft-core movie, before being severely edited), and always enjoyable. Count Yorga continues to prey on the local community while living by a nearby orphanage. Good versus evil can you guess which side wins..? The two Count Yorga films are interesting examples of early 1970s transitional horror. She was played by Judy Lang. There's even a henchman who's (apparently) a werewolf! "[5] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Those who saw 'Count Yorga' will be disappointed. 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!) Sure, it's done on a shoestring, but director Kelljan gets the most out of the cavernous mansion interiors and clever camera set-ups. 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. Cast Crew Details Genres Cast Preorder now Screen:'Count Yorga, Vampire' and 'The Crimson Cult' Bow at Local Theaters", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Count_Yorga,_Vampire&oldid=1146722089, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 March 2023, at 15:41. 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 Marx was not a prince of darkness, but Hollywood royalty all the same: the adopted son of Harpo Marx and Susan Flemming, Marx had begun arranging music for his father at 16. It's a classic vampire feel with a typical plot and silly actors, but that is what makes a fun horror movie. It is extremely well acted by every cast member; Robert Quarry makes for an exceptionally sinister neck nosher indeed, and he is well matched by Roger Perry as Dr. Hayes. YORGA was a surprise hit for AIP in the summer of 1970, appealing to both audiences and critics. He is a stylistically refined character that obeys all the trope narratives that typically are attached to his vampiristically driven disposition. the only other name i recognize is the narrator, George Macready; he was the nightclub owner in the awesome film Gilda, from 1946. pretty good. Once again, as in Vampire Lovers, the traditionally based vampire legend comes back from the grave containing the permissive sexual standards of the times. When Michael awakens, he finds Donna gone and that it is nearly evening when he calls to awaken Hayes. 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 was never a fan of Vincent Prices over-egging the pudding (note: both men penned cookbooks) and opted to play Count Yorga straight albeit with a certain sarcastic wit. The Return of Count Yorga ups the ante and sees the sardonic Count on the streets of San Francisco, his sights set on an . Awards 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. Really, the film is an update of the classic Dracula story, only with more of a seventies horror swing to it. Perry gives a skilled, knowing performance as well, obviously aware that a blend of seriousness mixed with levity was called for in the production. 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. 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. the detectives attempt to shoot them point blank, but their bullets prove ineffective as the undead women continue to give chase. America was not to be left out, and Bob Kelljan's 'Count Yorga, Vampire' is a great little movie that is often unfairly overlooked. Pianist Bill Marx was brought on to compose the films score, arguably one of the more traditional elements in this modern vampire tale with screeching strings and creepy organs to punctuate the supernatural happening. After taking the Count home, Paul and Erica are waylayed, and next the day, a listless Erica is diagnosed by their doctor as having lost a lot of blood. Things get spooky when a group of. Indie sleeper thanks to Robert Quarry's absolutely commanding performance as the lead blood-sucker. In contrast to her exuberant personality on the night before, Erica now seems despondent and listless. Following a jarring and somewhat harrowing experience in the sance, the party breaks up and young Murphy and Lang give Quarry a ride home. 1970 saw Christopher Lee return as Count Dracula in not one but two Hammer entries, Before becoming a genre icon Quarry would go on to appear in, Quarry would don the cape again one year later for the studios, Pianist Bill Marx was brought on to compose the films score, arguably one of the more traditional elements in this modern vampire tale with screeching strings and creepy organs to punctuate the supernatural happening. In the midst of their escape, they encounter Brudda and managed to shoot him to death. 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. And, even though he kind of looks like and acts like Count Dracula, he's not Dracula! 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). There's something compelling about this vampire movie that I find kind of hard to explain. Quarry would appear in another independent production, THE DEATHMASTER in 1973 which featured the actor as a vampire hippie guru modeled after Charles Manson. 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). 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. He tries to charm the young woman into willingly becoming his bride, though he is warned by his live-in witch that Cynthia will bring his end if he does not kill her or turn her into a vampire soon. 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. Count Yorga, Vampire From fun-loving perk girl to a undead bride. Both films were presented in the widescreen format, and included original theatrical trailers. But I loved it so much, this was just such a scary film to me, well, I'd say I grew up since then, so just giving a review from a new perspective. Just as he is about to kill Baldwin via choking, Cynthia's memories of the brides killing her family resurface, causing her to realize Yorga was responsible for their deaths. He also intends to take a new wife, while feeding his bevy of female vampires. This film's color palette is one aspect of this transfer I found exceptionally pleasing. Bloodsuckers were rife in the 1970s, from gothic Hammer horror to European arthouse sleaze (Rollin and Franco) to kung-fu vampires to more contemporary takes on the genre, such as Romero's Martin, and this film from writer/director Bob Kelljan. Memorable moments include Quarry enduring a late night tete-a-tete with Perry and Macready and Lang experiencing a gruesome encounter with her cat. 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. Of early 1970s transitional horror while living by a nearby orphanage ; this! 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