Of course, I said yes, if its going to be a straight horror film.. Yorga awakens Donna telepathically and has her sabotage Michael's alarm clock before having her come to the mansion. 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 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. The newer members have cleaner silker gowns which can be tied around the waist. YORGA presents this notion up front, and with a meta-comic element. Prepare to meet Count Yorga. On the one hand, they are early examples of the modernised gothic, taking the genre out of the costume drama and into the real world (at one point in Return, Yorga watches Hammer's The Vampire Lovers on TV - an amusing comment on the difference between the cozily distant gothic and the modern day . Directed by Bob Kelljan. With it obvious now that she's beyond saving, Micheal manages to ward the two vampires back. Jason breaks free, only to run into Count Yorga, who chases Jason down a hall and strangles him. Director Bob Kelljan (Scream Blacula Scream) delivers a one-two punch of classic cult cinema mixing chills, thrills, style, and suspense with a knowing wit that revels in the . In the dark, this is still a pretty intense film. He lives in a large house somewhere in California and terrorizes young women and their boyfriends. the guys spend most of the film running around, looking for the girls. Tommy claims that nothing has happened. They said will you do it? Those who only see 'The Return' will wonder what all the fuss was about in regard to the original. 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. 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. An opening grave yard is truly beautiful and spooky. 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. Cynthia herself is subdued, but unharmed and carried by the brides to Yorga's residence where she awakens. 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. Erica is a young and attractive woman in her age early 20's with shoulder length brunette hair, green eyes, and fair skin color. Preorder now Yet here and there one can find some competence, some of which is intriguing enough that you keep watching the movie despite its shortcomings. 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. When we think of great vampire portrayals, normally the names of Lugosi and Christopher Lee immediately pop into our heads. The 80s saw a slew of modern-day vampire tales with Tony Scotts THE HUNGER bringing them to New Yorks goth scene, NEAR DARK to the Wild West, and FRIGHT NIGHT transporting the legend even closer to homenext door to a suburban teenage horror fan. 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. However, the visible snags are all part of the charm, for the most part. Tommy dismisses it, but vampire women rise from their graves. Michael rams the charging Yorga with his stake, killing him. 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. Tommy tries to escape the cemetery but runs into the waiting Count Yorga. Another Dracula film in all but name, "Count Yorga, Vampire" was one of quite a few early-1970s reworkings of Bram Stoker's novel. 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. Really, the film is an update of the classic Dracula story, only with more of a seventies horror swing to it. She strikes Yorga in the chest with Baldwin's battle-axe. 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. 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. 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. Meanwhile, Hammer Productions, which all but cornered the vampire market throughout the 60s, found themselves playing catch-up. Some good suspense, especially in the stranded van awaiting something to happen, but what? Indie sleeper thanks to Robert Quarry's absolutely commanding performance as the lead blood-sucker. Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) Plot Showing all 4 items Jump to: Summaries (4) Summaries A couple invites a Count from Hungary, who recently immigrated to America, to conduct a seance for the woman's recently deceased mother, oblivious to the fact that he is actually a vampire. The film was released theatrically in the US by American International Pictures in 1971. New blood needed to be injected into the genre. LOL, at least I thought it was pretty funny. Count Yorga, himself, is a very close-cut Dracula clone in the traditional sense of things. 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. The Count comes to California and starts up a harem of sexy vampires. | "[5] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Those who saw 'Count Yorga' will be disappointed. What follows is a vampire film with the women predictably the victims/aggressors and the men predictably running around trying to solve things. 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. The story features Quarry returning as the infamous vampire Count Yorga, along with his servant Brudah, both of whom have been revived by the supernatural Santa Ana winds. Murphy, who would grow into a prolific character actor, isn't bad either, but most of the rest of the cast is weak. and feral (his creepy dashes for prospective victims, seemingly out of nowhere, with blood-red eyes and arms outstretched actually gave me a jolt on a couple of occasions!). 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. Thomas is tricked into walking into the quicksand pit and promptly sinks to his death. O'Connor to join him in a rescue-mission at Yorga's mansion. 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. The concerned men drive to her home where they find the place in disarray, and a hysterical Erica eating her kitten. Video Review. I have to admit though that I have a bit of fun with it now, like the guys who are being fed to the girl vampires, you have several hot chicks who are scantly clad and want to suck the blood out of you? 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! 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. Youll receive instant access to exclusive insider movie content, member only deals, first dibs at limited editions, and more. Enter Robert Quarry, an American actor with transatlantic style and wit. They enlist the aid of blood specialist Perry, who acts as a sort of modern day Van Helsing, trying to come up with ways to combat the vampire. As I said, an entirely realistic series of responses that really aids the viewer in buying in to the story. The sequence resembles a Bob Newhart/Benny Hill Halloween special. Starting as an actor in the 1960s, he turned to writing and directing. They transported Christopher Lees Count and Peter Cushings Van Helsing to swinging London, sinking his fangs into a modish group of attractive young people (including Caroline Munro) in, The 80s saw a slew of modern-day vampire tales with Tony Scotts, [FANTASIA FEST 2020] LUCKY: TROUBLE EVERY DAY, [FANTASIA FEST 2020] HAIL TO THE DEADITES GIVES US SOME SUGAR, BABY, highly influential take on the vampire mythos. When a weakened Mitzi stumbles into the room, Yorga leaves as the others attend to her. He bites one of the pretty guests, Mitzi, outside the event room before going inside and introducing himself to those present. The first character to suggest that the Count may be a vampire is Dr. Jim Hayes (Roger Perry); when the good doctor (whos in bed with an attractive, but daft young lady) calls the police to tell them theyre most likely dealing with a vampire, hes laughed off the phone as the 47th nut talking about vampires. This was really the first vampire film that treated them as swift and animalistic. They restrain her and call Hayes, who finds that Erica has suddenly lost a lot of blood and begins an emergency blood transfusion. Although Michael is skeptical, the three men consider the possibility of vampirism as an excuse for Erica's behavior and agree to look into it while letting Erica rest. The rock bottom budget is really evident in a number of scenes, from the lighting to the sloppy camera work. It later was released on DVD by MGM in 2005 as part of its Midnite Movies series. Bob Kelljan's 'Count Yorga, Vampire' is often unfairly overlooked in an era dominated by English and European vampire movies. They chase Michael and Donna downstairs until repelled by Michael's cross. Awards Here, the Bulgarian-born Count Yorga is a recent transplant to California, and we first meet him conducting a sance on behalf of Donna, whose late mother was involved with the alleged psychic. He also intends to take a new wife, while feeding his bevy of female vampires.Count Yorga continues to prey on the local community while living by a nearby orphanage. Most of the clichs of the vampire sub-genre are here, and it's only really the setting that has been changed. Quarry plays the title character, a Bulgarian migr hired by some young adults to conduct a seance. However, as she does, Bruhda silently arrives drags away the corpses of Cynthia's mother and father to a quicksand pit on Yorga's property, disposing of the physical evidence. Will they succeed in their intent? Now, Arrow Video have brought it, and its sequel, to Blu-ray for new audiences to discover. Yorga sends the undead women to Cynthia's house, using mind-control to get Cynthia's family (along with Tommy, who was sleeping over) into the living room before his brides break in and attack them. Count Yorga (1970) was one of my childhood favorites. Count Yorga, Vampire (1970 - 93 minutes) opens with a ship arriving in the docks of Los Angeles. The Return of Count Yorga ups the ante and sees the sardonic Count on the streets of San Francisco, his sights set on an . They plan to attack later that afternoon in the hopes of killing Yorga in the daytime. Meanwhile, the pastor falls for Yorga's charms and reveals the others' suspicions that he is a vampire, alerting Yorga of danger. Excellent too are Roger Perry and the entire cast, except for Perry's bed partner who gets more lines than she can handle. "Film Reviews: The Return Of Count Yorga". As Yorga reunites Donna with her mother, Michael finds Paul's mutilated body while navigating the crypt. Possible SPOILER (if you've never seen a vampire flick before!). with some remnants of the original plot left in. Erica gets bite marks on her neck, but she can't remember what happened. | 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 opening sance scene is an intriguing attention-getter since the reactions seem so normal at the same time the super-slick Quarry sorts through prospective victims. it's a your typical horror film. 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. They dated a few weeks shortly before her death. 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 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 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. Their van gets stuck in the mud outside of Yorga's mansion, although Paul insists the road was dry a minute ago. Hayes notices she has lost a lot of blood but is unable to diagnose the cause. "Count Yorga" doesn't distinguish itself in any interesting ways from this pack. An old school vampire living in the early seventies. 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. Michael alerts Hayes that Paul has gone to the mansion, and Hayes confides that Paul's lack of preparation will probably lead to his death. On her arrival, Brudah rapes her. Returning to a small California coastal community to feed should be a pretty routine affair. Donna mourns her mother a second time before Michael collects her. Everyone at the seance agrees that the Count is refined, well-mannered, and eloquent. 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. "[3] Roger Greenspun of The New York Times called Robert Quarry "the best chief vampire I have seen in years. 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). Upon finding Erica missing, Paul rashly goes to Yorga's mansion to rescue her. External Reviews The next morning, Jennifer, the Nelsons' mute maid, finds the massacre scene along with Tommy and calls the police. While only a nut would compare this to the greatness of Dracula or NOSFERATU, it still is a decent example of the franchise. "[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. He and Donna watch Yorga turn to dust. 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! He eliminates each of the friends one by one until it's up to two remaining friends to become reluctant vampire hunters to save Donna from an existence of living death. 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. Kelljan died quite young at 52 from cancer. Bruddah tosses Jason's body into the throne/coffin room for the brides, including Ellen and newly vampiric Mitzi, to feed upon. Donna's mom died of some kind of anemia, which of course fits in with the movie's theme. Cynthia mentions the "Santa Ana winds" which the pastor states are an evil omen. While mulling over his options, Hayes' girlfriend suggests involving the police, citing an eerily similar case of a baby being found in the woods, drained of its blood with bite wounds on the neck. After the party is over, Erica and Paul offer to drive the Count home. 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]. The two split up, and Yorga confronts Hayes. The fact that there is a costumed vampire at the party, leads to amusing tension and the viewer knows that the Count will be teaching these people a thing or two about real vampires as the movie continues. 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