I was a bit surprised by this rather low budget 1970s incarnation of vampire films. That's because around this same time period, vampire films were getting a bit stale and silly--with too many Hammer Dracula films (the franchise was getting weaker due to so many sequels) as well as dumb films like OLD Dracula and the Blacula films (which weren't terrible, but they sure were silly). 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. While only a nut would compare this to the greatness of Dracula or NOSFERATU, it still is a decent example of the franchise.

Before talking about the plot, there was something odd I noticed and that was how sexy the film was and it looked, at times, like it was a soft-core porno movie. However, again and again when it looked like it was going that direction, the movie abruptly changed direction--sometimes as if scenes were edited out to make this a film for general viewing. I checked IMDb for this and was not at all surprised to find that this was indeed the case. For example, a lesbian sex scene seemed about to occur--then the scene just ended. In another case, a woman was wearing a very revealing nightgown and began a very torrid scene with Iorga (there were two spellings in the film) and this just ended as well. There was also a very gratuitous scene involving a couple making love in a van for absolutely no reason--but again, with creative editing you really didn't see anything! As a result, the film is still quite sexy--but also one you could probably still let your teens watch.

Iorga/Yorga lives in the Los Angeles area in a house that looks more like a castle than a house. Even in crazy L.A., this house was definitely out of place! The film begins with his having a séance with three couples and it's soon apparent that the Count has magical hypnotic powers. Soon, it also becomes rather obvious that the Count is a heterosexual vampire--with strong desires for the three women but only a desire to kill off the men.

Many elements are taken from Dracula--even including a Dr. Helsing-like character. Despite the familiarity, the decent acting and nice update of the old tale make this worth a look. Plus the performance by the guy playing the Count was pretty cool.

In Los Angeles, a group of friends of Donna (Donna Anders) reunites for a séance 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. 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. On the next day, they have no recollections from the previous night and Erica has lost blood. Dr. James 'Jim' Hayes (Roger Perry),who is a family friend, sees Erica drinking the blood of a cat and he believes that Count Yorga is a vampire. 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. When Donna also disappears, Jim and Mike plan to hunt Yorga down to save Donna. Will they succeed in their intent?

"Count Yorga, Vampire" is a modern vampire tale, with a tedious beginning and an entertaining but predictable conclusion. The plot has a poor and rushed initial development and uses the usual clichés where the vampire hunters chase the vampire during the night, and not along the day. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not available on DVD or Blu-Ray

This vampire saga is probably the most bloody non-Dracula film ever made, filled with some visual moments that will remain with you forever. For me, I'll never forget the sight of a young woman turned into a vampire literally eating a kitten, so I do not recommend this at all for young children. Robert Quarry succeeds in making this vampire quite unforgettable, dashing and romantic one moment, yet so determined in his evil that he truly becomes one of the most frightening villains in horror movie history. While a lot of the first 3/4 of the film moves along slowly, the last half hour is exciting, filled with tension, and ends with a nice twist. This is one of the few non-period vampire films that works because for the most part, it is non-stop action and horror, and the vampire brides are just as deadly and determined as their vampire master.

The basic plot involves the daughter of an old acquaintance's of Count Yorga desperately trying not to become his next victim, and trying to steer clear of his Igor/Renfield like sidekick, the very creepy Edward Walsh. These vampires aren't of the simple tooth in the neck with the small hole left for future drilling. They really go for the jugular, so the blood content is a lot more graphic. There's the usual amount of female nudity for a European horror film, and while the women are voluptuous, they are closer to a preying mantis than a simple bloodsucker. That makes this 1970's cult horror movie all the more frightening because it seems impossible to beat any of the cruel but sexy monsters here at their own diabolical game.