Somehow, while being a fan of Japanese horror and ghost story movies, I managed to never have heard of the so-called Bloodthirsty trilogy. They are loads of fun.
Lake of Dracula is the middle film in the trilogy. It has an atmospheric opening, an entertaining if periodically slow moving middle portion, and a fantastic climax, including quite an ending. Wow, did they ever go for it with the ending!
There are a couple of annoying inconsistencies in the script, but really, perfect logic is never really the point in most modern Japanese horror. It's more about atmosphere, mood, and, in the case of these wonderful and unusual Japanese Gothic horror movies, a garish luredness lifted straight from the Hammer movies. The actors are also appealing and competent, and when consistently applied (it doesn't always cover the necks) the blue-gray vampire makeup is pretty cool.
Interesting context: the Bloodthirsty trilogy was produced by Toho, and Lake of Dracula was released the same year as Toho's Godzilla vs. Hedorah.
Highly recommended for fans of Hammer horror, Gothic horror, and Japanese horror cinema.
Lake of Dracula is the middle film in the trilogy. It has an atmospheric opening, an entertaining if periodically slow moving middle portion, and a fantastic climax, including quite an ending. Wow, did they ever go for it with the ending!
There are a couple of annoying inconsistencies in the script, but really, perfect logic is never really the point in most modern Japanese horror. It's more about atmosphere, mood, and, in the case of these wonderful and unusual Japanese Gothic horror movies, a garish luredness lifted straight from the Hammer movies. The actors are also appealing and competent, and when consistently applied (it doesn't always cover the necks) the blue-gray vampire makeup is pretty cool.
Interesting context: the Bloodthirsty trilogy was produced by Toho, and Lake of Dracula was released the same year as Toho's Godzilla vs. Hedorah.
Highly recommended for fans of Hammer horror, Gothic horror, and Japanese horror cinema.