They do things differently in Japan, even vampires. This one transforms by the full moon (perhaps his father was a werewolf), is unaffected by the holy cross (it is worn by a couple of his undead women) and is visible in mirrors. And his doesn't seem a big fan of blood either. In a scene where he and his incompetent evil dwarf create panic in a bar alley, he bites six women on the neck, but tosses them aside immediately.
The first two reviewers seem to have taken this cheapie too seriously. It is grand, silly fun. The vampire hams it up to the hilt, and seems to lack only a loud and villainous evil laugh. He's a snappy dresser too.
The story starts at a birthday party where everyone is on their best behaviour, after going to an exhibition, where a girl finds her mother as a topless model in a painting. But things go downhill after the birthday girl cuts her finger as well as the cake. But though rich, the family has strange stuff going on. Twenty years ago, mother wandered off during a holiday in Kyushu, entranced by a snappily-dressed painter.
Mother doesn't seem to have aged one day in that time, but her husband seems to have aged at least 40 years. I had to check several times who the characters were. Itsuko's mother looks more like her sister, and dad looks like granddad.
Due to the lack of English subtitles, a few details eluded me. For instance, why the vampire didn't bother to bite Itsuko or her mum, and why he dramatically showed his age at the end. But the rest of the story was pretty easy to follow. There is plenty of action, and the pace is brisk. The kabuki section mentioned in another review only lasts a couple of minutes and makes no real difference.
I found the menagerie of wacky characters delightful, even the bald mute muscleman who wielded a blunderbus ! This movie is measurably better than Black Cat Mansion. Relax and get carried along for this ride.
The first two reviewers seem to have taken this cheapie too seriously. It is grand, silly fun. The vampire hams it up to the hilt, and seems to lack only a loud and villainous evil laugh. He's a snappy dresser too.
The story starts at a birthday party where everyone is on their best behaviour, after going to an exhibition, where a girl finds her mother as a topless model in a painting. But things go downhill after the birthday girl cuts her finger as well as the cake. But though rich, the family has strange stuff going on. Twenty years ago, mother wandered off during a holiday in Kyushu, entranced by a snappily-dressed painter.
Mother doesn't seem to have aged one day in that time, but her husband seems to have aged at least 40 years. I had to check several times who the characters were. Itsuko's mother looks more like her sister, and dad looks like granddad.
Due to the lack of English subtitles, a few details eluded me. For instance, why the vampire didn't bother to bite Itsuko or her mum, and why he dramatically showed his age at the end. But the rest of the story was pretty easy to follow. There is plenty of action, and the pace is brisk. The kabuki section mentioned in another review only lasts a couple of minutes and makes no real difference.
I found the menagerie of wacky characters delightful, even the bald mute muscleman who wielded a blunderbus ! This movie is measurably better than Black Cat Mansion. Relax and get carried along for this ride.
