"The Slaughter of the Vampires" is an ambiguously titled (are the vampires doing the slaying here or being killed off themselves?) Italian horror outing from 1962. A fairly paint-by-numbers affair, though filmed in B&W, the film reunites stars Walter Brandi and Alfredo Rizzo from the earlier "Playgirls and the Vampire." Here, Brandi plays Wolfgang, a nobleman in an unnamed country whose new wife, Louise, played by the luscious Graziella Granata, is being preyed on by a vampire so generic that we never even learn his name; call him The Vampire. As portrayed by Dieter Eppler, this neck nosher is so very compelling that poor Louise gives in to his charms almost immediately, soon becoming a most, uh, toothsome vampiress herself. Good thing that Wolfgang has been given the address of a most van Helsing-like doctor in nearby Vienna.... Offering absolutely nothing new to the vampire mythos and no new spins on this hoary staple of the horror genre, "Slaughter" yet has enough pleasurable aspects to merit it a mild recommendation. For one, Eppler is pretty darn impressive as the undead seducer, and when he speaks, his words are like pure poetry. The film has been given some interesting directorial touches and camera angles by Roberto Mauri, actually does have atmosphere to spare, and builds to an exciting conclusion. Perhaps best of all, a piano-dominated, dreamy and evocative score has been provided by Aldo Piga that effectively brings an air of otherworldliness to the entire affair. The picture really isn't that bad; just completely unoriginal and wholly derivative. Anybody out there know the Italian expression for "been there, done that"?
32 Reviews
Italian vampire thriller is Gothic romance novel on film
mlraymond9 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is by no means a great film, but it has a certain over the top romanticism about it that's very effective in creating a strange, other worldly atmosphere.
Unbeknown to the new owners of a refurbished castle, a vampire has taken up residence in the cellar. At a housewarming party, the aristocratic stranger dances with the beautiful wife of the bland hero, and then leaves, causing much gossip as to his identity and purpose. Later, he attempts to seduce the wife in her bedchamber, but her frightened screams drive him away temporarily.
The best part of the movie comes next. The wife wakes up next to her sleeping husband, and goes out into the moonlit garden in her revealing negligee. She sits on a marble bench and looks frightened, but also as if she were waiting for someone. A man's voice calls to her and she looks around fearfully, asking who it is and why she can't see him. The vampire comes out from behind a hedge and hands her a bouquet of flowers, and declares his love for her. She takes the flowers, even as she stammers that she's married. The vampire makes a poetic speech about how her beauty outshines the stars. By the time he gets through, she is flinging herself passionately into his arms.
This is great stuff. The vampire nobleman is obviously derived from Stoker's Count Dracula, and his courtship of the wife is unadulterated romanticism, even if a bit corny for some viewers.
Graziella Granata is one of the most stunningly beautiful women ever to appear in any Italian horror movie, and her low cut gowns and night dress reveal plenty of her fabulous figure.
Yes, the dubbing is poor, and the acting mediocre, and the dialogue foolish, the plot muddled, etc. But from the moment when the vampire ( who interestingly enough is never named; so he might actually be Count Dracula) appears at the party and dances with the wife, this movie had me hooked. The eroticism underlying all vampire stories is fully on display here, and well worth the inconvenience of putting up with the less inspired aspects of the movie.
Unbeknown to the new owners of a refurbished castle, a vampire has taken up residence in the cellar. At a housewarming party, the aristocratic stranger dances with the beautiful wife of the bland hero, and then leaves, causing much gossip as to his identity and purpose. Later, he attempts to seduce the wife in her bedchamber, but her frightened screams drive him away temporarily.
The best part of the movie comes next. The wife wakes up next to her sleeping husband, and goes out into the moonlit garden in her revealing negligee. She sits on a marble bench and looks frightened, but also as if she were waiting for someone. A man's voice calls to her and she looks around fearfully, asking who it is and why she can't see him. The vampire comes out from behind a hedge and hands her a bouquet of flowers, and declares his love for her. She takes the flowers, even as she stammers that she's married. The vampire makes a poetic speech about how her beauty outshines the stars. By the time he gets through, she is flinging herself passionately into his arms.
This is great stuff. The vampire nobleman is obviously derived from Stoker's Count Dracula, and his courtship of the wife is unadulterated romanticism, even if a bit corny for some viewers.
Graziella Granata is one of the most stunningly beautiful women ever to appear in any Italian horror movie, and her low cut gowns and night dress reveal plenty of her fabulous figure.
Yes, the dubbing is poor, and the acting mediocre, and the dialogue foolish, the plot muddled, etc. But from the moment when the vampire ( who interestingly enough is never named; so he might actually be Count Dracula) appears at the party and dances with the wife, this movie had me hooked. The eroticism underlying all vampire stories is fully on display here, and well worth the inconvenience of putting up with the less inspired aspects of the movie.
Not bad, just not at all original.
planktonrules31 July 2008
Although this movie sports the cool word "slaughter" in its title, this movie is very much the old Dracula story all over again (with only a minor twist at the end). While there are a few differences (such as the vampire looking pretty weird--a bit like a blond Liberace with raccoon eyes) as well as more cleavage than usual, the essence of the film is the same old same old--though the names have been changed. Although there is no one named Van Helsing or Nina Harker, the characters are still there but with different names. The biggest difference is that the entire first portion of the book and original movies is absent--and it begins later in the story. The only serious negatives are the silly music (which might have sounded better in a sci-fi flick) and the silly look of the vampire. Because the story is so similar and there isn't any new innovation to make it memorable, this is a story horror fans don't need to rush out to see, as the Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee versions cover the same territory but do it much better.
By the way, there were some complaints about the dubbing, though for a 1960s import, the quality isn't bad (except for the little girl--which sounds like an adult trying to sound like a girl). The voices seem appropriate and it wasn't a noticeable problem. Still, like many viewers, I would have preferred this to have been subtitled instead of dubbed into English.
By the way, there were some complaints about the dubbing, though for a 1960s import, the quality isn't bad (except for the little girl--which sounds like an adult trying to sound like a girl). The voices seem appropriate and it wasn't a noticeable problem. Still, like many viewers, I would have preferred this to have been subtitled instead of dubbed into English.
Pretty Average Flick, Not Bad
gavin694225 October 2010
As they celebrate their honeymoon in a faraway castle, newlyweds Wolfgang (Walter Brandi) and Louise (Graziella Granata) are unaware of the bloodthirsty vampire (Dieter Eppler) who lives in the basement wine cellar below. With a knack for romancing female guests and seducing them into his lair, the undead Lothario racks up a string of tasty victims -- and as soon as he spots Louise, she'll be next. Can Wolfgang save his young bride?
Also appearing: Alfredo Rizzo, and directed by Roberto Mauri. This film is also known as "Curse of the Blood Ghouls", though that is in no way a good translation.
On the Netflix version, the sound editing is really poor, rough and abrupt going from scene to scene. The Dark Sky disc may be better, as they have a way of restoring old foreign films. And the little girl's voice sounds like an adult dubbing a child. It would be much better subtitled.
Luca Palmerini says this is a "dismal example of an Italian horror movie" and "amateurish". I don't think it was all that bad, but this may be based on a poor copy. If nothing else, even if the film is "eh" the costumes are still superb. I am not clear on why Dr. Nietzsche's name is apparently pronounced "Nitch" rather than "Neetch-uh", though.
Also appearing: Alfredo Rizzo, and directed by Roberto Mauri. This film is also known as "Curse of the Blood Ghouls", though that is in no way a good translation.
On the Netflix version, the sound editing is really poor, rough and abrupt going from scene to scene. The Dark Sky disc may be better, as they have a way of restoring old foreign films. And the little girl's voice sounds like an adult dubbing a child. It would be much better subtitled.
Luca Palmerini says this is a "dismal example of an Italian horror movie" and "amateurish". I don't think it was all that bad, but this may be based on a poor copy. If nothing else, even if the film is "eh" the costumes are still superb. I am not clear on why Dr. Nietzsche's name is apparently pronounced "Nitch" rather than "Neetch-uh", though.
Slow, traditional vampire tale in the Dracula mould
Leofwine_draca22 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES is an Italian Gothic made in the midst of that country's horror period which roughly lasted from 1957 to 1965. Released in America in a shortened form that eliminates eleven minutes of unknown footage, this is in fact a subtle and slow-paced dark romance involving the traditional vampiric elements of a Dracula-style Count who seduces and vampirises the wife of a wealthy nobleman. The American re-titling instead makes it sound like we're in for some gory mass-vampire-killing action so fans looking for such action are likely to be largely disappointed. This is a ponderous yet well-made Gothic drama with a pacing so slow that only the most patient fans will find it rewarding.
The film is frankly dull, lacking in action or much of a story. Basically, a vampire seduces a woman and bites a few others. A traditional and already over-filmed tale that adds nothing new that we haven't seen before to the vampire cinema. Sure there are a couple of off-screen stakings and some cross wavings but this movie is almost action-free. Even the final brief battle between hero and villain and the tacky "skeletonising" of the latter is pretty uninteresting. A shame, because Roberto Mauri's direction is assured and occasionally stylish and the movie benefits from some fairly good acting and passable dubbing. As Wolfgang, the nobleman whose wife falls victim to the vampire, Walter Brandi gives us an accurate portrayal of sadness and grief, a downbeat character who ends the film having lost almost everything he had lived for (indeed at one moment he says that he would rather die than be without his wife, yet he survives at the end and she does not).
Luigi Batzella is also fine as Dr Nietszhe, the vampire fighter in the mould of Peter Cushing's Van Helsing and his character seems very similar to that of Clifford Evans in Hammer's KISS OF THE VAMPIRE - maybe even a possible inspiration. However the finest actor of note in the movie is Graziella Granata, the victim and later the vampire bride. This actress simply oozes sex appeal and her performance as the smouldering victim accounts for the film's high level of charged eroticism as she welcomes the vampire into her bed and wanders around the gloomy cellars of the mansion in a revealing negligee. Good stuff. Not so good is Dieter Eppler whose vampire count looks more like a made-up dame (with too much eye make-up) than a scary supernatural enemy - definitely a miscast actor here who flounders to make an impression.
Script-wise there are very few surprises to offer, with the exception of the governess who turns out to be a vampire herself. The one memorable thing is the classic piano work which makes up the film's score, haunting and melancholy music which adds to the atmosphere of the production. Efficiently and sometimes skilfully made, SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES would have benefited from a more original or pacy story and the cast and director deserve more than they're left with here. As it stands, it's just another traditional vampire story, no different to a hundred others and too much time is spent imitating other productions. Fine to watch just once but expect time spent fidgeting.
The film is frankly dull, lacking in action or much of a story. Basically, a vampire seduces a woman and bites a few others. A traditional and already over-filmed tale that adds nothing new that we haven't seen before to the vampire cinema. Sure there are a couple of off-screen stakings and some cross wavings but this movie is almost action-free. Even the final brief battle between hero and villain and the tacky "skeletonising" of the latter is pretty uninteresting. A shame, because Roberto Mauri's direction is assured and occasionally stylish and the movie benefits from some fairly good acting and passable dubbing. As Wolfgang, the nobleman whose wife falls victim to the vampire, Walter Brandi gives us an accurate portrayal of sadness and grief, a downbeat character who ends the film having lost almost everything he had lived for (indeed at one moment he says that he would rather die than be without his wife, yet he survives at the end and she does not).
Luigi Batzella is also fine as Dr Nietszhe, the vampire fighter in the mould of Peter Cushing's Van Helsing and his character seems very similar to that of Clifford Evans in Hammer's KISS OF THE VAMPIRE - maybe even a possible inspiration. However the finest actor of note in the movie is Graziella Granata, the victim and later the vampire bride. This actress simply oozes sex appeal and her performance as the smouldering victim accounts for the film's high level of charged eroticism as she welcomes the vampire into her bed and wanders around the gloomy cellars of the mansion in a revealing negligee. Good stuff. Not so good is Dieter Eppler whose vampire count looks more like a made-up dame (with too much eye make-up) than a scary supernatural enemy - definitely a miscast actor here who flounders to make an impression.
Script-wise there are very few surprises to offer, with the exception of the governess who turns out to be a vampire herself. The one memorable thing is the classic piano work which makes up the film's score, haunting and melancholy music which adds to the atmosphere of the production. Efficiently and sometimes skilfully made, SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES would have benefited from a more original or pacy story and the cast and director deserve more than they're left with here. As it stands, it's just another traditional vampire story, no different to a hundred others and too much time is spent imitating other productions. Fine to watch just once but expect time spent fidgeting.
Worth Watching
johnrtracy23 September 2006
I first watched this film on TV in the late 60's, early 70's. At that time i thought that it was a pretty good film. Recently, i purchased it on DVD and have, somewhat, changed my mind. The atmosphere, castle and surrounding settings are very good, however, the acting could be better. The opening sequence is great, however, the movie goes downhill from there. Graziella Granata, is drop dead gorgeous and Walter Brandi, her husband/male lead is OK. My main problem is with Dieter Eppler, the Vampire. He is way too stiff and his makeup is overdone. He,i assume, does his best with what he has to work with but looks like an extra in a stage play, who just comes in and out. The music is fine and the film, overall, is worth watching. I just feel that it could have been so much better. John R. Tracy
"You're So Cold, You Make Me Shudder!"...
azathothpwiggins3 November 2019
SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES (aka: CURSE OF THE BLOOD GHOULS) stars Dieter Eppler as the be-fanged monster of the title.
Wolfgang and Louise (Walter Brandi and Graziella Granata) have moved into their new castle, unaware that a certain coffin is hidden in the wine cellar! Soon, an enigmatic stranger crashes their housewarming party, bewitching Louise. In no time at all, she is donating her blood to him, the old-fashioned way! Can Wolfgang and the vampire-hunting Dr. Nietzsche (Luigi Batzella) uncover the true cause of Louise's "anemia", before she is lost forever?
SOTV is a black and white Italian film that makes great use of it's location and gloomy atmosphere. Eppler is excellent in his sinister, bug-eyed role. Obviously drawing heavily from DRACULA, this movie still manages to remain interesting and creepy.
EXTRA POINTS FOR: The woo-woo musical score!...
Wolfgang and Louise (Walter Brandi and Graziella Granata) have moved into their new castle, unaware that a certain coffin is hidden in the wine cellar! Soon, an enigmatic stranger crashes their housewarming party, bewitching Louise. In no time at all, she is donating her blood to him, the old-fashioned way! Can Wolfgang and the vampire-hunting Dr. Nietzsche (Luigi Batzella) uncover the true cause of Louise's "anemia", before she is lost forever?
SOTV is a black and white Italian film that makes great use of it's location and gloomy atmosphere. Eppler is excellent in his sinister, bug-eyed role. Obviously drawing heavily from DRACULA, this movie still manages to remain interesting and creepy.
EXTRA POINTS FOR: The woo-woo musical score!...
The most unsexy vampire since Max Schreck.
mark.waltz29 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Looking as if he's waiting for a remake of "Wuthering Heights" so he can take on the role of the insufferable drunk Hindley, Dieter Eppler is the epitome of miscasting in a horror film ever. Women swoon for this dandy to remove their plasma, and as a result this is a very disappointing Italian horror film, certainly not in competition with those Mario Bava classics that I can watch over and over. It is certainly a good looking we must classic horror film, but you need charismatic casting to make you even remotely seduced by its leading creature.
The opening scene is pretty silly with a bunch of wealthy women sitting around in their southern like ball gowns as if they were in a poor TV remake of "Gone With the Wind" , gossiping about the men's folk and claiming they did not have the good fortune to have loyal servants. The dubbing is very poor and the music overly dramatic and distracting, not at all appropriate for a Gothic horror film. The film is often slow and painful, and there's little suspense. However for a low budget film, the photography is surprisingly appropriate, but the story has some very silly elements about it that makes it more like those dime a dozen Mexican horror films that seemed to be made for a peso. The fact that the female characters swoon when bitten had me laughing hysterically as if it was a bad TV variety show sketch.
The opening scene is pretty silly with a bunch of wealthy women sitting around in their southern like ball gowns as if they were in a poor TV remake of "Gone With the Wind" , gossiping about the men's folk and claiming they did not have the good fortune to have loyal servants. The dubbing is very poor and the music overly dramatic and distracting, not at all appropriate for a Gothic horror film. The film is often slow and painful, and there's little suspense. However for a low budget film, the photography is surprisingly appropriate, but the story has some very silly elements about it that makes it more like those dime a dozen Mexican horror films that seemed to be made for a peso. The fact that the female characters swoon when bitten had me laughing hysterically as if it was a bad TV variety show sketch.
THE SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES (Roberto Mauri, 1962) **1/2
Bunuel197616 January 2011
This was renowned as the best of the 3 virtually interchangeable vampire 'classics' emanating from Italy early into their Gothic Horror phase; however, while that may be so, it is still nothing to write home about! I am not sure about THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA (1960) since it has been some time from my sole viewing of it, but this at least maintains a period setting throughout (beginning with villagers rising up against a bloodsucking couple). Incidentally, while Walter Brandi also turns up here, he is not the monster – the latter, in fact, is played by Dieter Eppler and he proves one of the hammiest ever depicted, while hilariously looking like Criswell from the Ed Wood movies! Brandi, then, makes for an ineffectual lead (he is even bitten twice throughout, offering virtually no opposition to his female assailants!) – though he does contrive to ambiguously participate in the climax, where we are unsure whether he intends harming a little girl or not, before trapping Eppler and proceeding to impale him with the pointed edges of a wooden gate!
During the course of the film, Eppler manages to vampirize two ladies: Brandi's wife Graziella Granata (who is virtually put under a spell by the villain, whose coffin is hidden in their country-estate's wine-cellar!) – an unintentionally amusing scene has her responding to Eppler's disembodied voice, then he nonchalantly appears from behind a nearby tree! – and her maid (who looks an awful lot like a plumper version of Isabelle Adjani!). The most impressive member of the cast is Paolo Solvay, actually a pseudonym for director Luigi Batzella (best-known for the nonsensical erotic Gothic NUDE FOR Satan [1974]), here appearing as Dr. Nietzche(!) and evoking Peter Cook, of all people, in appearance – in his case, the most hilarious bit has him telling Brandi of Granata's imminent demise and getting no reaction whatsoever (incidentally, the English dialogue of this one is exceedingly stilted, which may well have been an intentional choice so as to complement Eppler's stagy performance)! Another future film-maker, Alfredo Rizzo, turns up here as well but in a minor role this time around.
In conclusion, I recently watched an interview with director Mauri on the "Stracult" program on late-night Italian TV: apart from SLAUGHTER itself (in Italian), this section included scenes from a number of his other efforts and I was sufficiently intrigued to acquire the black-and-white Giallo NIGHT OF VIOLENCE (1965), the psycho-drama MADELINE, STUDY OF A NIGHTMARE (1974; with Camille Keaton, and whose failure through poor distribution Mauri particularly bemoaned) and THE PORNO KILLERS (1980; albeit in its softer original form) soon after!
During the course of the film, Eppler manages to vampirize two ladies: Brandi's wife Graziella Granata (who is virtually put under a spell by the villain, whose coffin is hidden in their country-estate's wine-cellar!) – an unintentionally amusing scene has her responding to Eppler's disembodied voice, then he nonchalantly appears from behind a nearby tree! – and her maid (who looks an awful lot like a plumper version of Isabelle Adjani!). The most impressive member of the cast is Paolo Solvay, actually a pseudonym for director Luigi Batzella (best-known for the nonsensical erotic Gothic NUDE FOR Satan [1974]), here appearing as Dr. Nietzche(!) and evoking Peter Cook, of all people, in appearance – in his case, the most hilarious bit has him telling Brandi of Granata's imminent demise and getting no reaction whatsoever (incidentally, the English dialogue of this one is exceedingly stilted, which may well have been an intentional choice so as to complement Eppler's stagy performance)! Another future film-maker, Alfredo Rizzo, turns up here as well but in a minor role this time around.
In conclusion, I recently watched an interview with director Mauri on the "Stracult" program on late-night Italian TV: apart from SLAUGHTER itself (in Italian), this section included scenes from a number of his other efforts and I was sufficiently intrigued to acquire the black-and-white Giallo NIGHT OF VIOLENCE (1965), the psycho-drama MADELINE, STUDY OF A NIGHTMARE (1974; with Camille Keaton, and whose failure through poor distribution Mauri particularly bemoaned) and THE PORNO KILLERS (1980; albeit in its softer original form) soon after!
Vampires in the Wine Cellar!
Coventry12 March 2010
I've been a fan of the horror genre for so long now that it's becoming dangerous to stumble upon a film I never heard or read anything about before. On one hand, it's exciting because this perhaps could be the hidden gem you've been waiting for forever (particularly since it concerns an Italian Gothic horror movie) but on the other hand you're very cautious with expectations because it's simply not normal that you never saw the title mentioned anywhere on forums or in magazines ever before. "Slaughter of the Vampires" definitely looks promising enough, with a title like that and very appealing DVD cover art illustrated here on the website (I'm a sucker for that) but the end result is overall sadly mediocre. It's a very rudimentary and straightforward vampire movie and you'll undoubtedly have a feeling of déjà-vu more than once. A young couple, Wolfgang and his bride Louise who boosts a massively impressive cleavage, moves into a castle unaware that a Christopher Lee wannabe vampire already inhabits it. During their Victorian house-warming party, when the butler goes to the wine cellar to pick up a few bottles, the camera zooms out and there suddenly comes a vampire emerging from his coffin from behind a the wine barrels! How could anyone have missed that during the open house showing day? There's a coffin in the wine cellar! Anyway, the nameless vampire carelessly joins the party upstairs and ends the night by biting the brand new lady of the house in her neck. He also turns out to be quite a smooth talker as he even offers flowers to the girl he enslaved as his immortal bride. Louise condition grows increasingly worse and the local doctor advises them to travel to Vienna and obtain help from the acclaimed Dr. Nietzsche. I don't think he's supposed THE world-famous Nietzsche, as he was more of a philosopher if my memory serves me well, but perhaps a cousin of his? The old vampire chap naturally finds his way to Vienna as well, where it will eventually become a virulent showdown.
"Slaughter of the Vampires" is like a very basic and primitive re-telling of the Dracula saga in which the character names have been changed and certain sub plots have been removed in order to make it even more simplistic. There's no Renfield, no Carfax Abbey, etc. So, not a hidden gem, unfortunately, but a rather dull and redundant Gothic vampire movie that fully deserves its obscurity status. The lead actresses are beautiful, Graziella Granata who depicts Louise is particularly exquisite, but none of the cast members appear to be very interested in the in the script. They just stand there motionless and bring their lines in the most random fashion. I'm not too familiar with director Roberto Mauri, but if Mario Bava or Antonio Margheriti had directed this film, surely there would have been a lot more passion and intensity bursting from the screen. Apart from the occasionally atmospheric music, a few nice touches of scenery and the impressive rack of our lead actress (which is exactly right to plan a wooden stake in between), there's absolutely no reason to track this movie down.
"Slaughter of the Vampires" is like a very basic and primitive re-telling of the Dracula saga in which the character names have been changed and certain sub plots have been removed in order to make it even more simplistic. There's no Renfield, no Carfax Abbey, etc. So, not a hidden gem, unfortunately, but a rather dull and redundant Gothic vampire movie that fully deserves its obscurity status. The lead actresses are beautiful, Graziella Granata who depicts Louise is particularly exquisite, but none of the cast members appear to be very interested in the in the script. They just stand there motionless and bring their lines in the most random fashion. I'm not too familiar with director Roberto Mauri, but if Mario Bava or Antonio Margheriti had directed this film, surely there would have been a lot more passion and intensity bursting from the screen. Apart from the occasionally atmospheric music, a few nice touches of scenery and the impressive rack of our lead actress (which is exactly right to plan a wooden stake in between), there's absolutely no reason to track this movie down.
Full-Blooded Romanticism
goblinhairedguy13 March 2004
Here's a "full-blooded", old-fashioned (some might say out-dated), baroque Italian vampire opus which deserves a better reputation than it's achieved. Although Hammer Studios merits credit for re-popularizing the moribund Gothic horror genre in the early 60s, the contemporaneous Latin (Italian, Spanish and Mexican) efforts usually evoke a more authentically Romantic and decadent atmosphere. This one features overwhelmingly ornate sets; voluptuous ingenues with inviting dark eyes and heaving bosoms; high-collared, flouncy-vested Don Juans; absurdly stilted dialogue; and a lush, intrusive score full of piano glissandos, piercing oboes, and even a theremin during the vampire seductions. The deliberate pacing serves to intensify the well-timed shocks, there are some clever camera set-ups, and fine shadowy photography (particularly during the dungeon-set climax). Fans of fast-paced, violent, revisionist horror will think it a dinosaur, but connoisseurs should find it greatly satisfying.
Never mind the movie, feel the music...
morpheusatloppers4 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, this is a second- (maybe third-) rate Italian black-and-white horror flick from the early Sixties which is WELL below the already shaky standards of other similar attempts of that time.
And although the heroine is gorgeous, she's no Barbara Steele.
But FORGET about the casting, plot, dubbing, acting, direction - and the fact that about eleven minutes of the film's then-typical sauciness is missing (by all accounts permanently - but maybe the footage'll show up some day).
Forget all that - and listen to the SCORE. Aldo Piga is no Morricone, but his lavish music, with it's piano - and even Theremin - solos, is a TRIUMPH. (And forget the fact that the music doesn't PARTICULARLY enhance the "action").
Between '59 and '68, Piga wrote 36 movie scores - all for Italian low-budgeters - and was just 34 when he wrote THIS one. But being English, this is the only one I've heard. Which is sad.
Ennio Morricone, who is mostly only known for his spaghetti-western scores and later Hollywood work, has written some FOUR HUNDRED scores in HIS life-time. And like Piga, most have never been heard outside central Europe.
But whilst Piga can only be heard in THIS half-baked hodge-podge, Morricone's early work IS available, thanks to fans of Edda Dell'Orso, the 3-octave session vocalist who appears on most of his work from '64 to '75, and whose following still BUYS it.
If you want to hear some of Morricone's early work, go to You-Tube and punch in "ennio morricone edda dell' orso" and you can hear about 40 tracks of the greatest music of this type you will ever hear.
But alas, of Aldo Piga, there is NOTHING. So check out THIS movie - and any others you can find featuring his 36 scores (they're listed in IMDb). They don't WRITE stuff like this any more.
And although the heroine is gorgeous, she's no Barbara Steele.
But FORGET about the casting, plot, dubbing, acting, direction - and the fact that about eleven minutes of the film's then-typical sauciness is missing (by all accounts permanently - but maybe the footage'll show up some day).
Forget all that - and listen to the SCORE. Aldo Piga is no Morricone, but his lavish music, with it's piano - and even Theremin - solos, is a TRIUMPH. (And forget the fact that the music doesn't PARTICULARLY enhance the "action").
Between '59 and '68, Piga wrote 36 movie scores - all for Italian low-budgeters - and was just 34 when he wrote THIS one. But being English, this is the only one I've heard. Which is sad.
Ennio Morricone, who is mostly only known for his spaghetti-western scores and later Hollywood work, has written some FOUR HUNDRED scores in HIS life-time. And like Piga, most have never been heard outside central Europe.
But whilst Piga can only be heard in THIS half-baked hodge-podge, Morricone's early work IS available, thanks to fans of Edda Dell'Orso, the 3-octave session vocalist who appears on most of his work from '64 to '75, and whose following still BUYS it.
If you want to hear some of Morricone's early work, go to You-Tube and punch in "ennio morricone edda dell' orso" and you can hear about 40 tracks of the greatest music of this type you will ever hear.
But alas, of Aldo Piga, there is NOTHING. So check out THIS movie - and any others you can find featuring his 36 scores (they're listed in IMDb). They don't WRITE stuff like this any more.
Slaughter of the Vampires
Scarecrow-8811 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
A vampire(a hammy Dieter Eppler who moves as fast as lightning with little to no dialogue)terrorizes Aristocrat married couple Wolfgang(Walter Brandi)and large-chested Louise(the ravishing Graziella Granata)in an old granite castle where he rests his coffin in the wine cellar. The vampire also eyes the other females(including the little girl of a gardener as well)..he just wishes to infect as many of the ladies as possible. It will be up to Dr. Nietzsche, vampire slayer(Luigi Batzella, always puffing a cigar)to stop the bloodthirsty menace or else.
Despite lavish castle setting and the ruins around it, good fluid camera-work, and attractive lighting, this flick suffers from really bad dialogue and dubbing that's hard to shake off. It has too many dull patches and often feels a lot longer than 80 minutes. Eppler isn't very impressive as the vamp despite having a towering presence..something's wrong with that. Granata as the fetching Louise makes delicious eye candy. Bloodless bite sequences and we never see puncture wounds where the vampire bites his victims despite those neckless gowns Granata wears(and with such an enticing neck, wounds should certainly show)only adds to the problems of the film.
Despite lavish castle setting and the ruins around it, good fluid camera-work, and attractive lighting, this flick suffers from really bad dialogue and dubbing that's hard to shake off. It has too many dull patches and often feels a lot longer than 80 minutes. Eppler isn't very impressive as the vamp despite having a towering presence..something's wrong with that. Granata as the fetching Louise makes delicious eye candy. Bloodless bite sequences and we never see puncture wounds where the vampire bites his victims despite those neckless gowns Granata wears(and with such an enticing neck, wounds should certainly show)only adds to the problems of the film.
Drive that stake between those heaving bosoms!
lastliberal19 September 2008
One would imagine that this film came out of those pocket books so popular with the ladies. It is a Gothic romance from start to finish with sumptuous sets, heaving bosoms and formal attire.
Graziella Granata is absolutely gorgeous even in black and white, and she falls into the vampire's (Dieter Eppler) trap immediately. Here husband (Walter Brandi) is absolutely clueless at what is happening right under his nose.
Don't worry, the fearless doctor knows what he is dealing with and chases the vampire and his minions to extinction - or , based on current HBO programming - to Louisiana.
Graziella Granata is absolutely gorgeous even in black and white, and she falls into the vampire's (Dieter Eppler) trap immediately. Here husband (Walter Brandi) is absolutely clueless at what is happening right under his nose.
Don't worry, the fearless doctor knows what he is dealing with and chases the vampire and his minions to extinction - or , based on current HBO programming - to Louisiana.
Vampire business as usual
Bezenby24 January 2018
Notable actors: Walter Brandi! Crap director Luigi Batzella!
While running away from an angry torch and pitchfork wielding mob, our vampire shows his true colours by ditching the vampire lady he was with an saving his own arse. The lady of course gets a couple of pitchforks stuck in her for her trouble, while the vampire takes a carriage to a nearby castle and gets the driver to help him hide his coffin in the basement.
Back in the nineteenth century one of the greatest causes of marriage failure was vampire intrusion, and this jerk starts on this newlywed couple right away by diving out of his wine cellar coffin and crashing their wedding party. He then starts dancing with the blushing bride, putting the moves on her and generally acting like a twat before heading to her room later and giving her a rather extreme love bite. This happens almost right away and while I was impressed that he was much more efficient than the crap vampire in Vampire of the Opera, it leaves an awful lot of room in the film for people to jaw about what's happening.
There's not really much scope beyond the 'guy whose girlfriend has been turned in a vampire' routine, so I kind of kept losing interest in this one. The girl gets sick, the guy goes looking for help, girl dies, comes back as a vampire, yadda yadda. Everything is carried out well enough, but sometimes that means that the film becomes mediocre due to the lack of craziness or random dance routines or stripteases.
I suppose things picked up a little in the end what with the caretaker's family getting targeted by the vampires, but there's very little to make this one stand out. Next!
While running away from an angry torch and pitchfork wielding mob, our vampire shows his true colours by ditching the vampire lady he was with an saving his own arse. The lady of course gets a couple of pitchforks stuck in her for her trouble, while the vampire takes a carriage to a nearby castle and gets the driver to help him hide his coffin in the basement.
Back in the nineteenth century one of the greatest causes of marriage failure was vampire intrusion, and this jerk starts on this newlywed couple right away by diving out of his wine cellar coffin and crashing their wedding party. He then starts dancing with the blushing bride, putting the moves on her and generally acting like a twat before heading to her room later and giving her a rather extreme love bite. This happens almost right away and while I was impressed that he was much more efficient than the crap vampire in Vampire of the Opera, it leaves an awful lot of room in the film for people to jaw about what's happening.
There's not really much scope beyond the 'guy whose girlfriend has been turned in a vampire' routine, so I kind of kept losing interest in this one. The girl gets sick, the guy goes looking for help, girl dies, comes back as a vampire, yadda yadda. Everything is carried out well enough, but sometimes that means that the film becomes mediocre due to the lack of craziness or random dance routines or stripteases.
I suppose things picked up a little in the end what with the caretaker's family getting targeted by the vampires, but there's very little to make this one stand out. Next!
I tried to like it...I really did.
LJ2729 October 2002
Warning: Spoilers
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD: I have a weakness for European low-budget horror films from the 1960s so I watched this film wanting very much to find some good in it. Unfortunately, my attempt was in vain. Walter Brandi (spelled "Brandy" in the credits) plays the vampire (or one of them). He had been in a movie before this called THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA where he sported a cool make-up job. Well, he has no such cool make-up job in this film. In fact, there's not much of anything cool in this film. The music score is nothing special. The B&W photography isn't that great and neither are the sets. It's mostly a bunch of un- interesting people sitting around talking for the greater part of it's running time. WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD:
At the end, the vampire is staked and disintegrates. Sound cool? Don't bet on it. If you want cool disintegration scenes, see FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) or HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) or THE EVIL DEAD (1982). If you want to see a disintegration scene handled poorly, watch as the filmmakers dissolve from Walter Brandi to a series of drawings of withered heads then a skull then nothing. Also, the drawings move about in relation to one another with each dissolve. I made a better disintegration scene as a kid with a Super 8 camera and some modelling clay. After seeing this, I understand why it isn't even mentioned in most books about horror films.
At the end, the vampire is staked and disintegrates. Sound cool? Don't bet on it. If you want cool disintegration scenes, see FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) or HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) or THE EVIL DEAD (1982). If you want to see a disintegration scene handled poorly, watch as the filmmakers dissolve from Walter Brandi to a series of drawings of withered heads then a skull then nothing. Also, the drawings move about in relation to one another with each dissolve. I made a better disintegration scene as a kid with a Super 8 camera and some modelling clay. After seeing this, I understand why it isn't even mentioned in most books about horror films.
Slaughter of the Vampires
Uriah4326 February 2022
This film begins in Austria with a newlywed couple by the names of "Marquis Wolfgang" (Walter Brandi) and "Louise" (Graziella Granata) moving into an old castle and inviting all of their friends over for a lavish party. What they don't realize, however, is that a vampire (played by Dieter Eppler) has also moved in and occupies the wine cellar beneath them. To that effect, upon being awakened by the butler who has gone to retrieve some wine, he happens to spy Louise and become so enchanted with her beauty that he decides that he has to have her for himself. So that very night he sneaks into her bedroom and proceeds to feast upon her but, upon being interrupted, decides to flee for the time being. Not long afterward, recognizing that his wife is ill, Wolfgang summons a doctor who subsequently recommends that he contact another physician in Vienna by the name of "Doctor Nietzche" (Luigi Batzella) immediately. Unfortunately, the vampire has not remained inactive and by the time Wolfgang returns to the castle with Dr. Nietzche the damage has already been done--and things are about to get much worse for all concerned. Now, rather than reveal anymore, I will just say that this film had the potential to be a pretty good vampire film as it featured an interesting plot, excellent cinematography and an exquisite leading lady in Graziella Granata. Unfortunately, there were a couple of major flaws which essentially outweighed some of these positive attributes. For starters, it seems highly likely that the English dubbing used in this film didn't quite capture the passion inherent in the original Italian. That said, English subtitles would probably have been much better. Likewise, Dieter Eppler was terribly miscast in the role of the vampire and this certainly didn't help the overall movie either. Neither did the annoying piano soundtrack. Be that as it may, while I don't consider this to be a bad vampire film necessarily, it didn't really impress me all that much and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
Italian Vampire Tale
vtcavuoto7 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"Slaughter of the Vampires" was made around the same time as another Italian Vampire film, Mario Bava's classic "Black Sunday". Unlike "Black Sunday", there isn't the sense of atmosphere or thrills. "Slaughter of the Vampires" plays out pretty much like any other run-of-the-mill Vampire flick. The dubbing is only average. The film plods along at times and there is little in the way of action. The Italian countryside locales are beautiful though. I also have to admit that the women are quite lovely(I may be a little biased due to my Italian heritage). The film isn't a total loss though I wish it were better than the title suggested. Worth a peek.
Horrendously dubbed Italian vampires
preppy-34 November 2002
A VERY badly dubbed Italian vampire film from 1962. A young couple, Louise and Wolfgang (!!) in the 16th century (I believe) are menaced by a vampire.
Nice black and white photography and a beautiful score can't save a very dull horror film with lousy dialogue, atrocious dubbing (I know I'm mentioning it a third time but it IS that bad!) and poor acting. More laughs than anything else. I was especially amused that the victims of the vampire have no marks on their necks! And some of the dialogue had me laughing out loud. However, both Wolfgang and Louise are VERY attractive and Louise wears incredibly low-cut dresses. Still, that's no reason to see this film.
Let's put it this way---this is a vampire film with a G rating! What does that tell you? Avoid--unless you have insomnia.
Nice black and white photography and a beautiful score can't save a very dull horror film with lousy dialogue, atrocious dubbing (I know I'm mentioning it a third time but it IS that bad!) and poor acting. More laughs than anything else. I was especially amused that the victims of the vampire have no marks on their necks! And some of the dialogue had me laughing out loud. However, both Wolfgang and Louise are VERY attractive and Louise wears incredibly low-cut dresses. Still, that's no reason to see this film.
Let's put it this way---this is a vampire film with a G rating! What does that tell you? Avoid--unless you have insomnia.
Not bad at all but also absolutely nothing special.
Hey_Sweden1 March 2015
"The Slaughter of the Vampires" tells what is a pretty standard story. It does things competently but never extravagantly. Written and directed by Roberto Mauri, it stars the creepy looking Dieter Eppler as a blood sucker. On the run from angry villagers, he holes up in the basement of a castle. This castle belongs to newlywed couple Wolfgang (Walter Brandi) and Louise (Graziella Granata). In no time our night stalking antagonist is seducing Louise. Fearful for her life, Wolfgang turns to a specialist, Dr. Nietzsche (Luigi Batzella), who's a pretty fair stand-in for Van Helsing.
The atmosphere is decent, the dialogue fairly eloquent, and some of the performances are adequate. Eppler and Batzella are clearly standouts. It doesn't hurt any that there are some very attractive ladies present. However, Wolfgang is a pretty big dummy, as one will see, and it's a good thing Dr. Nietzsche is so competent. Pacing is deliberate, and the running time is a reasonably short 79 minutes. Overall, the film is romantic and sexy, and eerie enough, if never exactly scary. However, none of this really makes up for what is such trite material.
Certainly watchable, but hardly inspired.
Six out of 10.
The atmosphere is decent, the dialogue fairly eloquent, and some of the performances are adequate. Eppler and Batzella are clearly standouts. It doesn't hurt any that there are some very attractive ladies present. However, Wolfgang is a pretty big dummy, as one will see, and it's a good thing Dr. Nietzsche is so competent. Pacing is deliberate, and the running time is a reasonably short 79 minutes. Overall, the film is romantic and sexy, and eerie enough, if never exactly scary. However, none of this really makes up for what is such trite material.
Certainly watchable, but hardly inspired.
Six out of 10.
A little heavy-handed, mostly pretty well done - just nothing remarkable
I_Ailurophile8 October 2022
Hollywood did not exclusively have its clutches on mid-century B-movies. 'Slaughter of the vampires' (also known as 'La strage dei vampiri,' or 'Curse of the blood ghouls') was released (in Italy) in 1962, but the film-making and storytelling sensibilities herein ride a line between feeling timely, and outdated by at least ten years. Scene writing, dialogue, editing, and direction are in turn brusque, direct, or blunt, and any measure of nuance to manifest feels like an achievement unlocked. This isn't to say that it's bad, or not enjoyable, but a measure of kitsch results from the assemblage and surely means its best potential is limited, and this will have trouble appealing to all comers.
In fairness, the filming location of Monte San Giovanni Campano is exquisite, and the production design and art direction are splendid; the costume design, hair styling, and makeup work are terrific. I actually quite admire Ugo Brunelli's dynamic cinematography, and even 60 years later the image is crisp and vivid, as though this were filmed far more recently in black and white - the same can't be said of most older pictures. 'Slaughter of the vampires' claims some familiar, tried and true story ideas (what do vampires do best, but to tempt and seduce? - and so on, and so on), but even so the screenplay is swell in the broad strokes. And though limited by the tenor the movie adopts, I like the cast. Everyone on hand gives fairly strong performances, I believe; maybe it's just because she was given more material to work with, but I think Graziella Gratana especially stands out as Louise, demonstrating some of the range and nuance that the feature lacks at large.
Overall I think this is more well made than not, despite its indelicacies, yet there's one more factor to consider: Is there really anything to help this stand out? No strength or weakness here is one that's not shared by many other genre flicks, and nothing about 'Slaughter of the vampires' strikes me as something to particularly distinguish it from similar fare. In and of itself this is no mark against one title, of course, yet for lack of grabbing immediacy, why should we look to this over myriad other horror flicks? Ultimately this is reasonably entertaining if you come across it, and by no means is it a bad way to spend 80 minutes - it just doesn't demand viewership, either.
In fairness, the filming location of Monte San Giovanni Campano is exquisite, and the production design and art direction are splendid; the costume design, hair styling, and makeup work are terrific. I actually quite admire Ugo Brunelli's dynamic cinematography, and even 60 years later the image is crisp and vivid, as though this were filmed far more recently in black and white - the same can't be said of most older pictures. 'Slaughter of the vampires' claims some familiar, tried and true story ideas (what do vampires do best, but to tempt and seduce? - and so on, and so on), but even so the screenplay is swell in the broad strokes. And though limited by the tenor the movie adopts, I like the cast. Everyone on hand gives fairly strong performances, I believe; maybe it's just because she was given more material to work with, but I think Graziella Gratana especially stands out as Louise, demonstrating some of the range and nuance that the feature lacks at large.
Overall I think this is more well made than not, despite its indelicacies, yet there's one more factor to consider: Is there really anything to help this stand out? No strength or weakness here is one that's not shared by many other genre flicks, and nothing about 'Slaughter of the vampires' strikes me as something to particularly distinguish it from similar fare. In and of itself this is no mark against one title, of course, yet for lack of grabbing immediacy, why should we look to this over myriad other horror flicks? Ultimately this is reasonably entertaining if you come across it, and by no means is it a bad way to spend 80 minutes - it just doesn't demand viewership, either.
Behind a DARK SKY, there is a silver lining.
wca72013 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
DARK SKY FILMS has just released their version of SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES on DVD and I must tell you, it is far and away superior to that of the Retromedia version of the film. It is crisp, clear and sharp Black & White as I have ever seen in a film that is over 40 years old. They did a superb job of presenting this in DVD format. They include chapter index and when you go to a chapter, it doesn't put you right in the middle of a scene as Retromedia's version did. It is also presented in widescreen format too. Believe me, put your Retromedia copy on your Trade-in pile and go out and get DARK SKY FILMS version. The DSF version also includes a scene or two not presented in any other version that I remember although that storied missing 11 minutes that I have heard so much about does not seem to be there, it is still an excellent reproduction. Even though this film is from 1962, it still outshines a lot of vampire movies that I have seen. Graziella Granata is still gorgeous in this movie and her Titular jog through the castle to escape the stake is worth seeing in slow-mo. Whether or not you are a fan of a vampire movie this old, it still has a lot going for it. It shines in a dim way but it still shines. I call it the "GONE WITH THE WIND" of bad B-Vampire movies because it is the best of the worst.
Wanna talk about it?.............leave a comment, I'll get back to you.
Bill
Wanna talk about it?.............leave a comment, I'll get back to you.
Bill
Slaughter
BandSAboutMovies11 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Roberto Mauri isn't talked about as often as he should be. There's his oddball King of Kong Island, his Westerns like He Was Called Holy Ghost and his masterful Madeleine: Anatomy of a Nightmare. Now, after this, I need to look up more of his movies.
Released in America on TV as Slaughter of the Vampires and then as a double feature with The Blood Beast Terror - renamed as The Vampire Beast Craves Blood - as Curse of the Blood Ghouls, this has the kind of tagline that definitely made me want to watch it: "Satan's Horror Henchmen enslave beautiful women through weird ways of love transforming them into Blood Ghoul Vampires to satisfy an insatiable LUST."
This stars Walter Brandi, who was also in The Vampire and the Ballerina and The Playgirls and the Vampire. He plays Wolfgang, who has just become married to Louise (Graziella Granata), and they are unaware that a vampire (Dieter Eppler) has entered the party they're having. He soon seduces Louise and bites her, which means that Wolfgang must look for a cure, finally meeting Dr. Nietzche (Luigi Batzella).
Where Hammer has rich color, this is shot in black and white, but it's a whole different type of beautiful filmmaking. The real castle adds quite the scenery and if this movie can't have crimson blood, it can have bosoms barely held back by their costumes and that is always enough.
Released in America on TV as Slaughter of the Vampires and then as a double feature with The Blood Beast Terror - renamed as The Vampire Beast Craves Blood - as Curse of the Blood Ghouls, this has the kind of tagline that definitely made me want to watch it: "Satan's Horror Henchmen enslave beautiful women through weird ways of love transforming them into Blood Ghoul Vampires to satisfy an insatiable LUST."
This stars Walter Brandi, who was also in The Vampire and the Ballerina and The Playgirls and the Vampire. He plays Wolfgang, who has just become married to Louise (Graziella Granata), and they are unaware that a vampire (Dieter Eppler) has entered the party they're having. He soon seduces Louise and bites her, which means that Wolfgang must look for a cure, finally meeting Dr. Nietzche (Luigi Batzella).
Where Hammer has rich color, this is shot in black and white, but it's a whole different type of beautiful filmmaking. The real castle adds quite the scenery and if this movie can't have crimson blood, it can have bosoms barely held back by their costumes and that is always enough.
AMC in the US cablecast a 10-minute abridgment of this film in 2018
foxbrick2 November 2018
Under THE SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES title, in 2018 the AMC cable channel offered a ten-minute or so abridgment of this film, reminiscent of the 8mm film reels sold in the 1960s and '70s in US department stores and five&dimes, for pre-Hallowe'en viewing. One was able to note how attractive the women of the cast were, and get the sense of what the story was, and not much more...but I haven't seen too many other examples of a feature-length film trimmed down to filler-length for telecast in recent decades. One wonders if that actually was the sound-version edit of the Castle Films release ca. 1970.
See also
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