Lake of Dracula (1971) User Reviews

The Dream

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 16 November 2019]

On the age of five, Akiko Kashiwagi had a weird dream that has traumatized her life. Eighteen years later, Akiko Kashiwagi (Midori Fujita) is a school teacher that lives with her younger sister Natsuko Kashiwagi (Sanae Emi) and their dog Leo in an isolated house by a lake. Her fiancé Dr. Takashi Saeki (Chôei Takahashi) visits her every now and then when possible. When a coffin is delivered in the boat house of her acquaintance nearby her house, he is subdue by a weird man (Shin Kishida). Soon victims without blood and two holes on the neck arrive in the hospital and Dr. Takashi Saeki is attacking them at the lakeshore where Akiko lives and he decides to investigate.

"Noroi no yakata: Chi o suu me", a.k.a. "Lake of Dracula", is another vampire movie produced by Toho studios. The flawed plot is entertaining and is funny to see Akiko and Takashi going to the vampire house during the night without any weapon. The age of the dog Leo is also intriguing. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Lago de Drácula" ("The Lake of Dracula")

Solid enough if a slight let down

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 13 June 2017]

Arriving at a small lake-side town, a new teacher comes to suspect that someone is behind the strange incidents and dead bodies piling up around town, and when she learns that a master vampire has moved into the area she sets out to stop his blood-soaked reign against the villagers.

This was a decent enough if slightly flawed vampire effort. One of the few solid points involved here comes from the way this goes about trying to instill the idea of the vampire in the area as the build- up here is somewhat credible. Building the strange crate delivery alongside her arrival at the same time is quite nicely handled, and the first attacks, as well as the discovery of their aftermath, all come off rather well as the mystery starts to unfold. Even some of the fine action scenes throughout here, from the abduction in the woods before being startled away and the hospital resurrection of the first body to the idea of the nightly romps through the woods where he's able to feast on her friend despite continually denying it all makes for a rather fun time here and sells the idea of her mental competence rather well which runs through the first half of the film. Once it's confirmed that there are vampires involved, things pick up far more here with the Gothic action scenes really enhancing this one from the ambush in the car at the same time the two of them trap her in the home and begin tormenting her or the hospital awakening sequence give this some really energetic and lively moments. However, it's really the big confrontation at the end which really works best here with the Gothic imagery and action really making for a great finish and gives this one a lot to really like here with the way it all wraps up inside the basement and spreading throughout the rest of the house. Still, while these are the film's good points there are a few negative issues. One of the main problems is the fact that the film really suffers from a stiff and dragged out beginning where not a whole lot really makes an impact. Despite the series of events that play out here detailing the emergence of the vampire around the village, it's still a somewhat dull and dragged-out effort where those brief spurts feel like exceptions to the bland dialogue-heavy sequences that are much more commonly featured so this one really feels like it takes a while to get going. By focusing on her burgeoning mental instability doesn't make for a fun time here regardless of how well the vampire storyline is built through these events, this one really takes more time than it should in letting loose with its story and comes across as somewhat duller than it should be considering what goes on. Likewise, there's also the rather economical manner this one manages to make the heroine think of her predicament and how she buys into it all, as a few throwaway lines regarding the Western methods of dealing with vampires and yet it's completely bought into without so much as a real questionable thought. This makes for a tough time overall, although it does still have its moments.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence, Language and violence-against-animal aftermath.

Japanese Horror style was put aside to make at Hammer's format!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 2 January 2020]

Since the mid-sixties until mid-seventies were made thousand Vampire movies around the world, this wave came from Hammer and many countries used to mimic this successful genre ever since, therefore the Japanese Horror already had his own roots and style, this production made by Michio Yamamoto isn't useful, actually is a fine endeavor, about a young woman who has a memory from the past of a strange happening, when she went in a countryside house near a lake, she and his sister faces the unpredictable events, just as she had as child, a pale vampire appears again, valuable efforts to make something alike of Hammer, it were made as trilogy and apart some mistakes are pretty convincing productions, recommended for all fans of horror pictures!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

Very entertaining J-vampire flick

[ebeckstr-1 · 7/10 · 12 October 2021]

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.

I had some difficulty with this one

[christopher-underwood · 6/10 · 10 September 2018]

I had some difficulty with this one. Interesting as a Japanese version of a Hammer horror but although it looked fairly good, with all the expected cobwebs, old house, awkward fangs, multiple shots of bite marks (same every time and repeated?) and sounded okay, creaking doors, thunder and lightening and plenty of screams, this did creak a bit (pardon the pun). A leisurely start is basically followed by a wordy middle and amazingly a rather slow ending, just when things really should have been going bump. Some nice late 60s/early 70s costumes including some pretty English coats and suits plus an extensive use of scarves which were presumably to hide bite marks that weren't there. Colourful but slightly annoying in that the makers had clearly seen many Hammers yet the cast had not because they seemed oblivious to the end, when all had to be spelled out. Nice that it was made clear that these were not Japanese vampires but foreigners. Of course!

A Japanese Dracula? Alrighty then...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 16 June 2020]

Okay, color me intrigued when I happened to come across this 1971 Japanese movie titled "Lake of Dracula" (aka "Noroi no yakata: Chi o suu me"). At first I thought it was a spoof, because Dracula in Japanese cinema, come on... But my curiousity won the better of me, and I ended up sitting down to watch this movie from director Michio Yamamoto.

It actually turned out to be an entertaining movie, and the fact that it was from 1971 almost didn't show on the screen. Writers Ei Ogawa and Masaru Takesue definitely had to have been heavily inspired by the old classic Hammer Horror movies, because "Lake of Dracula" definitely had that particular style and quality to it.

I must say that I was adequate quite entertained by "Lake of Dracula", despite it being a bit odd to have Dracula pop up in a Japanese setting. It worked out well enough, actually, maybe because I didn't really see the vampire character as the mythical Dracula himself, despite his name being mentioned a single time in the movie. I suppose I just saw him as a generic, nameless vampire, which worked out quite well actually.

The storyline was good and entertaining, just as it was interesting and enjoyable. It was, however, a stereotypical approach to the vampire genre that writers Ei Ogawa and Masaru Takesue had taken on for the storyline, but it worked out well enough, because the movie had a good flow to it, and you got submerged into the storyline right away.

The acting in the movie was good, although I can't honestly say that I was familiar with any of the actors or actresses that performed in the movie. But they were well-cast for their individual roles and characters.

For a vampire movie from 1971 and from Japan nonetheless, then "Lake of Dracula" is actually well-worth watching for any fans of the older vampire movies. I am rating "Lake of Dracula" a six out of ten stars.

More Japanese Hammer style

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 10 September 2020]

The second part of the Bloodthirsty trilogy - three unrelated Toho-produced vampire movies all directed by Michio Yamamoto - Lake of Dracula shares the Hammer-inspired look of the other two films, looking as gorgeous as only Technicolor-hued skies can make happen. It transplants the gothic feel of British horror squarely into the Far East with style.

When she was five, Akiko had a nightmare of losing her dog inside a crumbling mansion until she watched a vampire (Shin Kishida, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla) drain the blood of a woman. Now an adult, she finds herself back in the grip of that very same vampire, as he arrives in a white coffin, fully prepared to finally claim her.

He starts by taking her friend Kusaku and sister Natsuko as his thralls. As Doctor Takashi Saki has become involved in the case, he saves her as her sister expires in the sunlight of a beach, begging for her corpse to be burned so that she may never return. However, they take her to the morgue where she rises again from the dead, now a full vampire ready to help her new master take her sister once and for all.

If you watched this in Japan, the vampires all disintegrate at the end of this movie. When it was edited for American television, they just fade away.

An Overall Eerie Atmosphere

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 22 July 2014]

As a child "Akiko Kashiwagi" (Midori Fujita) witnessed a horrible scene involving a vampire and has tried her best to repress it since then. Now in her mid-twenties certain strange events begin occurring which bring those memories front and center. The problem is that when she tries to tell her younger sister "Natsuko Kashiwagi" (Sanae Emi) about them she ends up sounding a little crazy and begins to question her sanity. Fortunately, her boyfriend "Dr. Takashi Saeki" (Choei Takahashi) is a bit more understanding. Even so, he still isn't quite able to make the connection when a patient is admitted to the emergency room totally drained of blood and with two bite marks on her neck. And then things really begin to happen. Now, rather than detail any more of the movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that, even though this basic story has been told many times and in many ways, this particular film was somewhat unique due in large part to the Japanese setting. I especially liked the heavy use of makeup on some of the characters along with the fog which helped to create an overall eerie atmosphere. Likewise, having a pretty actress like the aforementioned Sanae Emi certainly didn't hurt either. In any case, while the movie was certainly no blockbuster I think it deserves at least an average rating.

When The Dream Turns Out To Be Reality...

[meddlecore · 7/10 · 13 November 2020]

A young painter has recurring dreams about an experience she suffered as a child.

Though, she seems to have repressed the memory of it having actually occurred.

Fast forward a number of years later, and this dream is starting to manifest itself in her waking life.

All after of one of her friends receives a mysterious delivery, which just so happens to be a coffin.

Now her dog is dead, her friend tries to attack her, and a farm girl has been found near her house drained of blood.

It's all the work of the Japanese Dracula, who has returned to finish what what he had failed to complete when she was a child...to turn her into a vampire...and make her his bride.

Her best friend, however, doesn't believe her, and convinces her doctor boyfriend that it's all in her head.

But that's probably because Dracula has already turned her.

Interestingly, though, the people he bites don't actually die...or fully turn, it seems...as they can still walk in the daylight.

Rather, they just sort of take on an odd demeanour.

As to their master's bidding, they keep trying to get the young woman alone, so that he can sink his fangs into her.

For he has become obsessed with her, ever since she escaped him as a child.

It's not until one of them tries to kill her boyfriend, that he finally realizes that something is actually up.

Which only acts to confirm that it's not all in her head.

He uses hypnosis to help her bring forth the repressed memory, in order to figure out if her childhood trauma was, in fact, real.

And deduces that because no one believed her as a child, she convinced herself it was all a dream.

Now, they must re-enact the experiences from this dream, in order to find Dracula, so that they can kill him once and for all.

Only then, will her friends (that are still alive) be freed from his curse.

As far as Asian vampire films go, it's no Mr. Vampire, but it's still a pretty decent flick.

It's more of a mystery, than an action film.

But there are a couple instances of cool special effects.

Dracula, here, is more of a pale blue, than the normal off white.

So, he's more intimidating through his strength, than he is his from his slightly comic appearance.

I wasn't totally satisfied with the ending...which seems to have been a bit of a cop out.

But overall, it's an interesting little vampire film, that differs from the norm.

6.5 out of 10.

The film's few virtues wear out pretty fast

[allyjack · 5/10 · 9 August 1999]

The movie's strengths include the vaguely Wizard Of Oz-like opening sequence, persuasively evocative of a little girl's dream; its desaturated/pastel color scheme (which I guess could just be a sign of a decaying print, but anyway lends it an intriguingly muted quality at times); the occasional interesting composition; and the overall interest value of seeing standard vampire plot gambits and mythology at play in an unusual setting. These virtues wear out pretty fast though, and the movie quickly becomes over-reliant on coincidence and contrivance, with the heroine experiencing one narrow escape too many; the tone becomes repetitive, and the mythology lackadaisical. Needless to say, the dialogue (at least in this dubbed version) and acting are seldom more than functional. The movie also suffers from excessive decorum, with the erotic aspects of vampirism severely downplayed (especially given the final plot twists).

You won't forget the film's haunting second half

[kluseba · 8/10 · 14 January 2019]

Lake of Dracula is the second entry in the Bloodthirsty Trilogy, a series of Japanese movies inspired by American and European horror cinema, literature and myths. The story revolves around school teacher Kashiwagi Akiko who lives near a peaceful lake. When a coffin is delivered to a local boathouse by a strange truck driver, strange events start to occur. Akiko believes the current events are somehow related to a traumatizing event she went through when she was only five years old. Her joyful sister Natsuko doesn't believe her but her fiancé Doctor Saeki Takashi starts to investigate when one of his patients who lived near the lake is brought to his hospital with two bite marks on her neck.

If compared to the first entry in the franchise, Lake of Dracula isn't as intense from start to finish as the creepy The Vampire Doll. There are a few too many dialogues in the middle section and scenes like the two sisters going shopping in a nearby town are irrelevant to the story. However, the opening flashback has a very eerie atmosphere and the first scene in the present when a mysterious coffin is delivered sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Things start getting really intense in the second half when the protagonist gets attacked at home and her fiancé in his car. From then on, the film has intense pace and ends very dramatically as well.

The settings are perfectly chosen. The beautiful town by the lake turns into a sinister trap. The vampire's strange house has an otherworldly vibe to it. The hospital the doctor works in looks sinsiter at night. The different locations add some diversity to an already entertaining movie.

The acting performances are also quite solid. Fujita Midori delivers the goods as lead actress in her very first film and it's a mystery to me why she only starred in six movies in her whole career. Her fragile yet determined nature is perfecrly balanced in this movie. She harmonizes well with her more rational and grounded partner Takahashi Chôei. Their chemistry is comparable to the couple in the first movie. The mysterious vampire is played by Kishida Shin and truly terrifying. It reminds of several classic American horror movies in a positive way.

The second half of the film might even be better than the one of The Vampire Doll but a slightly dragging middle section makes Lake of Dracula overall a little bit less enjoyable. Still, fans of classic horror cinema will dig the combination of Japanese culture and Western horror tropes. The idea that vampirism was brought to Japan by foreigners as explained in this movie is somewhat awkward but everything else fits together very fluidly. The movie looks a little bit dated nowadays but still convinces with very good acting performances, a lot of atmosphere and great locations.

Japanese version of Hammer's Dracula

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 3 May 2021]

LAKE OF DRACULA (1971, original title Noroi no yakata: Chi o suu me, aka BLOODSUCKING EYES) is the second of the Bloodthirsty Trilogy of contemporary Japanese vampire films. This one follows the path of a young girl called Akiko, who as a five-year-old strayed into a lakehouse house and there encountered a mysterious and frightening man with glowing golden eyes. Years later, she revisits the area as an adult and soon realises that something is awry when friends and acquaintances go missing only to reappear strangely changed...

While the first, unconnected movie, VAMPIRE DOLL, concentrated on a very Asian female vampire/ghost, LAKE OF DRACULA is much more of a riff on the western vampire character, mostly that seen in the Hammer series with Christopher Lee. The references are clear and constant, particularly in the climax which feels heavily indebted to the 1958 DRACULA. It's a spooky little movie with more incident and drama than the first film, although there's a certain superficiality about it that stopped me loving it too much. I would rather the film had been more flavoured by local folklore than simply being derivative of earlier and better western movies. In the end it's a little too familiar to fully impress, although it's still enjoyable in its own right.

interesting take on the vampire myth

[shrame · 5/10 · 27 November 2016]

This film is interesting to say the least and it's definitely a different take on the vampire myth, with the setting being in a lakeside resort somewhere in Japan. Overall the movie contains some worthwhile and intriguing aspects. For example, the lead antagonist does an excellent job in his portrayal and the women who are transformed into vampires have a seductive, exotic aura about them. However it ultimately fails to build up a genuinely creepy atmosphere and the abundance of plot holes and ridiculous ideas really make this movie far too silly to be taken seriously.

If you're a fan of vampire movies and you have some spare time on your hands, then maybe give this one a try, because in some ways, the fact that it's set in Japan is somewhat of a refreshing and intriguing change compared to the typical vampire films. But be warned, don't set your standards too high and don't be surprised if you find some of the scenes to be more like a comedy than horror film.

Dracula in the 'land of the rising sun': is that wise of him?

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 8 June 2019]

Well whaddya know? Dracula isn't Transylvanian after all... he's Japanese, and he likes to hang around small rural harbours scaring the bejeezuz out of young girls. As a five year old, Akiko Kashiwagi (Midori Fujita) is shocked by the sight of the legendary bloodsucker (played by Shin Kishida) but over time convinces herself that it was all a dream. Eighteen years later, she crosses paths with the vampire once again: Dracula is at work draining the blood of the locals at Lake Fujimi, where Akiko now lives. With help from her boyfriend, Dr. Takashi Saeki (Chôei Takahashi), Akiko confronts her past, leading her back to the vampire's lair.

Dracula played by a Japanese actor is something a little different, but it doesn't mean that the film is worth seeing (unless you absolutely, positively have to see every vampire film ever made, like I do). Moving at an extremely sluggish pace, with very little in the way of scares, Lake of Dracula is quite the snoozefest, not a patch on the marvellous Hammer films it so clearly strives to emulate. Only in the film's closing moments are we treated to anything of note (a cool disintegrating hand and Dracula's bloody demise), the bulk of the film being largely forgettable with lots of dull dialogue. Some scenes are artfully shot, but a few pretty pictures do little to change matters: Japanese Dracula sucks.

2.5/10, rounded up to 3 for IMDb.

Shallow and tepid (I love puns)

[Kai-18 · 4/10 · 28 July 1999]

An Excrutatingly bad film from Toho. Despite the title there isn't really much of a lake in the plot. If there was a plot. It's fun if your looking for a laugh but only for that. The characters can't even stay on track: at first this guy believes and then when one is right there he doesn't. I would have really wanted to see this on MST3k. If you want to make fun of it like they do watch it back to back with Evil of Dracula.

Effective vampire horror.

[parry_na · 8/10 · 29 March 2018]

As I write, it's 69 years since Godzilla first stomped across our planet, causing the kind of destruction that is, even now, wowing audiences across the world. Toho films were originally (and subsequently) responsible for most of The Big G's attempts to save/destroy humanity. Perhaps less well known, particularly to Western audiences, is that Toho also enjoys a run of horror films. They were behind 1998's seminal Ringu, for example, which spawned a whole host of ghostly dark-haired children in horror films.

They flirted with the Prince of Darkness himself with this trilogy of films. Beginning with 1970's 'The Vampire Doll' and ending with ending with 'Evil of Dracula (1974)', 'Lake of Dracula' stars Shin Kishida as a thin glowing-eyed vampire and is more frightening than you might imagine. Nicely directed by Michio Yamamoto and bathed in abrasive colours, he is a force well up to the standing and style of other Draculas.

Any middle section of a trilogy has the most difficult job. No beginning and no end to speak of, it might ungraciously be regarded as 'filler' to any ongoing story. Happily, the stories are so loosely connected, 'Lake' is free to do as it pleases to a large degree.

There's a note of restrain with the horrors here, which isn't always the way with Toho films, and yet the finale is as horrifying as you could hope for. A triumph of lighting, tension and a generally eerie ambience, my score is 8 out of 10.

Toho Imitates Hammer (badly)

[JoeB131 · 3/10 · 28 October 2023]

This movie is Toho (best known for their Kaiju movies) doing a horror movie in the vein (pun intended) of the Hammer Dracula films. Except this movie lacks anyone with the talent levels of Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing. It also lacks the blood and breasts that often graced Hammer efforts.

So what does it have? Basically, a lot of dream sequences, with the least effective vampire ever, as the main girl avoids being an unwilling blood donor a dozen times.

The movie is very slow until the last 15 minutes, when there is the confrontation with the vampire and his female acolyte, who is the main girl's sister.

The most absurd part is when the doctor rants at the vampire with "rational" explanations for the last hour of encountering supernatural stuff.

So in conclusion. Japan shouldn't do gothic horror movies, and Britain shouldn't do giant monster movies. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Gorgo and Konga!)

Highly entertaining and very well made

[I_Ailurophile · 9/10 · 4 October 2021]

'Lake of Dracula' is unquestionably ham-handed in the way one generally expects of Toho, and in this case there's a keen resemblance to Hammer horror flicks. But it's all in good fun, and at the same time, right away I love the set design and decoration, costume design, and makeup and effects. We get an eyeful of all this even in the very first scene, and these aspects continue to get fine attention throughout. Just as notably, there's also a sense of suspense and atmosphere about the picture which gives it a swell boost.

Those touches are welcome additions to a screenplay that also provides for some unexpectedly jarring moments. Even as it's built for fun, the writing delivers tension and mystery, and allows the cast a bit of leeway to explore their roles. Midori Fujita and Choei Takahashi are great as dual protagonists Akiko and Dr. Saeki, roles demanding range and poise that the two actors manage well. Sanae Emi's part as Akiko's sister Natsuko similarly requires a fair bit of elastic personality, and Emi demonstrates wonderful acting skill to match. And Shin Kishida is clearly having a great time as the vampire, leaning into the imposing stature and delivery and exaggerated expression.

Riichiro Manabe's original score lends to that same air about the film - a little bit over the top, yet contributing to the atmosphere, and quite excellent and entertaining all the while. Scenes are both written and executed well, with good camerawork to capture all available detail and nuance, lovely use of lighting, and some especially fine shots. If slightly overdone at points, I think the overall narrative is pretty strong, and all involved have done a terrific job to bring it to life.

There are plenty of 70s horror movies that are too unbalanced, silly, or indulgent for their own good, to say nothing of other titles that may be lacking. I think the latter describes this feature's spiritual antecedent, Toho's 1970 film 'The vampire doll.' which while enjoyable failed for much of its runtime to really light up the imagination. I'm so very pleased that this feature strikes a superb balance between all its constituent parts to be exciting, disquieting, and marvelously entertaining, sometimes all at once.

I was impressed right away, and it only got better, far more than I could have anticipated. A viewer seeking abject visceral horror may feel put out, but anyone receptive to fun with their fangs is most welcome. 'Lake of Dracula' is a genuinely great vampire flick that I think robustly stands toe to toe with other genre pictures - a fantastic, invigorating feature that most anyone could enjoy, and well worth seeking out!

Recommended most immediately for fans of Toho or Hammer productions.

A truly terrifying film

[jacobjohntaylor1 · 10/10 · 18 April 2016]

This is one the better Dracula sequels. This film has the classic look and feel which I think is the beast way to tell a horror story. This movie has a great story line. It also great acting. It also has great special effects. This a true classic. If it does not scary you no movie will. This film will make you skin crawl and give you goose bumps. It will scary you out of your mind. 6 is underrating this movie. This is one of the best vampire movies ever made. It is a must see. More people need to see this movie. It is very scary. You will not imagine how scary this movie is. This movie is scarier then The Exorcist. It is really scary.

supernaturally necrophillic tale of recklessly-reanimating, sanity-straining midnight prowling succubi

[Weirdling_Wolf · 9/10 · 9 December 2020]

'Lake of Dracula' is the uniquely flavoured, nightmarishly insidious, neck-tormenting, shadow-steeped, marvellously malefic, morbidly tomb-trifling, sensually-sublime, supernaturally necrophillic tale of recklessly-reanimating, sanity-straining midnight prowling succubi! Director, Michio Yamamoto's sinfully sanguineous, sordidly strange, singularly off-beat vision of vintage, full-blooded, marrow-freezing, fear-haunted Hammer Gothic is a wickedly windswept work of exquisitely eerie majesty, this darkly-envisioned, doom-infested, unwholesomely unholy vision of gruesomely feeding, golden-eyed vampires is mesmeric macabre manna for Gothic-minded, grave sleeping, shape-shifting, sin-seeking, hungrily bodice-ripping, gore-sipping ghouls and salaciously Satan-serving, fly-eating fearlings alike! - FYI, When planning a trip to 'Lake of Dracula' don't forget to pack a pin-sharp wooden stake with your sirloin steaks, some additional holy water along with your firewater and a silver crucifix to go with your fruit-a-bix! And should an uncommonly gaunt, livid-looking local invite you to dine in terror tone's sublime, please politely decline; since the cadaverous cove doesn't drink...wine!'

Another enjoyable vampire film from Toho.

[MlleSedTortue · 8/10 · 1 November 2020]

With the success of Yamamoto's first film, it was no surprise that Toho green-lit a sequel. And yet Lake of Dracula is not a sequel to The Vampire doll but rather a whole new story, albeit told in a similar fashion.

A schoolteacher named Akiko has been haunted by a childhood dream. Her investigation leads her to her sister Sanae and a mysterious vampire linage. When compared to the previous film, Lake of Dracula lacks some of the suspense and atmosphere of the first film. The story is also less cohesive though it does make up for it by having a nice relationship between the two sisters that gives the film some emotional backing. There's a lot to enjoy here for those who liked the first film.

I have no idea what this movie is about! And I don't care!

[Whisper2Scream · 9/10 · 11 April 2024]

My favorite of the "series", Lake of Dracula is pure style and mood. It's like a Hammer movie on acid, with lots of the vibe of classic Terrence Fisher filtered through a Japanese sensibility. It's filled with color and crazy visuals and the main vampire - who is not Dracula, but hey, who cares! - is truly chilling. Despite these movies being freely available I still will call this movie underrated and under seen. It doesn't make much sense but if you sit back and just let it ride it's a fantastic gothic horror experience and the main female character is really good, you can't take your eyes off her.

Lake of Dracula offers a brilliant Japanese interpretation of Bram Stoker's iconic character and surpasses expectations

[kevin_robbins · 9/10 · 26 March 2024]

I recently watched the Toho Japanese vampire film Lake of Dracula (1971) on Tubi. The storyline follows a young woman haunted by a childhood dream who is now living by a lake with her doctor boyfriend. Their tranquil life takes a sinister turn when they receive a mysterious box they store in their boathouse and coincides with a series of murders where victims are drained of blood.

Directed by Michio Yamamoto (The Vampire Doll), the film features Chôei Takahashi (The Creature Called Man), Sanae Emi, Shin Kishida (Shogun Assassin), Midori Fujita (Wet Sand in August), and Tatsuo Matsushita (Zatoichi the Outlaw).

Lake of Dracula exceeded my expectations. The attention to detail in settings, attire, and makeup was impressive. Dracula's portrayal, particularly his intense eyes, commanded every scene he appeared in. The scenes depicting corpses and sleeping vampires were outstanding, reminiscent of the impact of Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula. The ending sequence is a perfect conclusion, leaving me eagerly anticipating the final film in the trilogy.

In conclusion, Lake of Dracula offers a brilliant Japanese interpretation of Bram Stoker's iconic character and surpasses expectations. I would rate it a 9/10 and strongly recommend it.

Chi o? Sue me.

[cold_lazarou · 23 October 2011]

"Lake of Dracula" from Tohei (not Toho) is one of my guilty pleasures, or would be if i felt that i should feel guilty for liking it. I suppose Japanese vampire movies are a fairly niche market, and anyone who wants the blood-drenched Gothicisms of a Hammer horror may feel a little short-changed by this more lyrical approach: a noteworthy Nipponese nosferatu.

Little Akiko goes in search of her dog when he runs off on the beach; after following the elusive hound through a tunnel, she finds a cottage in the woods straight out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale, which is inhabited by a golden-eyed vampire. Years later, an all grown up Akiko must confront the vampire when he begins preying upon her friends and neighbours for their blood.

Haiku review?

This one is quite a good

Vampire film.