One of the most competent directors in Span was León Klimovsky, an Argentinian director who found a surprising success in Spain, directing westerns, adventure and finally horror - eight of them together with the legendary horror star Paul Naschy, a man it's hard not to love. He died way to early by the way, one of the few "celebrities" I would have love to meet and talk with.
The star of The Vampires' Night Orgy isn't Naschy though, he's not even in it. Instead we have another womanizer in the lead, Jack Taylor. He's an american actor who ended up in Spain and have since then shot hundreds of movies, a couple with Jess Franco and you could see him against Johnny Depp in Polanski's fine The Ninth Gate and in the criminally underrated (and insane) The Birthday, starring Corey Feldman! I've always found it humorous that Jack always played womanziers, elegant seducers of every woman around him - when he's in real life is gay and lived with a man for forty years now. I know, he has that aura for suave gentleman and I guess playing something else in Spanish genre cinema might have been difficult for him (he actually plays a gay man in Pieces, a movie I need to watch again soon). The main female characters is played by Dyanik Zurakowska and Helga Liné, both perfect in their parts and with an amazing charisma.
I read some bad reviews/comments on this film, especially on the white trash trailerpark called IMDB, where people compete in writing that just the they're commenting on is the worst movie ever made. So on more or less every 70's Spanish horror film I've seen there. But fuck them, because of course they're wrong. They usually are. The Vampires' Night Orgy is one of Klimovsky's best work I would say. And with best I mean that it feels very thought-out, it's stylish and looks fantastic. It literary drips with atmosphere and Klimovsky and his team has focused to made a simple story as visual and freaky as possible.
The passengers of a bus has to take over the trip when their driver falls down dead, probably of a heart attack. They stop by a village, late a night, and finds it completely empty. But what to do? So they checks in themselves at the local hotel. In the morning all people are back in the village and the passengers is welcomed with open arms. Jack Taylor also arrives, and starts flirting with Dyanik Zurakowska. He's also the first to realize that the villagers isn't just normal towns folk, they're vampires! One after one of the passengers is disappearing and more and more meat is served in the restaurant... it's time to hit the road... or be food!
The Vampires' Night Orgy belongs in that lovable sub-genre of horror which deals with small town secrets. Just like Messiah of Evil, Dead & Buried, Halloween 3, Night of the Seagulls, the new Spanish horror-comedy Attack of the Werewolves and one fine episode of The X-Files, Our Town... etc. It's a thankful genre. The filmmaker can build whatever story he/she wants around that theme, from vampires and werewolves to aliens and just good old cannibals. This film is among the best I've seen in the genre, mostly because it's "cozy". It just feels right, it's dark and with a fine bunch of actors, the attack scenes are intense but not gory at all. Instead it has a lot of nudity, for those who like that. It's interesting that a movie with a story like this is so dry, could have been with censorship of the time or a nervous producer who wanted to sell the movie more. It has one graphic scene with an axe, but it looks more funny and with no blood either.
Don't get scared away about the lack of blood and gore now. This is a prime example of Spanish horror. The DVD from Code Red looks very "grindhouse", lots of scratches and dust - but it's sharp and handles the darkness very well. The ratio is correct, 2:35.1, and makes the film even more good-looking. It's the unclothed version of course.
I love this DVD... and so should you!
"One of the most competent directors in Span was León Klimovsky, an Argentinian director who found a surprising success in Spain, directing westerns, adventure and finally horror"
I haven´t seen any of his films yet.
"and in the criminally underrated (and insane) The Birthday, starring Corey Feldman!"
Heard of this but not yet seen it.
"I read some bad reviews/comments on this film, especially on the white trash trailerpark called IMDB, where people compete in writing that just the they're commenting on is the worst movie ever made. So on more or less every 70's Spanish horror film I've seen there. But fuck them, because of course they're wrong. They usually are."
Well....most reviews are written by the same person, he has no life also has links to Flashback forum.
Probably hasn´t even seen the films.
So don´t be surprised.
"The Vampires' Night Orgy belongs in that lovable sub-genre of horror which deals with small town secrets."
Yeah, I get it....but that´s a lovely subgenre.
"and one fine episode of The X-Files, Our Town... etc."
I remember that one....very nice episode.
"Instead it has a lot of nudity, for those who like that."
ME, ME,ME!!!!
haahahhah...nah, but it sure is nice to see naked girls getting killed.
"I love this DVD... and so should you!"
I might see it one day....good review and thanks.
Posted by: Megatron | March 12, 2013 at 14:55