Plot: What’s it about?
In 1966, Scarlet Brooks (Brick Randall) was on the fast track to rock stardom, until she had a run in with Count Dracula himself. Now she has immortal life and enhanced senses, but she hates her vampire traits and as such, devises a plan to end it all. Her servant Redfield is ordered to follow all of her demands, but when he asks him to drive a stake through her heart, he is unable to do so, as she is too beautiful. But he does manage to come up with a good idea, as he knows a way to turn Scarlet back into a mortal, although it won’t be an easy task. If Scarlet is able to seduce and feed upon three virgins in a single night, she will be returned to mortal status, which is just what she would love to see happen. Of course, seducing and feeding upon three virgins in one night is a tough task, but finding three virgins could prove to be even tougher. But with Renfield on the loose hunting down cherries and Scarlet in full on hottie mode, if ever there was a time when this could be done, that time is now. If Scarlet is able to regain her mortal status, will she find what she is looking for and in any event, will it be as smooth as she expects?
As I am a fan of vampire movies, I was pleased to see Donald F. Glut (Dinosaur Valley Girls) helm a bloodsucking picture, with The Erotic Rites of Countess Dracula. As you should be able to guess from the title, this is one of those erotic kind of vampire flicks, which means a number of lovelies are present and of course, they all end up naked as can be. I find this to be a great selling point, as nude female vampires is music to my ears, but I know some are offended by nudity and if you’re one of them, steer clear of this one, to be sure. These women don’t just sit around while they’re naked either, as in true Seduction Cinema tradition, they make out, eat out, and have some very cool lesbian encounters, topped off with some sharp teeth to the neck, of course. As expected, the acting is not too impressive, but Brick Randall is loads of fun to watch in the lead, while the others are either passable, or so bad that it is humorous. In the end, this is a well worthwhile picture to check out, if you’re a fan of lesbian vampires and in truth, who isn’t? This disc has some rough spots, but is still worth a look, so by all means, check it out!
Video: How does it look?
The Erotic Rites of Countess Dracula is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. The added resolution would have been most welcome, as this image suffers from a lot of jagged edges and other problems. In truth, a couple of scenes were unwatchable on my 65″ screen, as the jagged lines were so prominent and distracting, but most sequences look solid, though still unimpressive. The colors and contrast look up to snuff, but the other issues keep this one down, which is a shame. I’ve never seen this poor of a transfer from Seduction Cinema and of course, I hope it is the final one of its kind.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is not too memorable here, but it is more than adequate and delivers on all the basic elements. The track is clean and well recorded, with no serious errors to discuss, which is of course, terrific news. The music is well presented and never falters, while the various sound effects are as well, at least within the limits of a stereo option. The dialogue remains crisp and easy to understand, which leaves to score this one with a solid number, as it deserves.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, the film’s trailer, and an audio commentary track with director Donald F. Glut and editor Dean McKendrick. This session is loaded with insight, as Glut talks about all sorts of real behind the scenes content, while McKendrick covers some technical issues. A nice balance of anecdotes and technical data, this is a very well done commentary track and of course, I hope Seduction Cinema continues to include tracks on future releases.
