Blood for Dracula

Movie Information

In Brief: It's the X-rated classic where Dracula becomes spectacularly unwell whenever he drinks the blood of anyone who's not a virgin (prompting the magnificent outburst, "The blood of these whores is killing me!") — and if that appeals to you (and it should), this movie is right up your alley. It's all about Dracula going to Italy to find some virgin (or "wirgin") blood (he's been assured that "the Italian church needs wirgins for their wedding rituals") — only to find himself at a house full of modern ladies of lax morals, not to mention a randy Brooklyn-accented, Marxist handyman. It's as screwy and tasteless as it sounds — and it's wonderful.
Score:

Genre: Horror
Director: Paul Morrissey (Flesh for Frankenstein)
Starring: Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Arno Juerging, Maxime McKendry, Milena Vukotic
Rated: X

Since this Halloween-season screening from World Cinema marks the third go-round on local screens for Blood for Dracula, I’m going with my last review of this agreeably strange, sexy, bloody, campy movie: “Is Paul Morrissey’s Blood for Dracula (1974) a gory horror film? Is it a socio-political commentary? Is it a commentary on socio-political commentaries? Is it an absurdist spoof of horror movies? Is it soft-core pornography? The answer to all is simply, yes. Those who are easily offended should be mindful, especially of that last, because I’m not kidding — and neither was the MPAA when they slapped an X rating on the film. In fact, Blood for Dracula is a little bit more than just the aforementioned things since the movie has a strange aura of sadness hovering about it, despite all its deliberate attempts to outrage the viewer’s sensibilities on nearly every level.”

Full review here: http://avl.mx/mg

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Blood for Dracula Friday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library).  Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

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About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

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