Blood of the Virgins (Sangre de vírgenes), 1967, Argentina.
Writer-director Emilio Vieyra’s unusual, and slightly puzzling, attempt to bring old-fashioned gothic vampires into the modern world begins with a pre-credits prologue set in the past before jumping to the wild and decadent 1960s. Jealous and jilted vampire, Gustavo (Walter Kliche), kills the husband of his beloved Ofelia (Susana Beltrán) after she rebuffs him. He forcibly turns her into a vampire and calls her from her grave. After a creepy, animated title sequence, the action switches to a montage of what could be a film made by Argentina’s Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística. Viewers spend next ten minutes following a healthy (and lusty) group of tourists visiting many of Argentina’s outdoor attractions and clothing-optional, swinging nightclubs. Stranded on the way to their next stop, the young tourists take refuge at the haunted villa where Gustavo and Ofelia reside. The vampire’s tragic love story reaches its crescendo as new love begins.
Like Gerardo de Leon’s The Blood Drinkers and Hammer’s Dracula A.D. 1972, Vieyra struggles to bring ancient vampires into the modern world. While not a perfect movie, Blood of the Virgins has much to offer for fans of vampire films, offbeat world cinema, and sexy-60’s exploitation. The film keeps viewers engaged in its highly entertaining, if baffling, story. Well worth watching, this oddity is currently streaming on Tubi.
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