Daughters of Darkness (La Rouge aux Lèvres / The Promise of Red Lips / Erzebeth /
Blut an den Lippen / The Red Lips, 1971

US Blue Underground 4K UHD 2023 edition - Region All


 

 

A fine and highly regarded by critics stylish Vampyre Art Horror made in Belgium
(produced in 3 countries though) where a newly wed couple, Stefan (John Karlen)
and Valerie (Danielle Quimet) checks into an empty off-season beach resort in
Oostende in winter. They are on their way to London to meet Stefan's Countess
"Mother" but Stefan is afraid to tell her .... you could wonder why?

Soon afterwards the Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory, played by legendary
art movie actress Delphine Seyrig, arrives to the same hotel with her lesbian lover
Ilona (Andrea Rau). The hotel porter seems to be confused as the Countess
looks just as the elegant woman who stayed at the hotel when he was a young
bellboy.With a countess named Bathory there is no surprise that young Belgian
women are found murdered in the area and with their blood drained out.

Soon the young couple is drawn into the destructive web the Countess has
designed for them. Stefan's personality starts to change under the influence of
the Countess and he starts beating Valerie. Also, he and the Countess gets
aroused talking about the crimes of Báthory, blood, torture and murder.
There are not a lot of blood or gore in this film but instead it's very full of
atmosphere and it's interesting as an Art horror. Director Kuemel made
another Art horror with his 1972 "Malpertuis" with i.a. Orson Welles in it.

The film is presented in a widescreen ratio of 1.66:1 english audio Dolby
Atmos True HD 7.1, DTS-HD 5.1, DTS-HD 1.0 or with French audio DTS-HD
1.0 with english subtitles. Extras:

Audio commentary with John Karlen and David Del Valle,
Audio commentary with director Harry Kümel and moderator David Gregory,
Audio commentary with Kat Ellinger,
Locations of Darkness: Interview with director and co-writer Harry Küemel
and co-writer and co-producer Pierre Drouot (22 minutes),
Playing the Victim: Interview with actress Danielle Quimet (15 minutes, 2006)
Daughter of Darkness: Interview with actress Andrea Rau (8 minutes, 2003)
US, French, International trailers, Radio Spots, Stills gallery, US main titles

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Above: The Old US Blue Underground 2 disc DVD

On Disc 1 "Daughters of Darkness" and on Disc 2:

The Blood Spattered Bride (La Novia ensangretada / Til' Death Do Us Part
(1972) Directed by Vincente Aranda

Sensual, atmospherical and one of the best of the Spanish Vampire movies
and a minor iberian horror classic after Sheridan La Fanu's"Carmilla".
A newly wed couple (again here) arrives to her husband's castle, with lots
of secrets hidden. Young Susan, the beautiful Maribel Martin seen in i.a.
the 1973 Spanish masterpiece "La Campania del Infierno" (A Bell from Hell
directed by Claudio Guerin Hill), feels like she's being watched by a mystic
woman.

In the cellar of the castle there's a 18th century painting of a woman who
murdered her husband, and when poor Susan is sleeping she's harassed
by a woman dressed as a bride (Alexandra Bastedo). The woman bites
Susan in the neck and encourages Susan to kill her husband (played by
genre regular Simon Andreau) and to castrate him.
Why? Because all men are pigs who use women as meat.

On the beach the man finds the woman Carmila (Bastedo again) buried
in the sand and with only her head above ground. He digs her out and
brings her home to the castle where she during the night-time orgies
seduces Susan.

Yes, it sounds quite crappy I know but I remember it as being a great
Lesbian Vampire movie and even rivalling José Larraz immortal sex-
ploitation classic, the 1974 "Vampyres". I have to re-watch this one
on a 4K UHD in the future (if possible).
Sure, Maribel Martin can also be seen in 1969 "La Residencia" by
Narcisco Ibañez Serrador. Blue Underground presented the film in
anamorphic widescreen with english mono audio

 

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