"The Playgirls and the Vampire," an odd Italian amalgam of sexploitation and Gothic horror, was originally released in 1960 under the perhaps more fitting title "The Last Prey of the Vampire." The five gals who are forced to spend the night at the creepy castle of Count Gabor Kernassy, along with their manager and bus driver/pianist, are more showgirls than playgirls (and, judging by a few of their dance routines, bargain-basement showgirls at that!), and the "v" word, strangely enough, is never uttered by anyone during the course of the entire film...even when the 200-year-old, bloodsucking ancestor of Kernassy is revealed to be a resident of the castle crypts. The picture's scares are few, perhaps nonexistent, and the sex elements, naturally, are very tame by today's standards (a brief topless moment, a few peeks through a filmy negligee, and one striptease down to her scanties by one of the gals). Indeed, I'm hard pressed to put my finger on just what I found so likable about this film. Perhaps it is the moldering look of the castle crypts, or the overwrought and oftentimes oddball musical score of Aldo Piga. Director Piero Regnoli does a competent job, sometimes even contributing some striking visual flourishes (such as that 360-degree pan during a funeral); Walter Brandi, in his dual role of the count and the aged neck nosher, is pretty decent (although his vampire is quite lame looking); and Lyla Rocco is strangely interesting as she somnambulates through her role of Vera, one of the "playgirls" for whom the castle holds a special attachment. Ultimately, though, the film is a real head scratcher, with some glaring plot holes (can anyone tell me why Vera herself does not become a vampire after having her neck noshed on?) and very illogical actions on the part of the quintet. The picture is a bona fide curiosity, to be sure, but an atmospheric one, at least. Just don't go in expecting anything on the order of Mario Bava's "Black Sunday," which came out that same year....

Notable actors: Walter Brandi! Walter Brandi again!

More vampire madness from Italy as five exotic dancers, one grumpy manager, and one level headed musician end up at the creepy castle of Walter Brandi. We've already been alerted that something's amiss in this place with the atmospheric opening credits, but when dancer Vera seems to recognise the place, including where the cigarettes are kept (?), the mystery deepens...if you haven't watched a vampire film, ever. Walter Brandi and his minions tell the group to beat it but when he sets his sights on Vera, he quickly changes his tune, instead letting them stay on the condition that everyone stays in their rooms at night and definitely do not go wandering around the place at night. Of course, the dumbest of the girls, Katya (who is completely obsessed with her legs!), goes out to find the shower and ends up being attacked by someone, ending up dead outside the next day.

Everyone of course is very upset so they decide they best thing to do is to perform a bit of a dance routine! Better still, one of the girls decides to turn it into a full on striptease instead. I know the girls are supposed to be upset, but the crapness of their dancing is a sight to behold. Except the striptease which is quite good unless you do the mental arithmetic and figure out that the woman you are looking at in well into her seventies, you perv!

Of course someone digs up Katya's body and before you know it she's prancing about the about in the nude trying to put the bite on various people (and at this point the film steals the 'earliest boobs' crown from 1964's Castle of Blood. The plot thickens as Walter Brandi seems to be hiding something but if he's a vampire, why is walking about during the day? Walter and Vera fall in love (do I even need to mention that she's the reincarnation of a distant relative?) and there's a vampire or two to be taken out before the film ends.

(Spoilers next, if you're mental and didn't figure out what's going on)

You see, Walter's ancestor is a vampire and living in the basement, and he also recognised Vera. However, he killed Katya by mistake because she was wearing Vera's coat, but the funniest thing about this is Katya's incessant, instant nagging of vampire Walter! She just won't stop henpecking him, which leads to a pretty bloody staking. Also, when Walter himself gets impaled on the bizarre family crest, the results are rather bizarre.

While not as stupid/enjoyable as The Vampire of the Opera, this one tries to give it a run for its money.

Five show girls, their manager and his assistant end up at a secluded castle when they are forced to take a detour when the road is washed out. At the castle they are warned to stay in their rooms during the night, but one of the girls wanders out and falls to her death. Meanwhile one of the other other girls, who look is exactly like an ancestor, is wooed by the Count who owns the place. She is rightly confused when a more demonic twin of the Count shows up and tries to do her harm. Notorious horror film was once shown at adults only screenings because of the hints of female flesh, but is now quite tame. A good little Euro shocker this is quite better than its reputation and its lurid title suggest thanks to some good performances and the fantastic black and white photography which sets the mood early. Its the sort of horror movie that would be perfect on a dark and stormy movie night on the couch.