The Velvet Vampire

THE VELVET VAMPIRE is really one of the most underrated vampire movies, and well worth searching for a copy. Not available on DVD, the film's long out of print VHS tapes have sold for high amounts on eBay. Directed by 70s cult director Stephanie Rothman, THE VELVET VAMPIRE is a very low budget, yet very well done movie. I saw it screened in a theater once, in 1981, on a double bill with DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS. It was a perfect double feature, yet THE VELVET VAMPIRE does not have anywhere near the strong cult following DAUGHTERS OF DAKRNESS has achieved. A young couple meet a beautiful, mysterious woman in an art gallery in downtown Los Angeles. She invites them to spend the weekend at her desert home. They both have dreams of being seduced by her, and the dreams, in one way or another, become a reality. Celeste Yarnall is outstanding as Diane, The Velvet Vampire, and it always puzzled me that she did not achieve greater success as an actress.

Director Stephanie Rothman also co-wrote this present-day vampire tale with a female bloodsucker named Diane LeFanu putting the moves on her two guests, a bickering couple whose car broke down just outside of Diane's estate in the desert. Although the picture garnered some good reviews, New World and Roger Corman failed to promote it and the movie died a drive-in theater death. The touches of humor are certainly welcomed and the locale is interesting--as is the vampire-in-the-daylight scenario--but the characters merit little interest, even with the flashes of eroticism. * from ****

Uneven pacing and some bad acting detract from The Velvet Vampire's bizarre and dreamy tone as a modern vampire lures a young married couple to her isolated desert home for a weekend of debauchery and neck biting. Thematically very similar to the better Daughters of Darkness, but there's a lot of new stuff here. For one, the titular vampire has no problems with sunlight or mirrors. For all we know she might not even be a real vampire and could just be some insane woman. There's not a lot of narrative drive in the film, so if you're someone more interested in plot driven horror films, you might want to think twice before giving this one a spin. If you like slower, more dreamlike films, you'll like it a lot.

Stephanie Rothman's "The Velvet Vampire" is an intriguing slab of erotic vampire horror.The desert setting with the ghost town the characters visit provide plenty of unsettling atmosphere.Stunningly beautiful Celeste Yarnall plays the mysterious beauty Diana who after meeting married couple Susan and Lee Ritter at an art gallery lures them into staying the weekend at her Mojave Desert home.Soon both husband and wife find themselves sexually drawn to their mysterious host who suffers from a rare blood disease."The Velvet Vampire" was one of the first horror movies released by Roger Corman's company New World.The female vampire played by Celeste is a fascinating and deeply sensual character.The only known master print belongs to Quentin Tarantino's private collection and he is graciously lending it for the occasion.8 out of 10.