Blood for Dracula
Encyclopedia
Blood for Dracula is a 1974 film directed by Paul Morrissey
and produced by Andy Warhol
and Andrew Braunsberg. It stars Udo Kier
, Joe Dallesandro
, Maxime McKendry, Stefania Casini
, and Arno Juerging. Roman Polanski
and Vittorio de Sica
appear in cameo roles.
(Kier), who must drink virgin blood to survive, travels from Transylvania
to Italy
, thinking he will be more likely to find a virgin in a Catholic
country. Dracula befriends Marchese di Fiori (de Sica), an impecunious Italian landowner who, with a lavish estate falling into decline, is willing to marry off one of his four daughters to the wealthy aristocrat.
Of di Fiori's four daughters, two regularly enjoy the sexual services of Mario, the estate handyman (Dallesandro), a Marxist with a hammer and sickle
painted on his bedroom wall. The youngest and eldest daughters are virgins, but the latter is thought too plain to be offered for marriage, and is past her prime, and the youngest is only 14 years old (portrayed by 23-year-old Silvia Dionisio
). Dracula obtains assurances that all the daughters are virgins and drinks the blood of the two who are considered marriageable. However, both are non-virgins and their tainted blood makes Dracula ill, but still turning the two girls into mental slaves. Mario realizes the danger to the youngest daughter in time and rape
s her ostensibly for her own protection. In the meantime Dracula has drunk the blood of the eldest daughter, turning her into a vampire
. After the mother (McKendry) is stabbed by Dracula's servant (Juerging) (whom she then shoots) and Mario kills Dracula, the peasant Mario commands the estate.
and was partly improvised as the filming of Flesh for Frankenstein
by the same team had been quicker and less costly than expected.
While some Italian prints reportedly give second unit director Antonio Margheriti
credit as director of the film, Udo Kier has stated that Margheriti had nothing to do with directing the film. Kier stated that he and the other cast members received direction only from Morrissey, and noted that he never saw Margheriti on the set.
As a favor for producer Carlo Ponti
, Antonio Margheriti
agreed to take credits for free as director for the Italian release in order to help the film get funds from the government. Unfortunately, it ended up as a trial for producer and alleged director who both lost.
Unlike the controversy over Flesh for Frankenstein the film suffered very minor cuts for its initial UK cinema release and was never listed as a video nasty. It was passed fully uncut for video in 1995 on the First Independent label.
Because Roman Polanski
was shooting What? in Italy on a set nearby, he was asked to do a cameo in this film. One can notice he wears the same mustache in both films.
several times, though it is now unrated.
Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey is an American film director, best-known for his association with Andy Warhol.Morrissey attended Ampleforth College, a private Roman Catholic boarding school and Fordham University, both Roman Catholic schools, and later served in the United States Army...
and produced by Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
and Andrew Braunsberg. It stars Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
, Joe Dallesandro
Joe Dallesandro
Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro , better known as Joe Dallesandro, is an American actor, and Warhol superstar. Although he never became a mainstream film star, Dallesandro is generally considered to be the most famous male sex symbol of American underground films of the 20th century, as well as a sex...
, Maxime McKendry, Stefania Casini
Stefania Casini
Stefania Casini is an Italian actress and film director.-Selected filmography:- External links :*...
, and Arno Juerging. Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
and Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
appear in cameo roles.
Plot
A sickly and dying Count DraculaCount Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
(Kier), who must drink virgin blood to survive, travels from Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, thinking he will be more likely to find a virgin in a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
country. Dracula befriends Marchese di Fiori (de Sica), an impecunious Italian landowner who, with a lavish estate falling into decline, is willing to marry off one of his four daughters to the wealthy aristocrat.
Of di Fiori's four daughters, two regularly enjoy the sexual services of Mario, the estate handyman (Dallesandro), a Marxist with a hammer and sickle
Hammer and sickle
The hammer and sickle is a part of communist symbolism and its usage indicates an association with Communism, a Communist party, or a Communist state. It features a hammer and a sickle overlapping each other. The two tools are symbols of the industrial proletariat and the peasantry; placing them...
painted on his bedroom wall. The youngest and eldest daughters are virgins, but the latter is thought too plain to be offered for marriage, and is past her prime, and the youngest is only 14 years old (portrayed by 23-year-old Silvia Dionisio
Silvia Dionisio
Silvia Dionisio is an Italian actress who appeared in several movies in the 1970s, including Amici miei and Ondata di piacere....
). Dracula obtains assurances that all the daughters are virgins and drinks the blood of the two who are considered marriageable. However, both are non-virgins and their tainted blood makes Dracula ill, but still turning the two girls into mental slaves. Mario realizes the danger to the youngest daughter in time and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
s her ostensibly for her own protection. In the meantime Dracula has drunk the blood of the eldest daughter, turning her into a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
. After the mother (McKendry) is stabbed by Dracula's servant (Juerging) (whom she then shoots) and Mario kills Dracula, the peasant Mario commands the estate.
Cast
- Joe DallesandroJoe DallesandroJoseph Angelo D'Allesandro , better known as Joe Dallesandro, is an American actor, and Warhol superstar. Although he never became a mainstream film star, Dallesandro is generally considered to be the most famous male sex symbol of American underground films of the 20th century, as well as a sex...
- Udo KierUdo KierUdo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
- Vittorio De SicaVittorio de SicaVittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
- Maxime McKendry
- Arno Juerging
- Milena VukoticMilena VukoticMilena Vukotic is a former ballerina and a stage, television, and film actress.Vukotic was born in Rome, to a Serbian Montenegrian comediographer father and an Italian pianist/composer mother....
- Dominique Darel
- Stefania CasiniStefania CasiniStefania Casini is an Italian actress and film director.-Selected filmography:- External links :*...
- Silvia DionisioSilvia DionisioSilvia Dionisio is an Italian actress who appeared in several movies in the 1970s, including Amici miei and Ondata di piacere....
- Inna Alexeievna
- Gil Cagne
Production
The film was shot on locations in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and was partly improvised as the filming of Flesh for Frankenstein
Flesh for Frankenstein
Andy Warhol's Frankenstein or Flesh for Frankenstein is a 1973 horror film directed by Paul Morrissey and produced by Andy Warhol, Andrew Braunsberg, Louis Peraino, and Carlo Ponti and starring Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Monique van Vooren and Arno Juerging...
by the same team had been quicker and less costly than expected.
While some Italian prints reportedly give second unit director Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72....
credit as director of the film, Udo Kier has stated that Margheriti had nothing to do with directing the film. Kier stated that he and the other cast members received direction only from Morrissey, and noted that he never saw Margheriti on the set.
As a favor for producer Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti was an Italian film producer with over 140 production credits, and the husband of Italian movie star Sophia Loren.-Career:...
, Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72....
agreed to take credits for free as director for the Italian release in order to help the film get funds from the government. Unfortunately, it ended up as a trial for producer and alleged director who both lost.
Unlike the controversy over Flesh for Frankenstein the film suffered very minor cuts for its initial UK cinema release and was never listed as a video nasty. It was passed fully uncut for video in 1995 on the First Independent label.
Because Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
was shooting What? in Italy on a set nearby, he was asked to do a cameo in this film. One can notice he wears the same mustache in both films.
Release
Blood for Dracula was initially released to theaters in a 103-minute version that was given an X rating by the MPAA due to its violent and strong, sexual elements/nudity; it was later cut to 94 minutes and reclassified with an R rating for re-release under the title, "Young Dracula". The original uncut version has been released to DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
several times, though it is now unrated.
External links
- Criterion Collection essay by Maurice Yacowar
- Blood for Dracula at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...