| Description |
: |
Set on the Greek island of Hydra, this intriguing but problem-plagued production features Mower as an Oxford don seduced into a pagan cult by a beautiful Greek woman, Hassall. The pagans worship Satan, indulge in black magic, and include a form of vampirism among their sexual rites. When Mower's fiancee, Hinde, goes to the embassy for help, retired army major Macnee agrees to look into the case and finds that a whole group of Oxford dons are members of the pagan sect. Reportedly a faithful adaptation of the novel Doctors Wear Scarlet by Simon Raven, this film, much like George Romero's MARTIN (1977), posits vampirism as a psychosexual illness, rather than a visitation of the supernatural. Unfortunately for director Robert Hartford-Davis, the studio took control of the project and inserted scenes of the "vampires" being staked--robbing the film of its psychological concerns and transforming it into just another vampire movie. The end result of studio tampering is a wholly confused film patched together with explanatory narration. Cushing's role is no more than a disappointing cameo. On videocassette as THE BLOODSUCKERS. |
