Writer and Director: Anthony Marsiglia
Cast: Darian Caine, Misty Mundae, Julian Wells
Production Company: Seduction Cinema
Runtime: 90 minutes
When a production company named Seduction Cinema puts out a movie called Lust For Dracula (2004), they create a certain level of expectation. So let me just say, there’s blood and boobs in the first two minutes of this film. In fact, we rush into softcore porn territory very quickly with this one. With that addressed, let’s move on to the rest of the review…
In the film, Mina (Misty Mundae) falls under the influence of Countess Dracula (Darian Caine), leading to issues with her lover, Jonathan (Julian Wells). Mina’s sister, Abigail (Shelly Jones) attempts to save her from the seductive hold of the vampire. Mina also happens to be a troubled woman that is kept heavily medicated by Jonathan. The medications lead her to believe that some of the women in her life are actually men. This is a little confusing, but adds to the surreal nature of the movie. There’s also a lesbian vampire cult, but they mostly stick to masturbating, and making love to each other.
One of the bright spots in the film takes place when Mina recites a weird bedtime story about Little Bat Bat to some sort of straw doll. It’s both odd and strangely haunting. It also serves to establish how innocent and disturbed she is at that point of the story. Another positive is the lighting in the film, especially in the scenes by the pool. The blue tones are effective and help set the mood for the movie.
The extras on the DVD include an interview with Mundae that helps to clear up some of the more difficult concepts in the film. It’s pretty much essential viewing after seeing the film itself. Other extras include commentary by the director and producer, a behind the scenes documentary, a short film, and a load of trailers from Seduction Cinema.
Marsiglia employs some reliable indie film tricks to help move his story along. He uses narrative voiceovers to give us information about the characters and to develop the plot. He often resorts to long musical interludes that have little or no dialogue. Marsiglia is a shrewd filmmaker that knows how to navigate around many of the obstacles posed by independent filmmaking. Getting around these problems without breaking the bank is an art in itself.
So, in the end, is Lust For Dracula a horror film or a softcore porn movie? It has too many connections to both of these genres to be ignored by either of them. This isn’t exactly a first among Dracula films either. Other films that fall into this particular niche include Dracula (The Dirty Old Man) (1969), Dracula Sucks (1978), and Dracula Exotica (1980). Seduction Cinema themselves even released another film of this kind in 2001 called, The Erotic Rites of Countess Dracula.
Erotic Dracula movies may simply be prevalent enough to constitute their own genre. If so, Lust For Dracula still manages to bring some new ideas to the table. The focus in this film is more on lesbian relationships and the sexual confusion Mina must face in her troubled life.
Of course, all this doesn’t exactly mean the movie is ready for mass consumption. It fits into a very specific sub-genre that won’t appeal to everyone. That’s okay, of course. Independent film should provide alternatives to mainstream culture. Just make sure you’re ready for a little extra steam before deciding to view this bloody tale of lust.
– John Migliore
For more information on the film, check out the links below…
Lust for Dracula on Amazon Video
Indie Horror Online 