Released
on March 1st, 1974, Blood for Dracula (aka Andy Warhol's Dracula) is
commemorating its golden jubilee today at an astoundingly undead 50
years old. Though the connection to Warhol is little more than a loose
association thanks to Factory regulars, director Paul Morrissey, and
star, Joe Dellasandro, the outrageously funny and grotesque adaptation
of the Gothic icon followed hot on the heels of the 3D Flesh For
Frankenstein feature released the year before. In fact, production of
both films was done consecutively, with filming for Dracula commencing
within a day of completing shooting for the Frankenstein film. Both
were shot on location in Italy, utilizing many of the same cast,
including Udo Keir in the leads as both Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein.
The
plot of the film follows a desperate and anemic Count Dracula as he
relocates from his native Transylvania to Italy, in search of the virgin
blood he is so desperate to find in order to maintain his vigour. With
Italy being predominantly Catholic, his theory is that this must be the
best place to find virgins for his prey. Little does he realize what
sluts those Catholic girls really are, and the results of his dining
become nothing less than literally stomach turning! It's all played for
high camp value, landing well in line with the eras other classic
midnight movie treats like Pink Flamingos.
In 1973, Paul
Morrissey and Joe Dallesandro came to Italy to shoot a film for
producers Andrew Braunsberg and Carlo Ponti. The original idea came from
director Roman Polanski who had met Morrissey when promoting his film,
"What?", with Morrissey stating that Polanski felt he would be "a
natural person to make a 3-D film about Frankenstein. I thought it was
the most absurd option I could imagine." Morrissey convinced Ponti to
not just make one film during this period, but two, which led to the
production of both Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula. One
day after the principal shooting for Frankenstein was completed,
Morrissey had Udo Kier, Dallesandro and Arno Juerging get shorter hair
cuts, as filming for Blood for Dracula began immediately.
Initial
release of the film was under the title of "Andy Warhol's Dracula"
though Warhol had zero actual involvement with the production, beyond
maybe offering a suggestion or two during post production. The name
association was strictly for promotional purposes. The film opened to
mixed reviews, though the production design received numerous
compliments. It didn't do too well at the box office either, but it has
become a cult favourite over the years. I first came across it in the
mid 1980s during the heyday of video rentals and immediately fell in
love with it. I'd already seen a theatrical revival of Flesh for
Frankenstein a few years earlier, presented in all its glorious 3D
grandeur. I must say that, at the time, it was the best looking 3D
movie I'd ever seen, with the visual effect coming across as crisp and
clear, where other films I'd seen had annoying double-vision artifacts.
The print I saw used a polarizing technique, rather than the red/blue
colour separation that was more common at the time. In both cases, I
was fully entertained by both movies, immediately falling in love with
Udo Kier, an appreciation that has sustained itself for decades,
whenever I've had the pleasure of seeing him on the screen. I consider
both of these films as essential viewing when it comes to cult movies,
right up there with any of the works of John Waters.
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