disgusting, overrated, pointless

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Vampyros Lesbos is German-Spanish erotic movie with elements of horror. This is artistic flick so, as expected, it has nice camera and atmosphere and everything else is bad. Poor attempt of plot is contributed by dull acting, lousy music and idle scenes. The only thing worth something in this movie are Soledad Miranda's scenes, especially her stage performances and lesbian scenes with Ewa Stromberg. In those scenes camera, directing, colors and sexual charge of this "club 27" member achieve a somewhat hypnotizing effect which makes us forget, even just for a moment, how trashy this movie really is.3/10

The late, extremely prolific Euro cult legend Jess Franco reaches true heights of eroticism in this variation on a common theme in the 1970s. Namely, that's the genre of highly sexualized female vampires working their wiles on a succession of female victims. The film may be much too sedately paced for some moviegoers, and in truth it's much more about titillation and atmosphere than anything else. Some people may admire it for the way that it so completely melds an artistic sensibility with pure exploitation. There's more eye candy going on here than just the female human form.Ewa Stromberg stars as lawyer Linda Westinghouse, who has been having sexy dreams about a mystery lady (Soledad Miranda, Francos' muse until the time of her premature death). She's then surprised to see the lady turn up in reality, as a Countess who's just come into an inheritance. She becomes utterly fixated on the Countess, to the exclusion of all else."Vampyros Lesbos" is likely to succeed in at least one way for many viewers, by making them a fan of the alluring Ms. Miranda. She seems right at home in this predatory role. The cast features other familiar faces: Dennis Price as a clinic doctor with an interest in the supernatural, and Paul Muller as a psychiatrist, but it's Miranda who will command most of ones' attention.This is all very well shot on stunning locations in Spain, Germany, and Turkey. The only real debit for this viewer was the music score, which is much too loud and overbearing. Costumes and set decoration are strikingly used throughout.Franco and company know all too well how a vampire story can be inherently seductive and mysterious, and this has to rank as one of the directors' more memorable works.Eight out of 10.

"Vampiros Lesbos" (aka. "Vampyros Lesbos"/"Lesbian Vampires") of 1971 is probably the most famous film by Spanish exploitation-mastermind Jess Franco. Franco's amazing repertoire of over 180 films includes masterpieces ("The Diabolical Dr. Z", "The Awful Dr. Orloff", "Venus In Furs"...) as well as crap ("Sadomania",...). I personally am a great fan of the man, especially of his early work. While "Vampiros Lesbos" is not one of his greatest films, it is certainly up there among his memorable ones, both for its cult-value as one of the essential Lesbian Vampire flicks of the 70s and for its surreal atmosphere. And, most memorably, for the stunningly beautiful Soledad Miranda, in one of her last roles before she tragically died in a car-accident at only 27. This is not only Jess Franco's most widely known film, but also the most famous specimen of the Lesbian Vampire sub-genre. It is not nearly the greatest Lesbian Vampire flick - this title doubtlessly goes to Harry Kümel's "Les Lèvres Rouges" ("Daughters Of Darkness") from the same year, followed by José Ramon Larraz' "Vampyres" of 1974. These two titles, however, moved slightly outside the routine of this sub-genre of European Exploitation cinema, however, since they did not merely focus on sleaze, lesbianism and female nudity, but also on suspense and style. In the case of "Vampiros Lesbos", the LESBOS is definitely the capitalized part of the title as this film focuses almost only on the sleaze, leaving hardly any room for storyline and suspense. It does so with a lot of style, however. "Vampiros Lesbos" bears many resemblances to Franco's own (and vastly superior) "Venus In Furs" of 1969 (The Turkish setting, the lesbianism, the surrealism and artistic elements,...). While it does not reach the greatness of the aforementioned film, this is also delightfully bizarre, as it should be appreciated by cult-cinema fans.The plot is, of course, secondary. Linda Westinghouse (Ewa Strömberg), a foxy blonde female lawyer, has recurring dreams of lesbian experiences with a mysterious beauty (Soledad Miranda)... As said, Miss Miranda is doubtlessly the greatest quality of the film. The other female cast members are also beautiful and (as usual for Franco films) extremely exhibitionist, but Soledad Miranda is simply too beautiful to be true. Sexy, seductive and dangerous, Miranda fits perfectly in the role of the lesbian Vampire countess. It is tragic how this beautiful actress died so early. She would have certainly continued to be one of the most memorable (and most beautiful) faces in European cult-cinema. The cast also includes Horror/Exploitation regulars Paul Mueller ("Nightmare Castle") and Dennis Price ("Theater of Blood", "Twins Of Evil") as well as a typically demented cameo by Director Franco himself. The film maintains a bizarre and very elegant style, and delivers all the sleaze one could desire. The memorable psychedelic score increases the stylish atmosphere, and tons of female nudity and lesbianism make a quite a convincing excuse for a confused and very flat plot. I don't suppose that anyone is going to watch a film called "Lesbian Vampires" expecting a compelling storyline or incomparable suspense, however. Therefore, I recommend to expect what is to be expected - watch this film for stylish sleaze and, especially, for Soledad Miranda and have a blast!

"The Queen of the Night will bear you up on her dark wings."I guess you can look at "Vampyros lesbos" as director Jesús Franco's 70's modern variation on Bram Stoker's Dracula using Soledad Miranda as the seductive female lesbian vampire who took lessons from her master(..that being Count Dracula)in capturing victims through a form of hypnotic lust, invading women through their dreams. You could say that Ewa Strömberg's Linda, an agent whose firm, Simpson & Simpson, is handling Dracula's will which would entitle that his inheritance of the Kadidados islands(..and everything on it) be left to her, is Mina, the object for which Carody desires to "initiate into her inner circle." Andrés Monales, as Linda's lover Omar, would be the Jonathan Harker, the one who stands between Carody and her paramour. There really isn't a strong candidate for Van Helsing..it seems like Dennis Price, as scientist Dr. Alwin Seward, who runs a clinic and studies vampirism, would be, but he harbours a desire to be a vampire himself so he could obtain supernatural powers. Within Seward's clinic is Agra(Heidrun Kussin), who is the Renfield of the film, except instead of madness, she's more overcome by a state of constant orgasm, wantonly desiring to return to Carody, locked up in Seward's clinic. Her husband is Memmet(..portrayed by the director in one of his typically bizarre roles), who works at a hotel which charters a small boat to ferry people to Carody's island. Memmet is actually a psychotic torturer(..who likes to sucker females into the hotel wine cellar where he binds them before the nasty business) whose madness derives from the fact that Carody "changed" his wife into a lunatic only yearning for her touch. Paul Muller is given, frankly, a thankless role as Linda's psychiatrist who believes her rantings of being haunted by fantasies of Carody is merely bad sex. Carody's relationship to Dracula, subtly mentioned here and there in the film, comes from an incident near a castle she lived overcome by depravity and violence. Men were ravaging the village women, attempting to rape her(..this also provides the emphasis on why she hates men), dragging her from her castle..Dracula killing the man on top of her, subsequently "adopting" Carody into his family. Carody mentions how she was the woman who made his life worth living and that he always desired her body, taking just enough blood he needed to survive finally turning her into a vampire. The Turkish locations are definitely highlighted in this film as Franco's camera embraces various aspects of his setting. But, the pleasure for me is Soledad Miranda. The many ways Franco shoots her, the character is all hers. Of her short few lead roles, I think this, "She Killed in Ecstasy" & "Eugenie de Sade" each display her hold on the viewer. Whether it be her very unusual stage act where she dresses a "human mannequin" for an audience before biting her assistant's neck, the way her face is lit, or the abstract camera angles;it seems Franco wants you to see her as a very special creature, not meant for our world. Whether she's naked, in a bikini, or wearing lingerie on stage, Miranda is a showcase for our viewing pleasure. She's a dark-eyed goddess to me, a portrait on celluloid. I would definitely say Miranda's iconic accessory for this particular film is her red scarf. It's around her neck almost always. José Martínez Blanco is Carody's henchman Morpho, with dead eyes which stare right through you. The score only heightens the otherworldly nature Franco's direction brings to this fantasy. It's a vampire film, but I felt it embraces the erotic side rather than the violence often elaborated in Dracula adaptations. Sure, Carody's bites, but I think this is more about her seduction and entrapment over female victims she desires than the relishing bite on the jugular for flowing blood. I think the ultimate nourishment for a vampire like Carody is capturing the heart and soul of her victim, not their lifeforce.