Movie Review: Countness Dracula (1971)

Ingrid Pitt (whose voice is dubbed) and Lesley-Anne Down star in this tale of a countess who bathes in the blood of virgins to become young again. This was inspired by the story of Countess Bathory. The sets from 'Anne Of A Thousand Days' are used. Pitt takes a sponge bath of blood in the film's most iconic scene. Elisabeth Nadasdy pretends to be her own daughter Illona

Down displays no acting skill as Illona. The dubbing is obvious. There are bellydancers. Elisabeth's servants help her with her medieval beauty regimen and deplete the local supply of maidens. A fortuneteller drenched in more fake tan than Jesy Nelson is dispatched with a hairpin.

The love interest is a goob. The countness is accountable to no one. This is not tension filled. The countess' malign control of the area will end and her willing participant servants will be doomed with her. Why is the gypsy topless when found dead in the woods? The countess' inner corruption becomes more and more obvious.

A girl is literally sold to a servant of the countess. The old age make up is laughably bad. Decent folk are murdered. A pile of naked dead bodies are found. This was okay.

Best Lines:

“Oh you beast!”

“Devil woman! Devil! Devil!”

“All men have enemies.”

“Let him live in fear for his life, that way he will never betray us.”

“Turkish talk.”

“Special favours.”

“Some jaded young slut from the whorehouse.”

“Protect you from the Turks and the outlaws.”

“Signing the deeds of the inheritance.”

“STUPID IGNORANT PEOPLE!”

“Cheapest whore in town!”