Review: Hammer Erotic Shocker 'The Vampire Lovers' Haunts on Blu-ray

Out of all the illustrious horror films that Hammer Film Productions turned out during the 1960s and '70s, Roy Ward Baker's 1970 erotic vampire film "The Vampire Lovers" remains both in and out of step with other Hammer films of that period. It was a co-production with U.S.-based American International Pictures, who were struggling to find success with a more relaxed censorship environment in the UK at the time. The film is an adaptation of the story of Carmilla, a female vampire that preys on young women and exposes the repressed sexual energy that threatens to bring ruin upon a small village.

Shout! Factory and their Scream Factory label upgrade their previous 2013 Blu-ray of "The Vampire Lovers" with a new edition that sports a new 4K scan from the original camera negative. The difference in visual quality from the previous release to this new one is immediately apparent, with those vibrant colors used so frequently in Hammer productions glowing like never before. Inky blacks and lush period design are the stars of this new presentation, and Shout has added various new special features to accompany the visual upgrade.

Worth noting here: Shout! Factory has acknowledged that there's a small bit of footage missing from this presentation that will be replaced soon for owners of this Blu-ray. As far as I can see, that missing footage is a full-frontal nude shot of Ingrid Pitt's main character. To this reviewer, the film is plenty erotic enough to make up for one missing shot. Good on Shout for recognizing the problem and working on a fix.

"The Vampire Lovers," as mentioned earlier, is based upon the story of Carmilla. Here, Carmilla is going by the name of Marcilla (Ingrid Pitt) and is working with a countess (Dawn Addams) to infiltrate and dismantle the wealthy families involved in the murder of a female vampire decades earlier. Carmilla's main prey is the women of these families, but even she grows conflicted when her bloodlust is muddied with a genuine, growing love for one of her victims.

As had become the custom with Hammer productions during this era, "The Vampire Lovers" is concerned with the buxom female vampire at the center and a swath of men fumbling over each other to cast out her evil. It's an endlessly entertaining formula, especially when you have a filmmaker like Roy Ward Baker, who's able to push beyond the familiar narrative and tap into the religious and sexual madness that makes these stories so timeless.

There's a terrific new featurette with film historian Kim Newman that goes deep on the iterations of Carmilla's story throughout film history. Newman has an encyclopedic knowledge of genre cinema, and that knowledge helps to add background to the time period in which the film was produced. If you're fan of Hammer horror, you'd be remiss not to buy "The Vampire Lovers" on Blu-ray. This is a terrific new edition from Shout!

Other special features include:

� Audio commentary with film historian/author Dr. Steve Haberman and film historian/filmmaker Constantine Nasr
� "The Rapture of Cruelty: Carmilla in Classic Cinema" – An audio essay read by actress Madeline Smith
� "To Love A Vampire" – An introduction by actress Madeline Smith
� "Fangs for the Memories" – Film historian/author Jonathan Rigby remembers "The Vampire Lovers"
� Audio commentary with director Roy Ward Baker, actress Ingrid Pitt, and screenwriter Tudor Gates
� Audio commentary with film historians Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby
� "Feminine Fantastique" – Resurrecting "The Vampire Lovers"
� "New Blood: Hammer Enters The 70s" – Film historians discuss Hammer Films during the '70s
� "Madeline Smith: Vampire Lover" – An interview with actress Madeline Smith
� Reading of Carmilla by actress Ingrid Pitt
� Deleted shot of the opening beheading
� "Trailers From Hell: Mick Garris On 'The Vampire Lovers' "
� Theatrical trailer
� Radio spots
� Photo galleries – movie Stills, behind-the-scenes stills, posters, and lobby cards

"The Vampire Lovers" is now available on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory.