In my quest to see so many strange and bizarre movies, I have come across some curiousities. Whether it is a vampire dog, a hopping vampire or a vampire that eats fetal material, there is some strange stuff out there. In theory, this is not. However, in execution, it certainly is...
Also known as Lemora: The Lady Dracula and/or The Legendary Curse of Lemora, this is an entry in the rarely-remembered 'Lady Vampire' genre. Unlike the others, this one is not built around a busty and buxom woman romancing men. It is much worse.
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The film begins with a young lady writing a letter to her n'er-do-well father. She is living with a bunch of nuns after his disappearance into a life of crime. You see, for no good reason, this film is set in the 1930s. Much like with Dr. Phibes, it is does not add anything other than a quirky look. Aside from the nuns being...well, nuns, the pastor sort of has the hots for her. We get a real gentile scene of him looking at her in her night clothes, which is more covering than most people's regular clothes.
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Her serenity is gone when her father is shot up and ends up in the hands of Lemora. She makes him write a letter to Lila that says that she should meet him. Our heroine sneaks out at night, goes into the 'bad neighborhood' and goes to the bus station. Taking a midnight bus proves to be a bad idea as wild vampires attack the vehicle. This is honestly a very effective scene due to the lighting, music and the child perspective. Oh and just to clarify, the lady playing Lila was 17 at the time. I don't want any complaints.
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She gets past this trauma and ends up in the welcome arms of Lemora. She appears nice enough, but has more than a few secrets. Lila, playing up the childhood mindset, never gets suspicious, even when Lemora wants to give her a bath. No, they still don't show anything. Lila settles in, but remains suspicious. Desperate and curious, she runs off one night in search of her dad. This is as bad of an idea as you would imagine. The young lady gets spooked and scared by other vampires before she runs...right back where she started. Thanks for that, movie.
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Stop here if you don't want to know how it ends.
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After a little while, the Reverend finally shows up to 'save the day.' What he finds is no longer an innocent 19-year old-pretending-to-be-13, but, instead, is a young woman. She kisses him, which he resists at first. Finally, he gives in and kisses her back. It is at this point that she bites his neck. It cuts to her singing again in Church. So, did that all happen? Is she a vampire? We never find out. The End.
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In all honesty, this is a pretty good film. It doesn't move forward at that robust of a pace, but establishes its mood and setting early on. The blue lighting adds a lot to the hum-drum activities. You need to know that this is a low-budget film and will not have lots of monster effects. The best way to describe the film is that it has a very 'indy' feel to it. It is not the best lady vampire movie out there, but it is quite unique.
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Do you like monsters made out of straw? I have just your movie. Stay tuned...
There is an unmatched nightmarish quality to this flick that I love, this and Lets Scare Jessica to Death have become new favs!
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