The Velvet Vampire (1971)

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1. 

   Siskoid

   According to some sources, Stephanie Rothman's The Velvet Vampire is the first horror film directed by a woman, and I guess that's true if they mean full-length features (as there were a lot more female directors in the silent era, and many horror shorts made) and they require a supernatural element (as I think Ida Lupino's The Hitch-Hiker certainly has a claim to being called horror). Be that as it may, this Roger Corman production has, on the one hand, pretty wooden acting and a lot of needless nudity, but on the other, a very intriguing ambiguity and an unusual take on vampire lore (while still making some overt winks at the Gothic novels that started the fashion). For example, this is a rare example of a sunlit vampire film. VERY sunlit, in fact, taking place in the desert, mostly during the day. It toys with you about Diane's status, whether she is undead or not, and just what she wants from the young couple she's invited to her house. An slight art house feeling is obtained from surreal shared dreams, but its power, I think, lies in the sexual subtext of the piece. Diane is a tragic figure who can't let go of a past romance, seeking love in a century-long dry spell (the desert), and perhaps ready to find it one or both of her tentative victims. And in Susan, we might see a closeted lesbian who doesn't feel very attached or attracted to her beefcake husband (rejecting him several times), but soon intrigued by the Carmilla-like Diane, and yet afraid of her and of the feelings she's awakened (through this lens, the climax is even more tragic). More generally, men in this are violators (a desert snake may also act as a phallic symbol), while female pleasure is an idyll. I'm not entirely sure Rothman and her husband thought of all this when writing the picture, but the final result gives me strong, if loose, vibes. 3 years 6 months ago
2. 

   Ebbywebby

   This film appears on a lot of interesting lists. I'm saying so, mostly just to remind myself. 1 year 9 months ago

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