Cultural appropriation be damned, another stolen vampire film from Mexico. Anglo names are inserted for the characters...although didn't Mexico just elect a president with an Anglo name? Never mind. On one hand we have a classic "Dracula" type tale, however there are some twists to it. The movie is also vicious and gory...and the vampire bat! Yep a bat that looks like a kaiju...Rodan to be more specific. Perhaps the Mexicans did a bit of cultural appropriation on the Japanese. Interesting that Japan never complained about this. Today we look at 1962's "The Bloody Vampire," directed by Miguel Morayta. BTW, this film is on the free streaming service Mometu (get the app or see them on X @freemometu).
Our toothy fiend is Count Frankenhausen (Carlos Agosti). He lives in a cavernous old castle south of the border. His sultry wife is Countess Frankenhausen (Erna Martha Bauman). She's sultry but not pleasing to the Count. She does not desire to be bitten so the Count is killing her with disease. The evil servant Frau Hildegarde (Bertha Moss) brings the Count ravishing women from the village for him to feed on and make some his brides. He has a bunch of brides in coffins...perhaps a metaphor for that Mexican machismo we love to snicker at here in the States. Let's skip much of the plot and get to Anna (Begona Palacios) and her doctor fiancé, Richard (Raul Farrell). See, Anna is kind of like Nancy Drew...loves a good mystery. Richard has been tasked to help find a cure for vampirism by his boss, Anna's dad (Antonio Rexel).
Fast forward...Anna uses her guile to land a job as a servant and nurse for the Countess. Richard will be kept informed and befriend the Count. Eek...Richard does not fool the Count. Even worse, the Count falls madly in love with Anna and desires to kill off the Countess, bite Anna, and make the nubile sleuth his new main bride. Now Anna and the Countess are in mortal danger. Richard lingers near and in the castle trying to find proof that the Count is a vampire. Hildegarde finds out Richard's and Anna's deception from spies and reports back to the Count. Now the Count figures he needs to hurry up and turn Anna into a bloodsucker. He figures on doing this just after finally draining the Countess. Only Richard can stop him as Anna has been entranced by the vampire's magical gaze.
Will Anna be able to survive as a living being and also save the Countess? Is Count Frankenhausen a misunderstood undocumented living being in a world that sees him as undead? Is Richard's and Anna's desire to murder the charming vampire a mere form of xenophobia and hate that will forever damn Mexico? The babe factor in this film is terrific as is the gore factor. This is a better film than many of the "Dracula" remakes made by Hollywood. Treat yourself with a terrific vampire film, see "The Bloody Vampire" or should I say "El Vampiro Sangriento"?
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