With this retelling of "Carmilla," Hammer had its last masterpiece. Just about everything in this film is pitch-perfect. It's exciting, colorful, beautifully paced, and really quite erotic, even three decades later. In a lot of ways, it's a transitional horror film--bridging the past Hammer gothics with the more mature thrillers of this generation. Every serious student of cinema, even those who don't like horror films, needs to take a look at least a few Hammer Films. For the shortest possible "must see" list, I'd recommend "Horror of Dracula," "The Devil Rides Out," "Quatermass and the Pit," and this lovely film.
Review of The Vampire Lovers
