Black Sunday (1960)
Mario Bava’s debut is one of the most visually ravishing horror films ever made and launched Italian gothic. A stunning 8/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.
Movies
Blacula (1972)
William Marshall plays a tragic vampire prince with Shakespearean dignity in this landmark Black-led horror film. A surprising 6.5/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
Ingrid Pitt elevates Hammer’s adaptation of Carmilla into a melancholy gothic. A flawed but atmospheric 6.5/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.
Count Yorga, Vampire (1970)
Count Yorga dropped an old-world vampire into 1970 Los Angeles and got there before the rest of the genre. An influential 6.5/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.
Blood for Dracula (1974)
Paul Morrissey reimagines Dracula as a dying aristocrat starving for virgin blood in a changed world. A strange, poignant 6.5/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.
The Brides of Dracula (1960)
Hammer built a gorgeous sequel without Christopher Lee, and it may be better than the original. A beautiful 7.5/10 gothic reviewed at Master of Worlds.
Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
Christopher Lee returns as Dracula without a single line of dialogue, and the resurrection scene is among Hammer’s best. A solid 7/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.
The Transfiguration (2016)
Michael O’Shea’s grounded debut uses vampirism as a lens for trauma and isolation. A quiet, sad 7/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)
A few haunting pages of Dracula become a contained creature feature aboard a doomed ship. A handsome, uneven 6.5/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.
Abigail (2024)
Kidnappers grab a twelve-year-old ballerina who turns out to be a centuries-old vampire. A gleefully gory, fun 7/10 reviewed at Master of Worlds.