User Reviews

This frightening movie is plenty of thrills, chills, high body-count and an expressionist photography with phenomenal results . The picture is set in Paris, France, where a mad scientific captures and kills various young girls and draining their blood for her illicit use . He drains their blood , in order to keep alive an ancient, nasty duchess (Gianna Maria Cannale who starred ¨Teodora¨ directed by her husband Freda) . While a smug reporter (Michaelis) and a Police Inspector (Carlo D'Angelo)seek out clues for the so-called 'vampire murders' and links to the case a local drug addict (a junkie well played by Paul Muller , usual of Italian B series) whom is connected to the evil scientist and at the same time kidnaps a beautiful young woman (Wandisa Guisa who starred various Peplum).

Freda's first great success is compellingly directed with startling visual content . This film, also known as "The Devil's Commandment", was the first Italian made horror film of the sound era and inspired a wave of Gothic Italian horror films . The picture was sadly censored in Italy and other countries . Strong on visual style and plenty of thrills, chills and suspense . The movie belongs to Italian Horror genre , Riccardo Freda (¨Secret of Dr. Hitchcock¨ , ¨Il Vampiri¨) along with Mario Bava (¨Planet of vampires¨, ¨House of exorcism¨) are the fundamental creators . In fact , both of whom collaborated deeply among them , as Bava finished two Fedra's films , this ¨Il Vampiri¨ and ¨Caltiki¨ . These Giallo movies are characterized by overblown use of photographic effects , usual zooms and utilization of images-shock . Later on , there appears Dario Argento (¨Deep red¨, ¨Suspiria¨,¨Inferno¨), another essential filmmaker of classic Latino terror films . ¨The vampires¨ packs a good acting from Gianna Maria Canale , directer's wife , as a crazed duchess, obsessed with retaining her youth. There also appears a cameo director , Riccardo Freda as autopsy doctor . The movie has a splendid cinematography by the terror genius , Mario Bava , while working with Freda on The vampires (1956) , the director left the project after an argument with the producers and the film mostly unfinished , then Bava stepped in and directed the majority of the movie, finishing it on schedule.

The motion picture was well directed by Riccardo Freda who used a number of aliases during his career, including Robert Hampton or George Lincoln and as screenwriter Riccardo Fedra . His artistic spirit led him to a strong belief in the importance of visual composition in filmmaking . Freda worked in many popular genres, including viking films, Peplum, spaghetti westerns, action, and even Softcore, but it is his horror films and Giallo mystery films which stand out and for which he is best remembered . Freda along with Vittorio Cottafavi continued to realize films in the historical-spectacular style , at which he developed a considerable skill and mastery . From the mid-50s Freda's liking make for atmospheric and colorful scenes of shock began to itself apparent , especially in such Musclemen epics as ¨Teodora¨ , ¨Spartacus¨ , ¨Giants of Thessaly¨ , ¨The seventh sword¨ , ¨Maciste all's inferno ¨, the latter a gripping/horror Peplum and of course ¨Maciste in the court of the Great Khan¨, one of his best films . In the early 60s , he was a pioneer in Italy of horror-fantasy films frightening audiences the world over , especially with ¨I Vampiri¨ and ¨L'Orrible Segreto del Doctor Hitchcock¨ as he combined with that wide-staring of actress , the British-born Barbara Steele . He also made adventures as ¨Black Eagle¨ , ¨The son of Black Eagle¨ , ¨White devil¨ , ¨Son of D'Artagnan¨ , and uncredited ¨Daughter of D'Artagnan¨ ¨. From there he went to melodrama and spy films as ¨¨Mexican Slayride¨and ¨Coplan FX18¨ and even made some western as ¨No killing without dollars¨ with Mark Damon and signed under pseudonym as George Lincoln . Freda's movies had popular appeal , and were usually commercial hits . Several were French/Spanish/Italian or other European co-productions . He has been called a filmmaker "who brings some style to exploitation pictures", and has something of a cult following . Rating : 7 , better than average horror movie .

When four young women are found in Paris with the blood completely drained, the ambitious and snoopy journalist Pierre Lantin (Dario Michaelis) decides to investigate the cases of the killer known as The Vampire. Inspector Chantal (Carlo D'Angelo) does not approve Lantin´s behavior. Soon Pierre suspects that family Du Grand, who lives in an ancient castle, may be involved with the murders but Inspector Chantal does not give support to his investigations. Meanwhile Pierre avoids the harassment of Giselle du Grand (Gianna Maria Canale), who is the niece of the wealthy matriarch of the family Margherita du Grand.

"I vampire" is a great Italian horror film with a story of the search for the eternal youth. The film was directed by Riccardo Freda, who left the production that was concluded by Mario Bava (uncredited). The beauty of Gianna Maria Canale is impressive more than sixty years later. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Os Vampiros" ("The Vampires")

This is notable for being the first Italian horror film, thus spearheading a rich Gothic vein which ran well into the 1970s (one of three strands of horror which emerged simultaneously – the others being the so-called "Mexi-Horror" and Britain's Hammer brand-name). Curiously enough, I had never heard of the film when it turned up on late-night Italian TV some years ago but loved it immediately and, having erased the tape, I'd been pondering the idea of picking up the Image DVD ever since its release – but, only now, with Anchor Bay's recent issue of THE MARIO BAVA COLLECTION VOL. 1 Box Set did I determine to spring for it! Rewatching I VAMPIRI now and, having in the meantime amassed quite a few titles made in this style, I can safely say that it was a tremendous start to the subgenre and remains one of its finest examples.

Due to a dispute with the producers, Freda left the project after 10 days' shooting; Bava eventually completed the film and, during the remaining 2 day's work, reportedly made considerable changes to its plot structure (which should have allotted him a co-director credit – a similar situation subsequently arose during the making of the horror/sci-fi CALTIKI, THE IMMORTAL MONSTER [1959]). Bava's cinematography lends the film a real class – transcending its obvious low-budget and tight schedule – with any number of sweeping camera moves (to take advantage of the Cinemascope format) and incredible lighting effects. Besides, the transformation of the villainess from a beautiful woman into an old hag are masterfully accomplished in-camera through the use of filters (pretty much in the style of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE [1931]). The sets, especially the elaborate castle interior, are suitably impressive; Roman Vlad's powerful score may have been re-used in later films, as it felt oddly familiar to me.

The script does seem to naively approach the new genre by piling on typical elements from the American horror films, such as the mad scientist and his sinister-looking 'zombie' acolyte. However, there's no real vampire at work here – but rather rejuvenation by blood transfusion; perhaps, it was thought that the traditional bloodsucker would seem incongruous – or, worse, laughable – amidst a modern-day Parisian backdrop, but this clash of settings actually works very nicely (and may well have influenced EYES WITHOUT A FACE [1959] which, in its way, proved even more seminal to the horror genre). Besides, we get an unusual emphasis on the antagonistic rapport between the reporter hero and the police inspector in charge of the crime spree; following a splendid climax, the latter provides a long-winded last-minute explanation for the benefit of the viewer – which, basically, became a fixture of Italian horror/thriller efforts.

It's also interesting that the hero, ultimately, establishes the source of evil as being much closer to home than he could ever have imagined; in fact, he represents the object of desire for wicked noblewoman Gianna Maria Canale (probably cast because she was Freda's lover at the time, but there's no denying that her classical looks and natural sophistication are perfect for the role). Still, even if the reporter falls for a lovely ingénue and does bear a grudge against Canale, his aggressive aversion to the latter isn't credible: he should have been fascinated by her in spite of himself, thus creating an inner conflict for the hero. As it stands, one is merely moved to see Canale cling pathetically to an unrequited love – for which she debases herself by being driven to crime in order to re-obtain a semblance of youth (a scheme which still backfires on her, as the effect only lasts for short periods of time)!

The latter drawback leads, incidentally, to a head-scratching scene towards the end of the film: Canale runs into the hero, who accompanies her to buy a painting – she starts reverting to her true decrepit age while writing a cheque, excuses herself and hurries away to 'safety'. This, somehow, arouses the reporter's suspicion (why he should care whether she is right or left-handed is beyond me, but her behavior appears odd even to the shop-owner) and he promptly phones a colleague who had accompanied him the night before to a party given at the castle – the latter, smitten with the lady, had stayed behind – and, consequently, discovers that his friend has vanished! Euro-Cult favorite Paul Muller's haunted, hunted look makes him ideal for the role of the hapless junkie who's, basically, blackmailed into complying with the doctor and the Duchess's perverse experiment. Curiously enough, Freda had originally intended him to be guillotined and subsequently reassembled; this grisly end, however, was dropped when Bava took over – but the stitching marks on his neck are said to be still visible in a scene where the re-animated Muller is grilled by Police (still, not being aware of his altered fate beforehand, I can't say that I noticed)!

Interestingly, I VAMPIRI fared poorly at the box-office; this has been attributed to the Italian people's innate skepticism of a home-grown horror product, thus giving rise to the long-running – and often highly amusing – practice of bestowing cast and crew members with English-sounding names! With respect to the American market, then, the film was bafflingly retitled THE DEVIL'S COMMANDMENT and included additional scenes featuring Al Lewis (later of the horror-spoof TV series THE MUNSTERS)!!

This one mainly works because of the amazing set direction and Gothic spaces. As it gets going it feels like a typical 1940s style murder mystery, with young women having gone missing, but hardly a horror movie at all. But when another girl disappears the search leads to an empty apartment building and then to the castle of a certain Countess du Grand, who happens to be enamored of the lead detective on the case. Though the castle appears to be of evil repute, the countess attracts guests to a ball, and the affections of another reporter. She is a mysterious figure, living in adulation of a portrait of the reporter's father, playing antique record players. The castle sets are stunning productions, drawing one into the horror that sustains her beauty (a storyline explored further in Eyes Without A Face, The Awful Dr Orloff, The Faceless Monster, Mill of the Stone Woman and Countess Dracula) . The movie literally gets gobbled up by the Gothic atmosphere of the castle, with its incredible gargoyles, elaborately Gothic crypt, secret passages, baroque cobwebs, pillars marked with demonic images, and a Sleeping Beauty tangle of vines on the grounds. The reliance on scenery alone to communicate a descent into a sadistic unconscious reminds one of Cocteaus Beauty and the Beast though the strategy was tried too in 40s Hollywood. When at last the mystery is discovered, here too the special effects are quite well done. Mario Bava was involved in the photography, just testing his fogbound vision of Gothic mystery, and it shows. After starting out all cops and robbers, this one ends up with a completely satisfying expression of pure demented horror.

The way this movie is played out makes it more or a mystery than an horror really. It was also an early Italian horror production, so they were still mostly trying out some new stuff in this one. It was also the first one to involve the later to become legendary Italian horror director Mario Bava, who had some major influences on the future development of the genre.

The movie its title might be a bit misleading. It's not really your average vampire flick, featuring blood sucking villains. It features a vampire like creature but she hardly gets her hand dirty in this movie. the movie picks more a detective like approach, in which the police is investigating the strange disappearances and murders of young women. Nothing wrong with this approach of course but you sort of have to know what to expect, in order not to end up disappointed.

Can't always say that the story played out too well. They could had definitely done something better and more interesting with its premise at times. But like mentioned earlier, this was still being an early Italian horror production, from the time they were still searching for the right tone and balance. The movie is still lacking in its atmosphere, which is also one of the reasons why this movie doesn't really feel like an horror. It's definitely not an horrible movie, it's still being quite good to watch for most parts. It's a movie that knows to hold your interest and also still works out quite original, due to its unusual approach, for a movie of this sort.

Definitely a good movie but be sure what to expect from it.

7/10

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The historical context surrounding I Vampiri is undoubtedly more praiseworthy than the actual film, but this collaboration between two of Italy's top directors, Mario Bava and Riccardo Freda, is an excellent slice of Gothic horror. I Vampiri is often credited as being the film that kicked off Italian horror cinema, and it also provided the first directorial credit for Mario Bava; a household name for anyone that loves their cult films. Bava apparently stepped in to shoot this film after it began to overrun its schedule, but it seems obvious that Bava was the main man in charge as his trademarks are all over it. The great director is most famous for his gorgeous cinematography, so it will come as no surprise that the film looks fantastic, and that along with Bava's use of lighting and general ingenuity where special effects are concerned help to mask the low budget and rushed production schedule. The plot follows the discovery of a series of bodies that are found completely drained of blood. The bodies have been drained by a mad scientist, who uses them to keep an aging duchess looking youthful.

The plot takes obvious influence from classic horror stories such as the tale of Elizabeth Bathory, and this is excellently complimented by the thick and foreboding Gothic atmosphere. Despite having the word 'Vampiri' in its title, the film doesn't feature any bloodsucking or shape shifting, and that is most likely the reason why the film was such a commercial failure in its homeland. The fact that the title doesn't really fit is of no concern to me, however, as the plot that does exist more than adequately makes up for it; and while the productions problems are evident in the way that the plot moves sluggishly at times and the characters aren't too interesting, there is always more than enough to keep horror fanatics interested. The standout sequence sees the duchess at the centre of the tale age before our eyes. Bava recycled this technique from earlier films such as Rouben Mamoulian's masterpiece adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and that sequence really shows the director's ingenuity. The central location is an old Gothic castle, and by keeping the action centred on it; Bava creates just the right atmospheric tone for the film. Overall, I can't say that this film completely lives up to it's billing as one of the most important horror films ever; but it's place in history is assured and it's a nice film to boot.

This movie is absolutely stunning! It combines Freda's knack for perverse plotting with Bava's excellent, atmospheric cinematography to produce a story about the parasitic sickness of love more than anything else. I've read a few whiny 'goth' teenagers complaining about the film's lack of 'real vampiric moments.' What idiots! An aging scientist keeps the Duchess Du Grand young, although she can't stand his touch. To acquire young women needed for his serum, he keeps a junkie locked up and strung out. Meanwhile, the Duchess is in love with Pierre, a young reporter investigating a series of mysterious murders in which young women are being drained of their blood. Ah, love... The mood of the film perfectly balances neorealism with fantasy to create an expressionist fairy tale. The antagonistic relationship between the reporter and the police investigator and the above-mentioned junkie make this an influence on the giallo as well as the revival of gothic horror in Italy. Ignore DVD (Idiot) Savant and the Ann Rice geeks. The rediscovery of this movie ranks up there with Whale's Old Dark House. It is an absolute classic, and the print is excellent!

Italian cinema goers long held an aversion to horror films and thirty-seven years were to elapse between the silent 'Frankenstein's Monster' of 1920 and this film of Riccardo Freda. It's production problems have been well documented. Considering its miniscular budget, ludicrously short filming schedule and the late exit of its director, the end result is not at all bad. The film's cinematographer Mario Bava stepped up to the plate and it is indeed notable for its visual style. The ballroom scene is especially impressive and the production design by Beni Montrasor evokes a feel of Edgar Allan Poe. Budget dictated that the period be updated to the mid-twentieth century but this actually works in the film's favour.

Although they remained married until his death this was to be the last film in which Gianna Maria Canale appeared for Freda. At a height of 5' 8'' this ravishing raven-haired, green-eyed former Miss Florence is just right as Giselle du Grand who relies on the blood of others to maintain eternal youth. Unfortunately for her the effects do not last long and she begins to show her true age at the most inopportune moments! Scientist Julien who attempts to perfect the process is played by Antoine Balpetre. Her supply requires regular topping up and one of the reluctant 'donors' is lovely Wandisa Guida whose career alas did not amount to much. The weak links in the film are Carlo d'Angelo as the policeman and Dario Michaelis whose role as the journalist has been enlarged by Bava. Both alas are rather bland and the screen empties when they appear. One would like to think that La Canale's husky voice is her own but thanks to the ineffable mysteries of Italian post-synchronisation most of the cast is dubbed.

Although far from being classic horror it is very watchable and is obviously of interest in relation to where it stands in the history of the genre. The character of Giselle is no doubt inspired by the legendary Elisabeth Bathory whose best personification is that of Delphine Seyrig in 'Daughters of Darkness'. Mario Bava went on of course to direct the stylish 'La Maschera del Demonio'.

It was not 'I Vampiri' which popularised the genre but apparently the Hammer production 'Dracula' to which this dubious honour belongs. Terence Fisher's film introduces the concept of vampirism as somehow being sexy and glamorous rather than the pestilential curse it really is.

I found out through painstaking research (reading it on the internet) that this is the first Italian horror film of the sound era, and that director Freda walked off set and left Mario Bava to finish the film. A bunch of girls have turned up dead throughout town, with all their blood drained from them. The cops are baffled, but a young plucky, happy go lucky jerk journalist is out to make a name for himself and catch the killer. He keeps being hit on by a young Duchess as their families are historically linked somehow, but he's not interested (his mate is though). Little does the guy know that the killings are somehow linked to the Duchess's castle, and it's all going to come to a head.

Actually the film starts of kind of like a giallo. The victims are killed in a strange way that leaves the police baffled. There's a few suspects that leads to the actual culprit who is a mystery to the viewer. There's even a bit of sleuthing on the part of the journalist. Things then slide into gothic horror territory, what with the creepy castle with the mood lighting and secret passages.

This is a very good looking film thanks to Bava, who even at this early stage seems to be a master of visual composition and lighting. I don't know who did the 'aging' effects either, but it's the true standout of this film and had me wondering how they hell they managed to do that back in the fifties. Other than that, it did strike me as a little dull. A good looking little dull film with some good special effects that was first out of the gate. This is a dull review too. Some people love it though, so don't listen to me.

Paul Muller was good in it as the junky guy though, and at the age of ninety-five, he still walks this Earth. Unless he died years ago and someone in his family is claiming his pension.

As far as I am concerned, Mario Bava is simply THE greatest Horror director who ever lived, and there are several reasons why. No other director has ever been capable of creating a haunting yet beautiful, dream-like atmosphere in the brilliant manner that Bava was, there is no other Horror director whose repertoire includes the most genuine masterpieces. The supreme master of Gothic Horror and undisputed inventor or the Ialian Giallo, Bava single-handedly launched the Italian Horror boom which resulted in Italy becoming the undisputed country Nr.1 in the Horror world. Italian Horror cinema found real international recognition after Bava's incomparable Gothic masterpiece "La Maschera Del Demoni" (aka. "Black Sunday"), probably my choice for THE greatest Horror film of all-time. However, the milestone that launched the raise of Horror made in Italy in 1956 is this stylish and extremely elegant gem "I Vampiri". Horror films had been banned in Italy by the Fascist regime, and it was not until the mid fifties that this ban was withdrawn. The first post-WW2 Italian Horror film was directed by Riccardo Freda (another more than great director), Mario Bava was the cinematographer. When director Freda backed out from the project because he couldn't finish it in time, Bava jumped in and finished the film (even though he remained uncredited as a director). And what an accomplishment it is! The plot does not really revolve around traditional vampires as they would appear in other contemporary Horror milestones, such as the British Hammer classic "Dracula" of 1958.

This film has another morbid formula that would become one of the most popular themes in European Gothic Horror of the early 60s. A murderer is on the loose in Paris, and since the bodies of his young female victims lack even a drop of blood in their bodies, he has been nicknamed 'The Vampire'. - I shall not give away more of the plot, only that it mixes elements of mad science with the supernatural. The story is wonderfully morbid and suspenseful, however, it is arguably the cinematographic style that is the most pioneering element of this great film. The budget was actually quite low, but Bava's brilliant sense for lighting, and especially, for the dark, as well as incredibly uncanny settings create the beautifully eerie atmosphere that we so love in Bava's later films. Especially the wonderfully dark castle is a haunting and beautiful setting for such a fascinating story. The performances are also very good, the greatest coming from director Riccardo Freda's wife Gianna Maria Carnale in a mysterious role. Prolific Eurohorror/Exploitation Paul Muller began his streak of demented characters with this milestone. Overall, "I Vampiri" is not Bava's best Gothic Horror film - "La Maschera Del Demonio" is, without doubt, and other masterpieces, such as "Operazione Paura" (aka. "Kill Baby Kill", 1966), "I Tre Volti Della Paura" (aka. "Black Sabbath", 1963) or "La Frusta E Il Corpo" (aka. "The Whip And The Body", 1963) also easily surpass it. However, it was this milestone that started Italian Horror. And what an elegant, haunting and fascinating milestone it is! An absolute must for every Bava fan, Horror-buff or lover of great cinema in general!

This is a good film directed by Riccardo Freda who sometimes signed his names as Robert Hampton. Although in the headlines the make up is by Francesco Freda, it is clear there is a collaboration of M. Bava especially as regard the transformation of Gisele Du Grand, that is simply fantastic. She begins old within three seconds all in the same frame. It was an excellent example of visual effects. Unfortunately the film was a disaster from the economic point of view due to secondary unknown actors, except G. M. Canale in the role of Gisele Du Grand. Somebody said she was Freda's girlfriend in the sixties.

Although the story is set in Paris many scenes have been shot in the studios. Freda was a good director but as many Italians he had few resources available. It is important to remember him for "I giganti della Tessaglia" too, that inspired Don Chaffey's "Jason and the Argonauts", but unfortunately he sank low with horror B films in the sixties. As it often happens the film was dubbed in post production with the following voices: Police inspector: E. Cigoli, Pierre the journalist: G. Locchi, Laurette's father: G. De Angelis

Paris is plagued by a murder spree. French reporter Pierre LaSalle (Dario Michaelis) is hot on the trail of what he thinks is a vampire killing off young strippers. LaSalle is also being courted to his dismay by his ex-lover, Giselle du Grand (Gianna Maria Canale - Goliath vs the Vampire), granddaughter of the mysterious Duchesse du Grand. Meanwhile, across town at the Institute of Experimental Surgery, the Duchesse is working with professor Julien du Grand (Antoine Balpêtré) to help develop artificial blood. Soon enough, reporter LaSalle gathers enough clues to confirm his crazy theory, and soon learns the truth about the Duchesse, the professor and even Giselle.

This film is the foundation of the short-lived Italian gothic horror sub-genre. Containing much of the elements of the classic American horror films of the 40s (dimly lit corridors, musty dungeons, mad doctors, rotting skeletons etc), this atmospheric production didn't do well in Italy. Only years later, after the success of the Hammer Studios (England) gothic horror revival, was this movie rediscovered and appreciated for what it was. Director of photography Mario Bava (Black Sunday, Lisa and the Devil) gives a great look to this Elisabeth Bathory-inspired tale, using low angle shots and highly contrasted lighting. Bava also took over direction when Freda left the set halfway through production. Look for a young Paul Müller (Nightmare Castle, Bram Stoker's Count Dracula) as the hired killer.

Women of the same blood type are found dead and drained of their blood. The journalist Pierre Lantin (Dario Michaelis) begins to investigate but his findings r rebuked n laughed at by inspector Chantal (Carlo D'Angelo). Lantin is reassigned from following the murder story and is set to cover a ball at the castle of Du Grand. At the castle, he meets Gisele (Gianna Maria Canale).... This is a very tame horror film when it comes to shock or other stuff but nonetheless it has a goomy feel, decaying setting, especially the castle with secret passages, trapdoors, crypts, skeletons, cobwebs n hell lottuva skulls. I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs. Revisited it recently.

Translated as The Vampires I must say that I haven't seen any vampire throughout this Italy's first sound horror film directed by Riccardo Fredo and Mario Bava.

No fangs to spot but still it's a worth looking. The story itself leans more towards the Bathory legend then towards the creatures of the night. A scientist who's gone mad captures young women to drain blood from them to give eternal youth to an old duchess. When bodies are found the are quickly linked to vampirism and the press called them the vampire killings. A journalist links a drug addict to the case. There's no believe in the journalist but slowly they must trust him.

There's no spot of blood to trace here in this Gothic story but what makes it watchable is the way the camera and lighting were used to create the eerie atmosphere. Bava lensed this flick just before he starts directing. After Freda encountered difficulties with the investors and quit the production he asked Bava to direct the last 2 days.

The acting is of course typical fifties and that I never liked so far. But I enjoyed the flick itself maybe because there weren't that much of effects used that looked stupid like so many from that era, in fact, I was impressed with the way they shot the woman getting older in a one taker.

This is a must see for Bava buffs. Further it doesn't deliver that much. Being available together with Black Sunday (1958) on Blu ray on the Arrow label it's a must have.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5

The mad scientist movie meets gothic horror in this Elizabeth Báthory-inspired chiller from director Riccardo Freda (with a little help from his cinematographer Mario Bava, who completed the film). Dario Michaelis plays Parisian journalist Pierre Lantin, who is investigating a series of murders in which the young female victims are found completely drained of blood.

Pierre's enquiries lead him to the home of Gisele Du Grand (Gianna Maria Canale), niece of the mysterious Margherita du Grand, but what he doesn't realise is that Gisele and Margherita are one and the same, scientist Julian Du Grand having used the murdered girls' blood to turn back the years for the elderly woman.

The story is fairly routine gothic horror nonsense, and there are no vampires whatsoever, but what elevates the film are the excellent direction, the stylish black and white photography and the amazing set design, the ominous Du Grand castle and creepy crypt being particularly impressive. When a film looks this good, it's easy to forgive a less than stellar plot (which is more than a tad rushed and confusing towards the end thanks to extensive last-minute rewrites).

Amazingly compelling and beautiful film that single-handedly launched the revival of European horror in the late fifties. "I Vampiri" still is a scandalously underrated film even though it's an important classic from many viewpoints. Not in the least because it was one of the first opportunities for Mario Bava to prove his brilliance to the world! He was initially hired as a cinematographer to work with director Riccardo Freda but, when this latter couldn't keep up with the hasty filming schedule, Bava took over and completed the film within the preconceived deadline. The result is a haunting Gothic mystery-tale with a deliciously ingenious script and a wonderfully sinister atmosphere. Don't let the title mislead you too much, as the film doesn't revolve on the typical bloodsucking creatures as you know them, but on an entirely different kind of macabre characters. The city of Paris is under the spell of a relentless killer who at least murdered 4 young girls in the short period of only a couple of days time. Since the bodies don't have a single drop of blood left in them when they are discovered, the press cleverly nick-named the killer as "the Vampire". The ambitious and womanizing journalist Pierre is so obsessed with the events that he starts an investigation himself. He discovers tracks that lead him to the castle of the eminent Du Grand family, more particularly the gorgeous young duchess Giselle who has a severe crush on Pierre.

The sudden "twist" halfway through the story is typically Gothic, but that's just an extra reason for the fans to love it even more. Especially praiseworthy is the enormous amount of intrigue, tension and morbidity featuring in the screenplay. Many gimmicks in "I Vampiri" are dared and definitely ahead of their time, but also very credible at the same time (the manipulation of a weak junkie, the extraordinary vain lifestyle of the duchess...). This actually is a very low-budgeted production but Mario Bava terrifically camouflages this with his elegant filming-style and skilled knowledge of lighting. The acting of the entire cast is far above average and especially Gianna Maria Canala (spouse of director Riccardo Freda) makes a big impression. The amount of gore is secondary to the atmosphere, of course, but still there are a couple of uniquely grim images of decomposing corpses to 'enjoy'. I am aware that some critics bash this film for it's supposable 'lack of vampire-action', but it's their stupid loss that they're unable to see the marvelous Gothic influences. "I Vampiri" is a great film that urgently requires more recognition.

As much as Italy is revered as a bastion of horror cinema, it wasn't always so; while there are always exceptions, the 50s weren't generally known for high quality genre fare. Entering the world on the cusp of Italy's renown, 1957's 'I vampiri' doesn't necessarily fall on the higher end of the spectrum, and if it does, then only just so. It's well made overall, including outstanding, detailed art direction, sharp and admirable cinematography, and - usually less important in the grand scheme of things, but of especial significance here - fantastic costume design, hair, and makeup. I also think that between Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava, the direction is firm and commendable. The film-making and craftsmanship is broadly superb. I am, however, a little less sold on the storytelling. I think this is enjoyable and worthwhile, but not necessarily a must-see.

We absolutely get the genre flavors we crave, with murder being adjoined by the tropes of experimentation and the mad scientist, and transformation at a great cost. The tale at large is dramatic and compelling, carrying dark airs that are accentuated in Roman Vlad's excellent score. Yet I also think the narrative feels a tad scattered, as if it lacked a wholly cohesive or unified vision; not all the parts seem to fit together. Just as much to the point, I believe there's a marked disparity between the strength and sinister grandiosity of the otherwise efforts behind the scenes - the sets, props, music, and so on - and that which the plot has to offer; the look and feel of the production portends a saga more intense, grim, and captivating than the one we get. 'I vampiri' is a splendid time, by all means, but it just doesn't strike a chord in the way it ideally should.

Maybe I'm nitpicking, though. One way or another this isn't the top of the line, but it earnestly and meaningfully explores the space it intends to, and it's entertaining. Nowhere is it written that every feature has to be perfect. For that matter, I want to like it more than I do, and I wonder if I'm not being too harsh. At the end of the day this isn't something you need to go out of your way to see, but it's certainly sufficiently fun to warrant checking out if you have the opportunity. 'I vampiri' is no exemplar, but it still stands well on its own merits, and is notable as an early entry in the career of Bava, who would go on to make a big name for himself, and as an example of Italian horror cinema before the industry really came into its own in that regard. It's a good time, and sometimes that's all a flick needs to be.

No, no, NO! Just when the ice was starting to thaw on my indifference toward Mario Bava, I pop in "I Vampiri" (on which he retains an unofficial co-director credit) only to be reminded why I thought his films were boring and pretentious in the first place. I don't care how influential a work is--if it bores me, it bores me, and will take a hit as a result. The credited culprit behind the camera of "I Vampiri" is Riccardo Freda (though, for all practical purposes, the film's mood and appearance is pure Bava), and even though he finds a (then-) fresh spin on the classic vampire lore (that would be extended in George Romero's "Martin"), it can't help this film from going terminal in the ever-important Interest Department. So an old woman lives in a moodily-lit and -furnished mansion. So a younger woman occasionally shows up. So a scientist's death is faked so he can carry out vaguely-defined experiments on a local smack addict. So what? "I Vampiri" (translation: "The Vampires") aims for atmospheric shocks and mood, but underneath the decent plot and excellent photography lies a film that has very little to offer, save for a bunch of forgettable characters and a lot of talk. And perhaps I'm being a jerk, but is influence alone reason enough to hail a film? Bava fared much better with the colorized Gothic stylings of "Kill Baby Kill" and "The Whip and the Body," plus the contemporary haunted-house/possession flick, "Shock" (one of the finest in the genre)--seek those out instead. "I Vampiri," well, kinda sucks.

Borrowing the title of Louis Feuillade's silent serial of the WW1 years, Riccardo Freda thoroughly renews the genre , at a time when special effects ,gore and monsters were not de rigueur and did not spoil the stories ;locating the action in Paris , particularly around the ile de la cité, where even Notre Dame seems threatening, and hiring an earnest French actor Antoine Balpêtré as the mad scientist , the director makes a more recent flick such as" werewolf in Paris" pale into insignificance .

The settings of Beni Montresor are stunning : the old castle which seems to have always been here from yore to eternity , the baroque room where the prey is captured , an inventive use of the depth of field ; Freda works with his camera the way a painter does with shadow and light ,with astounding results : the surgeon and his assistants , seen as shadowgraph in the operating room ; the funeral; the unfortunate victim , lost in a some kind of hell .

A strong influence on Georges Franju's "les yeux sans visage" (eyes without a face)(1960),perhaps the best French horror movie of all time.

Don't miss Freda's classics such as " la sette spade del vendicator" and " l'orribile segreto del dottor Hitchcock" (both from 1962)

Freda's wife, the Italian Ava Gardner ,Gianna Maria Canale , has a relative small screen time (considering she is at the top of the bill) ,but her maleficent beauty shines all through the movie , displaying the scent of a poisoned flower.

Vampiri, I (1956)

** (out of 4)

Riccardo Freda directed horror film about the police investigation into the discovery of several dead women whose bodies have been drained of blood. Today this film is best remembered as being the first Italian horror film of the sound era as well as being the first film directed by Mario Bava who took the chair after Freda walked away from the project. As with many other Gothic horror films, this one looks nice but while trying to create atmosphere, the director(S) seemed to have forgotten the story, which isn't too interesting. Like many others, the film also features way too much talk, which gets tiresome after a while. The cinematography by Bava is certainly the highlight. Paul Muller has a small role.

From Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava comes this ancestor of the giallo genre. It has a lot of the same moves as it's long lost offspring. Mystifying images and sexuality plays a big part. The story is rather simple. Girls are being found dead without a drop of blood left and a journalist must struggle with a nearly incompetent police force to solve the mystery.

With genius cinematic touches the frames look nearly spot on perfect and the cinematography is magical. I must say that this has to be the only scientific vampire movie around. It's not you're usual mythical stuff but rather scientific experiments performed by a mysterious scientist and his flunkies under the lead of a old and evil duchess.

Unlike the films it makes the way for this is much more of a mystery story and there are no gore. A few death scenes are needed of course. I was at the end of my seat through the entire movie and I just had to recommend it. It's definitely a film giallo and mystery/thriller/horror fans should check out.