6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Sixties couples Michael and Donna and Paul and Erica become involved with the intense Count Yorga at a Los Angeles séance, the Count having latterly been involved with Erica's just-dead mother. After taking the Count home, Paul and Erica are waylayed, and next day a listless Erica is diagnosed by their doctor as having lost a lot of blood. When she is later found feasting on the family cat the doctor becomes convinced vampirism is at work, and that its focus is Count Yorga and his large isolated house...
Starring: Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Michael Murphy (I), Michael Macready, Donna AndersHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of The Count Yorga Collection.
In one of several interesting supplements Arrow has aggregated for their Count Yorga Collection release, commentator Tim Lucas makes the
case that the first Count Yorga film if not the sequel might be considered a classic, at least within the
annals of
horror films, and if that may still be a debatable premise, Arrow is providing fans a chance to get "new, improved" versions of both films now that the
older Twilight Time Blu-ray releases have gone out of print and, in some cases, are fetching hard to believe amounts of moolah. As usual with Arrow
releases, this is very handsomely packaged and comes with a glut of both on disc and non-disc supplements.
Count Yorga, Vampire is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow lumps both films together in the insert booklet verbiage about the restorations, as follows:
Count Yorga, Vampire and The Return of Count Yorga are presented in their original aspect ratios of 1.85:1 with mono audio.Aside from the very slight "correction" this release makes in terms of aspect ratio (1.85:1 for this release vs. 1.84:1 for the Twilight Time release), there are manifestly more overtly visible improvements to this presentation when compared to the older Blu-ray release. As hopefully can be seen by doing some screenshot comparisons, this release is both better suffused as well as sporting generally more distinct contrast and a darker, more burnished look that nonetheless really doesn't hamper fine detail levels for the most part. The Twilight Time release actually looks a bit artificially brightened when stacked up against this one, but even apart from that situation clarity is noticeably improved throughout this version. Grain resolves tightly, though can be a bit on the gritty side, as in the opening optically printed credits sequence.The original 35mm camera negatives were scanned in 4K resolution at Company 3, Los Angeles. The films were graded and restored in 2K resolution at Dragon DI, Wales. The original audio mixes were remastered by MGM.
All materials for these new restorations were made available by MGM.
This release sadly doesn't offer the isolated score track that the Twilight Time version had, but the DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track for the feature itself I'd rate as being virtually interchangeable with the one on the Twilight Time release. Dialogue, occasional goofy sound effects and a nice score by Bill Marx (son of Harpo) are all rendered without any issues whatsoever. Optional English subtitles are available.
- Radio Spot #1 (HD*; 1:06)
- Radio Spot #2 (HD*; 00;35)
- Posters and Stills (HD)
- The Sullivan Archive (HD)
I'm not sure I'm quite in agreement with Tim Lucas that we can consider Count Yorga, Vampire a "classic", but it's nonetheless often a lot of fun. There's a rather sly sense of humor pervading the film, and Quarry is both as suave and menacing as the best screen vampires in the Dracula tradition. This release absolutely improves on the video side of things, while preserving an already fine audio presentation and delivering some fun supplements. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1971
Les lèvres rouges | Remastered Special Edition | 4K Restoration
1971
1971
1972
1972
1980
1972
1978
High Rise
1978
1977
2015
Adrift
2006
Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride
1973
1978
1976
1975
20th Anniversary Edition
2003
2015
1972
Collector's Edition
2021