Female Vampire

This erotic vampire film from cult filmmaker Jesus Franco concerns the mute Countess Irina Karlstein (Lina Romay), who lives in the hills of Madeira and preys on passersby. Austrian novelist Baron Von Rathony (Jack Taylor) follows the Countess, knowing that she is his destiny, even if it means death. Monica Swinn, Marie-France Broquet, and Luis Barboo co-star, while Franco appears as a forensic surgeon and Jean-Pierre Bouyxou (in an outrageous beard) is featured as Dr. Orloff, Franco's blind colleague. Several different versions exist, including a horror version of 72 minutes, an 82-minute version dwelling on oral sex, and a 96-minute edit which includes both sex and horror elements as well as some hardcore inserts. Complicating matters is the fact that some scenes of vampirism were filmed twice, in graphic and traditional styles. Whatever the version, La Comtesse Noire is erotic, melancholy, and benefits from a haunting performance by Romay as the cursed vampire.