Rating: 
Summary: A Bewitching Vampire Tale...
Review: Stefan, a British aristocrat with sadistic tendencies, and the beautiful Valerie, a simple girl, have eloped and are on their way home to break the news to Stefan's mother. However, Stefan is hesitant to bring his wife to see his mother as he delays the trip back to England on purpose by making up stories. The newlyweds decide to stay in an extravagant hotel on the seaside while Stefan attempts to buy some time. Stefan and Valerie are the only guests at the hotel besides the flamboyant Countess Bathory and her seductive secretary since it is off-season. During the stay the Countess Bathory has taken a liking to the couple and begins to seduce them both as she begins setting her wicked plan into action.Daughters of Darkness is a vampire tale with a malevolently chilly and sexually tense atmosphere that haunts the mind with its subtle approach as Kümel avoids the popular approach of vampires. The vampires do not sleep in coffins nor attack the necks of their victims with sharpened elongated teeth. Instead Kümel disguises the threat of evil behind courteous behavior, alluring charm, and vivid gesticulations that become passionately seductive for the characters in the film. In addition, the mise-en-scene is strongly suggestive and vibrant colors are used in order to enhance the bewitching atmosphere that is viewed by the audience. This leaves the viewer with an uneasy, but artistic cinematic experience that selective audiences will appreciate.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Commentary On The DVD
Review: The main thing I liked about this dvd was that in one of the commentary extras John Karlen is interviewed while a large part of the movie is played.
I like Karlen's characters on the tv show Dark Shadows. I saw him at the Dark Shadows festival at the World Trade Center in August 2001. Karlen's character Willie Loomis was perfectly cast on Dark Shadows.
During the interview Karlen's personality comes out and it is quite different from what you might expect when watching him in a movie. However this movie was made over 30 years ago. He reflects and reminisces a lot about his life and experiences during this interview. Mainly he says he ate a lot of great food during the shooting of this movie.
Quite a few funny comments occur during this interview also.
As far as the movie itself it's got some sexxy parts. One good thing about older movies is that silicon breast implants didn't exist yet.
The plot is totally bizarre and there seems to be aspects of the story that are introduced for no apparent reason such as Stefan's 'mother' is really a guy. What this means we never find out.
Based on listening to some of the interview with the director the idea was to make a vampire type movie with style.
Rating: 
Summary: CLASSIC EURO-HORROR.....
Review: The real deal. Newlyweds on their honeymoon in Europe are befriended(?) by a mysterious woman and her weird younger female companion. The macho husband (John "Dark Shadows" Karlin) is put off by her but the wife is mystified and wants to be friendly. This puts a strain on their relationship and the husband becomes abusive which sends the wife right where the strange woman wants her. Of course the Lady's a vampire descended from the Countess Balthory and has eyes on the girl as her next "companion". The other companion has worn out her tenure. The husband seduces the companion in a sexy shower scene and she accidentally dies a bloody death which really puts a crimp in the honeymoon. Lots of nudity (including Karlin!) and cold modern European atmosphere make this even more interesting. Delphine Seyrig is marvellous as the Lady and Karlin is fine in his thin pre-Cagney&Lacey days. This is a classy film and not as cheesy as it may sound. Sort of Horror as Art if you will. Worth the time to sit and watch. A collector's item for Euro-horror buffs.
Rating:
Summary: The Pinnacle of Lesbian Vampire Movies
Review: There must be some subliminal message in this movie that I respond to. I have watched it over and over. The Countess is so beautifully evil; she made me fall under her spell. I have heard her described as a "Satanic Auntie Mame". She makes evil so seductive and fun. Even though I have a dark obessesion fop this movie, freinds I have shown it to describeit as boring and slow. (Hang on, talking about it made me get up and put it in the DVD player again). It's not for everyone, at least give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: Good story telling by John Karlen
Review: This DVD, while enjoyable, has its problems, noticeably towards the end in some of the darker scenes where digital pixelization becomes distracting. That aside, the real value of this DVD is that it is the longest released version of this 1971 horror classic AND for the audio commentary supplied by journalist David Del Valle and actor John Karlen. Karlen provides some down-to-earth and often funny comments throughout to Del Valle's serious questions (at times, I almost thought I was watching "Mystery Science Theater," I was laughing so loud). Karlen's quick wit provides a nice contrast to this serious vampire film, reminding us that "it's only a movie." Three stars for the film; five stars for John Karlen.
Rating: 
Summary: Ehh, it's okay... 2.5 actually
Review: This film is about a newlywed couple who "honeymoon?" at a fancy palace like hotel in Europe somewhere, alone, and are seduced by a Countess and her sidekick who show up not too long after the married couple arrive. I normally adore art house flicks, but this one has the pacing of a snail. There are only a few "shocking" scenes, and it came long after this viewer had any interest left. I will say this though, over the last 25 minutes of the film the pace quickens and may be considered a "payoff", but like I said, I basically lost interest. Don't believe the hype. If you want an interesting "exploitation" vampire film from the 70's, check out Warhol's Blood For Dracula. Nuff said.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome movie...Bad DVD!!!
Review: This is one the coolest art horror movies ever made. The Dvd suffers from the low picture quality and digital artifacting that we've come to expect from some Anchor Bay releases. Buy the tape.
Rating:
Summary: Eurotrash at it's best!
Review: This movie is indeed a treat. There are other reviewers refering to its artistic values, so I shall deal with the technical side. This is a worthy transfer: the picture quality is almost as good as it can be - even though the darker scenes are a bit milked and grainy. There are nothing wrong with the sound, too. To be short: there are so many unbelivably bad eurotrash movies around, in unacceptably bad transfers, that if you feel like peeping into the world of this genre, this definitely is the movie to start with - or, perhaps, even THE movie to own.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This was an amazing movie. The understatement (the word "vampire" isn't even mentioned), the wide angle shots of the dull drab scenery, and the music all were completely fab! It's a very bleak movie, with few characters, but it is absolutely fascinating. The lush backdrop of the hotel, and the empty town is gorgeous- it reminds me of "The Shining". Watch out for the countess, everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Flows Despite Its Flaws
Review: We've read about the "artiness" of "Daughters of Darkness," its lesbian themes, its hommage to "Marienbad" in the person of Delphine Seyrig (whose marcelled coif gives her more the look of a 1970s Jean Harlow than anyone previously associated with the genre). I'd rather focus on something else --- the film's confused handling of the Elizabeth Bathory legend. While an entire mystique has developed around Bathory, let's remember that she was a real person, who actually believed that bathing in virgins' blood would sustain her youthful beauty. Perverse, in other words, but strictly material --- there was nothing supernatural about her. The problem with "Daughters," though, is not that it reinterprets Bathory as a supernatural being. Bram Stoker was guilty of the same thing in his reconfigured version of Vlad Tepes. But at least Stoker was consistent --- he reinvented "Dracula" in his own terms, and did not arbitrarily mix the supernatural laws governing one sort of vampire with those of another. By contrast, "Daughters" mixes legends. Why, for example, do we hear a sudden outburst of "cue music" when Stefan accidentally nicks his neck shaving? It's obviously a moment that director Kumel carefully prepares us for, but the strategem backfires, because the Countess is not that sort of vampire. Why, moreover, does the Countess hold a seemingly supernatural, Svengali-like hold over her victims, rather than merely erotic control? And why does she keep "reincarnating" in body after body, when this, too, has no connection with either Bathory or conventional vampire lore? Why, too, does "Ilona" recoil from a shower near the end of the film? Her fear of running water has us connecting Bathorian vampirism with the Stokeresque variety, but for no legitimate reason. On top of all this, it's left unexplained why John Karlen should at one point be incited by a thunderstorm to flagellate his mistress. What's this --- a reference to Sturm und Drang, or another mysterious link with the Countess? If the latter, then it would probably be the result of the Countess's interest in Valerie --- therefore, it would make more sense for Valerie to be attacking Stefan, not the other way around. And why, when the Countess first meets Pierre, does he say she looks "just like" a woman who visited the hotel 40 years ago? Since he's obviously referring to the same woman, wouldn't any self-respecting vampire have changed her hairstyle since the Depression era? Pretty gauche, if you ask me. Despite these flaws, I love "Daughters of Darkness" for its beautifully decadent mood, its characters' talent for self-destruction, its unique score, and the incredibly luscious Andrea Rau in the role of "Ilona." I've watched the film repeatedly for the last 14 years, and it's never lost its power. Which only shows that there are sometimes more important things in a film than logic.
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