Rating: 
Summary: "One Man's meat .........."
Review: Immortal DELPHINE SEYRIG defines elegance [once again] in this pre-"Hunger" excursion to forbidden territories. If you like mouldy deserted mausoleum-type hotels -[The Shining?] - and off season honeymoons, this one's for you!Eye candy too from buxom Danielle Ouinet [she reminds me of beautiful Sharon Tate]; and sultry John Karlen as a somewhat confused young newlywed person. Just what is the boy trying to prove? Stand back, it's quite daring for 1970 [and yes, this one's just a teensy bit kinky too!] Composition is delicate - with the occasional splash of crimson [a sweater, scarf, lipstick, the blood-drop shaped automobile], not forgetting Ms. Seyrig's first few introductory frames - a resurrection of Lillith! Then there's ANDREA RAU - who also defines style, in or out of clothes. She's in perfect contrast to Ms. Seyrig's cool countess. Enjoy this fantasy - a must for those snuggly winter nights!
Rating: 
Summary: Unfortunately There is No Zero Star Rating
Review: In any language, this movie is [....] It was so bad that it made Blackula look like an Academy Award nominee. Keep your money and see a good vampire movie like Blade, Vampire's, Vampire 200 or Dusk til Dawn. I want to wash my hands after writing this review!
Rating: 
Summary: A Guilty Pleasure
Review: Let's face it: "Daughters of Darkness" is, at most, a guilty pleasure. Despite the cheesy music, overly dramatic dialogue, and uneven acting, this film is totally watchable. Delphine Seyrig is suitably seductive and enigmatic as the world-weary Countess Elisabeth Batori who in her search for blood and eternal life pounces upon a young couple in the Belgian coastal town of Ostend. Andrea Rau plays the countess's slave (and lover). John Karlen of "Dark Shadows" fame plays the husband who tries to save his wife from Batori's clutches. Notorious when it was released theatrically in 1971 for its brief explicitness, this unexpurgated version is pure escapist Eurotrash and wonderfully watchable! It should appeal to both fans of camp classics as well as vampire movie buffs.
Rating:
Summary: Naturally disconcerning
Review: Most well-known for its gloriously eerie effects and bizarre artful atmosphere, this film is perhaps one of the best of those which portray vampires as mysterious gloomy entities rather than everyday haywire villains to be chased down by the errant Saturday-morning superhero. The plot is tight and the casting is outstanding. The sets and the camera work is really top-notch, both for 1971 (the film's release) and today. If you enjoy things which have to do with the vampires as known in the early 1900's, you will enjoy this fiml.
Rating:
Summary: Fangless but cool
Review: Normally I don't go for the vampire film where you don't see the fangs - but in this case the subtly works so well. If you like mood and visuals over plot - and are cool with Jean Rollin type lesbian vampires, then this film is for you. I'd seen it already years ago on VHS and had to own it on DVD!!
Rating:
Summary: That special early 70's feeling
Review: Oh yeah, the melancholy eurorock soundtrack, Mr. Karlen's post-Beatles bangs and insectoid shades, driving through a Dutch forest at dawn, these are the essentials one ought to really savor, not whether the lebianism is erotic enough, nor whether the vampirism convincing. Speaking of Karlen, if one thumbs through any Japanese comic from the 70's, one realizes he is the embodiment of the male manga hero. Just for that you should own this flick. Ok, so the movie is no Don't Look Now...but does it really matter? And for the very cultured person who thinks Blade is a good movie, I hope Wesley Snipes cuts him in half. The problem, as I see it, is too many of the wrong kind of people watch and comment on this film. It's either the Goth/Anne Rice crowd, the eurotrash perve, or the art dweeb. Give it up y'all, this movie should be filed next to Le Mans under "K" for KILLER HAIR AND MUSIC. By the way, I got the VHS, and it is nice not to have to see the pixels. Plus, any movie with a white mink coat in it already deserves 3 stars, so this is easily 4 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Hyped
Review: Painfully slow movie. The countess drinks blood, but didn't see much of vampirism. The background music is mesmerizing. Good direction.
Sensual nudism. Full marks for lovely Andrea Rau, companion of the Countess. She is a beauty. On the whole the move is a hype. Leaves lots to imagination.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant vampire flick
Review: Since I've been watching a ton of Eurohorror classics lately, now is as good as a time as any to say a few words about "Daughters of Darkness." I made a vow some time ago to ignore vampire films as a general rule. It's not that I strongly dislike all vampire films, mind you, but I just feel like the genre has been done to death over the years. How many versions of Dracula can you watch before your eyes start rolling over the predictability of it all? The plots are all essentially the same, right? You've got the obligatory virgin, the dashing young lad, the wizened vampire hunter, and good old Drac himself ambling around in the dark tormenting the others. A bunch of people fall prey to the vampire, the hunter teams up with the young man in an effort to save the young girl, and a stake through the old ticker pretty much wraps the whole thing up. Well, a bit of experience reveals quite a few films that play around with this tried and true formula. One way to accomplish something different, if these European flicks are any indication, is to punch up the proceedings with a generous helping of bare flesh. There's nothing like a bunch of gals trooping around in revealing outfits, or no outfits at all, to perk up the dreary old Stoker legend. And if you can make the head vampire a woman, that certainly can't hurt either. Welcome to "Daughters of Darkness."
Something weird and wonderful is going on in this movie, but you have to wait awhile to see it. The picture starts out by showing us two freshly wedded lovebirds, Valerie (Danielle Ouimet) and Stefan (John Karlen), heading to the European coast on a train. Ostensibly, the two married in secret and are now going to head over to England to meet Stefan's domineering mother. Valerie worries whether the woman (ha!) will accept her since Stefan makes it abundantly clear that his beloved mother is quite picky about her son's girlfriends. Stefan assures Valerie all will go well, but it soon becomes apparent that he isn't hurrying to get to England. While waiting for the ship that will take them home, the two check into a massively creepy hotel on the coast. No other guests are staying in the building since it's out of season, so Valerie and Stefan have the beautiful building all to themselves. That is until Countess Elizabeth Bathory (Delphine Seyrig) and her beautiful companion Ilona (Andrea Rau) arrive on the scene in a vintage automobile. Most of us are aware that Elizabeth Bathory was a notorious sixteenth century Hungarian noblewoman who supposedly kept herself eternally young by bathing in vats filled with the blood of young maidens. Unfortunately, Valerie and Stefan don't make the connection.
Still, the newlyweds grow increasingly aware that something isn't right with the beautiful countess. First, it's rather odd that the hotel manager claims that he remembers Countess Elizabeth showing up at the hotel nearly fifty years before looking exactly as she does now. Second, she's downright creepy. There's something hidden behind her horrific grin that makes you want to scream. Second, the Countess Elizabeth takes an incredible interest in the activities of the couple. She always seems to appear whenever Stefan and Valerie leave their room, grinning that horrible grin and cooing like a cat over the two newlyweds. Bathory seems to have an eye for the beautiful Valerie, too, which makes sense when we discover exactly why Ilona follows her around like a puppy. It turns out history made a mistake about the blood vats, not recognizing or refusing to record that Bathory was really a vampire with a penchant for young gals. She's roamed Europe for over three hundred years playing the same bloody game, a game that now threatens to rip apart forever this hapless couple. In no time at all, Elizabeth manages to drive a wedge between the Stefan and Valerie, recruit the latter to her thirsty cause, and wreak a whole heck of a lot of havoc in the hotel.
You just gotta love this film. "Daughters of Darkness" is one of the best vampire films I have ever seen for a multitude of reasons. The primary reason the picture succeeds is due to the amazing talents of Delphine Seyrig. Who is this enchanting woman and where has she been all my life? I love this lady! She manages to make her character insanely gorgeous and metaphysically eerie at the same time. She slinks around in shimmering outfits dropping suggestive comments, tells horribly gory stories, winks, and grins with the greatest of ease. And her fate at the end of the film is gruesome and disturbing. Just as good as Seyrig is the oppressive atmosphere of the hotel and the desolate surroundings. Characters move around outside under overcast skies and through pouring rain. Forests nearby are dense and spooky. Every set piece seems to telegraph a sense of impending doom for the film's participants. Finally, you simply won't believe your eyes when Stefan calls his mother on the phone. What was director Harry Kumel thinking here? What an incredibly bizarre scene to insert into the picture! Oh man, you just won't comprehend the insanity of it!
"Daughters of Darkness" deserves five stars for its amazing performances and over the top antics. I can't thank Blue Underground enough for releasing this treasure on DVD. While the print transfer occasionally suffers from some minor blemishes and fading colors, most of the movie looks great. Extras include two commentary tracks, radio spots, a trailer, stills, and an interview with Andrea Rau. Run, don't walk, to pick up a copy of this underrated gem.
Rating:
Summary: Glamour and Horror never looked better
Review: Sometimes it's better to suspend belief and enjoy the images
put forward. Who cares if the story doesn't make sense?
The visual beauty of this film will make you forget all about
silly things like plots! We must remember, Vampires don't really
exist everyone! And if they did, lets hope they are as beautiful
as the Countess is in this film. Lush costumes, hair, and make-up
can definatley save many a vampire film as can erie locations
and haunting photography. Reminds one of the Mario Bava films
of the 60's but a little hipper.
I loved it and all those technical snobs can stuff it!
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.
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