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From Amazon.co.uk
Eurotrash sex/horror auteur Jesus Franco's Female Vampire delivers nudity, drinking of human body fluids, plentiful zoom shots, languorous music, a vestigial storyline and the odd moment of surrealism (a flapping bat car ornament). It opens with a soulful-eyed brunette (Lina Romay) striding through misty woods wearing only thigh-boots, a leather belt and a black cloak, then chancing across a breeder of tropical birds upon whom she performs an act of oral sex that winds up painfully and fatally for the poor chump.
One of Franco's better films, this still has an extremely leisurely pace which means that the story drifts dreamlike (or tediously, depending on your point of view) between protracted but unappealing sexual encounters as a smitten fellow with the requisite 70s porno moustache (Jack Taylor), a vampire-hating doctor (director Franco) and a blind coroner pursue the gloomy Countess for their own reasons. The vampire is mute but has an Anne Rice-style whining voice-over, and the dubbing means that everyone else seems equally dissociated from the words that fail to approximate their lip movements. Fans of Lina's frustrated naked writhings get to see her do the thing on top of several men and women, a bed, a tree and in a bath of blood. To Franco-philes, it's a masterpiece; to everyone else, wearisome tat.
On the DVD: Female Vampire on disc comes with a nice widescreen transfer of a print that goes on longer than any previous UK release (though it runs 94 mins, not the 101 listed on the cover); an alternate opening sequence (with the title The Bare Breasted Countess); a fairly complete list of Franco credits; a French trailer (for La Comtesse aux Seins Nus); and four brief alternate scenes from a version of the film with less explicit sex but more blood (i.e., necks are bitten but not private parts). --Kim Newman
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Zoltan Korda
Format:DVD
This is the greatest film ever made. Or, it is if you appreciate Franco's idiosyncratic approach to film making and the allure of Lina Romay as the leading lady. Quite simply, watching Lina roam the misty forest wearing little else but a belt is one of the finest sequences ever shot - not only is she beautiful, soulful and intensely sexual, but the languid music and atmospheric scenery combine to extraordinarily dreamlike effect. The film goes at a snail's pace, and there is virtually no dialogue (but watch out for Jesus' stunning cameo), but it has a soporific power and sensual grace that is unique. Lina Romay never bettered her appearance in this film, the scenes of her writhing on her bed and in a bath of blood are erotic and mesmerising. I saw this film originally on Channel 4's Eurotika season and its impact is as strong now as it was then. A sleepwalk of sex and death.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Jack G
Format:DVD
This is probably Jess Franco's most notorious film (first released in the UK as The Bare Breasted Contessa). But it is not entirely satisfactory.
It's strange enough all right, but most of the characters are sketchy and the plot - as it is - moves along far too slowly.
What are more than satisfactory, however, are the scenes featuring the contessa herself.
Lina Romay, 19 when she was discovered by Franco, plays the erotically-driven vampire and, although expressionless, is totally watchable throughout.
Romay gives an astonishingly uninhibited performance and has some very sexy scenes.
This is also one for the fetishists, whether your bag is belts or oral, capes, vamps, masturbation with bits of household furniture or knee-length boots.
It's strange enough all right, but most of the characters are sketchy and the plot - as it is - moves along far too slowly.
What are more than satisfactory, however, are the scenes featuring the contessa herself.
Lina Romay, 19 when she was discovered by Franco, plays the erotically-driven vampire and, although expressionless, is totally watchable throughout.
Romay gives an astonishingly uninhibited performance and has some very sexy scenes.
This is also one for the fetishists, whether your bag is belts or oral, capes, vamps, masturbation with bits of household furniture or knee-length boots.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this film as I am a fan of some of other Franco's stuff but didn't know what this would be like.
I have to say I was impressed. Yes - there is lots of nudity and sex - a fair amount of which is arguably not necessary and is gratuitous.
However, the sensuous and mysterious atmosphere is quite captivating at times - for example, the first death with Lina Romay coming slowly out of the mist - a wonderful piece of cinematography.
And the final death sequence is superb - the mood of a doomed love between Romay and the lead male is excellently portrayed.
And for me a special thanks to Daniel White for his wonderful music - so fantastically catches the atmosphere.
All in all a good film if you can accept that there is some extremely explicit stuff in here.
I have to say I was impressed. Yes - there is lots of nudity and sex - a fair amount of which is arguably not necessary and is gratuitous.
However, the sensuous and mysterious atmosphere is quite captivating at times - for example, the first death with Lina Romay coming slowly out of the mist - a wonderful piece of cinematography.
And the final death sequence is superb - the mood of a doomed love between Romay and the lead male is excellently portrayed.
And for me a special thanks to Daniel White for his wonderful music - so fantastically catches the atmosphere.
All in all a good film if you can accept that there is some extremely explicit stuff in here.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Do not buy this film if you are expecting a horror film. Its not scary in the least. Its more a soft core look and Franco is trying to blend both elements together and that just doesn't happen.
The film begins with Lina, walking out of a mist covered forest wearing a black cape, black belt and long black boots...and nothing else. Through this whole sequence the camera lovingly looks her over. At this time she was incredably beautiful and this whole scene draws you into what she does. It makes you succumb to her beauty.
Lina plays a countess with a curse and as already stated in other reviews she's a little different from other vampires. She is a mute and this brings a certain edgyness to her character and with her looks make her all the more irresistible. She kills her lovers by making love to them and biting something which isn't their necks.
Well, at least they died happy. If you want a horror film look elsewhere. If you want a beautiful woman with nothing much on doing nasty things to different people...this is for you.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is basically the story of the scorpion and the turtle, the scorpion asks the turtle for a ride over a deep river, promising not to sting the turtle in the process, the turtle gives the scorpion a ride but the scorpion stings it anyway with the explanation of 'I'm a scorpion, it's what I do'.
Thus we have Lina Romay playing the scorpion, or rather the mute title role, a vampire in turmoil who seduces everything including the bedpost at one point, executing her sting as the seduced is in the throes of the big 'O' (not Roy Orbison, the other big 'O'). I'll admit she's a favourite of mine and while I wouldn't claim she was robbed of an Oscar for this film she does do some great brooding eye acting along the way and if you look up 'pert' in the dictionary, there should be a photo of her from this film.
The film itself is presented in classy widescreen and it's run of the mill Franco really, some dodgy editing, scenes going on too long and you get the feeling that Franco was never really au fait with the camera, like he'd bought it the morning of the shoot and lost the instruction booklet.
The sex scenes go on too long, drifting into dodgy 70s softcore with more moans'n'groans than the England football team in a penalty shoot-out and this must be the only vampire film to contain no fangs or blood, maybe the budget ran out although where the money went, I'm not sure but it sure didn't go on Lina Romay's wardrobe of a cape, some leather boots, an oversized belt and nothing else.
Thus we have Lina Romay playing the scorpion, or rather the mute title role, a vampire in turmoil who seduces everything including the bedpost at one point, executing her sting as the seduced is in the throes of the big 'O' (not Roy Orbison, the other big 'O'). I'll admit she's a favourite of mine and while I wouldn't claim she was robbed of an Oscar for this film she does do some great brooding eye acting along the way and if you look up 'pert' in the dictionary, there should be a photo of her from this film.
The film itself is presented in classy widescreen and it's run of the mill Franco really, some dodgy editing, scenes going on too long and you get the feeling that Franco was never really au fait with the camera, like he'd bought it the morning of the shoot and lost the instruction booklet.
The sex scenes go on too long, drifting into dodgy 70s softcore with more moans'n'groans than the England football team in a penalty shoot-out and this must be the only vampire film to contain no fangs or blood, maybe the budget ran out although where the money went, I'm not sure but it sure didn't go on Lina Romay's wardrobe of a cape, some leather boots, an oversized belt and nothing else.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. Nicholas Davies
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
If it is possible to describe any of the films in the Jess Franco cannon as great, then female vampire is certainly one of his films most realisticaly vying for that title.
The films begins with a startlingly naked Lina Romay walking (aimlessly it seems) over hill and dale in search of a man. It turns out that when she finds one she must SUCK his life from him in order to sustain hers. The reader may not have to ponder very long over how exactly the female vampire may go about this task. The plot, of which there is very little, moves at a criminally slow pace and Franco seems much more interested in giving us as many shots of the young Romay writhing around naked on her bed in a state of sexual anguish/ecstasy. To be fair to Franco as well Romay has a delightful presence about her and definitely elevates the film above the usual Franco standard.. There is a little love interest as expected in this type of flick but it is extinguished by the vampire when coupling with her lover in the same way that she disposed of her other victims. The twist is obviously that this time she was in love and she only wanted to please her lover. This is all very well and good but after this event the film seems to drift on rather aimlessly for another twenty minutes or so until it's whimpering end.
Please don't think that I don't like this film, because I really do, I just have to get the negative out of the way first. The plus points for this film are certainly prevalent and Romay is often mesmeric and extremely sexy. Franco's erotic horrors are often fairly farcical, but this one definitely is sexual and one almost wants to become of Romay's victims.... Read more ›
The films begins with a startlingly naked Lina Romay walking (aimlessly it seems) over hill and dale in search of a man. It turns out that when she finds one she must SUCK his life from him in order to sustain hers. The reader may not have to ponder very long over how exactly the female vampire may go about this task. The plot, of which there is very little, moves at a criminally slow pace and Franco seems much more interested in giving us as many shots of the young Romay writhing around naked on her bed in a state of sexual anguish/ecstasy. To be fair to Franco as well Romay has a delightful presence about her and definitely elevates the film above the usual Franco standard.. There is a little love interest as expected in this type of flick but it is extinguished by the vampire when coupling with her lover in the same way that she disposed of her other victims. The twist is obviously that this time she was in love and she only wanted to please her lover. This is all very well and good but after this event the film seems to drift on rather aimlessly for another twenty minutes or so until it's whimpering end.
Please don't think that I don't like this film, because I really do, I just have to get the negative out of the way first. The plus points for this film are certainly prevalent and Romay is often mesmeric and extremely sexy. Franco's erotic horrors are often fairly farcical, but this one definitely is sexual and one almost wants to become of Romay's victims.... Read more ›
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3.2 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ok film, bad print. Not franco or Romays best
I liked Franco as a director and more importantly Lina Romay. This is probably one of Francos better known efforts, however I find it drags in places as it has a dreamy and surreal... Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. W. Howarth
2.0 out of 5 stars
Female Vampire
Seller sent this item out fast via post, I would recommened this seller.
At a low price this is worth watching.
At a low price this is worth watching.
Published 22 months ago by John A. Dabson
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Swallowers
The film essentially has the plot of a piece of pornography: a beautiful woman must have sex with people (male or female) to survive, but when the "victim" reaches an orgasm they... Read more
Published on 5 Dec 2010 by Mr. S. A. Brown
1.0 out of 5 stars
worst film ever
Always looking out for something new, interesting or weird, I came upon watching some movies by Joe D'Amato (11 Days 11 Nights series). Read more
Published on 19 May 2010 by Ralf Bader
1.0 out of 5 stars
Why no replacement?
I recieved this item which was a dvd that didnt work,I sent it back and said I wanted a replacement that did work,all a got was a refund,obviously
I didnt just want the money... Read more
I didnt just want the money... Read more
Published on 8 Mar 2009 by Mr. M. P. J. Rush
5.0 out of 5 stars
The bare breasted Mrs Romay
The Feamale Vampire is one of Francos best movies (the best perhaps?) and an excellent addition to the euro horror genre. Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2008 by TimmyC
1.0 out of 5 stars
Erm Art it is not. Horror?, sadly no, erotic? I guess.
After coming across this title while scouring the web for Vampire pictures i was intrigued by the atmospheric shots of the young female vampire in the forest (being more into... Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2008 by SolarisDorian
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of the sexiest films ever made
there's a lot of non sense secuences and everything's weird and strange...but Lina Romay on the bed...it¨s one of the hottest things ^you'll ever see
Published on 15 April 2008 by hubert pascal
3.0 out of 5 stars
thought provoking
I rented this for entirely the wrong reasons and was pleasently surprised. This was the second time I have seen this film, having originally seen it under the sillier title and... Read more
Published on 2 May 2006 by M. O. HAYNES
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