Daughters Of Darkness (1971) @ Les Lèvres Rouges

At a glance:

Before there were horror-comedies like Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009), there were classy European vampire erotica like Harry Kumel's Daughters of Darkness (1971). What's there to say - it's a vampire movie in English, it's got three gorgeous female leads and it's shot with laborious ambition, as if to say "we're goin to make this shot as difficult as possible so that you know how bleedin good we are". Legendary sex icon Delphine Seyrig (pic, foreground) is particularly engrossin as the Hungarian killer Countess Elizabeth Báthory, a sort of decadent high society milf with the most hypnotic and disarmin voice I've ever heard on film. The elegant murderess manipulates newlywed couple Stefan (John Karlen) and Valerie (Danielle Ouimet) with the help of her lesbo pet Ilona (Andrea Rau) with some interestin underpinnin feminist themes throughout. It's not very obvious but it's the sort of movie that illustrates the need for blowjobs to be given when due, lest we suffer the wrath of murderous sexual frustration.

Bad news on the doorstep:

It gets better as it wears on but you might want the first half to go a little faster.

Perennial wonderment:

Why have they not made a movie in which the vampire suddenly dies from accidentally eatin bak kut teh with garlic.

Reminds me of:

Jess Franco's Vampyros Lesbos (1971).
Watch out for:
A rather unexpected crash 'n burn death sequence at the end, brought about by daylight exposure. I guess this is how they did it before they could use special effects like in Interview With The Vampire (1994).  

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Three stars for its three leads. You'll like it if you like moody stuff.

The Panic In Needle Park (1971)

"Your love is like bad medicine."

At a glance:
Now this is what I call a movie about drugs. Fuck Trainspotting (1996). That's too stylish. This is downright dirty, hopelessly grim and plain I-don't-wanna-live-no-more-please-poke-this-needle-through-my-eye. It's a slow-burnin drama about a couple's descent into a life of addiction. You start starin down into a big black hole right from the off. You wanna help but you can't. "God help Bobby and Helen - they're in love in Needle Park."
Reminds me of:

Ingmar Bergman's Scenes From A Marriage (1973), another otherworldly movie (removes you to a place so damned distant, detached and depressin). Not even sad sex can save you from the blues after watchin this film.
Watch out for:
Al Pacino. Apparently the studio suits were convinced about him bein right to play Michael Corleone in Godfather only after shown his performance in this movie.
I can't remember if I cried:
When I read about how Kitty Winn, the lead actress who scooped Best Actress at Cannes for this film, walked away from moviemakin and started a family. Her performance in this, how the character arc frustrates the viewer, is so fuckin gorgeous. You could feel like reachin your hand into the TV and wantin to pull her out to save her.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
It's a four star movie just for gettin to see closeups of needles prickin the skin. R-rated, I read.