The Blood-Spattered Bride (1972) is actually a few women — the long-dead but still very warm vampire Carmilla (Alexandra Bastedo, from The Ghoul), frigid yet foxy newlywed Susan (Maribel Martin, from The House That Screamed [1]), and Susan's curious little sister Carol (Rosa Maria Rodriguez). In the center of their orbit is, of course, one hapless male (only billed as The Husband, that'd be Simón Andreu - who was also dashing and dastardly in one of my favorite giallos, Death Walks on High Heels [2]).

The story gets underway with legend, fantasy, white lace, and a little forcible sex (real, or imagined?), which is swiftly followed by a high falutin' quote by Plato, some boobs and bloodletting. So much for the blushing bride!

While it does follow along the lines of some other lesbian-friendly fright flicks out of Europe in the 1970s (think: Daughters of Darkness, with a dash of Living Dead Girl), The Blood-Spattered Bride has got'em all beat in my book. No wonder Quentin Tarantino gives it a thumbs-up (and probably other body parts up, as well). [In fact, I viewed his own personal print of the film at the New Beverly Theater in L.A., during VampireCon.]

The Blood-Spattered Bride is bizarre, yet cohesive; interesting and entertaining. The dubbing is decent, and while the cinematography isn't especially stunning (not like another well-crafted Carmilla tale Blood & Roses [3], which predates this version by a decade) it's nicely done and reveals some of stranger scenes (like the one below) with a good deal of fetishy-suspense.

This flick is positively popping with phallic symbolism — from the knife blade probing the mouth of a bear trap in the woods to the monolithic cutout window in the castle which directs moans of ecstasy into the wind like a loudspeaker. It's almost as pervasive as the pulchritude (both sexes, and sex of all kinds, get a fair shake here under the deft direction of Vicente Aranda).

The fashions are fab, The Husband's Triumph TR4 is rockin', and most everyone is ridiculously good looking — even soaking wet with blood. Perhaps what sets The Blood-Spattered Bride apart is the talent behind it: Aranda and most of the main cast are still producing new movies [4]!). Whatever the case, when it comes to florid and fevered 70s horror and sexploitation, it doesn't get much better than this haunted, gothic — and yes, a bit cheesy — fantasy.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson