VAMPIRE OF THE OPERA 1964 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A troubled production, but an interesting and bizarre film.

This film follows the Italian gems "Playgirls And The Vampire" and "Vampire And The Ballerina".

A troupe of beautiful female dancers and their male companions practice in an old theater that is said to be haunted. But haunted by what? Well, an evil vampire of course.

The old caretaker tries to get the group to leave before it's too late but the leader of the group is stubborn and refuses. Thus the trouble starts when the vampire rises out of his coffin looking for new victims.

There are some great Gothic touches in this film as one would expect from Italian horror. Some of the women fall under the spell of the vampire, especially the young woman who resembles the woman the vampire once loved when he was human.

There are some bizarre scenes including the alternate world the vampire lives in resembling a dungeon with a lot of chained muses waiting for blood and one incredible scene of the vampire influencing the entire troupe into a dance routine that has to be seen to be believed.

This film began production in 1961 and wasn't completed until 1964 due to money problems. The title was also changed to "The Monster Of The Opera" after Italian cinema goers were getting tired of vampires.

I was glad to finally get to see the final film of the Italian trilogy of films about vampires and dancing girls. The print looks very good and it subtitled in English.