BLOOD FOR DRACULA (ANDY WARHOL’S DRACULA)

US, 1974, 108 minutes, Colour.
Joe Dallesandro, Udo Kier, Arno Juerging, Maxime Mc Kendry, Milena Vukotic, cameos from Vittorio de Sica and Roman Polanski.
Directed by Paul Morrissey.

Blood for Dracula is a companion piece to the 3D Flesh for Frankenstein. They were both directed by Paul Morrissey for the Andy Warhol Studio. Morrissey was also to make the sex films with Joe Dallesandro, Heat, Flesh, Trash. Dallesandro was the star in the 1960s and 1970s for the Andy Warhol group. He later had something of a career in mainstream films.

The film is tongue-in-cheek, a send-up of the Dracula story, with Count Dracula (Udo Kier who is also Frankenstein) able only to drink the blood of virgins – otherwise suffering convulsions. Joe Dallesandro is the gardener – with the sex drive as he has in his other films.

The film is therefore a combination of sexual exploitation, horror conventions and spoof.

1. Audience expectations of Andy Warhol-backed films? His style, sub-culture, interests? The Frankenstein and Dracula expectations? The repute of Flesh for Frankenstein and Paul Morrisey's style? Warhol meeting the traditions of the horror genres?

2. The impact of horror stories, their appeal, the illustration of the shadow side of human nature, nightmares and dreams? Why is horror satisfying and entertaining?

3. The Dracula traditions - Dracula as monster? The vampire tradition, the evil and the living dead, the need for blood, the sexual overtones of the Dracula myth?

4. The horror in the Dracula, tradition the living dead, sexuality? How were these used by Morrissey - camp treatment, outrageous exaggeration? Why is this enjoyable to a 20th century audience?

5. The use of the basic plot - the introduction of Dracula, his making himself up but no image in the mirror, his elegance? The lack of virginal blood in Romania, his withdrawal symptoms? The satire in his biting the Difiori girls and being sick on their bad blood?

6. The build-up of Dracula, Romania, Anton as the traditional servant, the decision to go to Italy, the purpose of finding virginal blood in a Catholic country? The ironies about Italian morals?

7. The Marquis Difiori as portrayed by Vittorio de Sica? Style, manner, talk? Poverty, his home and its elaborate beauty? His plans for the marriage of his daughters? The picture of the various daughters - their beauty, loss of virginity, potential as Dracula’s victims? Their relationship with Mario? (and the overtones of the sex exploitation film?)

8. How well characterised were the daughters? Mario and his relationship with them? and their bad blood?

9. Mario as portrayed by Joe Dallesandro (and his reputation in the Warhol films)? His revolutionary statements and his deadpan style? Sex symbol? His relationship with Perla and consummating the relationship in order to save her from Dracula?

10. The portrait of Anton and the overtones of Dracula’s servant?

11. The final pursuit by Mario becoming hero, the ultra violence in the dismembering of Dracula? Esmeralda and her impaling herself?

12. The supporting cast and guests, for example Roman Polanski as the belligerent peasant and his style? Comic horror?

13. The overall effect of this kind of outrageous presentation of traditional horror material? lts comment on the genre, its comment on audience response?