The Playgirls and the Vampire (1960)

- L'ultima preda del vampiro
Why do people in horror movies insist on staying in creepy old castles?, 30 July 2005

After running out on an unpaid hotel bill, a bus carrying five showgirls, their manager, and a driver becomes stranded because of bad weather. They seek shelter in a nearby castle (Is it a European custom to ask any stranger with a spooky castle if you can spend the night when you're stranded?). At first, the owner, Count Gabor Kernassy, is reluctant to let them stay, but eventually changes his mind after noting that one of the girls looks like a dead relative. During dinner, the Count tells his guests that they must remain in their rooms at night. Unfortunately for Playgirl Katia, she didn't listen and begins exploring (What a shocker!) the castle after everyone has gone to bed. The next morning, her dead body is found on the castle's grounds. Was it an accident or was she murdered? And who else will die in Castle Kernassy?

Let's get this out of the way up-front, The Playgirls and the Vampire is remembered for one thing - it was one of the first Italian horror movies (if not the very first) to mix nudity with horror. As a curiosity piece, it's interesting, but it's hardly the basis for a good movie. If you're interested in a slow moving Italian Gothic horror, there are far better movies to be found than this one. The Playgirls and the Vampire moves too slowly for even the most patient and disciplined fan. The first 3/4 can best be described as drudgery.

The American title is a bit misleading. It suggests that the movie's plot is about a group of scantily clad women being terrorized by a vampire. Let's see, one woman is bitten and the vampire is one of the least threatening I've ever seen. Walter Brandi plays the vampire (and the Count) and his performance is best described as stiff. He acts like his arms might fall off if he moves too quickly. The Playgirls in the title are the most untalented group of showgirls ever assembled. And the emotions they feel for their fallen comrade consist of rehearsing their sad dance routine within minutes of the funeral.

The movie does pick-up the pace and become fairly entertaining for the last 1/4 of the running time. The underground passages are creepy and provide the only atmosphere to be found. The final fight between the two vampires is enjoyable in a campy/cheesy sort of way. This portion of the movie saves it from becoming a total waste of time.

If any of this sounds interesting, I recommend watching Bloody Pit of Horror instead. The plots are almost identical (just replace a homicidal lunatic for the vampire), but Bloody Pit of Horror is so much more fun.

5/10