Lake of Dracula

The Movie

"In an abandoned house just off the coast of Noto, five-year-old Akiko witnesses a grizzly murder and the resiting place of a golden-eyed vampire. Narrowly escaping a fate worse than death, Akikio grows to adulthood still affected by her ideal, which has been explained to her young mind as a terrible dream.

But with the delivery of a mysterious package, her bloody nightmare is about to recommence, as the horror is reawakened. Soon, young women are found suffering from strange bite marks and massive blood loss. With no logical explanations, the only possible cause can be the return of the vampire.

As friends and family begin to change around her, Akiko realises that her nightmare had always been reality. She must once again visit the vampire's lair and confront the nmonster that has dominated her life, and save those she loves from an eternity of living death."

Review

An interesting transposition of the vampire from his European roots, this movie adopts many of the ponderous and hammy attributes of the finest hammer movies. Sadly, the plot is ill thought out, and begins to flaglong before the surpising, but rather unsatisfying end. There's an 'origin' legend that doesn't stand up too well to prolonged thought (max 1 second), and the acting really doesn't inspire - though Akiko is the one believable character.

It's certainly a change from the European version, and very genteel compared to the 21st century Hollywood fare, but it's creepy rather than frightening, and spooky rather than exciting. Well worth a watch, but not enough story to reach the end.

The DVD

Includes biographies and promotional material plus some stills.

Lake of Dracula was the second in 'The Bloodthirsty Trilogy'. Three films from director Michio Yamamoto, with a common feature that Dracula neither appears, nor is mentioned. That's what they call 'marketing'.