the plot: Newlyweds Stefan (Karlen) and Valerie (Ouimet) spend their honeymoon at a posh, but deserted, European resort. Stefan is reluctant to return home—he knows his parents, a pair of wealthy aristocrats, will never approve of a commoner like Valerie. The couple’s extended stay forces them to cross paths with the Countess Bathory (Seyrig) and her companion, Ilona (Rau). The two women are strikingly beautiful, but also strange and weirdly charismatic. Stefan immediately takes to the two women, but Valerie is suspicious, especially since the women’s arrival coincides with the murder of a young girl in a nearby town. Valerie’s suspicions, it turns out, are justified: The Countess is the legendary Elizabeth Bathory, the European monarch known for torturing and bathing in the blood of young girls in order to maintain her youth. The Countess and Ilona are vampires, and they soon set about seducing the young couple. Their plans are complicated when Stefan, a sadistic sex fiend, accidentally kills Ilona while forcing himself on her. Enraged by the death of her lover, the Countess and Valerie begin a campaign of psychological torture against Stefan, whose sadism proves to be no match against the dread Countess.

why it’s good: “Daughters of Darkness” has a lot going for it, but those drawn to the film with the promise of European lesbian vampires cavorting around swank locales will be disappointed. That’s because “Daughters” is mostly all talk and no action—at least, no vampire action. There’s plenty of sex and nudity (including John Karlen), but when it comes to actual vampirism, the film’s a bit of a tease. But, like the movie’s two vampire lovers, “Daughters” is a good-looking tease, filled with lush cinematography and careful set design and wardrobe choices by director Harry Kumel. Kumel keeps the pace slow, and most of the events center on conversations between Stefan, Valerie and the Countess. (Ilona’s sole purpose, it seems, is to get naked and, later, die.) But, the careful build up is, unfortunately, not as compelling as the film’s last 30 minutes, when the Countess and Stefan fight for control of Valerie. The battle of wills makes for some interesting action, but, sadly, it’s over before it even begins. Clocking in at a lean 90 minutes, it feels like Kumel wanted to put more in “Daughters” than he had time to address. A local detective hanging out at the hotel seems to be aware of the Countess’ vampirism, but that plot thread gets snipped when the Countess runs him over during an early morning drive. A scene involving a phone call between Stefan and his father is sufficiently creepy and strange, but ultimately raises more questions about Stefan than it answers.

why you should own it: If you like vampire flicks, give “Daughters of Darkness” a chance. Blue Underground’s two-disc set contains the original, uncut version of the film, as well as a host of extras, including the Spanish vampire flick “The Blood Spattered Bride.” Be sure to check out the interview with Andrea Rau, who reveals she was offered the part of Ilona thanks to her background in dance and her status as a European softcore star. Now 60 years old, Rau is still pretty foxy—evidence, perhaps, that those vampire beauty methods used by the Countess are actually effective.