IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

Boutique video label Blue Underground recently produced a new restoration of the 1971 cult Euro-horror Daughters of Darkness (a.k.a Les lèvres rouges, 1971) from a 4K scan the original camera negative, overseen by the film’s director, Harry Kümel.  This restoration was released this week as a 3-disc limited edition collectors set, containing the film on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs, along with a CD of the original soundtrack.  If you are already familiar with the film, and you just want to read about the quality of the release, feel free to skip to the “Video” section below.  Spoiler Alert: The movie has never looked better, and the 3-disc package is one of the best home video releases of the year.  You should not hesitate to add the Blue Underground limited edition set to your collection, even if, like me, you already own the previous 2011 Blu-ray.  However, for those that are unfamiliar with Harry Kümel’s European “art house” lesbian vampire movie, my review follows.

With the loosening of restrictions on sex and violence in the cinema of the 1970s, filmmakers were on the lookout for subject matter that had the potential of combining blood and nudity.  As a result, multiple writers and directors drew inspiration from Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 gothic novella Carmilla, which introduced the concept of lesbian vampires. The Vampire Lovers (1970), Vampyros Lesbos (1971), Lust for a Vampire (1971), Twins of Evil (1972), and Vampyres (1974) are just a few examples of the exploitation horror films that grew out of this trend.  However, by far the classiest and most artistic of the Seventies lesbian vampire flicks was the Begian/French/German co-production Daughters of Darkness (a.k.a Les lèvres rouges, 1971), which combined the seeds of Carmilla with the legends of the historical figure of 16th Century Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who was said to have bathed in the blood of virgins in order to keep a youthful appearance.

The story concerns a couple of newlyweds, Stefan (John Karlen) and Valerie (Danielle Ouimet), who take refuge in a seaside hotel in Ostend, Belgium, when their honeymoon trip is delayed by a train derailment. The couple are alone in the hotel, with the exception of Pierre (Paul Esser), the hotel clerk, when the Countess Elizabeth Bathory (Delphine Seyrig) checks into the hotel for the first time in 40 years, although she does not appear to have aged a day.  The Countess and her secretary, Ilona (Andrea Rau), take an unhealthy interest in the newlyweds and find ways to insert themselves in-between the married couple.  The resulting tug-of-war leads to sexual warfare, sadism, violence, and unintended death.

While I had owned the earlier 2011 Blu-ray release of Daughters of Darkness, I had never gotten around to actually watching it, so my viewing of the new 4K UHD release was my first exposure to Harry Kümel’s cult classic.  Thankfully, the movie held up to the considerable hype that I had encountered over the years.  Sumptuously lensed by cinematographer Eduard van der Enden, the film is a visual feast, and the story, acting, and direction are all far above what one would expect from the lesbian vampire genre.  I was especially pleased with the unexpected streak of dark humor that runs throughout the film.

Unlike most European co-productions of the time, the film was shot entirely in English and none of the actors were dubbed.  Consequently, in English-speaking countries, we are treated to the authentic performances from all of the principal actors.  Delphine Seyrig (best known from art films such as Last Year at Marienbad, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, and Jeanne Dielman) brings a touch of class to the production as the icy Countess, while American television actor John Karlen (of Dark Shadows and Cagney & Lacey) displays unexpected range and ferocity as the newlywed husband who is harboring numerous secrets.  While all of the actors have their moments, Seyrig and Karlen really do most of the heavy lifting using polar opposite acting styles that bounce off each other tremendously well.

When Daughters of Darkness was originally released in the United States approximately 12 minutes of footage was cut to achieve an R-rating.  Thankfully, the Blue Underground release is the fully uncut original version.  The film works largely due it its deliberate pacing, strange color transitions, and patience, so I’m certain that the censored cuts did the film tremendous harm.

I wish that the new 3-disc collectors edition of Daughters of Darkness had been released earlier in the month, so more collectors could have purchased it in time for Halloween.  However, don’t let the passing of “spooky season” dissuade you from picking up this fantastic release.

Belgian, French, & West German co-production/C-100m./Dir: Harry Kümel/Wr: Pierre Drouot, Jean Ferry, and Harry Kümel/Cast: Delphine Seyrig, John Karlen, Danielle Ouimet, Andrea Rau, Paul Esser, Georges Jamin, Joris Collet, and Fons Rademakers

For Fans of: Daughters of Darkness has an art film aesthetic and a deliberate pace, so it is as likely to appeal to fans of the surrealist works of Luis Bunuel and Walerian Borowczyk as to fans of Hammer horror movies.

Video: While Daughters of Darkness has received multiple DVD and Blu-ray releases over the years, the new 4K UHD release from Blue Underground makes all previous releases obsolete.  For the new release, the original 35mm camera negative, which was long though lost, was scanned in 4K 16-bit and the color timing for the disc was supervised and approved by director Harry Kümel. The new restoration reveals more brilliant colors and more stable grain structure than previous releases, and the resulting video is quite stunning.  I’d say that this was a improvement in quality on the level of Synapse Film’s Blu-ray and 4K restoration of Suspiria (1977).  The 4K UHD disc utilizes HDR and Dolby Vision enhancement, but if you have yet to upgrade to UHD, the package also includes the new restoration on Blu-ray, which still provides a great improvement in color and look when compared to the 2011 Blu-ray release.

While I am in no way an audiophile, the new Dolby Atmos audio mix sounded fantastic to my ears. As another nice bonus, the new package includes a CD of the original soundtrack.

The extra features included in the new release are a mix of materials that have been offered on previous releases of the film, combined with new content.  Of special interest are three full-length audio commentaries, each of which adds a different flavor to the release.  They are all worth a listen, but if you only listen to one, make sure to check out the extremely well-researched track from the always entertaining Kat Ellinger, who covers every aspect of a film from the perspective of critic, historian, and fan.

Here’s a list of the bonus materials:

• Audio Commentary #1 with Co-Writer/Director Harry Kümel
• Audio Commentary #2 with Star John Karlen and Journalist David Del Valle
• NEW! Audio Commentary #3 with Kat Ellinger, Author of Devil’s Advocates: Daughters of Darkness
• Locations of Darkness – Interviews with Co-Writer/Director Harry Kümel and Co-Writer/Co-Producer Pierre Drouot
• Playing the Victim – Interview with Star Danielle Ouimet
• Daughter of Darkness – Interview with Star Andrea Rau
• NEW! Theatrical Trailers
• Radio Spots
• NEW! Alternate U.S. Main Titles
• NEW! Poster & Still Gallery
• BONUS! DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD by François de Roubaix
• BONUS! Collectible Booklet with new essay by Michael Gingold
• BONUS! Lenticular slip-cover and two-sided reversible artwork on the interior cover

Streaming: At the time of this review, Daughters of Darkness could be streamed on The Criterion Channel and Vudu (with commercials).  It can also be rented digitally on Amazon.  However, it is unlikely that any of these streams provide the latest restoration.

More to Explore: The historical character of Elizabeth Bathory was also depicted in the middling Hammer horror film Countess Dracula (1971) with Ingrid Pitt in the title role. Paloma Picasso also portrayed the Countess in the elegantly erotic anthology film Immoral Tales (1973) by writer/director Walerian Borowczyk.

Trivia: Late in the filming of Daughters of Darkness, director Harry Kümel slapped actress Danielle Ouimet, and actor John Karlen was so enraged that he punched the director.  Things were a bit tense on the set after that.

For More Info: Kat Ellinger, who performed the audio commentary for the Blue Underground 4K UHD release, also wrote a book on the film, Daughters of Darkness (Devil’s Advocates), which includes interviews with director Harry Kümel and actress and star Danielle Ouimet.