Blood for Dracula is a horror-comedy film that was released in 1974. The movie is directed by Paul Morrissey and co-written by Morrissey and acclaimed director and writer, Roman Polanski. The movie is a parody of the Dracula legend and features a quirky mix of horror, comedy, and political satire.
The movie stars Udo Kier as Count Dracula, a vampire who is suffering from a mysterious illness caused by his constant diet of impure blood. In order to survive, he requires the blood of a virgin. Along with his assistant Anton (played by Arno Juerging), Dracula travels to Italy in order to find a suitable victim. His search leads him to the estate of the Marchese Di Fiore (played by Vittorio De Sica), who is desperate to marry off his daughters to wealthy suitors.
However, upon arriving at the estate, Dracula realizes that the only virgins there are the inexperienced and sheltered daughters of the marchese, who would not provide him with the pure blood he requires. Instead, he comes across the sexually active and deviant sisters played by Stefania Casini and Silvia Dionisio. While Dracula is disgusted by their impure blood, his urges overtake him leading to a traumatic outcome.
The movie's political satire comes from the character of Mario (played by Joe Dallesandro), the Marxist manservant working for the marchese. Mario distrusts the aristocratic Dracula and becomes suspicious of his intentions. He later becomes romantically involved with one of the sisters in a plot to overthrow the rich and powerful.
Blood for Dracula is a unique take on the vampire legend, and its satirical and comedic aspects make it a cult classic to this day.
