Daughters of Darkness

Decided I would finally watch, "Daughters of Darkness".

I thought watcing a Hammer Dracula would start me off well. I watched, "Dracula 72 AD", which, I can't remember ever seeing. When I looked at my phone & showed it was 11:30 pm, I popped Drac out, and I'm just starting DoD.

Weird...has different companies for the various countries it was released it (I've never seen that before).

I actually put my hand over my eyes....no way am I ready to 'see' JK (in the Biblical sense!!)

So, if you're like me, and not attending the fest, I'll put more regarding "Daughters of Darkness" as I watch it.

John Karlen 


Patti

I can't tell what country they're supposed to be in; some names of cities/regions are mentioned, but, still....

And, they come across a grand, palatial hotel (perhaps had been a castle) in the middle of nowhere.

I had heard of 'art' movies; knowing movies, I think this is well done so far (not done yet).

Patti

John Karlen's butt.

John Karlen's butt.

John Karlen's butt.

John Karlen's butt.

John Karlen's butt.

Who the hell are you calling OCD?

John Karlen's butt.

John Karlen's butt.

John Karlen's butt.

Patti

Daughters of Darkness is a great, early 70's arthouse flick. The story takes place in Ostend, Belgium and it's explained that the hotel is empty because it's the off-season. Delphine Seyrig is divine in this; so beguiling. And yes, you do see John Karlen in the all-together and I do mean the all-together; nothing is left to the imagination. Are you watching the Blue Underground DVD? If so, watch the movie again with the Karlen commentary, it's both informative and funny.

John's commentary on that film is priceless.  I think he mentions having an altercation with the director when the latter behaved badly with the ingenue actress.  As usual, I can't recall the details.

I actually remember reading about the movie when it finally got its US release.  I don't think that was until sometime in '71 though I think it was filmed in 1970, soon after John participated in hoDS. Rex Reed gave the movie a very strong good review in a New York paper that my grandfather used to buy.  I was so surprised because Rex usually did not have much time for horror films. 

Most of the scenes were done in one take.  I think John talks about how his stage training and, of course, his experience doing DS made it something he could do. Delphine also had a lot of stage experience.   She has this really long monologue in this one incredible scene where she's describing how Countess Bathory tortured her victims and in part of it, Karlen is nestled up against her and she's stroking his nipple.  They don't make em like that anymore.

G.

I HATED THE WAY IT ENDED

Patti

I actually remember reading about the movie when it finally got its US release.  I don't think that was until sometime in '71 though I think it was filmed in 1970, soon after John participated in hoDS.

Here's the ad (which I don't think I've ever shared) that appeared in the Boston newspapers on August 4, 1971 (the same day NoDS opened):

Karlen also did an interview with the long defunct Boston Advertiser that became infamous in fandom in the '70s because many DS fans believed he said working on DS was working on "garbage." I have shared that interview before - but it was back in the VantageNet incarnation of the forum, so it's no longer available. But if there's interest to see it again, I'll try to dig it up...

That's a cool ad, MB.  I of course have no memory of Karlen's interview, though I almost certainly read it all those years ago.  Would be interesting to read that again.

Sorry you found the ending a downer, Patti.  I think it's kind of cool, but to each his own.

For anyone interested, I have long suspected that this movie was meant to be a kind of homage to Roger Vadim's film BLOOD AND ROSES (1960).  In the 1795 storyline, specifically around the time of Angelique's wedding to Barnabas, they actually restaged a certain sequence from that film (BLOOD AND ROSES).  I saw the French film long before I ever got to see the 1795 episodes (I started watching DS a few months after the conclusion of 1795, in 1968) and when I did finally get to see those shows, it instantly struck me that once again, DS was "borrowing" from the best.

Anyhow the finale of DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS mirrors the finale of BLOOD AND ROSES in a few ways.

G.

For another interpretation of the Elizabeth Bathory legend, see the Hammer movie Countess Dracula, starring the wonderful Ingrid Pitt.

Here's the JK DoD article. It was published in the Boston Sunday Advertiser on August 8, 1971. (And sorry for the watermarks, but unfortunately these days too many sites "borrow" things without giving credit. ):

(And if you're having trouble reading the article because the print is too small on your monitor, remember that you can zoom in on your browser by holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard while hitting the + key over in the number pad section (and zoom out and back to normal by holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard while hitting the - key over in the number pad section).)

Karlen hasn't changed much, has he?

Great interview. But I can see why fans thought he was basically equating DS with "garbage."

G.

The funny thing to me about his remark about having to imagine he was doing something like Shakespeare in order to get through it is that I've always thought that Karlen's DS characters were some of the best written on the show. I mean, I bet there might have been plenty of actors who would have killed for a part like Willie - or even Carl!

It's an interesting remark because I recall Frid saying in interviews (this is going back to when the show was still on) that he would often think of Shakespeare, particularly Richard III, when he was playing Barnabas.

I don't know if Karlen referred to that because JF used to discuss this with him.  They must have spent a lot of time running lines together given all the scenes they had one on one.

G.